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Printables Thoughts

Travel Tips for a Fun, Safe, & Adventurous Year

Have any fun trips coming up? Today we’re sharing some simple travel tips to get you and your home ready for your next adventure!

1. Leave early || I hate to stress about being late for flights and prefer to leave early. This way, I can relax and enjoy my travel instead of the inevitable sprint to the gate!
2. Pack healthy snacks || I always make sure I have my own healthy snack with me and purchase a bottle of water at the airport before I get on a plane.
3. Bring fun activities to pass the time || I like to have a number of activities to do while I’m on the plane that are readily accessible in my carry-on item. If my boys are with me, I make sure they have lots of movie options lined up too!
4. Pack lightly || I try not to over-pack my carry-on because I’m always concerned I won’t be able to lift it up into the overhead bin on my own. To lessen the load even more, I swap out paper books for a downloaded version on my iPad!
5. Stay fully-charged || I like to make sure my phone and iPad are fully charged before I leave for a trip, but I also bring readily-accessible chargers just in case.
6. Expect the unexpected || In the event that my checked luggage goes missing or is delayed, I like to have a couple day’s worth of medicine, toiletries, and clothing in my carry-on. I also pack an extra pair of headphones just in case!
7. Prep your home || Before any kind of travels, I like to make sure my house is nice and clean and all the lights and appliances are turned off and unplugged. Most importantly, I make sure my house is well-protected while I’m away. Simplisafe has provided us with a printable travel checklist to make sure your home is ready-to-go before a trip! Click the image below to download the checklist and click here to learn more about home security with Simplisafe.

Travel Tips for a Fun, Safe, and Adventurous Year | Vicky Barone | Simplisafe
Thanks, Simplisafe, for the great ideas! Have any travel tips to add? We’d love to hear! Let us know in the comments below.
Bon voyage!
Categories
Thoughts

Online Seller Tax Tips

Tax day has come and gone (thank goodness!) and we are excited for a fresh new tax year! Our goal for 2016 is to be even more organized than ever. If you’re an online seller like us, we have an awesome info-graphic to share from the US Tax Center, an educational hub for all things tax related and great when filing taxes online. We hope this makes your 2016 taxes even easier!

IRS.com Online Seller Checklist | Vicky Barone | Online Seller Tax Tips

Being an online-seller has been a fun and fulfilling experience over the past three years. Selling my artwork on Etsy and other e-commerce sites has helped gain exposure for my brand and offered a way for fans of my work to purchase some of my artwork directly! We have also been able to connect with charities and donate pieces to help benefit local organizations. Even though e-commerce is just a small piece of what I offer as an artist and illustrator, it is still so important to make sure I am filing my taxes correctly and efficiently.
The US tax Center’s goal is to serve as a place for people with a variety of tax questions and provide the best e-filing service on the web. Have any questions? They are here to help! You can find them right here.
Have any other tips to get the most out of your taxes as a small business owner? We’d love to hear!
Categories
Family Kids Lifestyle Products Things I Love

Beach Accessories for Kids

We’re rounding out our week of Summer travel tips on the blog with a list of our favorite beach accessories for the boys!

Here are some of my must-haves for a day at the beach with my kids:

Beach Accessories for Kids | Vicky Barone

1. Sunscreen
After some research into the sunscreen I’d been using on my kids for years, I found some not-so-pleasant results (it’s on this list! Yikes!). I found this Alba Botanica sunscreen in a search for a safer option and I love it. It’s made with 100% vegetarian ingredients and it’s aerosol free while still working as a super convenient spray.

2. Bucket Hats
To further protect my kiddos skin from the sun, I like to bring along some floppy beach hats for them! This Tuga Sunwear hat is made from quick-drying fabric to wear in and out of the water, and it has UV protection for their faces, ears, and necks. They come in a few different colors AND they’re reversible!

3. Hooded Towel
Pottery Barn Kids has the cutest hooded towels for both the bath and the beach. They are also rated UPF 50+ for UV Protection and they can be personalized with your little one’s name.

4. Sand Toys
Of course we can’t make a beach trip without some fun stuff to play with! Melissa and Doug make awesome pool toys that we love to bring to the beach with us for sand play. This lobster claw game is fun for the beach, the pool, and even the bath tub!

What are your must-have beach accessories when vacationing with kiddos?

Categories
DIY

Washi Tape Cord Organizers

Here’s a quick and easy Friday life hack! Use washi tape to organize all those pesky, tangled cords! Whether you have mystery plugs tucked behind the couch, or you’re simply trying to keep your stored-away cords in order, washi tape can come to the rescue in a super stylish way.

Washi Tape Cord Organizers | Vicky Barone

You can find washi tape anywhere from Etsy to Target to your local craft store. We must warn you, however, that they can be quite addicting. You might just end up decorating everything with washi tape…

Washi Tape Cord Organizers | Vicky Barone