Girlfriend Getaway Travel Tips For Moms

It is difficult for everyone to get away. We are all busy juggling work and family. But what happens when mom wants to getaway? The Getaway Girl provides tips for busy moms to help her trip be as stressfree and worryfree as possible! After all, she is the one who needs a break the most.

·A girlfriend getaway must be a planned date/event when you have children, so moms can prepare the kids and line up their care during the trip. Moms need to get away, but must be comfortable with the timing, who is watching the kids, etc. Some moms make their girlfriend getaway an annual event that is sscheduled and anticipated every year as they are more likely to go when it’s a tradition.

·Provide as much details in writing for the caregiver. The more details you have in writing before you depart, the better your trip will be and (hopefully) less calls about what the kids need and/or where they need to be. Include information such as:
*Kids daily schedule (wake up/bedtime, school drop off/pick up, after school activities, evening schedule, etc)
*Mom’s travel schedule/key contact information (hotel, flight, contact numbers for travel partners, etc).
*Important contact list (neighbors, grandparents/family, doctor, daycare/school, babysitter, pharmacy, etc.)
*List of medications, dosage/frequency, special instructions

·Notify daycare/school of who will be dropping off/picking up kids, as well as who to contact in case of emergency (since you will be out of town).

·Leave a list of “things to do” with details and contact information so dad or the caregiver has an idea of activities to keep the kids busy (i.e. visit the zoo or park, friends to play with, etc).

·Select a getaway location tailored to adults; the last things mom’s want on their vacation is to be around someone else’s kids. Agree as a group what you would like to do and where you’d like to go. Also discuss everyone’s budget so have the same financial expectations.

·Traveling with girlfriends should be fantastic! However, sometime the best of friends don’t travel well together. Enjoy your getaway with girlfriends who have similar interests and can join you as you “Leave Your Baggage at Home®.” The last thing you need is to travel with someone who is constantly worrying other things besides your getaway experience.

·Even if the kids are left with their father, it is always a good idea for both parents to have a surrogate form on file with their pediatrician and a will on file with an attorney.

Casey Wohl Quoted in New Bailout Book

I am thrilled to be quoted in the new book "Hey, where's my bailout?" With every highly visible and controversial stimulus plan or bailout to rescue corporate America, many individuals have begun to ask "Hey, where's my bailout?"

Since nobody but you is going to bail you out, authors and entrepreneurs Todd Josko and Debbie Lundberg offer five easy steps to create your own bailout plan for any area of your life - all in only 60 days.

An insightful and entertaining read filled with practicality and usefulness, Hey, Where's My Bailout? offers the tools you'll want to use to begin living the life you truly deserve! For more details, visit http://www.heywheresmybailout.com/

Six Super Sites to Help You Save on Style

Many thanks to my friend Kelly Machbitz for these great tips! Do you use the web to stretch your fashion budget and be the most stylist shopper around? You may have already heard about eBay and Overstock.com, but here is a list of some sites Kelly has recently come across that can help you find your favorite designers at low, discount prices.

1. Bluefly.com
This site hosts a wide selection of discount designer clothing for men and women. Browse by occasion, designer, or top categories, or search their sale and clearance pages. Some gorgeous evening wear and unique shoe choices abound at this retailer.

2. ShopStyle.com
This site allows you to perform a really refined search and has loads of great stores in its network. It allows you to shop across multiple stores at once so you can compare prices and get the best deal. It also allows you to create your own stylebook to store your favorite items and allows you to "create a look" to combine your favorites into ensembles you can share with friends. You can also join or start a group to exchange style ideas with others who share your interests.

3. Shop-It-To-Me.com
Sign up on this site and they will send you a weekly or daily (you choose) e-mail telling you when styles and brands you like go on sale in your size. And as an extra bonus, when you refer 10 friends to the site you will receive a $10 gift certificate.

4. SweetSavings.com
The unique thing about this site is that the coupons actually look like coupons. You can easily scan through the new offerings on the homepage, or you can search by offer (discount, sale, and free shipping), by category, or alphabetically. If you're looking to buy for him or the kids, there are also coupons for that. Bonus: Sign up for their Sweet Savings weekly newsletter and stay in the loop about the hottest deals.

5. SwapStyle.com
Swapstyle is an online fashion swap party where you can swap clothes, accessories, and shoes with people from all around the world at any time, day or night. And it's Free! Imagine browsing at your leisure through an extensive international fashion wardrobe and choosing exactly what you want. It only takes minutes to register, then you're on your way to updating your fashion wardrobe, and the only thing you pay for is the shipping. Swapstyle goes far beyond the traditional home-based fashion swap parties. It's convenient, saves time, and offers so much more variety.

6. Yoox.com
At this site you will find designer goods for men, women and children at approximately half the original suggested price. Categories include new arrivals, vintage, special editions, and more.
There are new sites popping up everyday, so be sure to share with the rest of us when you find a great one!

Information courtesy of Kelly Machbitz. Check out Kellys' site www.TotalFashionMakeover.com for more great tips.

Foreign Visitors to U.S. Hit Record Figures in 2008

Despite a 6% drop in fourth-quarter arrivals, the U.S. hosted a record 58 million foreign visitors in 2008, an overall 4% increase, the Commerce Department reported. Canada, the perennial leader, generated 18.9 million visitors, a 7% increase, while arrivals from Mexico declined 7% to 13.8 million, a total that includes both border traffic and travel to the interior.
Overseas arrivals, (excluding Canada and Mexico) rose 6% to 25.3 million. Although several individual countries also generated record numbers, the U.S. Travel Association warned of a continuing lag in the growth of the overseas component.
Even with recent increases, arrivals from overseas have not rebounded to pre-9/11 traffic levels, which peaked at 26 million in 2000. U.S. Travel said that if U.S. overseas arrivals had kept pace with global travel trends, the U.S. would have attracted 58 million more overseas visitors during the past eight years, representing $182 billion in traveler spending.
Source: Travel Weekly

The Getaway Girl Hosts Orlando Shopping Video

Check out this video link below where I take you on a journey through some of Orlando's favorite shopping destinations. From outlet shopping at Orlando Premium Outlets, to high-end retailers at Mall at Millenia and Park Avenue in Winter Park, shoppers of all budgets can experience an incredible day of shopping.

http://www.visitflorida.com/Orlando/videos/video_id.184

Casey Wohl Serves As Travel Expert for Dove Deoderant

I was thrilled to be asked by Dove Deodorant to participate as a Travel Expert in their exciting 16-week Facebook campaign, which is a terrific way to share information on issues that are important to all women, such as travel, fashion and nutrition. Join me the week of April 6 as we chat about all things travel.

Dove is introducing a unique new addition to the anti-perspirant/deodorant category with its new product, Dove Visibly Smooth--Ultimate, created to help minimize the look and feel of underarm hair over time (perfect for busy Girls on the Go). The unique formula helps women feel stubble-free longer while delivering all the benefits of Dove anti-perspirant/deodorant, including 24-hour odor and wetness protection, Dove 1/4 Translucent Moisturizers™ that care for delicate underarm skin, and alleviating white marks.

Hope you chat with us on Facebook staring April 6 at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dove-Visibly-Smooth/58040884511. Participants will be entered to win fabulous prizes based on each week’s theme, so be sure to join us!

Leisure Travel Looks Like A Bargain

The discount packages, price cuts and promotions offered by hotels, cruise lines and theme parks apparently have caught the attention of would-be leisure travelers. The “perceived affordability of travel” rose to 90.2 in February from 78.2 in October 2008, according to a new U.S. Travel Sentiment Index conducted by Orlando travel research and marketing company Y Partnership.
The index is pegged to a 100 base line established in March 2007. Although the index is a measure of perception and not bookings, it suggests that people believe there are bargains to be had for those willing to take vacations. The increase in the index was the first since January 2008, a month after the current recession began. The U.S. travel industry and YPartnership co-sponsor the index, called travelhorizons, which has been assembled quarterly since March 2007.