Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts

Friday, 27 November 2015

3 Ways to Invite Peace Into Your Life This Holiday Season

Uh-oh, it's almost holiday time again! For some, just the thought makes them shudder like a January snowstorm. It's the stress and expectation and worry if everything isn't just so.
This year, I invite you to bring Peace into your holiday season! And I have three ideas on how to accomplish this.
Idea one is to simply announce, before the season gets into full swing, that you would like to have everyone consider bringing peace into the holiday! Peace can be so many things... it can be old traditions and new ones... it can be asking people to say nice things to each other... it can be giving a bit more than the year before.
                                          Source: http://anna-bownesspark.ca/
Idea two is about remembering good things in the holidays - not just today but from yesterday and desiring to take good things with you into tomorrow and beyond! People just try to get through the holidays... dreading them, wishing they'd hurry up and be done. But then, in a year or ten or more, what can you look back upon? What memories can you share with the loved ones of tomorrow?
Idea three is about bringing old traditions forward and merging them with new ones. I personally love thinking about our old family traditions. When I do, I get the opportunity to reunite with my lost family members like my mother, father, and grandparents. It also gives me a chance to share memories with my nieces and nephews.
One of the things we had always loved to do growing up was cook together. Mama had loved cooking, especially at holiday time. She had cooked for the family as well as the church. And when I have the chance to cook with my niece, it's a beautiful reminder of the past as well as a new memory for the future.
Another memory I had of the past was sitting at the Thanksgiving table. One year we had just started going around the table and have everyone say something they were grateful for. It had been new that year and an old tradition ever since!
Some of our old traditions had faded or changed. When Mama had been alive, she'd put together baskets to hand out to the less fortunate in the church. It had been a wonderful feeling; giving to others. Though, when Mama had gotten sick, the tradition had fallen away. We compensated by giving monetary donations to the church instead.
Probably the greatest memories of past and present are the times when our family members join together - sharing food, song, laughter and memories. There truly is no greater peace for the holidays than giving, sharing, and family.
Frances is an author, vocalist, and speaker. She focuses on Latino traditions, music, and faith. She is inspired by her mother, Flora, and her family of seven brothers and sisters. She has inspired people through sharing her mother's legacy and encourages others to share their family's legacies. Visit her website to sign up for inspirational messages, monthly newsletter, and updates at http://www.floraslegacy.net.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9229395

Wednesday, 11 November 2015

Follow these simple tips and you could save a lot of money on your flights


Fancy a trip to the Maldives? Try flying on a Wednesday!
Following these simple tips could save you a lot of money when you’re trying to get away from it all.
The price of flights varies considerably depending on the month, day and even time of travel.
                            Source: http://www.fourcommunications.com/
So if you’re clever about when you buy you could be flying for a lot less money.

1. Book 53 days ahead

Booking flights 53 days before flying can save up to 26 per cent of holiday travel costs, according to research carried out by travel comparison site Momondo.
As well as the date that you book your flight, flying on a specific day and between certain hours can also help cut costs.
Avoiding the weekends can make a huge impact on the price of flights. Changing your travel to a Wednesday to Wednesday rather than a Friday to Friday can make a huge difference and help keep costs down.

2. Choose your day

The cheapest days to fly are Tuesday and Wednesday, while the most expensive is Saturday. Those flying on Saturday can pay up to 11.5% more for their flights.

3. Choose your time

Flying at different times could be a cheaper option

According to Momondo, flights that depart between 6pm and 12am are cheapest.
Peak hours are the more convenient hours, which depart between 10am and 3pm - that can add another 6% to flight cost.

4. Think about the time of year

Other factors that push up flight prices are flying during peak months, which are June, July and August.
So if you can avoid it, don’t head to Australia for Christmas or to Spain just as school summer holidays begin.
According to SkySkanner travelling off-season is the best way to find better bargains. Much of Europe still has beautiful weather come September, but with kids back at school, flights will be cheaper and your destination a lot less crowded.

5. Fly with different airlines

You can also save money by flying out and back with different airlines or from different airports, because sometimes two single flights can be cheaper than a return.
SkyScanner also say that even though there may be an airport on your doorstep, don’t rule out the possibility that it may be cheaper to fly from one slightly further away. It may work out cheaper, even with the cost of a train or bus ticket to reach the alternative airport.
Follow these tips and you could save a small fortune on your flights
Flying from different airports could save you money

6. Use your smartphone

In the era of technology and gadgets, your smart phone can also be a handy money-saving travel buddy. There are apps on the market for everything including travel guides, maps and phrasebooks.
Download these and you’ll save not only a wad of cash on paper and travel books but also a lot of space in your case meaning less chance of excess baggage charges.
Here are some of the best apps to find the best flights:
Evernote: Syncs between devices providing you with one place to store email and hotel confirmations, reviews, packing lists and important documents.
TripAdvisor: A travel company providing reviews of travel-related content and interactive travel forums.
Google Translate: Does what it says on the tin.
TripIt: Organises your travel plans into an itinerary so all your trip details are in one place.
Skyscanner: This free app is one of the best free travel apps to search and book cheap flights on the go.
Trip Tracker: A very simple tool but great for frequent travellers. All your flight, hotel and car hire information ‘automagically’ pushed to your iPhone without having to enter it manually. It also alerts you to your gate number, any delays, cancellations.