Has your family got a case of the winter blahs?  Gaylord Hotels' Winter Weekend Getaway package might be just what the doctor ordered.  Gaylord Hotels—with locations in Nashville, Dallas, Kissimmee, and Washington DC—are known for their flawless service and wondrous interiors.  Each property features an enormous climate-controlled atrium where it's always 72 degrees, no matter the weather outside.  The indoor spaces are filled with lush gardens, cascading waterfalls, shops, restaurants, spa, swimming pools, and daily entertainment.  The newest property is the Gaylord National, overlooking the monuments and skyline of our nation’s capital. The world-class property is the crown jewel of the newly developed National Harbor, a dynamic waterfront community set along the historic Potomac River in Washington DC. Kids will love the nightly fountain shows and Potomac Playzone arcade. 

The Winter Weekend Getaway offer features a 15% discount off best-available weekend room rates, plus a $50 dining credit good for breakfast or in-room dining.  When we price-checked a Saturday stay in February at Gaylord National, we found a regular nightly rate of $209 for a double room. With the package, that room was priced at $177, which does work out to a discount of 15%.  Factor in the $50 dining credit and you're paying that much less to put smiles on the kids' faces.

The offer is valid on one-night stays on a Friday or Saturday through February 29.  The rate does not include taxes, fees or parking; other restrictions apply. Book online or call the individual hotel's reservations line (phone numbers are available on the website) and ask for the "Winter Weekend Getaway" offer.

Dreaming of getting away for a weekend in the big city?  Affinia Hotels, a group of seven boutique hotels in three of America's most-visited cities, has announced a three-day sale that will run January 11 to 13.  Nightly rates start as low as $89, and are valid on stays through March 31 at Affinia properties in Chicago, Washington, DC, and New York City.  The hotels boast central locations and roomy accommodations, including suites with kitchens and outdoor terraces, which can be hard to find in urban hotels.  

At the newly-renovated Affinia Manhattan, in the heart of midtown, studios and suites all have kitchens, and guests can easily walk to hot spots such as the Empire State Building, Times Square and Broadway. During the sale, nightly rates start at $139, a discount of nearly 40% when compared to the lowest best available rates. When we price-checked a Saturday night stay in January, rates started at $234 a night.  Similar discounts can be found at Affinia locations in Chicago (sale rate starts at $89 a night) and DC (from $109 a night).

Interested? Bide your time for a few more days, since sale rates can only be booked January 11 to 13. Blackout dates and other restrictions may apply.  Book online or call 866/246-2203 and use promo code JAN3DY.

If you're going to be flying over the Christmas week, you can connect with loved ones more easily thanks to Skype. The VOIP service is offering one free hour of wi-fi at over 50 US airports between December 21 and December 27. You can use Skype WiFi to make voice and video calls to computers for free and to landlines and mobile phones using Skype credit.

The offer is available in more than 50 major airports, including  JFK, LaGuardia and Newark in the New York City area, Boston's Logan Aiport, Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports, Jackson Hole, and Miami. For a full list, see the interactive map.

'Tis the season for shopping and school concerts and holiday parties and frazzled nerves.  If the crazies have hit and you're dreaming about an escape, listen up:  Hilton Hotels is running The December Sale, which promises savings of up to 33% at participating Hilton properties around the globe when you book by New Year's Day and stay before January 8, 2012.

Turns out that "savings of up to 33%" doesn't mean you'll always be able to chop a third off your hotel bill. When we test-booked the offer at two family-friendly properties, we found actual savings hovering closer to 20%. At the Embassy Suites Washington D.C. at the Chevy Chase Pavilion, which boasts a location directly on the Metro Red Line, a two-bedroom suite runs $127 a night, which is a savings of 20% off the best available nightly rate of $159.  Want something warmer? Take a look at the Grand Vacation Suites at Sea World.  At that all-suite resort, we found December Sale nightly rates that were also 20% less than the best available rate: $119 for a one-bedroom suite and $199 for a two-bedroom suite (compared to best available rates of $149 and $249, respectively).    

As always, there's plenty of fine print. The rates are non-refundable, full payment is due at the time of booking, there's a seven-day advance purchase requirement, and blackout dates may apply. Book online or call 800/HILTONS.

Racking your brain for the perfect present for a special family? Consider giving the gift of travel.

We're giving away a $500 gift certificate for Tauck Bridges, the leader in guided family travel. Tauck is known for putting together inclusive, fun family vacations for every age to enjoy together in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Africa. Tauck Bridges family travel adventures are all about shared enrichment and inclusive value, meticulously planned and seamlessly orchestrated so all vacation plans and details are handled for you so your family enjoys ease of family travel.

To enter, visit our Facebook page. You can enter through December 17, 2011.

On your marks, get set, shop! While you're online today, take advantage of the great travel sales to land a great deal on a family vacation for 2012. Here's a round-up of great Cyber Monday sales:

• What's better in the Bahamas? Savings, for starters. Save $450 on an air-inclusive package when you visit Bahamas.com, select the resort of your choice and use the promo code CYBER450 to receive an instant savings on an air-and-hotel package. Travel must be completed by February 29, 2012.
• Frontier Airlines is slashing 10% off every airfare today. Use promo code CYBER10.
• Alaska Airlines is offering fares as low as $40 each way for travel December through February.
  
• Orbitz's weekend sale is still on, offering 50% savings at popular hotels in destinations such as Orlando, San Diego, New York, Miami and Hawaii.
• Marriott is holding a Cyber Monday sale for savings of 25% at select Florida resorts for stays through January 8, 2012.
  
• Shell Vacations Hospitality's Black Friday sale continues, promising up to 50% in savings at its 23 family resorts in the US, Canada and Mexico.
  
• DirectAir is having a BOGO sale through today: Buy one ticket, get one free! Good for airfare through September 2012.
• Funjet's weekend sale showcases the 10 best deals of the season, promising big savings on vacations in Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Las Vegas when you travel through February 6, 2012.
• In Southern California, save 35% through today at the plush Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes.
• Like to ski? Liftopia.com's sale runs through today and offers up to 81% off lift ticket packages for your next ski vacation.
• Today between 9am and 9pm EST, there will be a new deal every three hours at Yuupon.com, with savings of up to 90% (no, that's not a typo) on vacations to destinations all over the world. Sign up for their e-mail alerts for an advance schedule of the sales.
• CheapCaribbean.com's Cyber Monday sale promises up to $100 per person in instant savings on trips to Mexico and the Caribbean.

Santa, baby, how about sticking a family vacation under the tree? We've rounded up a selection of great Black Friday travel sales that can help the big guy score a great deal.

• CheapCaribbean.com is offering discounts of up to $500 per person on Caribbean packages that include airfare. Sale ends Sunday.
• Orbitz is offering 50% savings at popular hotels in destinations such as Orlando, San Diego, New York, Miami and Hawaii. Sale runs through Monday.
  
• Shell Vacations Hospitality's Black Friday special lets you save 50% on vacations at its 23 family resorts in the US, Canada and Mexico.
  
• DirectAir is having a BOGO sale for Black Friday: Buy one ticket, get one free! Good for airfare through September 2012.
• Norwegian Cruise Line's sale includes a credit of up to $250 to spend on the ship.
• BookIt.com's Black Friday specials promise savings of up to 70% on vacations to Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean.
• Funjet's Black Friday weekend sale showcases the 10 best deals of the season, promising big savings on vacations in Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Las Vegas when you travel through February 6, 2012.
• Sterling Resorts is holding its annual blowout sale, with savings of up to 60% on condos at popular beach resorts along Florida's Gulf Coast.
• Heading off on a Disney vacation next year? Buy your souvenirs now at the Disney Store and save 50% on top of 20%! Use promo code THANKS.
• In Southern California, save 35% through Monday at the plush Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes.
• Like to ski? Liftopia.com's sale runs through Monday and offers up to 81% off lift ticket packages for your next ski vacation.
• There will be a new deal every hour at Yuupon.com, with savings of up to 90% (no, that's not a typo) on vacations to destinations all over the world. Sign up for their e-mail alerts for an advance schedule of the hourly sales.

In my latest Ask the Expert column, a reader is looking for a great deal on a Disney Cruise. It turns out that she has great timing, thanks to a few new developments at Disney Cruise Line that make it a great time to snag a cruise for less in 2012. For starters, Disney Cruise Line has added several new home ports, which makes it easier (and cheaper) for millions of families to drive to the ship instead of having to fly. In addition, Disney has a couple of excellent special offers on the table for sailings in late 2011 and early 2012. For more information, see Ask the Family Travel Expert: 4 Ways to Save on a Disney Cruise.

What's better than a family movie night while you're on vacation? A family movie night when the movie is absolutely free! To make a whole lot of family getaways more fun, we're giving away free DVD movie or game rentals from Redbox to 25 (count 'em, 25!) of our Facebook fans.

Winners can choose from among hundreds of the hottest new movie releases and video game rentals at over 27,800 Redbox kiosks nationwide. 

Here's how to enter:

Step 1. Like WeJustGotBack.com on Facebook. If you already like us on Facebook, you're ahead of the curve.

Step 2. Visit WeJustGotBack.com's wall and click 'share' below our Facebook update about this Redbox giveaway. Share the update on your own Facebook wall.  

Step 3. Check in after 5pm EST on Monday, October 31, to see if you're one of our 25 lucky winners. [Note that giveaway period has been extended.]

This giveaway ends at 5pm EST on Monday, October 31, 2011. Winners will be chosen at random using random.org. After the contest period ends, winners will be announced on WeJustGotBack.com's Facebook wall and in an updated version of this post. 

Good luck!

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Update: Congratulations to our winners!

Winners will be contacted on Facebook. Winners, please also email blog@wejustgotback.com so that we can forward your promotion code.

It’s ba-aack! Our previous Skytop Lodge giveaways were so successful that we’re giving our readers another chance to win a family getaway at this special place. A resort for all seasons, Skytop offers entertaining year-round activities for the whole family. At this time of year, for example, the fall foliage is absolutely spectacular.

We’re thrilled to be giving away a two-night all-inclusive stay for a family of four at Skytop Lodge, a grand and historic resort in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains that’s been welcoming generations of families since 1928. The prize includes deluxe accommodations, three meals a day, plus as much winter wonderland as you can handle—unlimited downhill skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, sledding, snowshoeing, tobogganing, plus either a day at the Adventure Center or a dogsledding excursion for the whole family! Rental equipment for each activity is also included.

The meticulously-maintained Dutch Colonial stone manor is a tribute to a bygone era and overlooks 5,500 acres of beautiful mountains and pristine forests. The resort is a year-round playground for active families, offering everything from hiking and biking in autumn to skiing and tobogganing in winter. The resort was named one of the “Best Resorts for Family Reunions” by TravelandLeisure.com. 

For a chance to win this two-night vacation for your family, just head to our giveaway page. You can enter once a day through November 14, 2011. So come back again tomorrow!