Came across this, thought we’d put your hotel pricing skills to the test, test out this hotel quiz scroll to the middle and have a go

or you can get the hotel quiz here from IpinGlobal’s site

Some times I’m not the best judge of how much a hotel charges for a room.  For instance, I recently stayed in a hotel that was charging $250 a night for the room, but when I looked on the door (they have to post the price of the room) it said $900 a night.  Have you ever paid that much for a room?  Click the quiz above and test your travelers eye for hotel pricing – you might just be surprised.

So Sexy

On our recent trip to Callaway Gardens hubby and I got to do so many things as part of the Summer Family Adventure that some times it was  hard to decide what to do.  I know my husband truly loves me because he did everything I wanted to do including spending hours looking at flowers, vegetables, and even butterflies.  It was at The Butterfly Center that I finally realized we needed to work in some “manly time” for him….

Yes Dear, You Have a Nice Butt

So Happy

Gazing....

Seriously though, we both learned a lot about butterflies and each other. I learned my husband can still make me laugh.

Has your hubby ever done something silly like this?

For More Wordless Wednesday visit Atlanta Military Mom!

Regardless if you live in Atlanta or just come into the city for the fireworks there is no better deal than the Red, White, and Boom Package at the Glenn Hotel (a Marriott property).  You can celebrate Independence Day with a romantic getaway or a girls weekend out at the Glenn Hotel and view the fireworks display in Centennial Olympic Park from the roof-top sky lounge.  The affordable $129 a night package includes free parking, unlimited access to the Sky Lounge (rated Top 23 Best Roof-Top Bars), BBQ on the roof from noon to 3:00 p.m., breakfast and an early check-in of 12:00.

Reservations
Be sure that promotional code HO9 appears in the Corporate/Promotional code box when making your online reservation, or call 1-800-228-9290 in the US and ask for promotional code HO9.

• Valid through:   July 5, 2011
• Promotional Code:   HO9

The Glenn Hotel is located at 110 Marietta St. NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

Yep, we got here on Saturday for the Callaway Gardens Summer Family Adventure. It’s a summer camp for families featuring activities such as water skiing, circus, zip lines, and more.   I’ve actually stolen a few minutes while the boys went off to Aqua Island, but I wanted to let you know that I will be posting tidbits of our stay on Facebook, Twitter, and here on the blog throughout the week.

Today was Day 1 of camp and we had a BLAST!  We did some circus training with the FSU Circus.  I have video and will post it this week some time.  By the way, when I say “we”, I mean my husband.  I couldn’t get up the ladder – seriously.  Those acrobat performers are way stronger than you could ever imagine.  Earlier today we went on a Floral Border Walk with the Director of the Gardens at the Shibley Center.  I took some amazing photographs.

The flowers were amazing…

James’ camp was with the 7 and 8 year olds and they did Circus Skills today as well as T-Shirt Tie-Dye and Sandcastle competition.  He was really shy and uncomfortable around all the strangers but his camp counselors (FSU Students) were awesome with him and although he ended up having a slow start he is looking forward to tomorrow.

Ethan and his friend Derek were with the teen group and they had a blast today water skiing.  He took video of it and we are going to do some editing and post it in our final post.  They also did tennis skills and drills and flips on the flying trapeze (more video of this to come too).

So, it’s almost dinner time and the family went back to Aqua Island while I stole some quite time on the screened porch of our cottage.  I love Callaway Gardens.

About Summer Family Adventure

Summer Family Adventure is a 7-day summer vacation reconnecting your family in a natural, wholesome, authentic environment.  It is the joy of escaping life’s daily stresses, letting children be children while adults rejuvenate their spirit!

Summer Family Adventure is partnered with The FSU Flying High Circus to provide a family camp experience that captivates all ages, interests and skills with expert-led programs the whole family will love.

Our younger guests, age 3-17, are whisked away Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to participate in our children’s center and day camp activities, while our adults can spend the day as active or leisurely as they please.

Travel Plans this Summer? If you do have plans make sure your are utilizing your various member benefits. For instance, the Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express offers their members their “First Bag Free” benefit  which can amount to a saving of $50 per round-trip ticket (and it covers up to 9 people traveling in the member’s reservation which converts to a savings of $450).  This $200 savings adds up for a family of 4 traveling over the summer and it is something many people overlook when planning their vacations.

Additional Benefits

· Cardmembers earn 20,000 miles after their first purchase on the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card. Plus, up to another 5,000 bonus miles when two Additional Cardmembers are added to the account.

· Delta and American Express will waive the annual fee for the first year of card membership, a savings of $95 for the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card.

· Cardmembers earn card double miles on Delta purchases and 1 mile for all other eligible dollars spent.

· The “Pay With Miles” feature allows cardmembers to start redeeming miles with as few as 10,000 miles for $100 off a Delta ticket, with no blackout date or seat restrictions.

· There is no cap on miles earned.

· The online application provides approval confirmation within one minute.

Regardless if you choose the Gold, Platinum, or Reserve Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express you still qualify for the “First Bag Free”  for you and the members in your reservation.

$100 AMEX Gift Card Giveaway

What You Will Win…

One random commenter will win a $100 American Express Gift Card compliments of Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express and Life with Lisa.

Mandatory Entry…

In the comment section below tell me where you are hoping to vacation this summer.  If you aren’t going anywhere share something fun you plan on doing this summer.  You must leave a separate comment for each entry.

Additional Entry Options…

2. Follow my blog or if you are already following – tell me who you are. (1 entry)
3. Blog about this, or post to your FaceBook linking back to me or email 5 friends about this giveaway copying me on the email. (10 entries)
4. Follow me on twitter @lisasamples and tweet this contest leaving me a link. (1 entry per tweet/2 tweets per day) Please leave time between tweets. (You can use the RT button above.)
5. Subscribe to my email feed. (2 entries)
6. Favorite me on technorati, digg, or stumble leaving link. (2 entries per fav – see easy social bookmarking icons below this post)
7. Leave a comment on another NON-GIVEAWAY post on my personal blog Life with Lisa. (1 entry per comment)
8. Add my button to your site and give me the link where you installed it – see sidebar for code. (2 entries)
9. Enter this giveaway on a giveaway LINKY or site. (1 entry per)
10. Become a Life with Lisa Facebook fan and tell me who you are! (2 entries)

Disclosure: To be eligible you must live in the USA and be 18+.  Ends 5/15/2011 at 11:59pm.  Winner determined by And the Winner Is…   This is a sponsored post.  Opinions are original and my own.

Right now gas prices are at an all time high – it seems to happen every year right around the time when families are planning their Spring Break vacations.  Airline prices are no better.  So what can you do to help make this year’s vacation a tad more affordable?  Here are some great ways to pinch that penny…

• Use apps to your advantage: There are many apps that can save you money.  Whether it be GasBuddy to help you find the cheapest gas near you or ATMHunter which allows you to avoid fees when withdrawing money.  I particularly love GasBuddy.  I use it all the time when I’m out and about.  Saving a few cents a gallon will go a long way this spring.
• Brown bag it: Make an effort to make your own lunches or breakfasts when traveling. It’s cheaper to than eating every meal at a restaurant – we try to always find a hotel that includes breakfast or at least has a mini-fridge in the room.  The fridge is great to store milk for quick, inexpensive breakfasts!
• Dine out wisely: Many restaurants offer “kids eat free” deals on certain nights, find locations near you on KidsMealDeals or use their free app.
• Take advantage of deals: If you’re a member of organizations that offer discounts, look into where you could be saving money. AAA offers its members a variety of savings which range from discounts to attractions to local restaurants.  Many car insurance companies offer the same types of benefits – check with your insurance provider to see what deals they have for you!
• Take advantage of cheap vacation packages: LuckyChic is a luxury bidding site which also features vacation packages which include hotel, airfare, and access to exclusive events. Just recently an LA Fashion Week package sold for $35.70.  They have a complete “travel” section too that you need to check out.
• Shop around: Take your time when buying souvenirs. Shopping around will allow you to find the most reasonably priced souvenirs. Remember, seashells found on the beach make sweet mementos and may be more heartfelt than buying a keychain.
• When booking vacations be sure to research your destination and find information about things to do.  Booking holidays to Greece or other foreign locations can be tricky without doing research.  With luck you can even find cheap flights to Malta!
• Explore public transit options: Do some research about public transportation where you’re going. Taking the subway or a bus instead of renting a car or hailing a taxi will save you a lot of money.  Many times the hotels and resorts offer free transportation – be sure to ask.
• Happy hour keeps your wallet happy: Drinking can often be very expensive and the drinks can quickly break your budget. Research happy hours or local deals using Yelp.  If you are really watching your money bring a bottle of your favorites spirits and be your own bartender while sitting on the beach or out at the pool.
• Keep safety in mind: Make sure you save money reasonably; it’s not worth trying to risk you or your family’s safety to save money.

Share your travel tips with me…I would love to know how YOU save!

My husband is a massage therapist so I understand the importance of all things spa related and since he is always having to massage me I am always looking to find weekend spa breaks for us so that he can get a break.  I found a site called Wahanda.com where you can find everything health, beauty, and happiness related.  You can even find places to go for 2 for 1 spa deals and other fantastic options both in the UK and in the USA.   If you do a lot of traveling this might be a site you don’t want to miss.

Not only can you browse things such as hotel spas in the UK, but you can view hotel spas in other locations world wide.  I would imagine as the site grows the options and locations will continue to grow as well. Wahanda offers a comprehensive listings of spas, salons and health centers across the globe , but you’ll also find great tips and advice and almost anything someone would want to know about treatments, trends, and therapies.  According to their site what they are NOT – they don’t own spas,  they don’t manufacture cosmetics, and they’re just people who are passionate about wellness.

The next time you have a health, beauty, or happiness related question or you are looking for a spa break check out Wahanda!

(Originally published December 2009) This past weekend I was scheduled to go to Savannah on a woman’s retreat filled with rest and relaxation. My friend Debbie and I were all set, but on Thanksgiving night Debbie got sick. My husband volunteered to step in and hang out with me so that I wouldn’t have to cancel the trip. Although I truly love my husband, he can sometimes be the source of my much needed rest and relaxation, so I was a bit disappointed.

However, much to my dismay my hubby was incredible. He was so much fun and never once complained about anything! Not only did he drive all the way (about 5 hours), he never once road-raged. He even brought to me to nail salon before we left to get my brows waxed. The entire weekend was just a dream…

The Country Inn & Suites we stayed at was in Historical Savannah. Since the location is in the heart of the historic district full of one-way streets it took us a while to figure out where to park. There are a limited amount of parking spots under the hotel, but there is a huge parking deck across the street that the hotel validates parking for.

Check-in was a breeze and the lobby was very welcoming. The decor was beautiful and representative of Historical Savannah. The room we had was clean, but right off the elevator so it was some times noisy. My only “complaint” was that the website said there was a microwave and refrigerator in each room, but we had neither. I was really disappointed because we had brought a bunch of food and drinks and had to throw it out because we had no where to keep it.

We picked the perfect weekend to visit. Savannah was having their Holly Days event and there was so much to do and see. We visited all the little shops on River Street (the Savannah Candy Shop has the most incredible Pecan Pralines I have ever had) and on Broughton Street (the Honey House was my favorite shop). We even went to the ocean to take pictures…

We are definitely going back to do the Ghost Tours and some other things we couldn’t fit into our weekend. I want to get my picture taken where Forrest Gump sat on the bench (which is no longer there) in the movie and to find the statue from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The itineraries of things to do is almost limitless, check it out here.

Country Inn & Suites has set up some great retreat ideas for the following locations:

* Atlanta
* California
* Chicago
* Cincinnati
* Hershey and Harrisburg
* Jacksonville
* New York
* Phoenix
* Savannah
* Tampa

Here are some goofy pics we took of each other…

Have you ever been to Savannah?  If so, where are some of the places that you recommend checking out – we would love to know.

Hotel room was provided by Country Inn and Suites for purpose of writing this post.