






Travel More. Spend Less
Family Travel. Points & Miles. And all the chaos in between.
nice to meet you
My name is Kristin
Hi, I’m Kristin mom of three, travel addict, chaos coordinator, points and miles enthusiast, night-shift PICU nurse, and the creator behind The Points Diary. I started this space as a creative outlet and a place to share the real stuff: motherhood, family travel, everyday life, points and miles updates, everything that helps to make mom life easier, and the occasional behind the scenes glimpse of nurse life.
Around here, you’ll find travel tips and hacks, realistic mom life, lifestyle favorites, family adventures, and points and miles info. How we earn our travel rewards & what I’m learning and what works for my family. We started focusing on family adventures and growing our travel rewards this year so we are still new to the game. I share the cards we are use, how we go about opening new cards, keeping everything organized with finances and everything in between.
Nothing too polished, nothing too perfect, just real life, good finds, and ideas worth sharing.
Our latest travel rewards card.
The welcome bonus we are currently working on to earn more points and help us travel for almost free
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Starting Points & Miles: How to Choose Your First Travel Credit Card
Let’s simplify choosing your first travel card! So you think you want to start earning points and miles…but you’re overwhelmed. You’ve probably heard people say, “Just start. You’ll learn as you go.” And honestly? I agree. Because as they say, time is money, but in this…
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Our Favorite Stop on Our San Francisco Trip … With the Kids!!
California Academy of Sciences With Kids: Is It Worth It With Little Kids? When we planned our family trip to San Francisco, the California Academy of Sciences was one of the places I was most unsure about. Our kids were 5 years old, 3 years old, and 10…
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Locked up in analysis paralysis …is the Chase Freedom Flex worth a 5/24 spot?
The Chase Freedom Flex Has an Elevated Offer — But Is It Worth a 5/24 Spot? The Chase Freedom Flex® just increased its welcome offer, and at first glance, this card checks a LOT of boxes for me. Right now, new cardmembers can earn a…
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Curious about Points & Miles? Start Here
Points & Miles 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started If you’re brand new to points and miles and feel completely overwhelmed, you are definitely not alone. Not that long ago, I was in the exact same place. I kept seeing people online taking amazing…

Hello
I want my kids to grow up knowing that life is meant to be experienced, not just scheduled around. I believe in saying yes to the trip, letting kids explore, keeping expectations low, and choosing connection over perfection.
After having my third baby, I also realized how easy it is to lose pieces of yourself in motherhood. Travel, creating, and trying new things have helped me start finding those pieces again.
So this space is really about both: raising kids who are curious about the world while reminding moms that we’re still allowed to be curious, adventurous, and excited about our own lives too.
And as we all know, travel is expensive. So I’ve spent a lot of time learning the points-and-miles world and figuring out how to make travel more attainable for our family.
I’m actively building our points bank, using those points to book real trips and experiences, and keeping up with the latest changes in travel rewards so I can share what I’m learning along the way.
My goal is to make it all feel less overwhelming and show other families that with a little strategy, more travel can actually feel possible.



