An Awesome Birthday Week

As someone who has a December birthday, it can be hard to celebrate with people, but that's exactly what I did this past week. I did have to do quite a bit of work, but it was worth it and I had a great time. 

cheers to a great birthday!

I always kind of draw out my birthday, especially since it can be a pretty busy time of the year, so here's the bulk of how I spent my birthday week:

The Saturday of my actual birthday, I went to brunch with friends and then went home to make a bunch of foods for a Bridgerton party I was throwing. This is the first year in a while that we've not done some variation of a Harry Potter theme, because we skipped our annual Potter party, so my house was not already decorated with magical things. This made it easy to change out many of my photos for Regency-era and -inspired portraits and just add flowers to everything. 

Society papers and suspect bios

We ate tea sandwiches and drank prosecco and I adapted a Bridgerton mystery game into a non-interactive game that people could play or not play at their leisure. Many people don't like playing a character and often if you can get them to do one of these types of games, it's the whole party or not everyone shows up and it doesn't work correctly. Everyone said they thought it was really fun and would do another one. If this is something you think you'd like for a party, let me know if the comments.

On my actual birthday, we went out to dinner, like we do every year, except last year where we did a Santa brunch. It was very casual and I had a bourbon drink and Eric drove us home.

I also spent much of my week painting snowflakes for ornaments to go in swag bags for our annual fundraiser, the Yule Ball. This dance is our biggest fundraiser for the non-profit I'm now president of the board of. On Saturday, we all got to the venue bright and early to set up. This year I got a room in the hotel, so I didn't have to spend my free time driving home and back. Instead, I was able to eat lunch with some of our group, go up to my room and take a nap, not rush to get ready, and be back downstairs in time to make sure everything was working for when the raffle table opened.  

It's always a ton of work, but so worth it, especially when we're all done and are able to make a big donation to our chosen organization. This year we went with the Marie Equi Center, who aims to help the LGBTQ+ community develop a healthy life from medical to mental healthcare. We also had a whole table full of their reps, so they could partake in our feast and the good times people have raising money for them.

Even though we had fewer volunteers this year, the ones we did have were amazing and we all still had time to dance and have a good time in between working. 

What is your December looking like?

Travel Gifts That Travel Well

This month is going to be over before you know it. This year Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are all in the same week, but maybe you haven't even started shopping yet...or you have and aren't done. If you still can't figure out what to get for that traveler on your list, or you just got paid, so haven't been able to shop until now, I have some great last-minute ideas for you. They're also perfect if you're traveling to visit people and need to save room in your carry-on.

Airline miles

If you know what your recipient's favorite airline is, you can gift them miles to let them fly for free or more cheaply on their next trip. Right now, lots of airlines have deals going, like Alaska, who right now has 40-50% bonus miles on purchases, depending on the number of miles you buy. 

Southwest Airlines just has a straight-up buy or gift page, no special deals at the moment, but I know a lot of budget travelers who strictly fly them, so your money may go further. 

Language classes

Right now, you can give Babbel as a gift to someone at up to 60% off. They have online classes, tutorials, an app, and more, all included in a monthly subscription. Get a 6- or 12-month subscription for 50% off, or a lifetime subscription for 60% off. A lifetime, guys! They can learn 14 different languages, and if more are added in the future, they can learn those, too! We just booked a trip to Paris for September, so I might even get this for myself!

Go City attractions pass

Get them the gift of sightseeing and attractions for their next or favorite city with Go City. I've used their passes many times and they save so much money, but they also make amazing and thoughtful gifts. They can see and do more for your dollars than if activities were purchased separately. In fact, many times you can save up to 40% off by rolling it all into this one pass. Choose from 29 cities worldwide or get them a gift of London Pass, Paris Pass, or Dublin Pass. They may even get special discounts for other things in the city, like transportation and restaurants. I love it and so will they!

Staycation box

Gift the traveler in your life a subscription box to Try the World. They'll get a box full of gourmet foods, drinks and snacks from a country and learn all about the flavors of the destination. Each box also features recipe cards and stories, plus the products inside are all curated specially from small, family-owned companies who use traditional methods to give you (or your giftee) an authentic experience. 

Right now, you can get 20% off your order. As always, the more you purchase up front, the cheaper each box will end up being. Choose from 1-month, 3-month, 6-month or 12-month subscriptions. This deal is only for the food box, but if you're looking for a more frugal option, snack boxes are also available.

Experiences

I'm a big fan of experiences over stuff. It creates lasting memories and you can include everyone in them if you want. We've purchased experiences for our entire family to participate in before and it was a big hit. Check out daily deal sites like Groupon, Goldstar, and Living Social for things you can do or gift to others. I am also a big fan of city scavenger hunts. Check out Urban Adventure Quest for deals on small groups, couples, and big groups. You play on your phone, so it's super easy to follow along while you're out there!

Travel reminders

Remind them of their favorite trips or all their trips with the Vagabond Life wanderlust jewelry. Chose from upscale looking pendants and bracelets, keychains, and even engraved rings to add to your choice of jewelry. I think these are super fun and a great way to start a "collection" for a loved one.

I hope this helps with your last-minute gift scramble. You can probably still get many things on my regular gift list in time for the holidays from Amazon. 

Do you have a favorite gift to buy for travelers or one that you loved receiving?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I only recommend things I love. If you buy something through my site links, I might earn a commission. This allows me to bring you even more budget travel tips and is totally free to you.

The #1 Item You Need for Holiday Travel

There are a lot of things you should pack for your winter travels, like a jacket and a scarf and maybe some gloves, but there's one thing that's much more important than anything else to a successful trip: your patience. Yes, this sounds like I'm telling you that holiday travel will be annoying, and, shockingly, I am. 

How do I know? Because holiday travel is always annoying. There are too many people everywhere, things cost more than usual, traffic is bad, and there are kids everywhere. (No offense to kids. I could say the same about disgruntled adults.) Know that things are going to be challenging and plan for it ahead of time.

If you're flying, then get to the airport early, even if you have Precheck or Global Entry. If you haven't booked your flights yet, you need to get on it ASAP. Try to book the earliest flight in the day that you can afford, so you may sidestep the worst of the delays that start in earnest in the afternoons. 

Speaking of, there are still staff shortages at all the airlines and at the airport, so delays and cancellations will happen. Generally, flights get overbooked, which makes travel in the holiday rougher than usual, because most flights are at full capacity and getting bumped is more common than the rest of the year. Check in with your flight as soon as you're allowed (I always have the airline app on my phone, so I get a push notification to remind me when check-in is open, and I can do it quickly and easily, no matter where I am).

This is another reason to get to the airport early. You don't want to be the last person through security for your flight, because the odds of you getting bumped are much higher then. Build in extra time to get there and have entertainment to keep you busy, or plan on getting a meal post-security or using other amenities, like a yoga room, movies, or looking at art. 

Pack light, so the possibility of your bag not getting to your destination with you drops to nearly zero. Not only will you save time and money, but if you get delayed or your flight gets cancelled or rerouted, you have all your belongings with you. There's nothing worse than having to spend the night somewhere and not having an extra change of clothes, toiletries, or other necessities when you need them. 

Invest in travel insurance or check your coverage through your credit cards. Things happen and it's not always optimal. If your travel gets cancelled or you lose days due to a delay, you should be covered.

The plane hasn't even stopped, but there's a line to get off. *sigh*

Let's circle back to patience. Though all of the above things will require it, try to keep your composure and stay chill. Travel can be stressful for a lot of people and when things change, it makes it worse. Remember that it's not the airline crew and gate agents' fault when things go wrong or are delayed. Be nice when you ask them to help you rebook or change seats or whatever else. People are rude to them all day for just doing their job, please don't make it harder on them. 

So, yes, things will take longer, cost more, and be generally more annoying, but knowing that ahead of time and planning for it can help you relax and travel better. Even with the crew shortages and fewer flights to choose from over the last few years, my travels have been fairly normal and all the big annoying things have been things out of my control and have still worked out in the end. Breathing through it and not overreacting, even when I feel like it, is always the best choice.

Once you make it through the airport and get to your destination, annoying things may continue when you have to wait in lines for attractions or get your rental car or visit a museum. So, patience - don't leave home without it!

How do you try to keep your travel days from getting the better of you?