Vacation time again, ey? Where is it this year gals...the Andes...the Bahamas....the Riviera? Well, if you are a penny-pinching at-home mama with lots of ginormous mouths to feed on an almost non-existent budget, those places may seem a little out of reach.

Have you been thinking you'll never be able to afford another vacation on this ONE INCOME LIFE? Let me assure that you with a tad of research here, and a dollop of miserly mentality there...you most certainly can.

Knowing you've created a family vacation that will not only bring smiles to the faces of your clan, but also leave you free of burdensome debt is worth every ounce of time you'll put into planning. Allow me (oh, do tell me, Great Frugal One...) to gently guide you into the unknown world of the frugal vacationer; a place where no family goes without a splashy summer excursion, a place where keen strategy reigns and overpriced admission-fees die...only in....The Travel Tightwad Zone...

• Plan ahead! The main ingredient for debt- free vacation success is planning and saving well in advance of the actual trip. For our South Dakota trip, we saved for many months until we mustered up $1000.00 We budgeted our one-week trip according to what money we had, and actually came back with money in our pockets.



• Go to a state that touches yours! Don't think you can afford a vacation across the world? How about across the state? By driving a few hours to a bordering city in another state, you can get the feel of an exciting adventure with both little time and monetary commitment.



• Spring for the kitchenette! By booking either a kitchenette hotel room, or choosing a small housekeeping cabin, you will have the freedom of grocery shopping when you arrive at your vacation spot which will enable you to be in full control of how much you eat out. Of course, you'll still want to indulge in a restaurant or two...but doing most of the cooking in your room will end up saving you tons of cash. Another twist to this money-saving idea is to bring along an ice chest, and an electric frying pan. Some motels offer small refrigerators and microwaves in the rooms as well...do your homework and opt for foods which are a bit easier to cook...you are on vacation, after all!



• Plan for only one admission-based activity! Our family chose to visit South Dakota a few years back for its unique Reptile Gardens facility. We purposefully planned our weeks stay including only two admission-based activities. We enjoyed cave- discovering hikes, traveled the streets of local historic towns, and were even blessed with a binoculars view of 10-12 deer running along the base of the beautiful South Dakota mountains....all completely free!



• Get in that car, and go! The cost of gas is certainly much less than the cost of airline tickets for your entire family. For a 10 hour drive round-trip, you may have to fill your gas tank only 6-7 times. (Compare this cost to the average airline ticket of $350.00 per person.) If the wear and tear on your vehicle really bugs you...renting a car is still a cost-effective way to travel by highway. Road trips also allow you to see many things you would certainly miss from the sky.



• Stay in your own state! Don't forget the wonderful tourist possibilities in remote locations of your very own state. There are bound to be attractions in towns you've never been to...or better yet...never even heard of! In my opinion, the smaller and older the town, the better. Many local cities offer unique namesakes such as "Home of the World's Biggest Ball of Twine." Now, how many people can say they've traveled from afar to see that?



• Take a mini-vacation! Our family thoroughly enjoys what we like to term mini-vacations...simply a one- night stay in any city and in any hotel with a swimming pool. Even if you are only a few miles away from home, just being out of your native environment for one measly night has the ability to revive the spirit.



• Pitch a tent! If we are wise with our spending, camping trips can be a very economical way to vacation. Compare $15.00 per night of tenting to $59.00 per night in the cheapest motel, and you've got yourself a deal! If you are not fully equipped with all the gear you'll need to camp, ask friends and family if they wouldn't mind lending you their equipment for your tree-hugging excursion. Chances are...that gear has remained untouched in their attic or garage for a long time...offer a trade-off for free dusting service.



• Surf the Web for flight deals! If you decide to fly, don't forget to use the Internet to uncover some terrific deals on airline tickets. I have personally used Priceline.com to name my own price on $150.00 round-trip tickets from Minnesota to Nevada and back again numerous times now. The more willing you are to make connections, the more flexible your arrival and departure dates, the better chance you have to secure a whopper of a bargain.



• Ditch the souvenirs, would ya?! How many times have you received a well-intentioned can-cooler plastered with the name of a recently visited geographic location from the relatives? Now, be honest...how many of you have felt the pangs of guilt as you slyly continued to scoot the nude- woman-silhouette-sporting Key West seashell further and further out of eyesight until it accidentally fell off the table? (Oops!) The internal pressure we feel to bring something back to friends and family is real...but let's do them a favor this year...and opt for sending the 25 cent postcard. Your pals and relatives can send their thank you cards directly to me. Bon voyage!

"I look forward to the kids going to school. I don't like to be with them all the time."

How many of you know someone who feels like this? Maybe I should ask how many of you feel this way yourselves?

Have you failed to realize the fleeting moment in time you've been given to engage a young heart? A short time to influence, encourage and enjoy a child. Your child. Slow down and notice the wonder beside you. The wonder all around you.

Take a walk, not for your own exercise but for the joy of interacting with your young child. Allow them to walk along with you and look at all the interesting things along the way. A fallen leaf, an ant carrying its bundle, a flower blooming. Let them touch the things they encounter. The smooth and rough bark of a tree, the beetle crawling along the log.

Walks can be taken in a variety of places. Your neighborhood, in a park, along a river, through a wood, along a lake shore, at a nature reserve. Find a favorite location or two and return regularly to see how they change. You can record your excursions in a journal and use it to read to your child. A real story about you!

If you like to draw, you can illustrate the story. If drawing is difficult for you then by using contact paper or clear packaging tape you can tape things you find into the book, a fallen leaf, grass, tree bark, a flower, an insect.

How many treasured moments will be snatched from our lives because we turn aside from the opportunities before us, the moment of delight cast aside as a burdensome chore? Slow down and notice the wonder beside you.

There is no other beverage my family enjoys more than the (say the next part with a sultry French accent) taste of the delectable fruit smoothie. The following recipes have taken over ten years to perfect, and are continual works in progress.

The key to a good smoothie with an ice-cream like texture is the addition of frozen bananas. I like to find overripe bananas on sale at ridiculously low prices ( for as little as 19 cents per pound!), buy as many pounds of them as they have available, and peel and freeze them in gallon-sized freezer bags. When choosing berries, fresh is wonderful...but also expensive and limited to what's in season. I have found that purchasing bags of frozen berries thickens the drink and is also much less expensive than fresh.

Use these recipes for a yummy adventure in smoothie making...but feel free to venture out on your own in creating a unique smoothie flavor. All you need is a blender...and willing smoothie slurpers!

Master Smoothie Recipe
The following is the master smoothie recipe, in which all of my beverages are based. Simply view the smoothie variation recipes for fruit measurements.

Fill blender with fruit of choice
Add 1/3 cup sugar
2 tblsp vanilla extract
One tblsp frozen orange juice concentrate, or 1/4 cup orange juice (can be squeezed freshly from orange)
Milk or soy milk to cover only about 2 inches over fruit. If you wish for your smoothie to be less ice-cream like, add more milk as needed.

Banana-Chocolate Smoothie
Master Smoothie Recipe plus:
3 frozen bananas
1/8 cup chocolate syrup

Breakfast Oatmeal Smoothie
Master Smoothie Recipe plus:
1 cup cooked and chilled oatmeal (chill in refrigerator prior to making)
3 frozen bananas
Add 1/3 cup any frozen berry desired...but good without berries too.

Mixed Berry Smoothie
Master Smoothie Recipe plus:
3 frozen bananas
1/3 cup frozen mixed berries

Banana-Strawberry Smoothie
Master Smoothie Recipe plus:
3 frozen bananas
1/3 cup frozen strawberries

Good For the Prostate Blueberry Smoothie
Master Smoothie Recipe plus:
3 cups frozen blueberries

Mango-Licious Smoothie
Master Smoothie Recipe plus:
3 frozen bananas
1 cup canned chunk pineapples
1 cup canned mango pulp (bought at specialty import food stores)

Drinking smoothies is a simple way to incorporate your quota of fruits into the day. My children and I have enjoyed the process together, and some of my children can make mommy a smoothie on demand...they know the recipes by heart! :) Wishing your family healthful drinking!