Five for Friday :: Spring Break Get-Away

Whether you're finishing up spring break or just beginning, here are some of my favorite things to make spring break a little more fun.

1 :: We love the Hotel Tonight app for last minute bookings. Hotel Tonight is just what it sounds like, bookings for tonight (some allow for booking multiple nights, but the first night has to be tonight), and with pretty good discounts. We love the ability to skip town on a whim with the perk of being able to choose what hotel you'll get. No mysteries, just last minute deals. Bonus: use code DHARTWELL and save $25 off your first night booking. Deal + discount = win!

2 :: Pharrell Williams' song Happy. Seems perfect for a spring break soundtrack. Or making the 5:00 hour seem not so bad. Either way.

3 :: Our Best Bites' Terriyaki Chicken Salad Sandwiches. A friend made these for a baby shower we recently co-hosted and they were so good! The fruit makes it feel fresh and springy.

4 :: These He is Risen printables from Jones Design Company. There is a ton included in the download and they are beautiful. A great addition to spring and Easter decorations, beyond the bunnies and chicks.

5 :: Cheerful wallpapers for your phone. These colorful ones from eat, drink, chic are particularly happy. It's tricky to choose your favorite two (I went with stripes and squares, but on second look, those polka dots are pretty tempting!)

The Cheapest Souvenir

A couple of years ago I read this post on Travelin' Oma. My husband and I had wanted to go to Europe, but it seemed like such a far-off, maybe once we're retired, goal. Suddenly, we were wondering, "What if?" and "Could we?"

We scrimped and saved, putting that money in a special little stash. While shopping I would ask myself, "Would I rather have this shirt, or save that money towards Europe?" It was usually easy to choose Europe, even though it still seemed like such a far-off goal. We put off going out to eat and other unnecessary activities. All my money from tutoring a little girl went in the stash.

About nine months later I found a package deal to Paris that was too good to resist. And we had the cash to pay for it! I invited my cousin and her husband to join us, and soon we had a grand vacation planned. But a grand vacation on a very short shoestring.

So last year we went to Paris, thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Instead of splurging on souvenirs that would soon become clutter, we formed a little scavenger hunt for ourselves. We looked for the letters P-A-R-I-S in whatever we could see. It made us appreciate where we were and slowed us down to look at the details. We snapped a bunch of pictures of possible letters. And when we got home we had a completely unique little souvenir. (And 14 months after our trip we finally got them printed and framed yesterday! The photos only cost $.96-- can't beat that!)

In it I see my cousin's husband's bloody nose while viewing Venus de Milo. I remember freezing while watching the Eiffel Tower lights twinkle from the Trocadéro. I remember the sparkling snow at Versailles. And being ridiculously silly at the Louvre. It brings back so many memories!

So, if you're preparing for a spring break trip or a summer vacation, here's an idea for a cheap, but meaningful souvenir. Give the kids the camera and set them out on the mission. Try spelling out your last name, the kid's first name or the name of your destination. See if you can find the whole alphabet! It makes for such a fun memento!