I have always been a fan of Southwest airlines because they take customer service seriously, even though their flights are no frills. The same is true of Skybus, but even more so thanks to the fully automated computer-only system that eliminates the expense of a call center. In this day and age when your travel plans are mostly made online, why not save a bundle by booking things all by yourself?

I booked a non-stop flight from Columbus to San Diego and saved over $300 compared to other carriers. When I checked in the ticket counter crew was smiling, cheerful and prepared to answer all the questions a new Skybus traveler would have. The tee-shirt clad crew and flight attendants were equally impressive.

Skybus charges you based on what you use. The flights are priced based on availability, so the first ten seats on every flight are $10 each way, and as they sell more seats on the flights the prices go up from there. For example my tickets from Columbus to Kansas City was $10 outbound and $35 for the return, making the round trip just under $50 with taxes and fees. I could not have driven it for that price if factoring in the time difference - 1 hour and 35 minutes via Skybus or 12 hours in my mini-van. You do the math!

You pay for a ticket and can add on extras from there. Priority boarding, snacks, meals, drinks, checked luggage and lap children cost extra. If you don’t need any of those services you don’t pay for them. Fair enough. Skybus keeps the fares low by selling advertising space on the planes and they even offer aisle shopping during the cruising altitude, should you need a pair of $12 sunglasses or a cute $10 kid’s backpack. You can pay for the in-flight purchases with cash, debit or credit card too.

Skybus selects smaller (less expensive to operate) airports near major cities. Check out the facts at Skybus and see if you can take advantage of their deals. The company is adding new cities and routes regularly. Thanks to this new airline your next vacation may be more affordable than you thought.

Written by Helene, who is a “fly by the seat of her pants” mom with 6 kids, well really 7 if you count her husband. She is a die-hard bargain shopper, designer-clad domestic diva who writes reviews to maintain a sense of sanity and unleash her creative side. You can also keep up with their busy family at their blog.

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I tried the United States Post Office first. The lines were tremendously long. I had brought one of my packages with me just to see how long it would take and how much it would cost. When I had my turn at the counter, I asked the lady helping me if there was a time of day that they were less busy than others. She barely looked up and grunted that they were always busy this time of year. The package was about $12 to ship Priority Mail.

The next day, I tried the UPS store. The same size package was $9 to ship ground. It turns out that it and 2 other packages I decided to ship that day all arrived the very next day to their destinations. The lines were shorter and moved faster, and the prices were better by $2-3 for each box, depending on where in the country they were headed. They even helped me unload my car and bring them inside.

As far as delivery goes, if most of the UPS delivery people are half as good as the one who comes to my house, I would never ship with anyone ever again. Last week, our UPS man actually refused to bring a package to my door because he could tell it was a Christmas present for me and didn’t want the box to give it away. He ended up delivering into the back of my Jeep while calling out to me, “You better not be peeking!” My husband came home and smuggled the box inside from the back of the Jeep, and I will still get to be surprised on Christmas morning.

If you still have packages to ship, I highly recommend making a trip to your local UPS store. It will be easy on you, and easy on the people receiving your holiday cheer too.

Written by Canape, who is a girl from the deep south who loves her husband, her stepdaughter, her dogs, and hopes to be a mom soon. She’s a musician by trade, and a baker and writer by hobby. She and her husband renovate houses on the side and she writes a personal blog at Don’t Take the Repeats.

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Every Monday we’ll tell you about the things we can’t live without. If you have a “must have” item to pass along please e-mail us. We welcome contributions from our readers.

I would absolutely have a nervous breakdown without Peapod, the wonderful grocery delivery service. Not only do I NOT have to take a minimum of two kids to the store with me, but then someone else schleps all the groceries into the house for me, and all I have to do is check it in and put it away. Tthe kids then actually enjoy pulling all the stuff out of the bags to see what we got.

It is totally a lifesaver, and worth the $7 they charge for delivery, though there are ways to save or get free delivery on almost every trip. I recommend it to anyone who can’t find the time to shop without their kids.

by Mary

WADDA JUICE is the ultimate time saver for busy mom’s. These pre-filled, 8 ounce, spill-proof sport bottles (really a sippy cup wanna be) are a mom’s dream come true. Ready to serve with half water, half juice and there are no added sweeteners, sugars or preservatives and absolutely nothing artificial.

With half the sugar, calories and carbohydrates of 100% juice, WADDA JUICE makes serving a healthy drink effortless. Just peel back the foil seals and your child is good to go. Say good bye to filling cups, finding lids and scrambling to get out the door. My kids have road tested (literally) these bottles and they are truly spill proof. No fuss, no muss.

When you find a new way to save time and give your kids a healthy serving of juice, you want to shout it out. Can you hear me shouting?

by Helene

I struggle to hang many clothes up, for fear they will end up with the bumps in the shoulders. I’ve tried many different types of hangers and most still pull on the area enough to leave an indent of some kind. Organized.Com offers the Bump Be Gone line of attractive hangers, in various colors that will actually mold to any shape you need. Whether it be for a heavy sweater or a thin blouse, these hangers will accommodate your clothing.

The soft foam material will allow you to air dry your clothing and the rounded tips are designed not to leave any unwanted marks. They also fold in half when traveling and are available in sets of 4 for $11.99. In my opinion, every closet and laundry room needs a set of these.

by Emily

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Imagine my surprise this weekend to find they had changed their jeans line and had a new measurement system. I was bombarded by an over-friendly saleswoman asking if I had tried on their new “Right Fit” jeans. Before I could say anything beyond the word no, she had a tape measure wrapped around my waist.

Now get this - she said in their new styles (which came out in early August) I would be a size 1 blue circle. Never mind what the colored shapes mean, I was still trying to pick my jaw up off the ground after she said a size 1. My response was, “Lady, I haven’t been that size since elementary school.”

The well trained woman proceeded to explain the “Right Fit” jeans in detail. Apparently after an extensive research study they developed fashionable jeans that would fit your body and flatter your curves. The new system includes sizes that begin with 1 and end at 9. It also is coded according to a colored shape and your waistline. Yellow squares indicate a straight fit, red triangles are for the curvy woman and blue circles (like myself) are all hips.

Being the intelligent person I am, I quickly realize this new sizing system is made to make me feel better about myself, but it’s also a form of deception. There is no standardization in jean sizes, which is why I can wear a size 14 in some styles and a size 16 in others. So it really doesn’t matter how you label my jeans, they will still fit completely different from brand to brand.

All this aside they didn’t fit my body very well. The material was super stretchy and felt like burlap. I did not care for how form fitting it was, and it didn’t flatter my body style or hips curves. The waist gapped in the back and they were far too tight in the thighs.

What made me angry was that when I asked the saleswoman to try on a different style (besides the blue circles), she wasn’t going to let me. How crazy is that? Who’s the customer? I ended up leaving disappointed in both the service and the new clothing line.

Your experience may be totally different. After all we are unique individuals in all different shapes and sizes, but in my opinion Lane Bryant is just playing with our minds.

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We stayed at the Garden District Hotel on St. Charles Avenue. The location was perfect for a family vacation and within walking distance to several shops restaurants and art museums, but the amenities were not perfect.

I loved the character and historic charm of the hotel, but our room wasn’t the cleanest. The furniture and bed linens were very outdated, but I realize they are attempting to keep a certain style. Our room was certainly smaller than the pictures they boast online.

The biggest problem we encountered was the hot water. Usually you hear about places not having any, but the Garden District Hotel had plenty! There was no cold or even warm water, just extremely hot. Our son rightfully refused to shower for 3 days.

My other issue was the friendliness of the hotel staff. When we asked the desk clerk about directions on getting to a certain location we knew was close by, she simply stated she didn’t know. In my world, if you work in customer service and you don’t know an answer, you go find out for them.

Although the price was reasonable and the location was perfect, the amenities were few and far between. We didn’t spend much time in our hotel, so we dealt with it.

The highlight of our vacation was spending an afternoon at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. We’ve been to several large aquariums in other cities and Audubon offered the most interactive and kid-friendly exhibits that I have seen.

I was pleasantly surprised that there were more family activities in the city than I imagined. Beautiful parks and lots of outdoor art fairs. We had an enjoyable time and hope to visit again. If you get the chance go visit, but I’d choose another hotel.

Written by Emily, who is a married working mother of a very energetic 5 year old son. They reside in Southern Indiana (a little too close to the Kentucky border). Someday she’d like to visit Intercourse, PA and have her picture taken with the welcome sign. She writes at her personal blog, Fenicle and loves free samples and trying new things!

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I’ve owned several Ford vehicles and the reason is simple. My family found a dealer who was honest, respectable and always did his best to correct any situation. Their business did not advertise free plane tickets with purchase or set up a kids carnival in their parking lot. They don’t haggle on price. What they tell you is what you’ll pay and they always give you a fair price for trade-in (usually close to Kelley Blue Book).

I admit that I’ve noticed that there is an absence of new style and cutting edge technology on the Ford line-up. When I was invited to the General Motors Lifestyle Product Preview, I was excited to check out a different brand. (A trip that was paid for entirely by GM.)

First, I must state that all the GM employees I interacted with were very friendly and more than accommodating. This is always a good sign of things to come. My group was labeled the “lifestyle bloggers” and it was interesting to meet others from the internet world.

The first afternoon consisted of completing an Advanced Driving Techniques course on safety. I was nervous to get in a vehicle and induce a situation which requires quick thinking, but it went very well. The instructors were not only patient but extremely knowledgeable. I definitely walked away having learned more in that four hours than the entire semester of driver’s ed in high school.

The bloggers group had a dinner with several GM executives that evening. The table conversation was orchestrated by Mr. Ed Peper, Chevrolet General Manager, answering questions from us. For the most part a few auto-bloggers dominated the group with their questions regarding specifics, but overall it was good to hear from the technical side of the automotive industry.

Mr. Peper seemed very genuine and honest in his responses. My only issue was that he repeatedly stated that GM’s top concerns were dependability, reliability, quality and fuel efficiency. It was not until the very end of dinner that he mentioned safety as a priority for their company.

In my opinion, safety should rank first because honestly who cares how many MPG a vehicle gets or how long the engine lasts if they’re not alive? Having been on the other end of a car crash in which safety features saved my life, I’m interested in the advancement of protection.

The population is living longer and with that comes concern with senior citizens driving. Our response and reaction timing certainly slows with age. My concern is that having all these advancements in safety may give a false sense of security to those who have lost their driving skills.

The test-driving event took place on the Milford Proving Grounds where all the GM vehicle testing takes place. With over 4,000 acres they’ve recreated everything imaginable and I was able to drive their vehicles through many of the road tests they use.

Part of the event included an advanced driving techniques course in which we were put into situations and challenged to react. The obstacles included ABS braking and learning about Stabili Trak where the instructor showed us the difference between losing control with and without it.

Trust me when I say having it is a much better option. By 2010 this will be a standard feature on all GM vehicles and that impresses me. GM has the upper hand on innovation and meeting the current issues facing their customers.

The GM models I tested:

Pontiac Solstice (OXP Turbo) - It was what a sporty convertible should be - fun & fast. Being a tall girl I practically fell into the drivers seat, but did find it had plenty of leg room. My comfort was compromised a bit due because the steering wheel didn’t move up high enough. The Solstice accelerates and stops quickly. My biggest complaint was that the inside rear view mirror blocked my view through the front window of the road.

Hummer 2 - If you like being the “big man on campus” this is your vehicle. The features and controls were all very streamlined and in order on the dash, except that the driver temperature controls were difficult to reach over the gear shift. With a 3rd row of seats and a small rectangle shaped rear window, it was difficult to see out the back window. Despite the loud interior noise when driving over bumpy road conditions, it handled surprisingly smooth. Bottom line is that if you like driving a cement block choose the Hummer.

Buick Enclave (CXL) - A four door SUV with 3rd row seats that fold down made this classy vehicle a luxury crossover. The computer screen dash controlled most of the vehicles functions and appeared sleek. I felt the accelerator, braking and steering were a little bit touchy and loose. Overall, it drove smoothly and was easy to navigate on the roadway. It was an impressive combination of style and performance. The only design flaw I noted was an oddly placed circular analog clock in the middle of the dash.

Saturn Outlook (XR) - This was my favorite vehicle to drive. Saturn has defined the family SUV. It offered plenty of room (7-8 passengers) and lots of legroom for everyone. All rear seats folded flat and there was a covered storage area within the floor behind the 3rd row. In fact it featured over 24 storage places all strategically placed to be built into the vehicle. As far comfort, I felt it was the most comfortable SUV I drove there (even against it’s more expensive competition, the Enclave). I asked more in-depth questions regarding this model as I could honestly see us purchasing the Outlook. A GM representative spoke highly of the 5 star safety rating and 6 standard airbags (including head curtains that reached the 3rd row of seats). This was a well-thought out vehicle.

Cadillac (STS) - If you are looking for a luxury sedan that will allow you to watch DVD’s from the driving seat, look no further than this Cadillac. I had never seen a key-less start vehicle, so it took me a moment to figure out the buttons. It offered everything imaginable - heated steering wheel, projected mph in the windshield, electric steering column and pedals, etc… Despite the comfort it is definitely a model that has to fit your lifestyle.

GMC Yukon (Hybrid) - This new model has stirred up quite a bit of excitement because it’s a large SUV that offers better fuel economy than others in its class. I have never driven a hybrid vehicle and wasn’t sure what to expect. Overall the engine was quiet and smooth. You only heard a slight humming noise when you accelerated from the stopped position. Even at high speeds it handled well, drove smoothly and cruised silently. The hybrid certainly does not compromise anything and allows you to gain 25% in fuel usage.

We arrived in the evening, and there was a harpist in the lobby entertaining guests. It didn’t actually have a lobby, per se, but rather the restaurant surrounded a marble entranceway that led to the front desk. Fresh flowers everywhere contributed to a festive atmosphere.

I had a reservation, so check-in was easy, just a couple of signatures and I was on my way. However, my big issue with the hotel involved one of those signatures.

I was given a sheet of paper that disclosed that “Quiet Hours” in the hotel were from 11pm to 7am. Okay, fine. No big deal there.It also stated that there was to be no running in the halls and making lots of noise during those hours, and that if a complaint was received the guest would receive one warning, and if the issue continued after the warning they would have to leave.Okay, a little strict, but I can understand how that might sometimes be an issue. The final part stated that if someone else chose to leave the hotel due to any noise caused by you, then you were responsible to pay the hotel any lost revenue.

What? Hold the phone!

I looked at the front desk clerk and asked her what the heck that was, and she said it was “Standard procedure.” I mentioned that I’d never seen anything like it before, but I was exhausted from having been on the road for 12 hours, I had four hungry, cranky kids that needed to be fed and let off some steam, and I had already researched hotels in the area and knew this was the only one that we would be comfortable in, hotel snobs that we are, so I signed it and got my keys.

Other relatives of mine were staying in the same hotel, and when I saw them later I asked them if they were asked to sign something about the Quiet Hours. They weren’t. They also had three young kids, so the only thing I could think of that would have singled me out apparently didn’t apply.

Our room itself was fantastic. We had a suite room, which had 2 queen size beds in the “back” of the room, with one television, and then there was a small hallway past the bathroom. Across from the bathroom was a mini-fridge, a coffee maker, and a microwave. In the “front” of the room was a small sofa, an armchair, a desk with complimentary high-speed internet with an ethernet cable in case you forgot yours, and another TV with game console. The small sofa folded out into a bed.

The arrangement was wonderful. We put the kids to sleep back in one of the beds, and then hubby and I were able to sit up and talk without disturbing them. When I needed to do paperwork with some family members, there was more than enough room to do it and still have room for the kids to play around us. The beds were the most comfortable hotel beds I’ve ever slept in.

The bathroom was beautiful, spacious, and the hot water in the shower was hot immediately, no waiting for the water to warm up. I did have a couple of issues with the bathroom. I am short, under 5 feet tall, and I had a hard time leaning over the sink to brush my teeth without spitting toothpaste all over myself, as the sink was set back a bit from the edge of the (marble) counter.Also, I was too short to reach the shower head to adjust it without standing on the side of the tub, which is a bit dangerous when you are wet and the porcelain is slippery.

With four kids, young kids, we were concerned about that noise policy. Not that they’d be up running the halls and screaming between 11 and 7, because even my kids aren’t up then and we would never allow running and screaming anyway, but more that someone would overreact to normal child noise or the baby crying in the night and want to leave the hotel.As a result, we were rather harsh with our kids, and I don’t think our kids enjoyed themselves much at all the entire time we were in the hotel.We didn’t let them speak above a whisper, we made sure they didn’t leave our side, we took the whiny three year old outside to our van to deal with a fit of temper, because we were scared of what the hotel management would do.

I was going to speak to the manager about the noise policy and ask them why I was singled out, but frankly I was pretty rankled about it, and my family members asked me to let it go - I think they were afraid of retaliation in response to something I might say.So I mentioned it when I checked out, and asked why my relatives hadn’t needed to sign but I had.They told me that it was a mistake, my relatives should have had to sign it, too.They said that on weekends they have a lot of weddings there, and people get to drinking and behave poorly, so they had to institute the policy.I pointed out that in the first place, we were getting the bereavement rate so obviously there would be no drunken wedding cavorting going on, and secondly, my husband and I have both traveled extensively for both business and leisure and we have never, in almost two decades, been asked to sign something making us financially liable for lost revenue to the hotel due to noise.She mentioned that this particular hotel is independently owned, and she didn’t know if it was a policy just for them or with the entire chain. I told them that it was unfair to have had that sprung on me at the last minute, and that if they were going to have such a policy in the first place, they should at least mention it when you are registering for the hotel, so that other options can be made if a guest finds that policy unappealing.She thanked me for my suggestion while turning away from me in a rather dismissive manner and I went home before I went postal.

With that policy in place, I hesitate to recommend what is otherwise a glorious hotel. If the entire chain has the same standards, the accommodations are some of the best in the business. I just think that in a such a nice hotel, rules of common courtesy have to apply, and managing potential noise issues can be achieved in some other way that still maintains respect for their customers.I am willing to try the chain again, but I am now a wiser consumer, and will be sure to ask about any noise waivers when I make reservations.

Incidently, I was sent a survey from Hilton Garden Inn afterwards asking about my stay. I did detail the noise policy issue there. I will keep you posted should I ever hear back from them.

Now, when I make an appointment for something I understand “sh*t happens” and people don’t always run on time. I expect this at doctor offices, where it’s customary to overbook. I do not, however, expect to wait an hour past my appointment at a portrait studio in the mall.

My neurotic self arrived a few minutes early for our appointment the other day and waited in line behind two other ladies for over 20 minutes just to sign in. There was no one working at the front desk and the only two employees were both taking pictures for families in the back. Both of whom saw the three of us standing there and never said a word. Not even a brief, “We’ll be with you in just a minute.”

In the past, JCPenney has taken some very good pictures of our son and a couple of our family. I don’t expect each shot to be award winning, but usually I walk away with 2-3 good pictures out of the 8-10 they take. I love that I can instantly see the proofs on a computer immediately after and order from there.

Aside from waiting twenty minutes to be acknowledged and waiting another forty minutes to have photos taken our photographer was clearly in a hurry and snapped 8 pictures before our son had a chance to blink. The poses were basically all the same and she would move his hands from his knees to his lap. They apparently don’t teach creativity in their training classes.

At one point I stepped in to fix his shirt collar and was given quite the cold stare for slowing down the process. Even though it was 100 degrees outside her chill was still not appreciated.

I knew the photos were not going to be good before I viewed them. To my surprise one was acceptable and actually centered. The waiting room was packed and I wasn’t ready to return anytime soon, so I ordered a few sheets of the acceptable pose and left.

At home I contacted their customer service online to let them know of our recent experience. Although the response was very cookie-cutter they did “enjoy my comments and concern” and for the my trouble they will be mailing me a certificate for three free traditional portrait sheets upon my next visit.

So I plan to return one more time strictly to take advantage of my free prints. If the service isn’t any better I will not be back. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for and at $3.99 a sheet I guess I shouldn’t expect much, but I do. Anyone whose job it is to tell someone to “smile” should know how to smile themselves.

It seems that some time while I was in Chicago (for the BlogHer 07 conference), someone nicked my credit card number and tried to charge thousands of dollars worth of who knows what, both here and in South Africa, where not only have I never been, but given my terror of flying I am not likely to be going any time soon. I was shocked. It’s one of those things you hear about all the time, but never think it will happen to you.

Now, it’s happened to me. If it wasn’t for those very nice people in the fraud department at Bank of America, I wouldn’t have figured out my number had been taken until my statement came, and who knows how much the thief would have charged by then. Fortunately they had denied a lot of the charges that they questioned, but a few did slip through, and I am not liable for one single penny.

I am oh, so very grateful that Bank of America was watching out for me. I wish I had that kind of support from all the companies with which I do business.

A little over a year ago, McAlister’s opened a restaurant near my home in North Carolina. Needless to say, I was extremely excited. My husband and I went for our first visit, and were totally disappointed in the service. The food was good though, so we continued to go back in hopes that the service would improve.

Honestly, it is hit or miss. Some days you can go in and be served by a friendly, intelligent teenager and receive your food in a reasonable amount of time. Those days have kept me returning. Those days, and a muffaletta, which you can’t get just anywhere up here in the northern South.

Unfortunately, those days are getting fewer and further between. I want to love McAlister’s. Really I do. But I just can’t anymore.

Last night, my stepdaughter and I went to pick up dinner for ourselves, my husband, and my father-in-law. The girl taking our order was polite, which is an improvement, but not one of the shiniest apples on the tree. Amidst her glowing approval of everything we ordered (she hearts Sunchips and a Rueben), I had to repeat everything we ordered twice, and then she forgot our tea.

As we sat and waited for our to go order, we watched at least two other tables of people who ordered after us, but were eating in, receive their meals. And then we waited some more.

We finally get our food, 30 minutes from the time we arrived, return home, and find that my stepdaughter’s Greek chicken wrap contained not one single piece of chicken, and my nachos had no cheese. I ask you; who forgets to put cheese on nachos? Isn’t that the primary ingredient?

My choices are to call and attempt to talk to a manager to try and get her to credit my card back for their mistakes. I’ve seen the manager at work there. I know this will be futile. I could also pack the food back up, drive back to the restaurant, park, go inside, and demand that they fix it. We are looking at another 45 minutes until a hungry pregnant woman gets to eat. I’m not doing this either.

So I email them as I’m munching on tortilla chips topped with olives, tomatoes, and peppers. And no cheese. I email their corporate headquarters. I complain. Loudly. I offer them a chance to respond before I post a review of their restaurant. I really wanted to post a prop for customer service and how they fixed a serious problem, because I loved them so at one point.

Unfortunately, I received my response today. It was from the “General Manager.” I’m assuming she works at the location I visited last night, but she doesn’t say. Here is what she does say:

Ms. Canape,

I would just like to begin by apologizing for ruining your dinner last night. I know it can be extremely frustrating to get home and your order be incorrect. I know you have said that you will not be returning, however, I would like to offer a complimentary invitation for you and a guest if you change your mind. We would like the chance to make it up to you. Please stop by anytime at your convenience and we would be more than happy to take care of it. I would like the chance to speak with you myself and try to figure out what has exactly been happening on your visits-since it sounds as if this may have happened before. Please don’t hesitate to call if you have a free moment. We do appreciate your candid feedback. Hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,
******** *******

General Manager

Polite. Apologetic. Unimpressive.

What I don’t like about this is how I have to be the one to call when I have a free moment. I have to be the one to stop by at my convenience. And, even though she knows I won’t be returning, she wants to fix things by issuing a complimentary invitation to me and a guest. Well that won’t cost them much if she knows I’m not returning, will it?

They have my contact information, obviously. I wanted them to be proactive and take care of something. Send me a voucher. Credit my card back. Send me a coupon. Something.

Did you notice that she doesn’t even include a phone number where I can call her? I am supposed to look it up. Did you notice she doesn’t tell me the hours she works? I’m supposed to just drop by and hope for the best. Am I supposed to just print out this email and take it into the restaurant and wave it around until I get a free sandwich?

I am so disappointed. Because I can’t bear to pan the whole chain, I’m just panning the one in Raleigh. But visit a McAlister’s near you with fair warning. Their expansion has obviously diluted the good ole’ sandwich shop I knew back home.