Thursday, July 18, 2013

Some More Tips and Tricks!

Hi lovelies! You know the drill, if I can find the original author click the picture or link and it will take you right to that person!
 
1. A lovey lady- Kelly- said that in the summer months to take regular Listerine and put it in a spray bottle and spray the perimeter of your patio or any area that you are in and it keeps the mosquitoes away. I will DEFINITELY be using this one considering the mosquitoes are horrendous this year.
 
2. For the people who have cats but hate the look of the litter box use this tip from This Old House:
Remove the cabinet door's panel and add a tension rod installed in the cabinet to hide the litter.
 
 
3.  This one is all over Pinterest- and it works. Cinnamon in the sandbox keeps the bugs away. You've got to use a cup to a cup and a half of cinnamon and mix it into the sand, but it works quite well.
 
 
4. I've seen this on Pinterest in various places- bathing your little ones in a laundry basket in the tub to keep them from slipping. It confines them but gives them some room to splash. Now while this may not be the best option for home- it might work really well on vacation. You cant always take the tub with you, but most rental houses have a laundry basket available for you to use.
 
5. Found this on The Storage Geek- fix towel bars to the back of the closet to store blankets.
 
Towel bars affixed to closet doors to hold blankets. I could have used this tip six months ago. You have to know I am using it like, this afternoon!
 
6. This one came from My Life and Kids - and if you haven't gone over to read some of the hilariousness that Anna has on there, you are missing out. Use toothpaste to remove permanent marker from wood floors or tables- works like a charm!
 
7. Mayonnaise will remove water stains from wood. Water marks come when the wood actually gets dried out. Simply slather on a nice thick layer of Mayo and the oils will recondition the wood. Make sure to let it set awhile, it doesn't work instantly!
 
8. Did you know you could freeze buttermilk and heavy cream? I certainly didn't until I stumbled upon this pin from Homestead Revival who told me I could.  Think of all of those recipes that only call for a little bit, and the stores that sell it in pints. Perfect solution!
 
 
9. Village Voices on Kidspot gives us 30 out of the ordinary beauty tricks- my favorite one being the fact that you can use a bit of baking soda on the oily areas of your hair as a dry shampoo, if you don’t have time to wash with regular shampoo. Comb the baking soda through your hair gently to avoid clumps, and then blow-dry with cool air for several seconds.
 
10. For those cloth diaper users, there is a pretty great storage idea I saw on Pinterest. Use a shoe organizer to hold all of them bad boys on the back of a door. Frees up drawer space and keeps the fluff off of the floor.
Cloth diaper storage
11. This one came from my uncle that is a manager of a detail shop at a large car lot. People always come in with horrible bumper stickers on cars and they need them removed. Obviously they have tried many different ways to remove them, but he swears one of the best is just a thick layer of mayonnaise. Slather it over the sticker and let it sit, and the oils will lift the sticky residue right up.

12. Chap stick will stop bleeding from shaving nicks. Just swipe it over the nick and voila!

13. I cant find the original link this came from- so if its you, let me know and Ill link to you!!  Until then, Ill just link to the pin I got it from. Pinner said: "I was in Ulta today and a sales lady dropped nail polish. They immediately began pouring sugar on it. Did you know sugar makes nail polish clump up and you can sweep it right off the floor? I watched them. No scrubbing at all!"

 
14. This one comes from a reader of Thrifty Fun and its one that I desperately need for summer- how to make those mosquito bites stop itching! Pixie from Alliance, OH uses Orajel or any toothache gel medicine and it works! It stops the itching instantly and will not itch again. The best part is its not sticky or greasy and the tube is small enough to fit right in your pocket.
 
 
15. Sarah sent me this tip via email and she swears it works like a charm! If you get some dandruff, you don't need to go buy expensive shampoo just wash your hair with apple juice to get rid of the flakes.
 
16.  This pin lead me to the blog LaLa- and I love this super simple pacifier storage idea.  Just pop them into a basic souffle cup with a lid, and then feel free to store them in a drawer, purse or diaper bag until needed!
 
 
17. Amy over at Then She Made shared her tutorial for rotating can storage- and its one of those why the heck did I not think of that moments. She re-used the fridge cardboard pop boxes and it works like a charm! Simply add a hole at the top of the box and save yourself big bucks over the expensive plastic kind they sell in stores. Brilliant and easy- that's my kind of DIY project!
 
 
18. A friend who works in the floral industry swears that a few drops of bleach in a vase of water will extend the life of your cut flowers. It prevents the growth of the nasty smelling slime and keeps the flowers looking beautiful.

19. My grandma used to swear that a line of chalk will keep ants out of your house. I found a bunch of those critters in my bathroom so I'll be heading outside to draw a chalk outline of my house. If it doesn't keep the ants out, at least it will show where my house stood before I lysoled it to death!

20. Snapguide has a solution on how to hang a sweater so you don't get the crazy shoulder bumps from the hanger. Considering I usually end up re-washing to get rid of them I had to give this one a try!

 
21. The Family Handyman has a list of 10 Easy Holiday Storage tips- and they are all pure brilliance. One of my favorites is how to store gift wrap. We have one of those wrapping storage containers for Christmas wrap, but this would work well for all types of wrapping paper. Install a simple wire shelf on the side of the closet, and it will keep the paper neat and out of the way.
 
 
22. To cool drinks quickly, add some salt and water to the ice. It allows drinks to cool much quicker, which works well when you want something nice and cold and there is nothing in the fridge!
 
23. From the blog Sweet Caroline- use Woolite Foam Carpet Cleaner to clean your grout. It comes out in a nice steady stream, so its easy to spray and works like a charm. Simply spray, let set several minutes, brush and wipe away!
 
 
24. For anyone who has ever been pinched by the springs on a trampoline- this pin is for you- cover the springs with foam pool noodles! I couldn't find the original author on this one either, so if its you please let me know!
 
25.  Another one that makes no sense why I didn't think of this on my own- and unfortunately another one that I cant find the original author for. I found this pin for a easy storage solution for plastic sandwich bags and its pure brilliance.
 
 
26.  Another brilliant pin I stumbled across this time was the answer to my bib storage prayers.
Use a command hook and attach it to the back of the highchair, giving you the perfect place to store bibs. Ive also seen the command hook inside the cabinet door where the baby's food is kept, also brilliant.
 
 
27.  Save all of the travel sized toiletries we swipe from hotels or buy for trips and toss them in a pretty glass jar in the spare bathroom for guests to use. Makes people feel at home and makes you look like a terrific hostess :)
 
 
28. I can not find the original author of this pin- but I want to kiss them (if its you, please tell me!). They provided me with a solution to a horrible problem in the K household.  The scene- I put clothes into the washer knowing that my nice sweater and dress pants don't go into the dryer. Hubs decides to "help" and throws the whole pile into the dryer. Sixty minutes later Barbie can wear my sweater and my pants have more fuzzies on them than my dog. Been there? Then try this- use a dry erase marker with a magnet to write a note on the lid of the washer as to what can not go into the dryer.
 
 
29. Want the look of two curtain panels without having to replace your drapery hardware? The people over at I love decorating share how to hang a second panel behind the existing curtain with the help of a thin bungee cord available in the hardware section of most stores!
 
 
30.  From the people over at snapguide- a fast acting pimple clearing tip! Get an Advil Liqui-Gels. Use a pin to poke a hole in the pill and then apply the liquid to pimple. You will notice the redness and pain goes away almost immediately! Side note- do not use the pin to poke the pimple. Rather, once the hole is poked squeeze it right from the liquid gel onto the skin.
 
 
 
 
That's all for today lovelies- keep sharing your tips and tricks with me :)
 
 
 
 
 

Monday, July 15, 2013

If I Hit the Lottery: 52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose

Linking up with Becky again for a fun topic- what I would do if I won some cold hard cash.
 

 I'm just going to go ahead and pretend we're talking a good chunk of change- and for that reason I would take the cash up front option. I don't exactly trust the fact that I would get payments over time. Call me crazy, but Ill budget it on my own and know that the money is there.
 
First and foremost? Student Loans? BYE! I would pay those bad boys off in a hot minute.  I may actually personally drive the check to AES just to photograph that amazing and momentous occasion. Both me and the hubs have student loans, and together we pay more for them than I ever care to think about.
  
After I was done doing the "WOO MY DEBT IS GONE!" dance I would go out and get myself a financial planner to invest the money.  I remember playing the stock market game in eighth grade, and I'm pretty sure I picked my stocks by the eney-meanie-miney-mo method. Not exactly the way I choose to handle my finances now. I'll leave that up to the professionals.

Id set up college fund for my kiddos- so they never have to deal with this student loan crap. That way, even if the money ran out they would still not have to worry.
 
I would sell our house and head out of the city for the burbs.  Something with land, an open floor plan and a pool. I also would like something with a little more space and a finished basement. I want my kiddo to have his own room and a playroom (that isn't where my dining room should be), and any of his future siblings to have their own rooms. A big garage for the hubs and a little quiet office for me. Then of course I would go decorating crazy. Oh, and I would build a few "guest houses" on the property- one for my Momma and one for my in-laws. Far enough away from the main house but close enough to send Grayson running to a Grandma when I need some peace and quiet.

Oh, and my Momma would be DONE working. I may keep my job, I love it that much. She, however, would never work again. The hubs would probably switch jobs, but I highly doubt he could ever not be working. He doesn't have the personality to sit still.

I would give my in-laws the money the need to retire, or at least the money to do with whatever they would like.

We would TRAVEL. Everywhere. The Caribbean, Hawaii, Europe, Australia, Alaska, everywhere in the continental US. I want to see it all. Id take my mom and my in-laws with us- because A) best baby sitters in the world and B) they took us everywhere they could as kids and now I'm returning the favor.

I would buy a place at the beach and a condo in the mountains so we have somewhere to go as a family for years to come.

I would give back. I know everyone says this- but I really do mean it. I try to give as much as I can now. I donate to St. Jude, I donate to the teachers scholarship fund at work, I give money when we choose students who are in need and buy Christmas gifts, I give to the church.  But I really don't feel like I give enough. Having disposable income would increase the amount of that scholarship for sure. I would also love to do crazy random things- like paying off the bills of a friend without them knowing it was me.

I don't know what else I would do- because its all hypothetical. I mean, I like to joke that I have all of these crazy occurrences in my life that are "one in a million" or only 0.01% of the population rarities but I cant for the life of me hit the lottery. I do play, I always try to buy one ticket when the jackpot gets up super high. I don't do it all the time because I usually forget and I'm too lazy to go back out once I'm home, but I figure it only takes one ticket to win.

 I know money can't buy happiness but it can pay off my student loans.
And that makes me happy.

What would you do if you hit the lottery?
Go link up and tell me!



 

Friday, July 12, 2013

Friday Letters

WOO! Its Friday- and the humidity around here has finally taken a break, which is amazing all in its own, because my hair will no longer look like a q-tip plastered to my head. (Ill give you a second to let that visual image seep in...team messy bun over here all the way!) Anyway- since my mind is a mish of random today, I decided it was time to write some Friday letters!
 
Dear Grayson Boy- Mommy LOVE LOVE LOVES the fact that you adore toddler gym. However, if you could kindly stop scaling every piece of furniture in the house like it's your job, that would be great. Mommy can't take you to gym class if she's in the cardiac wing at AGH.
 
Dear Rain- What the heck is up with the rainiest summer ever? Three inches in two hours is not cool. Granted we didn't get flooded out up here on the hill, but a lot of other people did and it's time to give it a rest. Oh and btw, three days without the chance of rain isn't really a rest when we've had 11 straight days with rain. Isn't there a desert in a drought somewhere you can go hang for awhile?
 
Dear Fur Babies- Thank you for being so nice to the tiny human. Being ridden like a personal pony can be rough, but I know you put up with it because he'll share his snacks with you. That kid loves you, and I know you love him- even if he won't give you his cheerios.
 
Dear Momma- Grayson said he would really, really like it if you made him some banana drop cookies from his great grandmas recipe.  Mommy tried to make them for him and she burned them to a crisp- it was totally the oven's fault- but he still would like some. And he promises to share with his Mommy, because you taught him sharing is important.
 
Dear Beach- I.can.not.wait!  Fifteen more days and I plan to plant myself firmly on your sandy shore and come home not so pale. I'm super excited to see Grayson love you as well, and I'm putting in my request now for nice weather. Hear that rain? You are not welcome!
 
Dear Blog Friends- Thank you all for the sweet emails I have received this week. You are all amazing and I love you all to bits. I love hearing from all of you, so feel free to send me an email and I promise Ill respond! Its so fun to keep in touch with you guys- and I would MUCH rather return emails at naptime rather than do laundry!
 
Dear Hubs- Thank you for the sweet things you do. The Turners Tea that appeared in my fridge was amazing and the new box of Loft goodies that arrived with the tag "for you for the beach" are just two reasons you are the best husband ever. I love you to pieces.
 
Dear Weekend- WOO! Two days without rain in the forecast, you better bet we'll be taking advantage of you. Zoo, splash-pad, park- the options are endless but I hope you'll be wonderful! And if on the off chance that you can add an extra day into the weekend, I know you would make a lot of people extremely happy! Give it a shot, please?
 
Happy Weekend, Lovelies!
 
 
 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

House Bucket List- its a long one!


I don't know if I ever told you guys the story of our house. Originally it was owned by the hub's grandma- and he moved in with her when he came Pittsburgh for college. He always wanted to fix things and do things to it, but she didn't have the money and wouldn't allow him to do anything.


Its a grand old Victorian. Built in the 1890's full of old thick mahogany woodwork, 12 foot ceilings, pocket and French doors, ornate fireplaces, six bedrooms and one (really big) bathroom. Its stucco on the outside, had zero insulation and no air conditioning.

He LOVES this house- and has always had so many ideas of what he would do to it. Once his sweet, sweet Grandma passed away he couldn't really let this place go. So we bought it- and started fixing it up.

We have made some improvements so far. The hubs built some kitchen cabinets- because we had exactly one when we bought it and added a closet in the pantry. We dry-walled and insulated the living room and master bedroom, complete with new paint. We built a master closet. We repainted the bathroom and installed a new toilet. Sodded and mulched the backyard. Ripped up the ugly old carpet and put in pergo floors. Tiled the entry way and painted the foyer complete with a stenciled wall. Put tile in the basement to make it a little less creepy. Installed central AC. Power washed and re-stained the porch. Built retaining walls in the front. Grayson's room was completed with insulation, paint, painted trim, retiled fireplace and carpet installed.  There is probably so much more I'm forgetting.

If you ask anyone, its a vast improvement over where it was- but there is still oh-so-much we want to do. So here's the list- with some before pictures to really give you an idea of what were looking at. Now I didn't attempt to hide any messes in these pictures- it's all real up in here, folks!

 Exterior:

 

-Paint the trim and sides of porch (currently the ugly green)
-Fix porch ceiling
-New lighting/Outdoor Fan
-Repair Stucco where needed
-New flashing and trim on house
-Paint exterior of house (I'm thinking cream?)
-Sod the front lawn
-Landscaping (which someone else will do, since I kill fake plants)
-Trim super large tree

Foyer:


My stenciled wall- love this.
See- I got one drawer painted. Fail.
 
 

-New Front Door
-Finish Gallery Wall
-Paint Cabinet (that has currently been primed for like 2 years-eep.)
-Paint Trim
-Paint or Carpet Stairs and Landing
-Patch the drywall going up stairs
-Paint the upper part of the hallway

Play Room/Dining Room:

Told ya- I keep it real. Didn't even put the toys away.

Water damage on ceiling after bathroom toilet decided to sprout a leak when we were not home.

-Rip out plaster and lathe (which the whole house was, btw) and drywall
-Paint room (don't we all LOVE antique white yellowed after years of a smoker living in the house?)
-New computer Desk
-Toy Storage
-New light fixture

Living Room:


-New ceiling fan
-finish floor trim
-Paint trim
-toy storage (hmm...pattern?)
-Repaint coffee table

Kitchen:



(complete gut/redo)
-New cabinets/countertops
-Backsplash
-Tile floor
-Paint
-Remove pocket door and finish wall
-Box in fireplace
-Move door to pantry/mudroom to line up with exterior door

Pantry:


-Take out current shelving system
-Fix ceiling leak (when it rains really hard, we get a leak)
-Fix window
-Remove old exterior door
-Convert pantry to three piece bath (sink, shower, toilet)

Mudroom:

-Side note- this used to be the back porch that we closed in this spring to make a mudroom.

- remove stucco and old doorframe
-build up the floor
-insulate and drywall walls
-install washer/dryer hookup (hellllo first floor laundry!)
-tile backsplash behind washer/dryer
-tile floor
-add shelving/storage

Bathroom:




-Paint (I'm thinking a mint green)
-Remove wainscoting and install batten and board
-New tub and fixtures
-Retile shower
-Create a new vanity
-Trim mirror
-New lighting fixtures
-Retile floor?

Upstairs Landing:



-Remove wallpaper
-Paint
-Paint Trim

Master Bedroom:
-Paint trim
-Armoire for Hubs
-Hang Artwork
-New Rug?

Guest Room:
-Rip out plaster
-Insulate and Drywall
-Create a closet
-Add vent for heat/ac
-Get rid of nasty drop ceiling
-Lighting
-Paint
-Flooring?

Grayson's Room:

Before


After

 New tile on fireplace

 Carpet, insulation and pretty yellow walls

 Trim painted a nice chocolate brown


No improvements- Its the only complete room in the house :)

Basement
-Folding Station
-Purge
-Build Walls
-Slop sink

Attic (three bedrooms on the third floor)
-ORGANIZE.

Now obviously, this list isn't going to happen overnight.  The hubs is a contractor- so getting him to do work on our house after he does it in other peoples all day is sometimes a bit tough. But we'll chip away at it and get it taken care of.



Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Blogging with A Purpose: My Weakness

Happy Tuesday, Lovelies! Linking up again with From Mrs. to Mama for her 52 weeks of blogging with a purpose. This week's topic is all about my weaknesses. Geeze, Becky. This one is tough.
 
 
 
No, not because I don't have a weakness- we all have those. Its hard because I have to pick my biggest weakness from the list.  Speaking of the list let's see what's on it, shall we? I'm a procrastinator, I cant spell to save my soul, I try too hard to make others happy, I have problems saying no, big blue eyes (from a Daddy and a baby) make my knees weak and I give in every time, and according to my students they can bribe me with a can of coke and some chocolate. While these are all true things, I don't think they are my biggest weakness.
 
Mine biggest weakness is the fact that I over think everything and question myself. I lay in bed some nights hashing out situations and over analyzing and over thinking them worrying about my decisions and the outcomes- until morning comes and I've gotten zero sleep. Most of the time what I was worrying about is something so stupid, that I had no reason to worry in the first place. But I do. I stress myself out and make myself sick over next to nothing. A lot of the time it has to do with work and wanting to make sure I've said or done everything right so that no one can ever come back and say otherwise. Lately it has to do a lot with Grayson's speech- I keep wondering if I had read different books or talked to him more when I was on maternity leave or when he was a baby that he wouldn't need EI right now. I know that's silly, and I didn't "break" him or screw him up (not yet at least, haha) but Mommy Guilt coupled with over thinking can really throw you for a loop sometimes.
 
I hate it, and I'm working every day to try and stop doing it. I'm working with the mantra "You cant control it, so stop worrying about it". I'm a work in progress, but as my husband says that's what makes me fun.

What is your biggest weakness? Head on over and link up with Becky!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Summer Essentials- Beaching it with a Toddler

Taking a toddler under two to the beach or pool can be a bit nerve wracking...because you its easy to feel like your dragging a 20 ton bag through the sand.  It doesn't have to be scary or a workout, but it does have to be planned and a well packed bag is a must. I keep this bag packed and ready, then I just throw in snacks and a sippy and we're ready to roll.

Here is my list of must haves for beach travel with a tiny human.

1. Vera Bradley Get Carried Away Tote- I love, love, love this bag. Its big, but not too big, and its got just enough pockets to keep everything in place. Plus some of the pockets are lined in plastic to keep sippies and wet things from leaking. Its also versatile enough to not just be a beach bag, but can go anywhere and not be spotted as a beach tote.

2. Burt's Bees Talc Free Dusting Powder - the easiest way to get sand off of little ones is a bit of baby powder and this one is by far the best. Its talc free, so its totally safe for little ones and works like a charm.

3.  Planet Wise Wet Bag- I got turned on to the idea of wet bags when we were attempting cloth diapers and even though the diapers didn't stick around the wet bag definitely did. They are perfect to put wet swimsuits into after a day at the beach, keeping everything else in the bag nice and dry. I keep them in my diaper bag for the instances when we have a dirty diaper or wet clothes- just toss them in and I don't have to worry about it. Plus, the colors? Can't be beat.

4. Snack Containers- Babies play hard at the beach so snacks are necessary. I love this snack container from Innobaby because I can put four different snacks in and then we have a variety. I also toss a few other snack containers in the bag filled with fruit, crackers and other snacks so we can avoid the unhealthy options of beach concession stands. 



 
5. Johnson and Johnson Face and Hand Wipes- love these things. They're perfect for washing sand off of hands and faces before snacks and they don't dry out babies skin.
 
6. iPlay Baby Rash guard and Swim Trunks with SPF 50 Sun Protection- of course when we are out in the sun I slather down the kid with sunblock, that's a no brainer. But I also love to put him in these cute rash guards from iPlay that have built in SPF protection. Its just a little more peace of mind in-between sunscreen lathering sessions. The swim trunks also have a built in swim diaper- which is a nice bonus!
 
7. Honest Company Sunscreen- I love the fact that this sunscreen has literally no chemicals and is safe for babies UNDER 6 months old. That never happens. Its also hypoallergenic, unscented, not greasy, biodegradable, water resistant for 40 minutes, non-nano and vegetarian. Its perfect and we use it on everyone in the family.
 
8. MD Moms Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes- Not going to lie, these are a bit pricy; but the convenience is worth the price.  We all know how hard it is to hold down a baby to lather them up with sunscreen and get it all rubbed in. These towels make it easy to just wipe on a nice layer of sun protection in a quick swipe. I make them last by using the rub in sunscreen on backs and bellies, then swipe these over areas that are harder and more sensitive like faces, eyes and the backs of his neck. I just pop them in a zip lock baggie and seal to use during the next application.
 
 
9. Shade Shack Instant Pop Up Sun Shelter- I love this tent because it opens up so quick and folds up so small. I can use it without the hubs being there, so it also goes with us to many pool trips for a little spot of shade.
 
10. Stearns Puddle Jumper Life Jacket- Grayson hates the life jackets that zip up around his throat but Mr. Fearless also rip runs for the water while forgetting the fact that he doesn't know how to swim all that well, so a lifejacket is a must. Puddle Jumpers are coast guard approved, super cute and kids love them. We won't go to the beach or lake without one!
 
Other items that are on our must have list? Pampers Little Splashers swim diapers, hooded towels, and a sippy.
 
What is on your must have beach list? Let me know if my bag is missing an essential!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Did You Know July was National Vacation Rental Month?


This July, just like every July before it, we will be packing up and hitting the road for a little R&R. Growing up some of my best memories were made on summer vacations, and I certainly want exactly the same for the Grayson Boy.  Some of my best and earliest memories were of sand in my swimsuit and tasting the salt in the air. Since the kid has recently decided that the sandbox is the coolest thing since sliced bread, I knew it was time to head to the beach.
  
This year I knew we had to have certain creature comforts- gone were the days when we would pile into a hotel room and sleep on the floor and eat out every meal. Not only can that get uber expensive, it's also just not really healthy for the toddler to know how to order room service. Plus, knowing we would be going with my mother and my in-laws, I knew there was no way that we could all snuggle up in one room. We need our space and separate bathrooms. We are not that close of a group- if you catch my drift. So I knew this year we would be looking for an actual vacation home.  However I was really sad to give up the comforts of a hotel- like a concierge desk, Wi-Fi, Shuttle Services and oh yeah,  housekeeping. I really love the housekeeping. After all vacation is the one time of the year where I can throw my dirty towels on the floor and not make my bed and someone else comes in and picks them up, brings me fresh towels and makes the bed. I was not really ready to give up THAT- after all, it's my vacation too!
 
 
All of the space and amenities of a house like a full kitchen, multiple bedrooms and a washer and dryer in unit PLUS the creature comforts of a hotel? Sign me up!
 
Knowing I wanted to keep bean on somewhat of a regular routine, I had to keep a few things in mind for my search. He needed his own room, we had to have Wi-Fi for his iPad and I wanted a pool incase he decided he hated the salt water. Plus I wanted a place that looked family friendly, as I didn't want to spend the whole trip following him around terrified he would ruin the place. I also knew I wanted to book with a professional- no shady dealings going on here.  My in-laws would be traveling from Tennessee and we would be hoofing it from Pittsburgh, so we wanted somewhere either in North or South Carolina to kind of make it even on the driving or flying distance.
 
 I was thrilled to see that in the United States, Wyndham Vacation Rentals' properties range from private homes, resorts condos and villas in beach destinations such as Florida, South Carolina, Delaware and Alabama's Gulf Coast to mountain-side condos and luxury cabins in Colorado, Utah, Tennessee and Idaho.  While the condos in Colorado looked AMAZING this Mama needs a beach.  We decided to look at beach front properties in South Carolina, either Charleston or Hilton Head because we could fly into those fairly cheaply. Although I totally will be coming back to use Wyndham Vacation Rentals when we book our condo in Colorado for our ski-cation this winter.
 
Using the site was super easy, and it was super fast to find a house that met all of our needs. I hate when you put in that you need a house that holds six, but you end up with three bedrooms that have rooms that have two twins. No adult wants to sleep in a twin bed. Wyndham has a special feature in their advanced search to make sure you get exactly what you're looking for.
 
 
 What my search yielded was the most beautiful array of homes- here are a few of the drool-worthy possibilities we had to choose from.
 
 
 
 Um, I'll take them all?
 
Hubs, being the doubting Thomas he is, said that these houses couldn't be as good as they seem. But I knew that if we booked through Wyndham, we wouldn't have to worry because they we would be booking with a professionally managed vacation rental provider. Plus Wyndham Vacation Rentals® has this amazing "Vacation Rental Bill of Rights®". Which is basically a service pledge ensuring quality standards  including vetted rentals with accurate images, comprehensive customer service and real-time payment and bookings. Knowing it's coming from the Wyndham name that alone gives it a solid reputation, but having this Bill of Rights makes your decision to book through Wyndham Vacation Rentals easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.
 
The best part? Right now Wyndham Vacation Rentals is offering summer deals at up to 35 percent off nightly rates on bookings made throughout July at Wyndham Vacation Rentals website! So what are you waiting for, go book yourself a vacation rental and reward yourself with a little vacation- tell your hubs I said you deserve it :)
   
 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.