A Chill Holiday Vacation

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

It’s my turn to host the entire family for Christmas this year. Don’t tell anyone, but I have secret fantasies of packing up and flying off to an exotic place where all the cooking, hosting and entertaining is done by someone else! A great place that is offering just that this holiday season is a resort my husband and I visited last year:  The Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa in New Mexico near Albuquerque, New Mexico. And even better, the kind folks at Tamaya have offered YOU, Parents readers and blog visitors a special family plan rate which includes a second room half off! Because is it really a vacation to stuff everyone in one room?! It’s not for me anyway! The promotion will be valid December through the end of February and the offer code will be PARENT.  Click here to book.

Here are just some of the fun stuff that will be offered this holiday at the Pueblo Style Resort. 

Tree Lighting Ceremony. On, November 26 children from the Pueblo of Santa Ana will sing around the holiday tree in the resort’s living room, festive decorations and a traditional display of luminarias as well as holiday-themed pastries and beverages.

Pueblo-style Gingerbread Making Classes:  Every Sunday, guests will take part in an instructional course with a member of the Tamaya’s pastry team to learn how to construct their very own Pueblo-style gingerbread home.

Santa-drawn Carriage Rides:  Each weekend, Santa and his reindeer will take guest on a carriage ride through the indigenous Bosque forest and along the Rio Grande River.  Guests will receive complimentary hot chocolate and holiday cookies.

Santa Paws: Travelers are encouraged to bring their four-legged friends to celebrate the holiday season.  The pet-friendly resort will host the “Santa Paws” event on December 3 which will provide guests with a complimentary photo of their pet with Santa Claus upon a donation of one pet food item to a local animal nonprofit organization.Artisan Market:  On December 10, the resort will showcase the culture of the Pueblo of Santa Ana with arts, crafts, and jewelry available from several Native American tribes throughout New Mexico.  In addition, the event will feature performances from Native American dancers and musicians.

Christmas Eve Book Reading: Resort guests will gather around the large holiday tree in the resort’s Living Room for a reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.  Santa Claus will make an appearance after the book reading as he makes his way through New Mexico. The resort will serve a traditional New Mexico-style Christmas Eve dinner including pasole, tamales, and biscochitos in its Santa Ana Café and Corn Maiden restaurant.

For more info go to Tamaya’s website. 

Shop to Benefit Your Kid’s School

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

It’s that time of year again when your kid comes home talking about the dreaded F-word… FUNDRAISING.  But raising money to support your child’s school shouldn’t be a chore.  And thanks to a new initiative by Microsoft called Deals for Schools, it doesn’t have to be.  You can save money on your shopping–and your school will receive a portion of your purchases.  How?  An outgrowth of Bing Deals, which is a shopping site that aggregates the best deals for products and services available in your area, Deals for Schools works in much the same way.  The difference is that Deals for Schools allows non-profit school groups and organizations, like your child’s Glee Club or Math League, to earn a commission off of deals bought through the site.

Two ways to earn money for your school:

• Recruit new vendors for the site and earn a commission off of every deal they sell.
• Post a link to Deals for Schools on your social media accounts and websites and earn your organization money every time a consumer purchases a deal through your link.