Category: Talk

Simple Ways to Make Road Trips Fun!

Karyn Locke
Road trip tips

My family? We’re seasoned road trippers. We spend hundreds of hours every year on the road and I relish the time. And, while it’s mainly sunshine and roses, there are times when the hours become barely tolerable, particularly when we can’t take anymore radio tunes or playing “I Spy”. It’s those times that we look for easy ways to keep ourselves happy and occupied, and over the years we’ve come up with some good ones. Here’s my favorite simple ways to make road trips fun. This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on…

DOSH App: Save Money on Travel, Dining, and Shopping

Karyn Locke
DOSH app

I’m just like the next shopper: if there’s a way to save money while shopping I’m all for it. I recently discovered DOSH, a cash back app and am finding all kinds of ways to save some serious cash. Here’s how DOSH helps save money on travel, dining, and shopping. If there’s one thing I like, it’s saving money. I always look for the beast deals on travel, clothing, dining – you name it. And honestly, I’d be even better at it if I didn’t have a constant time crunch…

Front Porch Decorating Ideas: from Flop to Fiesta!

Karyn Locke
Front Porch Decorating Ideas before

This post is sponsored by Acorn Influence  for Enbrighten Seasons Color Changing Café Lights. All opinions are my own! #ColorCafeLights I’ve neglected my front porch for years. I mean, years. Does that make me a bad home owner? Nope. Is the fact that I’ve kept my front porch bare a complete waste of family space? Yup. But, no longer. I’d finally had enough of walking in and our of the front door and thinking, “One day I’ll spruce it up.” and set this summer as a goal. I turned my front porch…

6 Reasons You Didn’t Know You Needed Jetty Renters Insurance

Karyn Locke
6 Reasons You Didn't Know You Needed Jetty Renters Insurance Apartment exterior

This post is happily sponsored by Jetty renters insurance. All opinions are my own! As a gal that’s had her fair share of purchasing renters insurance in my younger years (and before we were homeowners), I never really checked into the different types and what each had to offer. Honestly, I simply checked with my auto insurance carrier and took its word for truth. Of course, this was before the age of internet and when my cellular phone came in a giant leather case and plugged into my car’s cigarette outlet!…

How to Keep Valuables Safe While Traveling:Easy Hotel Tips

Karyn Locke
How to keep valuables safe while traveling jewelry

When theft in major hotels or resorts make the news, I have to remind myself that almost all people are honest. It’s that teeny fraction of hotel employees that make us leery of keeping our valuables in plain sight when staying at a hotel. So I started snooping around and asking folks that are seasoned travelers, travel writers, and bloggers how to keep valuables safe while traveling. From the common ones to one you may not even know about, here’s easy tips to protect your valuables in hotel rooms. Safe (ish)…

Things We Love | May 2017

Karyn Locke
TRRTLZ Bracelets Disney bracelets

I know, I skipped a month. I apologize. April was a whirlwind with so many fun places to visit and new products to try that I was swamped. So, now I’m back at home for a bit and ready to let you all in on what made me smile and what continues to put a smile on my face. Here’s the things we love for May 2017. Shopping was definitely at the forefront last month and we not only found plenty of reasons for shops to take our money, but…

Mother’s Day Gift Guide | Creative Ideas for Mom

Vex Maryn
Mother's Day gift guide: Creative ideas

Sure, flowers and candy are classics, but, when it comes to gifts, there’s something to be said about getting creative for Mother’s Day. And while I’m absolutely happy to simply be with my family, I know families love lavishing their Moms. So, instead of the norm, why not think out of the box? Here’s my Mother’s Day gift guide filled with creative gifts for Mom on Mother’s Day – no candy or flowers included! Heart-Felt Jewelry I remember getting costume jewelry for holidays from The Kid. It’s these pieces that I…

7 Ways to Keep Your Allergies in Check While Traveling

Karyn Locke
keep your allergies in check while traveling

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ForgetAllergies #CollectiveBias.  Being a travel writer and living out of a suitcase has both its advantages and disadvantages. On the upside, there’s definitely nothing like seeing the world and bringing along both my teen daughter and husband to share in the fun and education. The downside? Every time we open up a hotel or resort door there’s always a chance one of us will suffer from an allergy symptoms. Whether it’s seasonal…

Four Easy Tablescape Ideas with PerLora

Karyn Locke
PerLora tablescape ideas tulips

As a gal that takes pride in creating beautiful her own tablescapes, when I heard that news that PerLora on Pittsburgh’s South Side had an entire event surrounding table decor I had to check it out! The cool furniture and home decor spot (think IKEA but much, much hipper!) made it easy for me check out beautifully-decorated tables and imagine them in my own home. They also allowed me to use my imagination and get my creative juices flowing, especially for this coming spring.  Here’s my favorite tablescape ideas from PerLora.…

How the Ceva Cat Wellness Line Saved this Crazy Cat Lady’s Sanity

Karyn Locke
Vex and Bubba Ceva Cat

This post is sponsored by Single Edition Media on behalf of Ceva Cat. #Catego #FeliwayMultiCat There’s no denying I adore my rescue cats. Heck, I write about them, show off photos of them constantly, and love them unconditionally. Having written that, it doesn’t mean they don’t drive me crazy from time to time, especially when there’s a “heated discussion” between two of them or they get a case of fleas even though they never go outside. It’s then I have to intervene with love, additional care, and wellness products to…