We travel more than your average family with small kids. And many times people have asked us how we do it. We have a secret weapon: REWARD POINTS. Definitely one of the major perks of having a husband who travels tons for his job! We've taken our kids to cities for long weekends, visited family, even used them to do Disney.  And this year, we have been cashing in for some amazing trips!

My husband and I recently snuck away to Vegas for a long weekend and stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club at the Flamingo in a gorgeous one-bedroom suite. The room was absolutely fantastic and the service was impressive. It was a terrific location - it was so quiet, being just a bit away from the strip, but its only a 2 minute walk back to the middle of the strip, so its close to everything. It was my first trip to Vegas and I had a blast checking out all the hotels. Next time I want to stay at the Venetian - that was one of my favorite casino/hotels we visited. Knocking some off the hotel bill left a lot more of our travel budget free for Vegas fun! (Oh, the restaurants!!)

Over Labor Day, we took our kids down to Baltimore for the weekend, visiting the Inner Harbor, seeing the National Aquarium and hitting an Orioles game.Their favorite part of the trip? The hotel, of course. Our kids love staying in hotels and we get such a kick out of their excitement. When we travel with the kids, we always try to snag a suite so that we don't have to go to bed at 9 when they do!

Next up... Hawaii!! My husband and I are going to Hawaii for a whole week to celebrate our tenth anniversary.  Despite our being well-traveled, neither of us has ever been to Hawaii. When we were deciding where in the world to go (Ireland? Spain? Aruba?), we asked around and people spoke so highly of Hawaii that we couldn't resist. What could be more romantic that laying on a beach in Hawaii?

We only have a week, so we decided to stick to just one island. And we had several amazing hotels to choose from - even when limited to reward points. We wanted somewhere very close to the beach, with a great pool and close to lots of restaurants and attractions (so we don't need a car). That didn't limit it much either.

The two that rose to the top were the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Oahu and the Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk. The Hilton Hawaiian Village looked super amazing, but we ended up choosing the Embassy Suites. The Embassy Suites offers free hot breakfast, free happy hour and is in an amazing location. Its just a block from Waikiki beach, on the quiet side of the main drag, and sits among the shops and restaurants of Waikiki Beach Walk, a double-decker outdoor shopping strip. (FUN!) Using our hotel points has freed up money for activities like snorkeling trips, going to a luau and dining in some fantastic restaurants.

I know it seems like just one more membership or password to remember to sign up for travel reward programs, but it is so worth it!! Even if you don't travel at ton with work, you would be amazed how quickly the points add up (especially if you add in a credit card that gives you points as well).

Knocking a night or two off your hotel bill by cashing in points is a great way to travel well for less!! You can upgrade to a much nicer hotel when you're only paying 3 nights instead of 6, stay longer or just free up more of your budget for activities. Its too good to pass up!

This is a Traveling Mom dedicated post.

1. The Skinny Jean: I fought the Skinny Jean. I tried them on several times and always chickened out before I bought them. But this summer, I embraced the skinny jean and I encourage you to do the same because I'm in love. I wear them all the time - they look great with flats and terrific tucked into boots. And here's the scoop: anyone can wear skinny jeans - just make sure you get jeans with just the right amount of stretch in them, like the ones at LOFT. LOFT also has a slim cut jean that you can try if you don't feel ready for the full-on skinny! (I've had my eyes on these for awhile now, since I really could use more than one pair of skinnies.)

2. Uggs: I hated Uggs when they first came out. Hated, hated, made fun of, hated. Now I have TWO pairs! I KNOW! (One tan and one black, of course.) I bought my first pair while pregnant and wore them almost every day. And I haven't retired them as 'maternity wear' - still love them.  I was so excited for fall so I could pull them out again. 
SIDEBAR RANT: Men should never, ever, EVER wear Uggs. I don't care how famous said man is. Its just always a NO. Always.

3. Jeans tucked into Boots:  I swore I wouldn't. I HATED this look last year. Now I'm doing it all the time! With my Uggs, no less!  Y'all know how I love me some boots!! How gorgeous are these... yum! Of course, this trend is much easier to pull off with my skinny jeans. (Have you ever tried to tuck your boot-cut jeans into boots? Not easy. Or pretty.)

4. Blue and Black Nail Polish: I never ever imagined myself wearing black nail polish... Hellooo, Goth! Now I love it. LOVE IT. So chic. So sophisticated. And something besides burgandy in the winter. Not sure I can do the new dark green trend - I'm sticking to my navy blue for now.

5. Headbands. I wear headbands all the time now. And these embellished ones are just too fun to resist! Such a great way to dress-up that ponytail and feel cute  on days when you really just haven't managed a shower. Not that that ever happens to me. Ahem.

6. The Boyfriend Jean. I laughed aloud when Katie Holmes started wearing her baggy jeans rolled up. "Good luck with that," I said to her wondering why a normally stylish gal would choose to wear those. But over the summer, I took my baggy post-baby jeans, rolled 'em up, and gave it a go.  My verdict? Very cute in the summer, when pared with a tank top and loose cardigan and wedges. Not for cold weather, due to shoe issues. Try these if you're looking for a pair.

For more Fashion Friday posts, check out Big Mama, who is sharing her Nordstrom's semi-annual sale finds. (I accept no responsibility for yuo falling in love with any items she shares. Sorry. And Jo-Lynne, who is discussing fashion trends she's doesn't get. I agree with some, but some of her dislikes are on my like list. Oh, boy! Time for some rip-roaring debate that will be SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING then the debates on CNN today.