Shakespeare with Sno-Cones 7.25.12

I love theatrical performances, but those costs can really eat into your budget, whether you’re on vacation or not. Over the weekend we took time out to grab a blanket and some beverages and take the dog to the park to catch some Shakespeare. She loves to run around before and during intermission and then while the performance is going on, she watches the action or the people in the audience. I love Shakespeare in the Park, because it combines my love for the Bard with my husband’s love of being outside and spending little to no money. I enjoy those things, too, but if we could get by on spending nothing, he would be thrilled. 

The show was a little different, and not just because it was the most people I’d ever seen at a park to watch old English being performed. First of all, the play was not rehearsed. The company performed it as they would have when it was “first run” and had their own parts on scrolls – which included a little bit of the line before and after theirs so they could keep pace – and, to make it even more interesting, they had a referee off-sides to help actors if they got off track, but also to throw the actors off track to make the play as funny and interactive as possible. Now, this is the first time I have ever witnessed this during a show at a park and I enjoyed it very much.

Throughout the performance, the actors would wander through the audience, plucking picnic foods from offered containers and then would have to do a little improv when prompted. Being that the play was As You Like It and it takes place 90% in the Forest of Arden, eating “found” food made quite a bit of sense. An actor rushing to answer an onlooker’s cell phone, not so much. Still, it made for a unique evening out. Over the course of the play, the ref called for the actors to engage in a high-five race when a plane flew overhead and they couldn’t be heard, to entertain a baby in the front row that was getting antsy and to pretend to do yard work when a lawnmower started in the background. He also sent out an audience request to bring him a Sno-Cone from a nearby vendor, which was so funny that many were purchased and all the actors then were trying to act while incorporating either a Sno-Cone or cotton candy into the scene.

So, why am I recounting my tales to summer activities? Because Shakespeare in the Park is a national (and possibly international?) phenomenon and summer is the time to take advantage of your local theater company’s free performances. It’s a cheap way to get out and enjoy some culture – though Shakespearean songs done to the tune of The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine probably counts as more than some – and introduce your children to the Bard. If they get a bit fidgety, it’s okay, because you’re in a park! Go run off that excess energy during intermission or, if they really aren’t into it, you can leave without lamenting the $20+ you paid for each ticket.

If you’re off vacationing and looking for something to do that won’t break your budget, so you can either save money or splurge on that fancy schmancy restaurant, jump on Google to find nearby performances. Most shows happen on Saturdays and Sundays, but there can be some special shows on other days of the week. You never have to dress up, you can bring a picnic if you want, get comfortable and show up any time before start time to get a spot on the lawn. Don’t forget to bring a couple of bucks for concessions (if there are any) or to donate for a particularly good performance.

Have you ever enjoyed your local Shakespeare in the Park?

Low-Budget Honeymooning 7.21.12

Usually, I lump honeymooning in with regular travel posts because, after all, they are just travel. Almost 6 years ago I got married and tried out a brand new trend that worked spectacularly for us. Now this trend is becoming the new norm as more and more couples live together first or merge two households to form one when they become husband and wife (or wife and wife or husband and husband). Most people find they don’t need or want new dishes or blenders or towel sets, so they are stumped as to what to register for. We also had this problem, but I had heard a rumor of sites that let you register for your honeymoon a while before I got engaged and thought “Brilliant!” and immediately started searching for such a thing.

Delicious pub food and lager? Gifted!

As you may or may not remember me mentioning, we took two weeks for our honeymoon and traveled to London and Paris. We had a fabulous time, but those places are not cheap. Another thing that isn’t cheap: WEDDINGS! Yes, we are probably in the minority of couples who paid for their own celebration, but I had never expected our relatives to have to pay for anything. First of all, they already had to pay for their own weddings and second, we are adults with real jobs and real money. Though it’s not a lot of money, we figured out how to do our wedding on a budget and still have one of the best days that people still talk about.

Our wedding happened on the Saturday before Halloween and we asked everyone to dress up. And dress up they did! It was a blast. Yes, you may think it is crazy to not want to have a traditional wedding, but I am so not a tradionalist and neither are either of our families. We also chucked the idea of having a ring bearer, flower girl, doing it in a church, tossing the bouquet or that weird garter tugging thing that ends up with a guy’s head up your skirt. We dreamed up the funnest party we could think of, wrote all our vows – including the rest of the ceremony – told our wedding party to wear whatever they felt comfortable in, ordered a delicious cake covered in spider webs and topped with Frankenstein’s monster and his bride, had a buffet of appetizers, walked down the aisle to I Believe in a Thing Called Love and danced with our guests to Thriller and the Time Warp.

Trip to Paris? Also gifted!

Now, after spending all our free money on our wedding, we knew that we wouldn’t have much money left over for a trip, so we set to work creating our perfect itinerary for London and Paris and then add them to a registry. Here’s how it works: Choose your trip and all the components. Upload each thing to your registry along with prices and how many you need – just like a regular registry! If you want to add airfare or hotel nights to your wish list, break it down into $50 increments, or whatever you think is a reasonable price for people to pay for a gift. If your airfare will cost $600, register for 12 $50 airfare gifts. If your family and friends are bigger spenders, make it 6 $100 gifts. You can add anything you want, from a new camera to capture your memories to meals.

Your guests will have fun seeing what you have planned and get excited to be a part of your honeymoon, without being a part of your honeymoon. They “purchase” from your list and then the cash is deposited into your account for you to add those components as you have enough money to do so. If you are depending solely on guest contributions, then you may end up with only partial money for some stuff and have to kick in some of your own money or be a little creative. When we returned from our trip, I sent thank you notes to our guests with a web address to our photos and saying we really enjoyed the X that they contributed to. It was personable and fun.

Our trip to Disneyland Paris? Gifted as well!

So, where can you start your own honeymoon registry? I am partial to TheBigDay, which is the site we used, but you can also check out Travelers Joy, Honey Fund or Honeymoon Wishes. You can even see samples of registries (and if you can’t, search open registries with a generic name like Smith to see real ones).

Are you like me? Would you ever use a honeymoon registry?

Super Useful Travel Links 7.20.12

It’s that time again! This week, I have no theme. Just like me, my finds are all over the board, but that should mean there’s something for everyone. I’ve got everything from solo vacationing to traveling with allergies. I hope you all have been having a great week and enjoying this new series as well as our new 48 Fun Hours on a Budget one that is rolling along pretty nicely. I’ve had some friends asking me about New Orleans, so next week you can read all about how I would plan 2 days in The Big Easy. In fact, I thought it was such a fun idea, we have been thinking about taking our own vacay in NOLA. Obviously, not soon, since next up will be Southern Cali to check out the new Cars Land at Disney (a friend has been texting me pictures that are making me antsy!), the Transformers ride at Universal, the greatness that is The Gentle Barn and also some general LA/Hollywood sightseeing that is going to include at least one meal at The London to immerse ourselves in Gordon Ramsay’s yummy, yummy food. We figure if we can’t GO to London, we can at least get a little closer.

Actual picture text :)

Do you ever feel like you just need to get away from everything? Like, take time out to rediscover the fact that you aren’t just a drone in a beehive of cubicles? I have certain points throughout the year that makes me just go “I’ve got to get out of here!!!” If you do too, Fox wants to tell you about the beauty of the Me-cation. Sometimes, you just need to breathe and do stuff by yourself. Or maybe you live alone and all your friends are married or bail out at the last minute on any plans you ever have. If you aren’t content to wait on someone who doesn’t flake, you aren’t the only one packing their bag and taking off on a solo trip.

Do you love to bike around the city? You may not always be able to bring your own bike along, but don’t let that stop you! Rent a bike in one of the Top 10 Cities for Cycling as decided by Sherman’s Travel. Portland is on this list! We are a great city to peddle around in and have plenty of places to rent from at affordable prices – you know, in case you were wondering what to do around here.

So, this isn’t so much a bike as it is a scooter, but SkyMall has found a way to make carrying a backpack fun! If you have kids, or are a big kid yourself, you may need to put this backpack scooter on your wish list. It’s a handy way to carry your heavy stuff and also get exercise that isn’t lugging 80 lbs of school books on your back. I love it and I want one. Imagine scooting through the airport on this bad boy!

Once they’ve tired out from pushing along their belongings, kids are going to want to rest…but still be entertained. Check out USA Today’s list of apps for kids that include fun games that test your brain like Where’s My Perry? It’s a new app for iPad/iPod from Disney based on their cartoon show Phineas and Ferb and similar to the Where’s My Water? app that I think is super fun (even if it’s for wee ones). You can think I'm weird if you want. Not only will these keep your youngsters happy, you may also try your hand at them once they have conked out.

It’s time for another look at travel scams. While this list also includes regular scams, you can certainly learn something for your trips. LA Times wants to warn you about discount travel scams that could leave you paying a load more money than needed.

It seems like a lot of restaurants are keeping up with the needs of the people. With so many allergy-ridden travelers out in the world, they are rolling out new allergy menus to satisfy even their hardest customers. Check out this new trend emerging on Tasting Table.

That’s all I have for this week. I’ll be searching for new and interesting links for the end of the month. In the meantime, you can look forward to reading about low- and no-budget honeymoons tomorrow.

Have you come across interesting travel-related articles? Make sure to share them in the comments, so we can all learn something new!