How I've been traveling for (nearly) FREE since 2023!

I've earned 119 FREE NIGHTS since I began travel hacking in 2023. Some of my stays were simple like a night in downtown Greenville and some were top tier, all-inclusive, adults only stays like Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets.  Scroll to the bottom to learn how I do it!

Here's a breakdown of my FREE travel since I began:

Trinidad

2026 - 9 FREE nights total so far...and we have enough points to book our upcoming anniversary trip!

7 nights in Clearwater booked for March Spring Break!

2 nights in Miami

Flights to Trinidad

Cancun

2025 - 32 FREE nights!

7 nights in Cancun at Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets + flights

1 night in downtown Greenville

3 nights in Nashville

1 night in Savannah

1 night in West Palm Beach

3 nights in Key West

7 nights in Naples

1 night in Jacksonville

7 nights in London + flights

1 night in downtown Greenville

Flights to Dominican Republic

London

2024 - 57 FREE nights!

7 nights in Cancun at Impression Moxche by Secrets + flights

2 nights in Charlotte

1 night in Columbia

2 nights in Buckhead

2 nights in Boston + flights

1 night in Charlotte

1 night in Downtown Greenville

2 nights in Savannah

7 nights in Orlando

2 nights in Savannah

6 nights in Charleston

7 nights in Panama City

2 nights in New Jersey + flights

2 nights in Chapel Hill

3 nights in Key West

7 nights in Cancun at Hyatt Ziva + flights

1 night in Charleston

Flights to Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

2023 - 21 FREE nights!

5 nights in Cancun at Zoetry + flights

2 nights in Charleston 

2 nights in Asheville

2 nights in Savannah

1 night in Charlotte

1 night in Columbia 

3 nights in Atlanta

5 nights in Clearwater

Our first FREE stay - Clearwater, FL

These 115 FREE nights + flights have a cash value at just under $36,000! I don't know about you, but I don't have that kind of money to spend on travel. So that's why I love travel hacking! One thing that everyone is worried about is credit score, but mine and Nick's have increased, and I've heard from others that their score has increased, so don't worry about that. If you're interested in getting started, here's how I did it...

I suggest you start with this personal credit card like I did. I love this one because you can transfer to Travel Partners like World of Hyatt and a handful of airlines.

Once you've hit the minimum spend with that personal card, stop using the card and move on to their business cards. This business credit card has an elevated offer right now of 100,000 rewards points! 

Even if you don't own a business, you can still probably get a business card. Have you sold something on Marketplace? Count that as your business! Think of some way you've earned cash, even a side hustle, and use that to your advantage to sign up for some amazing business cards.

Finally, download the Travel Freely app to keep track of your credit cards and points earned and the World of Hyatt app to dream and plan how to spend your points!

Have fun crossing off that Bucket List!

5 tips for raising a confident 5-year-old

As Ivy is growing into her own little person, I want her to feel that she is capable and I want her to be flexible, optimistic, friendly and enjoy healthy relationships. I also want her to know that she plays an important role and that God has a special plan for her life. I believe that all of these will stem from her confidence, so I strive to build her up and teach her about God so that she knows who she is.

Here are 5 things that I try to do that I believe build confidence, all borrowed from other moms :)

1. Always act excited when you greet them and let them be the one that breaks physical contact. Ivy is always excited to see me and wants to get a great big hug or a long snuggle in my lap with a book. I think it's reassuring to her to know that even when we are apart, we will be happily back together soon. So, she can enjoy herself away knowing that I miss her, can't wait to see her and that I'm available to her when we reunite.

2. Always expect immediate obedience. People thrive when they know what's expected of them and kids are no different. Threatening, bribing, counting or anything like these is not helpful for children. It teaches them that they don't actually have to obey right away and it wears down whoever is with them. Instead share your expectations, and the consequences for misbehavior and stick to it.

3. Always say positive things about them, to them and in front of them. Whether your child acknowledges it or not, they are listening to what you say. So, say good things about them! Talk about what they do well. Share what you love about them. Tell a funny story they told you. They are listening and it's either building or chipping away at their confidence. Even in discipline, we can find a way to teach them to do better in a constructive way that leaves them feeling loved.

4. Always give them your eye contact when they speak to you. I really feel like someone is listening to me when I have their eye contact. No one likes to try to carry on a conversation with someone who is looking around them and down at their cell phones and smart watches. Even kids want to be heard, so look them in the eye, even if you need to get down on their level. They want to know that they have important things to say and that you are interested in hearing them.

5. Always take them with you. Whether you are going to the grocery store, an outing with other adults or going on an overseas trip, take them! Ivy is a great help running errands and it teaches her about responsibilities in caring for a home. She can easily join me around other adults and behave appropriately because I've taught her that's what I expect. As for travel, at only 5, she's already been to Cancun, Dominican Republic, London, Trinidad, on a week-long cruise, a 2.5 month roadtrip and many other places. She's friendly, flexible and a great traveler because she learned to be those things through getting outside of her comfort zone and learning how to be around people.

I know I'm not doing it all perfectly and I hate when I mess up, but I'm trying my best to be a good mama for Ivy. She may not grow up to be smart academically and maybe she won't be super talented in sports. She might be average all around, living a simple life.

But she can be confident in who she is and I believe that can be enough.

I wish I could quit texting...

Years ago, I quit social media, deleted the majority of my apps, avoided YouTube, stopped browsing Pinterest, basically turned my smartphone into a dumb phone, haven't missed any of it and now I’m ready to take it a step farther and give up texting.

If you need me, call me. If you want to catch up, let’s hang out. I love to chat, but I prefer to skip the texting and wait for some quality time together. I'm good at keeping in touch, but I like to do it in person.

Problem is, the world seems to now revolve around texting!

Even now, as I sit onboard the Logos Hope and can't text because I don't have cell service, the entire crew keeps in touch through WhatsApp. Gone are the days onboard in 2009 when no one had smartphones and you had to walk all over the 9 decks to find someone.

I'm in the moms onboard WhatsApp group, the school onboard group, the wives onboard group, the school parents group, our ship family group and my immediate family back home has a group! It's so convenient for announcements, playdates, school info, ship reminders and even basic things like signing up to get curtains made for my cabin or finding out if Ivy can join sports club after school.

So, instead of focusing on how I'm tired of texting, I've decided it's great for group communication and I'll enjoy it for that feature. But otherwise, I'll still be making phone calls and coffee dates to catch up with those I care about and want to get to know better.

What about you...do you prefer texts, calls or in-person chats?