Why haven't I been Travel Hacking?

Since my new job doesn't allow my usual Wednesdays off (C'est la vie...) I have had a more difficult time trying to get on those late night Tuesday flights that are always wide open to spend a day at the beach or a long weekend in Europe. With wanderlust still in full force, I have had to be more creative in my flight plans. We all know that flights are busier and smaller these days and with the lack of convenience this causes paired with my new schedule, my life as a #deltabrat has been more stressful!

I have finally taken my first step into the world of travel hacking, something I have put off for the sole reason that I don't take many traditional flights. I take my chances and yield fare across the world and it is difficult for me to rack up points when I am not footing a majority of my bill. (FYI: I am not complaining, I promise).

The great part about travel hacking is the ability to rack up points - quickly - without stepping foot on a plane or purchasing any tickets. Since it would be nice to have a few points to fall back on and figuring I online shop more than the average person (it is shameful really) I am quite upset with myself that I have not been participating all along.

So what are the most important things you need to travel hack? 
1. Do you shop, go out to eat, go to the bar? Do you pay for gas, groceries, rent, bills? Do you get anything back for having this money ripped out of your bank account each month?
No? Well you can...

2. Do you use a credit card? Do you pay it off?
No? Maybe you should think about becoming an adult and doing those things...

3. Do you like free flights?
No? Get off this travel blog ASAP.

I started travel hacking the last day of 2013 and have accumulated 48,000 miles. Obviously, there are great start up points to pad your accounts but I am one free flight in and it took me less than one month to do it.

How?
There are TONS of travel offers, points cards, and flight reimbursement cards to sift through. To make it a bit less daunting, only focus on cards that are tailored to your needs. A million points in an airline that doesn't serve your city isn't going to help much if you have to pay to get to another hub anyways. I am a forever loyal Delta customer, so most of my hacking is to ensure I can secure those coveted Skymiles.

American Express Credit Card
Every once and awhile Delta will have an awesome deal for 50,000 miles (though I haven't seen one in awhile) and I am angry with myself for not jumping on those. However, I was anxious to get started so I applied, was given my number instantly, a $50 credit for a Delta purchase (that was gone before it hit my account), and 30,000 Skymiles once you spend $1,000 dollars in 3 months.

It is easier than you think. I did it in 17 days.

1. Shop through online portals 
New jeans that I was buying anyways because they were 40% off at J. Crew? I first went to Skymiles Shopping, searched for J.Crew, and linked directly over (yes, it is the same J.Crew website). Made my purchase as usual and boom 120 miles for $50 jeans. I did the same for a wedding registry through Macy's. A wedding gift I was already mailing to my friends in Boston - 100 miles.

3. Use your card when dining
I should have been using this site for years! Bars, restaurants, clubs all offer miles back deals for any dollar amount spent. The best part is the ability to link ANY of your cards - not only your Delta American Express or your points card, you can link credit, debit, or whatever card you use. Once you swipe your miles get added. Plus if you dine at a restaurant in the first 30 days and spend $40 and write a review on the website - 2,000 miles added to your bank. 
                                      


Two weeks ago when J and I were unable to move from hangovers, we made a quick trip to Taco Veloz - our favorite neighborhood drive-thru taco stand and earned 55 Skymiles. I would have devoured that greasy steak quesadilla anyways, but knowing I had 55 miles to add to my account made me feel just alittle less guilty! And how many trips like that have you made without getting points added? (Maybe I won't answer that one for you)

4. Delta flights and how to make it work for #DeltaBrats
This one seems obvious but if you do have to buy your flight (AKA getting stranded in the Northeast during a blizzard) the miles add up. We will call this Plan B to earn our miles though! 
Make sure to sign up for Delta e-mails, for deals on fares and miles. A few times a year Delta will put miles on sale and I will also pad my account with a few of these. Half price is always a better price - #BOGO (I just found out what BOGO meant!)

Deltabrats -

•  Use your 006- ticket number before you fly. 

Pop your 10 digit ticket number that begins 006- into the Delta site (yes, the REAL Delta site). Remember to do this BEFORE your flight because after it is used, they all show up as (0000000000) on TravelNet. It has to go through approvals, but sometimes you will get lucky enough to earn some points from your yield fares.

• Get your momma (or dad!) to get that charm going. 

I luckily don't have a problem with this. When FA's get Comment cards and Thank You's from passengers, they receive points to spend on a Delta site. This Delta site has an amazing deal on Skymiles to purchase with very few points. Having the best Mum in the world and the best FA considering how many of these points she racks up, she always purchases the Skymiles for my use. That way I can either book through her Skymiles account or transfer to my own (FYI - this is not cheap!)

4.  Skymiles don't discriminate - Debit too!
Not the best points deal I have seen but if you are completely against credit or if you need to look into debit cards as well, check out the Suntrust Debit Card.
This is the only other company that Delta partners with to accumulate Skymiles. With the debit card you can earn 5,000 miles after your first purchase as well as 2 miles for every dollar spent on Delta purchases and 1 mile/dollar on all other qualified* purchases. 

I hate when they say that rubbish*

5. Chase Sapphire Card
This won't get you any Skymiles but as I am in the middle of planning an adventure outside of the USA (details to come on that) and am looking to rack up points for additional airlines, hotel stays, and a better travel card. With the help of The Points Guy (who you should check out if you are ready to start your own travel hacking OR if you are looking for points other than Skymiles) I chose the Chase Sapphire card because of the great deals it accumulates while traveling and ZERO foreign transaction fees which is big for me.
There is also:

• 2 points/dollar on TRAVEL including: flights, hotels, car rentals, TAXIS, METROS. I spend a good deal on taxis (aka Uber) where I always use my card to pay. 
• 3 points/dollar on restaurants the first Friday of every month. I think this will begin to be my turn to pay for date night! And 2 points/dollar any other time. 
• 5,000 points when a second user is added to the card. (Thanks Mom for being the only one I know that I can give a credit card to and know you won't use it!)  
• An initial 40,000 miles that is dropped into your account after spending $3,000 in 3 months. 

So, $3,000 is too much you think? Here is what I did: 

1. Sign up for Ultimate Rewards through Chase.

2. Convince your friends to pay you instead of use their cards for purchases (if you trust them of course). Last week we all were buying tickets for an annual festival in town. I put everything on my card and had them pay me. $1200 in a click. After getting over the initial feeling of nausea when it looks like you have spent that much on concert tickets, it is very helpful!

3. Amazon Prime: You can transfer $1,000 free each month through Amazon Prime. Use your card to transfer someone (housemate, mother, partner) that money and get a check for the funds back. If they don't mind you messing with their account, you can transfer (and fake spend $3,000) to get your points without dropping a dime.

Everytime I swipe my card now I contemplate which to use for the biggest benefits and only spend money to get it back. But it is worth it because - One free flight down. MANY more to go!

Buford Highway Farmer's Market

J and I finally made our way over to the Buford Highway Farmer's market this past weekend. I had been putting off the trip because I never thought it could compare to my always favorite, Dekalb Farmer's Market, one of the best places to stock up on interesting goodies with amazing prices, I still trek there even though I don't live in Decatur any longer.

Buford Highway is more grocery store than I anticipated, but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised! Look at these beautiful greens...

Living close to Buford Highway has had more perks than cons (and more restaurants than I can even try to take on) but with the market close enough to be my go-to grocery store, I am imagining many interesting meals and lots of ancient herbal tribal teas in my future.

The produce section isn't anything too exotic. They have a great selection of fresh vegetables and hard to find items stocked next to the usual brands you will find at your local store.

We made the mistake of taking on the market on a Saturday afternoon, so we grabbed produce items on our list and instead ventured down the aisles and through the seafood to scope out the place.

This wasn't on my list this time but will be a definite need for party supplies this summer

The market is organized by regions of the world which is one of my favorite ideas. You can stroll down aisles of your country looking for foods from your past or bringing back traveling memories.

While shopping in "Eastern Europe" I came across items I used to live on during my time in Poland. It was nice to remember those days again - I never thought I would be able to chase another drink with these soft drinks and juices again!

The majority of the market is devoted to seafood. Shrimp and oysters, fresh made sushi, and the usual items that I know what to do with.

  

But most were items that will have to be taken back to the resident chefs to prepare.

The prices are the best I have seen and if you try to avoid any farm raised products, each is labeled as such so you know exactly what you are getting.



The employees were helpful, available to tell you where each was caught or imported in from. And present in every part of the store, handing out taste treats or helping customers find specific items.



Making our way home, we used our "Italy" items to treat ourselves to extra crispy Brushetta and a bottle of delicious Chianti. 

We also tried a Malbec from Argentina (great!), an Italian Chianti (great!), and a Cabernet from San Francisco made by two traveling musician brothers (though I don't understand how they travel with a vineyard) but it tasted like cigarettes.

If I didn't love wine so much, my grocery bills would be so much cheaper.

Photo to Canvas Transfers

I can't stop buying canvases.

I have 20+ sitting in my craft box for the better part of a year and keep waiting for a perfect project to use them.

Since we all know I have a small obsession with Mod Podge (but who doesn't) I wanted to try the photo to canvas transfers that I endlessly pin on my "Projects." board.

I printed out some favorite photos - Montana from our dock on Polson Lake and mojitos from Cabo. I am craving Cabo with every fiber of my being right now so if anyone wants to take a small trip down, please let me know! 

You will need:

• Photos of your choice printed on plain, computer paper 
• Scissors 
• Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium
• Paint or sponge brush 

Print your photos on plain, computer paper. The thinner the paper that you print on, the easier it will be to remove and expose the image on your canvas.

Spread a thin, even layer of the Mod Podge photo medium with your sponge or paint brush onto the canvas and lay the paper (with photo facing down!) on top. Remove all bubbles* and smooth out as best possible.

*Not as shown here.

Use scissors to trim the sides but leave just enough so you won't be struggling to grab an edge to pull the paper off after it has dried. Leave the canvas to dry overnight and then remove the paper as best possible. You will get paper residue but don't be afraid to scratch, wet, and rub the canvas until you see your photo.

I wanted the photos to have an almost vintage look to them so I scrubbed at the sides and peeled back at the edges.

And was finally left with only canvas! To shine the pictures back up and remove the last of the paper, use a furniture polish - I used Old English oil that I use to scrub my floors and it did the trick.

A little rustic and worn and exactly how I wanted them!

This is definitely a project I can improve upon next time I give it a try - and with all the photo medium I have now, expect many more tries at it.

LOBSTAH STRONG

If you have seen the news recently, you know that Boston is in being pummeled by a winter storm nicknamed Hercules, with the only logical activity to curl up with your electric blanket and sleep the days away. Or, if you are having a 2014 filled with surprises like I am, you are sitting at the airport with cancelled flights and lost baggage.

But before the interesting beginning to my new year, I had an amazing weekend in Boston, got LobstahSTRONG in Winthrop, MA, had a fleeting fly by at the witches in Salem, and a beautiful winter wedding in Topsfield with best friends and more snowfall than I cared to play in. 

We arrived in Boston and went into the city, stopping by Fenway Park, the Prudential Building, the finish line of the Boston Marathon to pay our respects, and warmed our bones with clam chowdAH at McGreevy's. McGreevy's is a traditional Irish pub (which was out of Guinness!?) that is billed as the first sports bar in the country.

Boston sports memorabilia line the walls and it is owned by the Dropkick Murphy's - the band stops in often to eat and hang out but unfortunately were not around when we stopped in. I know they would have loved to hear that I named my cat, Murphy, after them because he is just that punk rock.  

After beers and chowdAH and splitting sticky Guinness hot wings we stepped back out in the frigid temperatures to walk around the South End. January might not have been the best time to make a trip to Boston but luckily the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day in the city.

After playing tourist all afternoon, we skipped off to the beach and to stay with friends in Winthrop for the night. Luckily for us they own Belle Isle Seafood which just so happens to serve the BEST lobster rolls in the Boston area - it is good to have such awesome friends! Located on the water with a great view of Boston, I was wishing for warm Spring weather so we could play on the boats and sit in the ocean breeze.

We picked out our lobsters (sorry guys),

and waited patiently for our dinner with wine and clams. This place did not disappoint - FAT, decadent lobster rolls came out and I was drooling over every bite. The lobster meat was fresh and just the right amount of buttery without being made with fillers and extra ingrediants to fill you up. This was the real deal and I will approve - these are the BEST lobster rolls around. 

and they have the cutest buzzer to know when your food is ready! 

We drank and chatted at Belle Isle into the night. The unique place has a great atmosphere and bar that guarantees everyone in your family will have a great time. Thanks again for having us!

We woke up and had a leisurely morning the next day, drinking coffee until the early afternoon while watching the ocean out of the window and hiding from the cold.

But since we did not have many hours in town, we made our way to Salem to cast spells and meet witches. Unfortunately, there is nothing in Salem...

and no one.

I wanted a tourist trap with cauldrons and warts but this town feels like it has been cursed. Everyone was somber and the buildings were closed until May.

They did have beautiful old churches (to cancel out the horrible events that occurred there?) that spotted up throughout the town and a University for Witchcraft that may or may not have been real.

I don't think I will make it back in the summer - or any time after. Take my word for it, try your witchcraft elsewhere.

The rest of the trip was packed with wedding festivities at Willowdale Estates

with snowfall on the ground and a Roaring 20's theme we put on our dancing shoes to foxtrot into 2014. Lanterns and holiday decorations made the mansion feel warm and inviting. We arrived and were handed pipping hot apple cider and French 75's.

The mansion was built by Bradley Palmer and now rests in Bradley Parker State Park. It was his home used for entertainment and an equestrian park that hosted guests such as General Patton, Prince Edward VII, and President Taft. As well as me and this rowdy crew. 

It was amazing to have my best friends together again and to watch M marry his long time love.

And so I don't leave out the best part. People are finally starting to realize they need to send LIMOS to pick me up.

First ride of 2014: Limo...obviously 

Prohibition

Let me start by saying I know I am behind on this spot. I don't make it to East Andrews very often (for obvious reasons as it is in the epicenter of Buckhead bar scene) so when the bartender asked if I was interested in the number to get in I quickly accepted. If you are like me, you are usually wondering at this point how you even ended up at EA but Prohibition is your answer.

Prohibition can be tricky to get in, it is not a spot you can plan to go, instead you must be asked by a bartender if you want in. It never hurts to bat those eyelashes and wear the dress code (dudes you are going to need a collar or suit jacket here) which will up your chances for the coveted number. Once the bartender slides the napkin over, go to the designated phone booth, and dial.

The number changes each weekend so you won't have luck with this one unfortunately!

Dial the number on the rotary phone, wait for the buzzer, and the wall fades away into the past. Jazz music played all night as we sipped Manhattans next to a roaring fireplace on big lush couches.

They have great cocktails and one of the best bartenders in Atlanta, but be ready to pay the usual 2013 prices. Most drinks average around $12 but juices are fresh, ice is hand chopped off a big block behind the bar, and all liquor is top-shelf. Sure it is a gimmick, but it does a great job of being authentic about it and truly feels like a Prohibition area bar with all the glitz and mystery to go along with it.

The crowds are kept small and the staff is friendly offering the best service, cigars, and booze of any place I have been in awhile. It is definitely worth a pop in if you get the number, but if its just too cold to venture out lately (and I don't blame you) make your own Manhattans at home on these cold winter nights.

My new favorite taste treat for my Manhattans are cherries marinated in brandy. Toss them in your drinks and enjoy - 

Brandy Marinated Cherries
Fresh cherries (can use frozen but thaw and dry so not soggy)
1/2 C Brandy
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Water
Lidded jars

Combine water + sugar and boil on the stove until sugar is dissolved.Add brandy and allow to cool.
Pop your cherries in jar - make sure to leave room for liquids. Pour the sugar, water, brandy mix over the cherries. Cover with lid and marinate. Two weeks to one month is ideal. Toss in your Manhattans or on top of vanilla yogurt.

The Manhattan that started it all, I first stole this recipe from my bartender in Vegas. You can learn so much there!

Goodbye 2013

I just can't find a way to sum up 2013. Usually this time of year, I look back and remember all the fun events I went to, the miles I traveled, the lessons I learned. However, this year I can't quite bring myself to do it. It was the hardest year of my life but it ended beautifully with the best of friends - and what more can you ask for right?

So instead of looking back, I am only looking forward to 2014 and for the first time, in a long time, I feel  able, confident, and ready. This year is my "YES" year and I want to experience and enjoy as many new things as I can, make new friends, and spend much more time with my favorites.This is the year to check those items off the bucket list, to spend more time in the world running, dancing, kissing, and learning as much as I can. This is the year of love, of fit & fancy, of TRUE friendships, of standing back up. 2013 wasn't great but I have to thank God for every moment of it. I learned so much about the world, about relationships in my life, and more than I thought I could about myself. So, bring it on 2014.

Even if you started with me getting stuck in the #Hercules snowstorm in Boston, being sick on a plane, getting my bags lost, traveling to Far Rockaway, and a power outage.

Bring it ON.