Peace, love and joy to you and your loved ones!
 Happy Frugal Friday!! Jim and I just got back from gorgeous Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It was perfect weather the whole week we were there. Pristine beaches, luxe resort accommodations, delicious food... all in all, one of our best vacations ever! That's me in the picture at our resort's courtyard, over looking the chapel. The architecture is quintessential spanish hacienda (which I love) with stunning landscaping and views of the Pacific Ocean from every room. In booking the trip, I used some of my savvy and frugal ingenuity (of course). We have had our "vacation ownership" for 10 years now, it is similar to a timeshare, but way better - since we are not locked in only one destination or one resort for a specific week(s). We had some credits expiring (which I did not want to go to waste) so I searched for the best holiday getaway that was fun yet frugal. I settled on Cabo San Lucas, since it was close enough to Los Angeles, which meant airfare should be fairly reasonable. Plus, it was the perfect climate (vs. the caribbean, which would be too humid). I booked our airfare through Priceline.com, which is usually a couple of dollars less than other fare sites. Towards the end of my transaction, it asked me if I wanted to apply for their rewards card - so I did and got approved instantly, plus I received a $50 credit on my new Priceline Visa card. Savvy! I picked Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach, a 5 star luxury resort, plus it had several great reviews. This is one of the best resorts in the entire Los Cabos area, I hear this is where the cast of The Bachelor Season 11 stayed. Here are a few beautiful pictures of the resort.
Normally, it would cost upwards of $500+ per night - but since I booked it via our vacation ownership through RCI's exchange program, I only had to pay the exchange fee of $100 (which is half of their normal exchange fee, since I took advantage of RCI's special promotion). Savvy! But our savings got even better!!! Since the resort caters to mostly Americans and Canadians seeking a home away from home, they are in the business of selling vacation ownership or fractional ownership at their resorts. So, we had to attend a 90-minute presentation (which ended up being 2 hours for us) while we feast on their delicious Mexican breakfast buffet (one of the best I've had). Although their offer was tempting, we were smart enough to not buy on impulse. However, their "gift" for sitting through their sales pitch was a $250 credit towards the restaurants in all four of the Pueblo Bonito resorts. How awesome is that... and believe me I made sure we used most of that $250 restaurant credit. Savvy! Since there are a total of 3 other sister resorts within Pueblo Bonito, we took their free shuttle to and from each resort and to dine in their other delicious restaurants. We took the local bus to San Jose Del Cabo, which only cost $4 total one-way. Savvy! Overall, our trip was fun, relaxing, adventurous (we went on an outback camel safari) and decadent. You really can have a luxurious vacation without breaking the bank. But most importantly, the memories we have are forever priceless.  Happy December Tuesday! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. My tradition each year is to break out the holiday decor exactly on December 1st. Since our spanish house is small, I don't decorate with a traditional large Christmas tree, instead I used smaller trees and wreaths throughout. I want to share a few items on my coffee table vignette (see photo above) that I've collected over the years, either from thrift stores, yard sales or gifts from friends. Since my current home decor has hints of Paris, I incorporated them with my holiday decor in the living room pulling the red color to unify the look. Look for more photos and tips throughout this holiday season.
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