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This past week we took one of our 72-hour getaways. This time it was to Las Vegas for some holiday fun. I know that Las Vegas doesn’t always sound like the first place you would think to take your kids, but for years now we have been going every year and it is one of our favorite places for kids that is super easy to get to from So Cal. During the holiday it is even more fun.
We obviously avoid bars and gambling and instead focus on all the family-friendly aspects, like fine dining, beautiful resorts, attractions and during the holidays, all the decorations!
Of course, since the girls are all still in school, we stuck to our normal schedule of work and fun. This is actually one of the topics that comes up the most when asked about how often we travel. Everyone wants to know how the girls are educated when we are gone 150+ days a year.
Here is a little inside look at how we do it.
No matter where we are in the world, Pete and I wake up at 5 am local time.
Keeping on a schedule is so important for all of us, and we adapt to new locations much easier with this one simple thing. We get ready and have coffee while catching up on emails from the night before and taking care of what we have on our lists for the day.
At 6 am, we wake up the kids, get Emmy ready and then we all meet for breakfast at the hotel restaurant or with room service if the day is too busy to go out.
After breakfast, it is work and school time.
This is when we all buckle down and get everything done for the day. We really believe in working hard and playing just as hard and that keeps us motivated to complete everything on our to-do lists.
As far as schooling goes, all three girls take classes online.
Maddie graduated a year early and started taking college courses her Junior year of high school so she has continued on with college courses. I’m so thankful that her college offers them online so she can continue traveling with us.
Ash and Emmy both go to a local school that also offers flexible learning where they can take all of their courses online too. Since the classes are accessed through the internet the only thing we have to bring for them is a computer. That is a big deal since space is at a premium when we are traveling, and there is no way I would be able to pack a bunch of textbooks for them.
One thing we learned early on when they started taking classes online was that we needed a good and dependable way for them to access their assignments each day. We looked into different options and knew that an Acer Chrome Book was the right choice for us.
Special thanks to Acer for sending us a Chrome Book to help facilitate this story.
The first thing that I always say about Chrome Books is that they are super fast and if anything happens to it, like it is damaged on one of our trips or heaven forbid lost, we can buy another one and be back in business in minutes. We make sure that the girls always save all their work online and in Google Drive if needed, so the worst-case scenario is that we buy a new one, log in and everything is there like it was on the last one.
Now you won’t want anything to ever happen to your Acer Chrome Book, but it is good to know that Chrome Books make life easier if something does happen.
If you are new to Acer here is more info.
They currently offer the industry’s most robust Chromebook product portfolio with offerings to meet a wide range of customer needs. Acer was ranked as the #1 provider of computers with Chrome OS globally for 2016 according to Gartner, thanks to its award-winning product lines and commitment to the Chromebook market since its first launch in 2011.
The initial Acer Chromebook 15 line, launched in 2015, was the industry’s first Chromebook with a 15.6-inch display. It was designed to deliver the ideal balance of large screen size, outstanding Chrome performance, and portable design, making it an excellent primary computing device and even a desktop replacement for individuals and families that want a large display as well as the freedom to move it around the home or office. This new Chromebook 15 CB515-1HT line builds on that original to deliver the same large display paired with a streamlined aluminum design, backlit keyboard, Android App support at launch and industry-leading battery life of up to 12 hours.
The battery life is a huge deal to us. Emmy also does some work when we are driving or flying so we need a battery with a long life!
Here are some other reasons we love our Acer Chrome Book:
- The most unique attribute of the Acer Chromebook 15 CB515-1HT line is the stunning 15.6-inch display, which is 27 percent larger than 13.3-inch Chromebooks on the market. This large size increases productivity by giving customers more real estate to view multiple tabs and apps. Acer continues to be the only Chromebook provider in the industry with a model with a 15.6-inch display.
- The Acer Chromebook 15 model number CB515-1HT-P39B has a Full HD display with 1920×1080 resolution that ensures sharp and legible text as well as vivid, clear videos and photos. It also reveals more content on screen to reduce scrolling. In addition, it has wide viewing angles, so customers can comfortably share content such as video, e-books, and games.
- The large size helps accommodate the spacious keyboard and large touchpad that are comfortable and maximize productivity. Navigating is even easier with the fully clickable touchpad featuring click-anywhere functionality, tap, swipe, hold and pinch gestures.
- Improved from previous generations, the new Acer Chromebook 15 delivers industry-leading battery life of up to 12 hours on a single charge, so it can be used for a full day of work or school plus streaming and fun.
- The Chromebook 15 CB515-1HT’s new design features an aluminum top cover and palm rest, giving it a stylish and modern design that is comfortable to touch and type on, and is also thinner and lighter than previous generations. It weighs only 3.97 pounds (1.8 kg) and measures only 0.75 inches thin.
- The Chromebook 15’s fanless design allows it to run quietly, making it great for shared spaces such as in a family room, library or coffee shop.
- The Chromebook 15 supports Android apps via the Google Play™ Store. This gives customers access to more than two million Android apps for productivity, fun, games, media, social, messaging and more.
- To complement the large display, the Acer Chromebook 15 has two full-sized upward-facing speakers that support high-definition audio and deliver enhanced volume and range that make video, games, and media more engaging and immersive.
- The HD webcam has a wide 88-degree field of view to accommodate more participants in video chats such as Google Hangouts at home and work. Also, audio and video are clear and crisp thanks to high dynamic range imaging and the built-in microphone.
- It features a backlit keyboard allowing greater usability in a variety of lighting environments.
- The Acer Chromebook 15 keeps customers connected with fast 802.11ac wireless featuring MIMO technology.
- Customers will enjoy fast data transfers of photos and video with the Acer Chromebook 15’s two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C ports. The USB Type-C adapter can also charge the unit. Also, customers can connect peripherals to the Chromebook 15 via Bluetooth 4.2, two USB 3.0, and a combo headphone/speaker jack. The MicroSD card reader supports up to 128 GB MicroSD cards for transferring and saving files.
- The Chromebook 15 is simple to use and ideal for sharing by multiple users, such as families, schools or at different shifts at a business. Users can log into their own account to access Gmail, Docs, website bookmarks and other information. Storage on Google Drive protects files, documents, and photos safely in the cloud, and ensures that the most current version of the file or document is always available and safe, even if the Chromebook is lost or stolen. Plus, Acer Chromebook 15 users can view, edit, create and collaborate online and off-line with a growing number of programs, such as Microsoft Office documents and Gmail.
- Security is a key benefit of the Chrome operating system, as it’s automatically updated to guard against ever-changing online threats. This is especially useful for families and schools who want to protect children.
The Acer Chromebook 15 helps us get school work done so we can get back to exploring and having fun. It has an MSRP of $399.99 and it is available at Best Buy.
