10 Ways to Reduce Your Holiday Expenses

As the holiday season ramps up, I'm trying to follow the advice of experts like Suze Orman, who helped me come up with 10 ways to spend less during the holidays. I especially appreciated Suze's cautionary advice that sometimes gifts can become burdens -- for example, if you're spending beyond your means, that $50 sweater can end up costing a lot more if you're not able to pay the credit card balance in full. Frightening, but true if your finances aren't in order.

And though it's easier said than done, it may be worth reminding ourselves why we're giving gifts in the first place. For ideas on how to stay within your budget this year, check out this GoodHousekeeping.com slideshow featuring 10 ways to cut costs on gifts, food (entertaining isn't cheap!), and yes, even decorations.

Photo by Amy Chen

Healthy Meals for Kids: Alice Waters Partners With Hyatt

Can vegetables and fruit be beautiful? After meeting Alice Waters earlier this week at Berkeley's Edible Schoolyard, I'm utterly convinced that they can be.

Waters has partnered with Hyatt Hotels and Resorts to create a three-course organic menu for kids. Here's what full-service Hyatt properties in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean will be serving up this summer, with Waters expected to dream up a winter menu next.

Salad: Romaine lettuce hearts with carrot curls and a radish rose, with lemon vinaigrette for dipping
Entree: Grilled chicken with pesto sauce, roasted potatoes, and cherry tomatoes
Dessert: Strawberry and orange slices served in a real orange cup

Photo Courtesy of Hyatt

The Alice Waters-inspired kids' menu ($16.95) is already available at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach and the Hyatt Regency Maui, with ingredients sourced locally according to the Chez Panisse founder's vision. Vacation calories don't count, we often joke. But as Waters pointed out Tuesday at the Hyatt media lunch in Berkeley, "[w]e have done a great injustice to (our youth) by feeding them food that isn't good for them."

Maintaining healthy food habits on the road isn't always easy when kids often have the option to order burgers every day. In Hyatt's new For Kids By Kids menu, the company has removed that temptation by taking the burger off its kids' menu. Though you can still request a burger off the adult menu (at half price for kids), the option just isn't staring children in the face at each meal.

If you've ever been overwhelmed by a bottomless buffet aboard a cruise ship or at an all-inclusive resort, it's clearly not just Hyatt hotel restaurants that could use a little bit of inspiration from Alice Waters. All this, of course, leaves the adults wondering if we'll get funny looks if we start ordering off the Hyatt kids' menu.

Below are some photos taken at the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, where I could hardly believe that I was passing a bowl of hummus to the food legend herself.



Photos by Amy Chen

New Orleans: Classic Treats Under $10

In honor of this week's Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans, these are a few treats that every traveler should try at least once. Unfortunately, more than a year has passed since my last visit. Luckily, these classics should still be there on my next trip (whenever that may be).


A trio of beignets ($1.82) and cafe au lait ($1.82 for a small cup) from Cafe du Monde

Muffuletta ($6.95 for a half) from Central Grocery

Photos by Amy Chen