Overtired Mama's Travel Tips and Tricks

Welcome back!

In my previous Ottawa Post I discussed air travel and accommodations.  Did you miss part 1?  Check it out here (link also available at the bottom of the post).  In this post, I will discuss a little about what you can see and do in Ottawa.

The activities I experienced were during two separate trips, one in Winter and one in Spring.  Keep in mind that Ottawa has a number of festivals that happen during different times of year, and surrounding communities have a lot going as well, so searching what may be going on before you go is a good idea!

I will start with one of the winter activities I experienced, hockey!  From September to approximately March/April (depending on the playoff situation) you can attend Ottawa Senators hockey games.  The September games would be "pre-season" games, which are often offered at reduced prices.  As for regular season, the tickets are pretty reasonably priced - for the game I went to, the prices ranged from $25 to $200.  I sat in …

I love earning rewards.  In fact, my husband may even say that I'm obsessed with it.  I wouldn't go that far, but I do love to be rewarded for purchases I already make.
Rewards programs are not all created equal, so it's a good idea to do a scan of what is available to you and what is worth your time.


Let me start by saying - I'm not hear to sway your opinion towards one program over another.  I will speak to the programs I'm most familiar with, but my information is not all encompassing, so be sure you have a good understanding of what's out there and what works best for you.
I belong to a lot of loyalty programs - Marriott, Best Western, IHG, Hilton Rewards, Expedia, and the list goes on.  And that's just travel related rewards programs. Don't even get me started on coffee loyalty programs.  But I digress.
For hotel rewards programs, I do belong to multiple loyalty programs.  This may seem counter-intuitive, because if you aren't staying at the s…

While I typically post general tips and tricks on saving money on holiday travel, occasionally, I like to shine the spotlight on different travel destinations.

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Ottawa.  My trip was brief, but what I experienced in my short time there made me want to head back.  Here are some of the highlights from my travels.


As many of you know, I'm from Saint John, New Brunswick.  When I'm researching travel options, I'm fortunate that I have many airports to choose from within a reasonable drive.  To my (pleasant) surprise, on this occasion, my cheapest flight options to Ottawa were actually from my home airport.  Bonus!  I had options with Air Canada and Porter.  Porter offers one direct flight from Saint John a day, and Air Canada offers a couple of options to Ottawa, all Air Canada flights do have you transferring at another airport (usually Toronto or Montreal).  I opted to go with Porter, as I had never flown with them before.
I am going …

Welcome to my blog!  Perhaps you have been here before, in which case, welcome back!
My name is Katie, aka the Overtired Mama.  I started this blog many years ago, when my little girl was a baby.  When I started this blog, I didn't know exactly what it was going to be, so it's had a lot of transitions.  My posts ranged from ramblings about parenthood, recipes, product review, crafts, entertainment, and more!  But over the years, the topic that always seemed to make its way in to my cycle was travel.



I did some family travel as a child with my family, and traveled with friends as a teen, and I made some amazing memories over the years.  Now, as an adult, I love those moments of making memories while on holiday with loved ones.  Vacation offers the opportunity to connect with friends and family, away from your usual every day stressors and distractions.  That is why I love travel.



As my desire to travel has grown, so has my need to budget.  My personal discovery was that the mor…

Periodically I do live videos on my Facebook page to talk about travel.  The latest video got some great feedback so I thought I would post here.


Do you follow my Facebook page? Be sure to check it out, as well as my other social media! I often share some great travel tips and deals!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/overtiredmama/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/Overtired_Katie  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katie_nb/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfSBYVJfyLpZWn0ihYuoZg

After sharing a link to a link to one of my "Budget Travel" posts on social media, I had someone send me a message asking me why I would ever want to give up "quality travel" for the sake of price.  This message prompted me to clarify something - when I say "Budget Travel", I am not suggesting that you book accommodations or travel arrangements that risk your health or safety.



Tonight I likened my "travel bargain hunting" to hunting for deals at a secondhand clothing store.  Have you ever had that feeling - at a secondhand clothing store, and you find a brand name outfit, and it costs you less than $20?  It feels great, right?  You can still snag a great brand name dress or shirt, while paying only a fraction of the price. That is the same feeling I get when I search and find a great deal on travel!  And that is the feeling I am trying to share with all of you.

With the tips I share in my posts, my hope is that the tips can help people research …