Placing images in Illustrator for print ready files

I'm designing a brochure in Illustrator that contains several logos and photos.  (Yes, I know, Illustrator... I've read several forums and know that InDesign may be a better program for this, but I completely underbid this project and really need to stick with something I know for cost efficiency.)
I need to resize several images in Photoshop to place in Illustrator and I'm wondering if I should save them as CMYK jpegs, or tiffs, etc.  I need the file to be the smallest it can be for upload to the printer.  I need the basics on different file types and their pros and cons.
Also, when I'm sending out the proof to the customer, any tips on saving the pdf so the images aren't too blurry and the file is still sendable?
Please help!!  Any other information or tips on how to prepare my file as a print ready would be great.  I love to learn and really need some great resources.
Thanks!

How many pages are we talking about?  The key to file efficiency is Placing images at their final size, so you are on the right track.  Let me try to help...
"I need to resize several images in Photoshop to place in Illustrator and I'm wondering if I should save them as CMYK jpegs, or tiffs, etc.  I need the file to be the smallest it can be for upload to the printer.  I need the basics on different file types and their pros and cons."
-Do not save as JPG.  The compression artifacts will show up in print.  Just Place CMYK .tiffs or .psd's without sizing in Illustrator.  Another thing to keep in mind is "Linking" the image files instead of "Embedding" them.  You have a little more control saving your page files as EPS before creating the final PDF.
"Also, when I'm sending out the proof to the customer, any tips on saving the pdf so the images aren't too blurry and the file is still sendable?"
-There are a few different ways you can create a PDF viewable as a softproof.  You could send the final as a Standard PDF using defaults.  Don't forget to embed the fonts and leave color unchanged.  What I do is Export > RGB TIF @ 150ppi > Open the .tiff in Photoshop and Save-As Photoshop PDF with a JPG compression of 8.  You could do that for each page and then reassemble using Acrobat for one assembled, final PDF optimized.
"Please help!!  Any other information or tips on how to prepare my file as a print ready would be great.  I love to learn and really need some great resources."
-Get Adobe's Print Publishing Guide.  It has enough information in it to help you wade through all of the disinformation out there.  Get in touch with a couple of local print shops and have them take a look at your files.  Good shops can spot problems and give you some handy tips.  Not all shops will take the time, so finding one can be tricky. 
Thanks!
-You're welcome.  Let us know how it all shakes out.

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