Tag: vacation

After months or years of planning and preparation, you are finally getting ready to say, "I do" to your beloved and a little time off. While you are understandably excited about your upcoming getaway, it is important to take some home precautions while you are away.

In order to be sure that your home is not broken into while you are gone, heed the following advice:

Stay quiet on social media. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have become virtual travel itineraries for many people; log on at any time and you can see where many of your friends are currently on vacation, and how long they plan to be gone.

"Honey, let’s go on vacation! We need a rest! A break! Let’s get out of here!"

If those phrases sound familiar, you know the draw of getting away from it all. Whether your dream is to head to the beach, the mountains, or a far-off land, traveling offers opportunities for rest, relaxation, and discovery. Yet, even as we seek the rejuvenation and delights of travel, most of us have experienced journeys gone awry. A mountain of mishaps, from sunburns to disagreements over plans and directions, can leave couples drained and regretful instead of revived and rejuvenated.

From the time my two daughters were born, I have loved showing them the world, keeping them busy and engaging them in activities. They didn’t sleep until noon; they were helpful around the house and always had friends and many things to do.

This was never more true than when we went on vacation. While I would have enjoyed just finding a nice beach to sleep on all day, they wanted to do things. So we traveled to cities, starting our action packed 14-hour days and ending them with a happy state of pure exhaustion.

Traditional spring cleaning seems to have gone the way of the drive-in movie. But for those of us of a certain generation, I’m sure we all can remember our mothers cleaning out the cupboards and closets as though it were yesterday, to begin the season with everything fresh and clean.

Ironically, many of us associate cleaning with drudgery, but clearing out can be a terrific stress reliever. The same spring cleaning mindset can be said about finances.

You’re looking forward to your new bundle of joy, but perhaps a little stressed about how you will manage your new arrival along with your job?  Wondering if you will be able to take time off to be with your baby, but unsure if your job will be open to you when you return?  Don’t fret—both the federal law and many state laws provide parents protected time off for the birth of, and bonding with, his/her newborn.

Under the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act, employers are prohibited from discriminating against or treating a woman applicant for employment or employee unfavorably because of her pregnancy or due to childbirth

Before taking off on that vacation, make sure you’re not needlessly putting your home and possessions at risk. Although people today are not leaving their doors physically open to thieves, many are unknowingly inviting burglars in by "over-sharing" on social media sites.

According to the MetLife Auto & Home Safety Pulse: Danger at the Door survey, 15 percent of the total population reports using social networking sites to post updates when leaving their homes, and more than double that amount—35 percent—of younger Americans (aged 18-34) "check in" to locations and tweet about their whereabouts when away. While it might be tempting to update family and friends on your adventures, this can give burglars clues about the best time to strike.

When it comes to traveling, my husband and I are complete opposites. I’m a homebody and he’s Mr. Adventure—always on the go and likes to travel to different countries. This can cause issues, or even arguments, when we are trying to plan a vacation destination that will suite both of our needs.

What to do? Something many couples may not even think to consider.

First, you must analyze yourself and discover why you feel the way you do. Second, you must share your thoughts and feelings with your spouse. And lastly, understand your spouse’s point of view the best you can and come to an agreement.