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Archive for November, 2008

Family Package Holidays in Orlando Nov 30
There are so many different things that you could do when you are in the Orlando area. If you are coming to visit then make sure that you bring the family because you will give them the vacation of a lifetime. Many people are looking for more than just a simple vacation when they go away, especially if it is someplace that offers as much as Orlando. When you are planning your trip make sure that you are looking at the family package holidays in Orlando and all of the great bargains that you can find. Here is how you go about finding them

Many times I start my search on one of the travel websites online, either Travelocity or Expedia. I try to do as much searching as I can to find out how much each of the different parts of the vacation will cost. For example, I check on flights and record the price, then I check on rental car prices and finally hotel prices. Once I have all of this information recorded I start looking for a family package holidays in Orlando that offers the same thing but at a bundled price. Often I will find that I am getting one aspect of the vacation for free, or perhaps paying the same price but getting more perks. Either way it is hard to beat the deals that you can find by bundling your vacation together into one package.

So the next time you are coming to central Florida, make sure that you look for the family package holidays in Orlando and all of the different prices that they have to offer. You will no doubt be happy with the savings that you can get, and that will give you the opportunity to spend it on things that are a lot more fun than a hotel room.

By: Kevin McNally

About the Author:
Check out Hotels Orlando Florida and cheap prices on flights before you book any Florida package holiday.



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Category: Package Holidays  | One Comment
Teacher Appreciation Ideas Nov 27
As the years go by, it seems to become more and common for parents to be expected to give gifts to their children’s teachers at school. There’s a fine line between showing appreciation and going broke. Finding just the right gift — at just the right price — can be challenging at best. And besides, how many apple-decorated key chains or coffee mugs can one teacher use?

Gina Dalquest (mother of four school-age children) says, “Every teacher appreciates school supplies. Often teachers spend a lot of their own money stocking their classrooms. Pencils, paper, whatever I can get inexpensively or in volume. I bought a big cube of construction paper and sent half to my son’s class. Last year, we made decorated glass ball ornaments by pouring several colors of acrylic paint into them and swirling the balls around to look marbled. It cost less than $2 per gift.”

During the winter holiday season, teachers can be so busy with school-related holiday preparations that they don’t have time or energy for all the necessary preparations at home. Homebaked cookies, etc., can be very helpful in this regard.

The following are suggestions for helpful and often inexpensive teacher appreciation gifts for the holidays or the end of the school year:

Shoe-box sized plastic storage box full of school and classroom supplies that you can stock up on throughout the year at sales, clearance stores, etc.

Bag of popcorn and a flavored salt sampler.

Gift certificate for a video rental.

Homemade fudge in take-out meal containers (or Biscotti or gingerbread men).

Pencils printed with their names on them.

Painted glass ball ornaments.

Flavored coffee or tea mixes.

Coffee and cup decorated by your child.

A candle and candleholder.

Anything for the classroom: games, writing equipment, books, rulers, things to decorate or theme objects.

Handmade items from the students (potholder, pencil holder, etc).

Movie theater passes.

Small basket of lotions or soaps.

Letter or card from the student (and/or parent) telling what they enjoyed about the year or the teacher’s input into the child’s life.

Small plant potted in a thrift store coffee mug or tea cup.

Child-made apple-shaped something or other (although over the years many teachers end up with more apple decorations than they have room for in their house).

Baked goods (bread, cookies, candies, quick breads, etc.).

Chocolate dipped pretzels.

Chocolate anything.

Christmas ornament.

One woman online writes, “There are too many people who get left out and probably feel bad about it, such as the P.E. teacher, the principal, the secretary, the kitchen lady who knows your child by name, the teacher’s aide who listens to them say their numbers or helps with reading, etc. And then there’s the Awana leader, the Girl/Boy Scout leader, the Sunday School teacher, and the private teachers like piano and dance. A parent can’t possibly buy/make gifts for all these people.”

Her unique suggestion to deal with this large number of potential gift recipients? Donate a book to the school or the public library “in the names of all the people who have been part of your child’s life this year. Then give a card to each individual telling them why they were so important to your child and how this gift will help other children as much as he/she helped your child.”

It’s been my experience that people in volunteer helping positions (such as Sunday School teachers or nursery workers at church) are often completely overlooked when it comes time to give out thanks. Each year my husband and I try to invite our children’s Sunday School teachers and their families to dinner at our house to thank them for all their hard work and dedication throughout the year. It’s never ceased to amaze me that I always hear comments like, “No one has ever done anything like this for me before and I’ve been teaching Sunday School for twelve years.” Even just a simple Thank You card given at the holidays or the end of the school term could be enough to bowl them over in shock.

Remember, this isn’t a competition to see which child or parent gives the teacher the best or most expensive gift. Showing appreciation to assorted teachers should be an expression of heart-felt thanks to the dedicated people who have touched our lives and given of themselves to our children.

By: Taylor-Hough

About the Author:

Deborah Taylor-Hough (free-lance writer and mother of three) is the author of several popular books including Frugal Living For Dummies(r) and Frozen Assets: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month. To subscribe to her free email newsletter, Simple Times, send an email to: subscribe-simple-times@hub.thedollarstretcher.com Visit Debi online and read more articles dealing with simple living, frugality, parenting and much more: http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/



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