Kelly's Thrifty Tips

Good afternoon! Let's talk about what I gabbed about today. We are going to hit staycations and a few Mother's Day deals at the grocery store! I am stoked how about you?


Some of you have heard of Staycations, but how many of you have actually put this money saving "getaway" into practice? There are so many things you can do. It all depends on where you would like to focus. Some people enjoy their staycations simply by relaxing at home but also comitting to doing nothing more than relaxing, and if I had a pool, I just might join those ranks. Others actually set up trips to museaums, local festivals, head out to do some camping or even spend some time in a nice resort. Your options literally are limited to your imagination. You can enjoy some away from home time without breaking the bank, and you can do it fairly local and enjoy the exciting feel you get from just getting away. I like the idea of going somewhere new and even a touristy place, because nothing firms up that vacation feeling more than being around a bunch of picture taking tourists! P.S. I am totally one of those picture takers.


Advantages:

--- This can be a great money saver because you can do things locally and save money on even the travel aspect alone.

--- A "staycation" enables you to positively impact your local economy whether you are enjoying the sites close to home or a few hours away. If you are going to spend it, why not spend it here?

--- You can even eliminate some of that traveling stress by doing your own "staycation."

--- A vacation around home can open your eyes to the great cities, towns and attractions that you might have otherwise missed.


Now on to planning, and really you do want to plan things to do. Because it can be all too easy to just chill out at home and let that free time slide by. Don't forget a camera! You want to take some pretty and some goofy pictures. Or is that just me? Get into the excitement of getting away and look up some great places to go. Here are just a few things I found in a short little browse:

LINKAGE:

Check out the Arizona Travel Guide for things to do. You will find shopping, dining, travel tours and more. Also follow this link to What's Happening. This is a great way to find special events, festivals, and special museum exhibits.

Be sure to check out Things To Do and click on your state on the map. Of course ours is Arizona. A quick click on Arizona led me to things to do in Arizona. You can click on the region you would like to explore and find out all kinds of great things to check out in your desired destination. Some are VERY inexpensive.

Here is something cool I located: I clicked on Phoenix and Central Arizona Region and found the Arizona Science Center. Check it out: Arizona Science Center
The Arizona Science Center features a five-story giant-screen theater, over 300 hands-on exhibits, and a 200 seat digital planetarium. (Description from Thingstodo.com) And coming up is a trip that kids of all ages will enjoy they are having a Lego Castle Adventure. Be sure to check out the website for details. This starts May 24 to Sept 7. Plenty of time to enjoy some summer exploring!

Other interesting Arizona things to do:
Schnepf Farms - Ooooh the joys of fresh veggies and fruits!
Heard Museum - Enjoy some contemporary and traditional Native American art.
Fort Apache Historic Park - Guided tours or self guided walking tours through history.
Sharlot Hall Museum - Explore human and natural history and enjoy story tellers, exhibits and theatrical performances.
Phippen Museum - A fabulous museum where you can enjoy some great Western art.
London Bridge - Yep, that is right THE London bridge. You can't pass this up.
Hoover Dam - (from the website) Hoover Dam is a testimony to a country's ability to construct monolithic projects in the midst of adverse conditions. Built during the Depression; thousands of men and their families came to Black Canyon to tame the Colorado River. It took less than five years, in a harsh and barren land, to build the largest dam of its time. Now, years later, Hoover Dam still stands as a world-renowned structure. The Dam is a National Historic Landmark and has been rated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of America's Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders.
Grand Canyon Railway - Really how can we not add something about the Grand Canyon. :) I really want to do this. My son and I have lived here almost two years, and he hasn't seen it yet. The last time I saw it I was 18. :)


Lastly I really want to make sure you check out this cool website. Great Outdoors has a list of the top 50 campsites in Arizona. There are phone numbers included in the details. Camping is really a great staycation idea and I can't think of a better way to get to know a state better than camping. :)


Oh did I say lastly...I have one last thing for real. This has nothing to do with vacations and getting away it has to do with mom. Please don't forget that Mother's Day is going to be here on May 10. Let those special moms out there know they are loved.

You can run off to Fry's and get a Mother's Love boquet for $9.99 or a 12 stem bunch of roses for $8.88. You might even want to get mom a mini pot of roses for just $4.99!

Albertsons also has a dozen rose bunch in assorted colors for $8.88, fresh tulips in a 5-stem bunch for 3.99, and cool 12-inch message cookies for $6.99. And this Saturday from 10am to 2pm many Albertson's are having a kids cookie decorating time. Do check with your local Albertons.

Basha's has my favorite chocolate covered strawberries for 99 cents each! Or you can chocolate up your mom with a 15 count of Rocher chocolate for $4.99

Safeway has a Mama Mia boquet for $10.99 or premium dozen roses for $9.99 plus you can get $4.00 off when you buy 2 Hallmark cards. VERY COOL.

Don't forget there are a lot of great goodies you could make for mom too. Check out the fliers and see if you might be able to pull of a nice home made goodie or meal for your mom.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day! Have a happy Mother's Day!