Now that so many of us are traveling for the holidays, weโre thinking a lot about how to do it better next year โ whether that means saving money, making the most of our reward programs, finding apps that make life easier and keep you organized, or just, you know, surviving that trip with kids in tow.
So we really love closing out this year with a terrific chat with Shellie Bailey-Shah, travel journalist, intrepid traveler, and the editor and founder of KidTripster, an online family travel resource. Sheโs given us SO much fantastic information to help us get inspired to travel more, and even save some money on our next trip.
Be sure to listen now. Hey, maybe youโll even consider finding an affordable family trip for 2018 right now as your 2017 Christmas gift!
And hey, donโt forget to subscribe to our podcast so you never miss an episode. Itโs easy! And free. Perfect holiday gift to us. Plus, we love hearing from you, too. Drop us an email: [email protected], find us on social media, and if you love our podcast, weโre always grateful for your positive reviews.
Our awesome sponsor

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Helpful links mentioned in this weekโs episode
โ 6 smart travel apps to help you save money
โ The Hopper app
โ Momondo
โ Skyscanner
โ Autoslash
โ Love Home Swap
โ Knok travel network for families
Note: After recording this podcast, the Airlines Reporting Corp annual report came out with information that the cheapest day to book flights online is now Sunday, rather Saturday. Also, the cheapest days to depart on international flights is now on Thursday or Friday; for domestic travel, prices vary too widely to make an accurate prediction. Which is why the apps recommended here can help!
Our Cool Picks of the Week
Cool Mom Picks is an Amazon and rstyle affiliate.

Shellie: Scratch-off maps from Mappinners is a cool way to get kids excited about seeing the world, the nationโs national parks, or even just Texas!

Kristen: Check out our list of smart, practical teacher gifts which are perfect for the holidays or all year round. One favorite: these custom-engraved pencils from The Carbon Crusader.

Liz: Kat Von D Metal Matte Mini Eyeshadow Palette, is so perfect for the holiday season and staying affordably on-trend. Itโs exclusive to Sephora and Sephora Inside JCPenney (who happens to be a current sponsor, which is how she found this kit, and now sheโs obsessed).
We look forward to being back after the new year with episode 100 โ whoa!
Top image: Ross Parmly via Unsplash

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