Vacation in Style, Even on a Budget

Smart vacationers have discovered that they can make their vacation budgets go a lot further, if they plan carefully. One of the biggest items of expense on a vacation is accommodations, and the secret of making reductions on this item is to opt for renting a vacation home rather than staying in a hotel.

If you are not familiar with vacation home rentals, here is how it works. Furnished homes for rent are available in many of the nation's top tourist destinations. They are offered by individuals and often by specialized agencies that handle the rentals.

The homes are fully equipped, immaculately clean, and loaded with luxury items, like TVs and DVD players in all rooms, wireless internet, swimming pools, etc. You will even find that the book shelves are usually filled with good books, magazines and puzzles. They have all the comforts that you would expect at home, and probably a lot more as these are luxury homes.

Just search for "vacation home rentals" in your target destination, and you will find the listings. Often you will have to book in advance, especially if you are going to travel during a peak vacation season. When you arrive at the destination you can pick up the keys and enter your "home away from home."

What are the advantages? The sheer amount of space and luxury that you get beats the hell out of most hotel accommodations that you could ever find. You have the flexibility and privacy that you can never get in any hotel. You can come and go when you want and eat when you are ready to eat. You can prepare the foods that you like or go out to eat when you want to do it.

But perhaps the best advantage is the sheer economy of it. For example, you can rent a luxury three bedroom two bath home with a private pool, 15 minutes from Disney World for as little as $130 per night in the low season and only $160 in the peak season (such as Christmas). If you stay for more than five days there are no cleaning fees.

If you are traveling all alone, then maybe a hotel would be better, but if you are taking your family and possibly traveling with your friends and their family too, then you can make big savings by getting a vacation rental home rather than renting rooms in a hotel. Many vacationers have already done the math and they have found that renting a vacation home makes good sense economically. And those who have followed up on the math by actually staying in a rental home have been greatly impressed by the comfort, convenience and sheer luxury of the vacation homes.

So the next time you are going on vacation, start to think "outside the box" and look around for vacation home rentals that will enable you and your family, and maybe even your friends too, to enjoy a luxurious vacation with plenty of space, and yet stay well within your budget.

Children's Floor Puzzles - Great For Kids Hand-Eye Coordination

Hand-eye coordination begins during infancy through providing infants with objects and colorful toys that will encourage them to reach out and grasp them. By the age of 4-5 months infants can bring their hands into their field of vision, and during toddlerhood further progress in hand-eye coordination comes with the ability to see and grasp objects accurately. They develop the "pincer grasp" during this time.

By three to four years of age children learn to handle eating utensils and button small buttons. By five years of age the child's hand-eye coordination is beginning to advance as he approaches, grasps and releases objects with precision and accuracy.

By six years of age the child's visual orientation changes as they shift their gaze more frequently and follow the progress of objects rather than staring at the object. By the time they reach school age through middle childhood they make great advances in speed, timing and coordination of hand-eye coordination.

Between the ages of three and six it is important to provide as many opportunities for children to develop their hand-eye coordination. But, what to do when it rains, snows or gets dark too early? Because visual feedback is vital for fast and accurate hand movements it is important to allow children to continue to develop their hand-eye coordination.

One great solution is a giant floor puzzle. These puzzles are very colorful, made of large enough pieces to not harm the child if they put them in their mouth, and provide an opportunity to develop hand-eye coordination while learning shapes and patterns.

Over the years I have cared for many children, and I have observed their behavior with floor puzzles. I take the diagram of the completed puzzle and seal it in plastic so they can refer to it without destroying it. Children will spend a lot of time learning the puzzle, and once they do they always want an adult to watch them and spend time with them putting the puzzle together. When they are older they will only put it together 2 or 3 times before losing interest, but they always go back to it when bored indoors.

Safe and educational, giant floor puzzles make a great indoor activity for when the weather keeps them indoors.