We wanted sunshine, clear blue water, an easy travel experience, and a trip that did not require spending thousands of dollars on flights alone. Roatán delivered all of that and more. One of the biggest reasons this trip worked so beautifully is because we flew our family of four using points, which kept our out-of-pocket […]

The Grand Roatán Kimpton Resort quickly became one of our favorite family beach trips. It offers the right mix of relaxed luxury, incredible snorkeling, family-friendly rooms, and a location that makes your trip feel easy from beginning to end. If you are wondering whether this resort is worth it, especially for families, here is everything […]

Roatán is the rare Caribbean island that lets you truly exhale. It has the perfect balance of adventure and relaxation without the extreme crowds, rigid schedules, or “tourist conveyor belt” feeling some destinations have. As an elementary teacher, my day-to-day life is already filled with constant noise, people, and activity. When I travel, I want […]

If you have young adult children coming home for Christmas, this is one of the BEST times of the year to help them take a really important step toward their financial future: building their credit the right way. A strong credit history is one of the most valuable financial tools they can have. It helps […]

When my son was in 3rd grade, we started reading and listening to the Harry Potter books together—and something just clicked. Before long he was mixing “potions” in the kitchen, carrying around a wand made of sticks from our backyard, and even building a life-size Nimbus 2000 out of whatever he could find in the […]

If you’ve been hanging around the points and miles world lately, you know Bilt has been busy. And their latest update might be my favorite one yet — because it gives everyday shoppers a brand-new way to earn Bilt points without needing a Bilt credit card. Yep, you can now transfer your Rakuten earnings into […]

Sometimes the best trips don’t go exactly as planned. When we landed in Oakland, our original plan was to drive straight to Yosemite National Park — but a record-breaking snowstorm had other ideas. Roads were closed, the park had no electricity, and all we could do was pivot. So we pointed the car toward the […]

After a few action-packed days exploring San Francisco, we slowed things down for the most peaceful stretch of our California road trip — three nights in Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea. This was the midpoint between the big-city buzz up north and the theme-park energy waiting for us down south. It ended up being our favorite part […]

Seattle marked both the beginning and end of our 10-day Washington road trip. We flew into Seattle, drove straight to Mount Rainier National Park, spent several days exploring Olympic National Park, and finished our trip back in the city. Our final stop was everything we needed — a comfy stay at the Hyatt Place Seattle […]

There’s something magical about seeing Mount Rainier for the first time — that massive, snow-covered volcano rising out of the clouds doesn’t look real until you’re standing at its base. For our family’s 10-day Washington adventure, we flew into Seattle, spent a few days exploring Mount Rainier National Park, crossed the ferry to Olympic National […]