I had enough paid time off to take 13 days off work this holiday season. Despite all the rest and relaxation, I’m already thinking about how I’m going to use next year’s vacation time. Planning is especially difficult because of my busy work schedule and my husband’s unpredictable work schedule.

Vacations To Go has plenty of ideas for for last minute cruise vacations, all up to 75% off! That’s perfect for us, because even though we’re watching our budget, we still require vacations for our sanity!

Planning a cruise through Vacations To Go is a steal with these two little buttons:

Gives a complete listing of cruises 90 days out or less. Most cruises set sail within a week and the deals go quick, so keep your eye on the ticker!

Lets you book your cruise further in advance, but gives you the same great opportunity to take advantage discounted rates though great early bird promotions and specials.

We’re a two vacations a year couple, and booking through Vacations To Go will let us take advantage of all of our vacation days and book two fantastic getaways that give us the most for our money. My vote is for the Greek Isles, while Mike wants to go to Alaska, but both are no problem when cruises are up to 75% off!

Mike has a propensity for crazy t-shirts. Especially when we go on vacation. For a soft spoken guy, I think he likes the attention of his t-shirts being a bit smart mouthed.

Two years ago when we eloped in Vegas it was “Game Over” with a bride and a groom, which I wasn’t exactly thrilled with. At our wedding party it was a fake tuxedo, which got lots of laughs. Last year it was “I <3 my weiner” with a sketch of a dachshund, which may not have been Disney appropriate, but he wore it anyway, This year it was “Dachshunds for Obama”, which was met with mixed emotions.

Next year, who knows what he’ll be wearing, but he’ll have a hard time choosing his favorite from Crazy Dog t-shirts. They have so many funny t-shirts, that you can’t just order one, and with their $4 shipping sale, now is the time to stock up!

Those are just a few of my favorites (though I think Stay Golden just may be my most favorite) and I have a few picked out for Mike as Valentine’s presents, but I can’t show you those. If you know Mike and I and our sense of humor, I’m sure you can pick them out when you visit Crazy Dog t-shirts.

Between vacation and work, I feel like I haven’t been home for two weeks! I just got back from NYC and Atlanta, and now I’m out of town with a client for two days next week and then in the office with a client for the other three days, so I’m going to be mentally exhausted by the time the holidays get here, not to mention I’ll probably have Plantar Fasciitis from wearing heels every day.

I used to be known for wearing sky high heels around campus all day, every day, no matter the weather or season, but no more. I’ve worn flats for the past five years, and it’s a real effort for me to pull out a pair of heels and teeter around all day.

I guess if three inch heels is what it takes to up a client’s marketing budget, that’s what it takes!

I leave for a business trip to Atlanta in the morning, and Mike was convinced that my laptop was not suitable for travel, so I got an early Christmas present…an HP Mini! It was waiting at the door when I got home, but I did the right thing and packed for my trip first, so that I could spend the rest of the night fiddling with my new toy and downloading all my favorite programs.

So far, my favorite feature is the built in webcam so that I can record 12seconds videos!

Testing my new HP mini! on 12seconds.tv

I think anyone who has a digital camera with video capabilities has a video like this one, taken while trying to capture the perfect family photo. I love that we’re all standing there frozen like door hardware in the middle of Times Square for a good 10 seconds before we realize the camera is on video.

We’re back from NYC! The drive was treacherous and we had to stop for the night because of an ice storm in Pennsylvania, but once we arrived the eating and sightseeing began. Tuesday was dinner at Craftsteak and a visit to Times Square, Wednesday was the Intrepid, a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, lunch at Tao, an attempt to see the balloons for the Macy’s parade being inflated, and Thanksgiving was Little Italy, Chinatown, and Central Park.

While the Cruises and Beckhams were at Central Park at the same time we were, the only celebrity we spotted in NYC was Johnny Dark on our way out of the Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien. I think that’s a lateral move from my previous NYC celebrity sighting.

There were a few things we didn’t get to, like Pinkberry and the Empire State Building, but that gives us something to do on our next trip!

I’ve spent the last three nights at my sister’s apartment in NYC and the accommodations are outstanding. New towels, clean linens, bamboo shades drawn, and chocolates on our pillows. Okay, maybe not chocolates, but she’s quite the hostess.

Wow - the pashmina giveaway is officially my biggest giveaway to date with 1,130 total entries! That’s a lot of Stumbling, Twittering, blogging, and commenting - Thank you!

Patti Sherman, Mia J. and Aimee are the big winners! Congratulations! I’ll be sending an email to verify your color choice and mailing address!

If you’ve never joined in on the weekly Four Foods on Friday, I highly recommend it to brighten your week. This is my 55th week! Just stop over at Fun, Crafts and Recipes for the weekly questions, post the answers on your blog, and then flutter around reading everyone’s answers!

1. What’s the worst tasting food you’ve ever eaten?

If I’m getting a bad vibe from a food, I usually avoid it, which has probably saved me from trying some pretty horrendous dishes.

2. Share a funny or embarrassing story about a meal you’ve made.

I tried to make pizza twice using Pillsbury premade crust, and it was so terrible that my husband couldn’t even choke it down, and he’ll eat pretty much any combination of bread, cheese, and meat.

3. What food do you burn or have problems cooking most often?

I’d say the first time I cook any dish I have to make some adjustments, but I can’t remember the last time I burned anything and the Pillsbury pizza was my biggest disaster to date.

4. Name two foods you’ll be eating on this Thanksgiving.

Steak and Pinkberry! We begin our road trip to New York City on Monday so remember to enter my pashmina giveaway!

We’re staying with my sister, which means 5 of us in a Manhattan apartment. That means someone is going to be using the area rugs as their bed.

It finally turned cold in Chicago, so I’m taking my mind off of the rain and snow by searching for hotels las vegas.

My parents have combined our Christmas and birthday gifts and are taking the family to Las Vegas in May. Coincidently, we’re thinking of going the weekend of our 2nd anniversary, and since we were married in Las Vegas, a trip to Little Church of the West and In-n-Out Burger are a must.

We’re saving our pennies for the slots and counting down the days!