Travel Planning with Room 77 (Sponsored)

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Alex's business travel season has begun, which means that my travel fantasy season started too. We love to take journeys with him but even when it isn't likely, I usually take a little time to scope out the destination in case money and time allows a last minute trip.

I have a new site to employ in my search for budget lodging - Room 77. When I first heard about the hotel search engine, I thought there would be no way to improve on what's already out there, but Room 77 does offer great new features.

The layout is clean, compact, and intuitive to navigate. I experienced no annoying pop-ups that sometimes appear on other sites. It is easy to compare accommodations on a map, list by price, or select by amenity.

I haven't seen another site with Room 77's hotel layout and view feature. As I scouted hotels for a possible trip to Seattle, I looked for free WiFi and then compared the view. Some hotels offered glimpses of the water and others looked right into other buildings. All other things being equal, we prefer a decent view.

Travellers can book hotels through Room 77 but they also list prices from competitor sites. You can include AAA hotel discounts and other special rates in price comparisons too. I like that instead of price checking all over the Internet, Room 77 does it for me.

Never wonder whether you’ve gotten the best deal on your hotel room again. Check out Room 77 when planning your next travel adventure.

How do you search for hotels?

Disclosure: I was selected for participation in this campaign as a member of Clever Girls Collective. This review was compensated; all opinions remain my own.

Family Wellness {Sponsored}

Thanks to Walgreens for sponsoring my writing. Help Walgreens help others! Visit their Facebook page here to learn about their charitable partners and decide which cause Walgreens will donate to with a quick vote.

The last year has been one of the worst for my personal health, with a slew of sinus infections and most recently an allergy diagnosis. Lil had her share of colds and Alex spent a good amount of time at the doctor dealing with his log splitting accident this year too. It wasn't a great one for our family who aspires to live naturally.

That's why as we head into the fall, we are making some changes to better our family wellness.

We are working on the preventative side by exercising as a family more often. We're taking long walks with the dogs as often as possible and having dance parties or doing floor exercises when the weather is poor. Lil and I checked out the Worthington Rec Center indoor pool last week based on the review by Cbus Mom. We'll definitely return when temperatures drop.

Lil and I made a chart to track how many days each family member eats five servings of fruits and vegetables. We are a slightly competitive family; charting our healthy food intake will certainly result in better eating.

We are also taking steps to prevent illness by ridding our home of allergenic carpet and soft furniture. A new linen washing routine will remove even more allergens. And we all have our minds on safety when Alex picks up the axe (his fancy new Wetterlings axe) these days.

On the reactive angle, we are stocking up on natural remedies for common winter concerns like sore throats and sniffles. We dried homegrown mint and chamomile for soothing teas. Some of our garden's chamomile flowers are soaking in raw honey for an all-natural cough syrup that actually works - honey has scientifically documented curative properties.

Only time will tell if our new efforts lead to better overall wellness. In the meantime, I'm curious: How do you maintain family health?

Don't forget to help Walgreens help others! Visit their Facebook page here to learn about their charitable partners and decide which cause Walgreens will donate to with a quick vote. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Why I Grind Coffee By Hand (Sponsored)

Thanks to Crystal Light for sponsoring this post. To learn more about how Crystal Light can flavor your day with 30 refreshing flavors, visit http://www.facebook.com/crystallight.

Mornings begin here with coffee, like many other American households. Coffee duty is all mine because I am the one who wakes up first and wants the energy zap of caffeine right away.

I use a french coffee press to extract coffee from the beans, motivated by the excellent flavor it produces, lack of electronics required, and ease of cleaning.

I turn whole beans into grounds with a coffee mill. I could say that the reasons for this are the same as the french press, as a hand powered grinder is one less thing to plug in and provides more fine control than a cheapo electronic grinder.

The true reason, though, is that I enjoy starting my day with a small physical activity and time of reflection. As my hand makes the rounds and the beans whir under the burr, I intentionally set out my goals for the day or reflect on the previous day. I breathe deeply, ignoring any interruptions by the chickens, dogs, or child.

I'm always sure to find a caffeine buzz somewhere, but days that do not start with milling beans by hand are days when I feel a little off. My simple morning ritual, my moment by myself to gather my thoughts, grounds me for the day.

Remember, visit http://www.facebook.com/crystallight to learn more about how Crystal Light can flavor your day with 30 refreshing flavors. I was selected and paid for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

CSN Stores (sponsored)

Have you heard of CSN, an online retailer with over 200 stores selling everything from dining room sets to cookware to clothing? Neither had I until a representative from CSN invited me to learn more. I peeked around and noticed they sell practically everything. Item pages are very clear for shoppers to read and include customer reviews, current inventory, and shipping times right on the page.

CSN offered me a gift certificate to try their products and service. I decided right away to order an apple peeler slicer corer. I've been wanting to play with one of these for years! It might even save effort during applesauce making whose time is coming soon.

I'll let you know what I think of the CSN experience and the apple gadget soon.

Disclosure: CSN sponsored this post by giving me a gift certificate for use in their stores.