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Monica

Hi, I'm Monica! This is my family lifestyle blog where I share posts about motherhood and microadventures.

Do you want to know what the prices in Ibiza are like? Is Ibiza expensive? It’s a question lots of people have asked me since returning from a 4-day trip to Ibiza with my friend, Jen. I’d heard horror stories about the prices in Ibiza. Tales of water costing €10 for a tiny bottle and …

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Today’s blog post is all about my day trip to Formentera from Ibiza with everything we did and easy instructions on how to get to Formentera from Ibiza. ‘We should visit Formentera from Ibiza while we’re here,’ Jen said casually as we attempted to make a plan for our four days in Ibiza. I’d just …

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I’ve just returned from my third trip to Valencia and I still don’t think I’ve done all the things to do in Valencia! This gorgeous city is bustling and vibrant but also laid back, so it’s the perfect place for a short break. With this 3 day Valencia itinerary, you get all the excitement of …

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If you’re travelling abroad for the first time in a while you may be feeling confused about the rules surrounding hand luggage liquids. What liquids can you take in your hand luggage and how much are you allowed? With ridiculously long queues in airports at the moment and huge delays at airport security, the very …

Read More about How to Travel with Hand Luggage Liquids (& fit all your toiletries in that tiny bag!)

I’ve lived in North Wales nearly all of my life but there are still hidden gems and gorgeous beaches I still discover today. Porth Iago is one of those! Porth Iago is a beautiful, sheltered beach on the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales. It’s a little tricky to access as the car park is on …

Read More about Porth Iago: Is this the best beach in North Wales?

Have you ever considered a family camping holiday to Europe? Many people will have grown up with their family summer holidays spent camping in Europe but, if you’re anything like me, it’s not something my family ever did so it’s a holiday style that was not on my radar. I wasn’t aware of the incredible …

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Today I’m sharing my ultimate kids activity pack that is perfect for travel or whenever you need to keep your kids entertained in small spaces! If, like me, you have kids who don’t sit still then these activity pack ideas will come in so handy. I have three young children (ages 7, 5 and 2) …

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I’ve just returned from a family holiday to Majorca and it’s given me a taster for our future family holidays. As much as I love a ‘flop ‘n drop’ beach holiday, I can’t wait for my kids to be a little older and have a real family adventure together.  Here are some family holiday ideas …

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This family holiday packing list includes affiliate links. If you’re packing for a family holiday and you’re starting to feel overwhelmed by all the stuff you need then I’m here to help! I’ve created this easy to follow family packing list so you can check everything off as you pack it. We’re going on a …

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If you’re travelling from a UK airport this summer you might be feeling a bit nervous about the current chaotic situation. The news is full of images of ridiculously long queues and stories of travellers missing their flights due to mega delays. Some people are waiting hours for their luggage and flights are being cancelled …

Read More about 10 Tips to survive UK airport chaos this summer

This blog post has been created in collaboration with Cedar Tree. As with all collaborations on The Travel Hack, this is a brand I use myself and I’d only ever recommend an insurance brand I’m happy to use for myself and my family. If you decide to take out a Cedar Tree travel insurance policy, …

Read More about Cedar Tree: The travel insurance you need this summer that covers against Covid and cancellations!

This post has been created in collaboration with Stagecoach but all opinions are my own. We all know the cost of living is rising. It’s a hard fact to avoid right now. Every time I turn on the TV I see reports about the cost of fuel and I wince each time I fill my …

Read More about A travel hack for the cheapest day out possible with Stagecoach Bus Trip Challenge

Have you seen the viral videos online showing people packing for a month away using vacuum sealed bags and just a tiny suitcase or backpack? If you’ve ever used a vacuum sealed bag before you’ll know how amazing they are for compressing soft items and saving so much space. Many people have used vacuum storage …

Read More about Using vacuum sealed bags for travelling: The BEST way to save luggage space

If you’re looking for a new weekend break destination then I have a great suggestion for you today – Vilnius in Lithuania! I’m sure many people won’t have heard of Vilnius and definitely won’t have considered Lithuania as a holiday destination! But I urge you to think again because Vilnius is perfect for a weekend …

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A picnic backpack is one of those things I’ve wanted for so long but I stooped myself from buying one because it seemed a bit…unnecessary. But now that I’ve had one for a year I wish I’d got it years ago! What a game changer. It makes family days out so much easier. It’s great …

Read More about 10 picnic backpacks: The best insulated picnic bags

We’ve just returned from a 4-night stay at Barcelo Nura in Biniancollet on the south coast of Menorca so I thought I’d share a quick review and some helpful tips for anyone thinking of visiting. Barcelo Nura is a new hotel in a quiet and beautiful area of Menorca. It’s perfect for an adult getaway, …

Read More about Barcelo Nura Review: Our 5 star Menorca all inclusive

I’ve just returned from Costa Dorada where I had the most incredible trip. This trip was a press trip with Jet2 so I’d like to begin by thanking them for such an amazing experience! I love that Costa Dorada can be an easy package holiday destination, but there’s also loads to see and do once …

Read More about 1 week in Costa Dorada + 30 Things to do in Costa Dorada

Last week I visited Costa Dorada in Spain for a taste of what it’s like to have a family holiday in the region. Costa Dorada is in Catalonia, just below Barcelona on the Mediterranean coastline. The area is famous for its golden beaches, blue seas and family-friendly resorts which attract holiday makers from all over …

Read More about 10 reasons you should visit Costa Dorada for your next family holiday

I’m debunking the hand luggage myth today and answering the question about whether or not you can take razors on a plane in your hand luggage. Instinct has always told me that you can’t take razors in your hand luggage and, I’ll be honest, I didn’t ever bother to research if this were true or …

Read More about Can you take razors in hand luggage? FAQs + the surprising answers!

I’ve had a few anxious messages in my inbox this week from people who are desperate to book holidays but they don’t know where to start and they’re worried about getting ripped off. I want to be the first to say that this is totally normal right now! After spending so long staying close to …

Read More about Tips for booking a holiday in 2022: Tips, advice and how to not get ripped off 

Around a year ago I was sent an email from Sandal Shop asking if I’d like to review some sandals. ‘Of course,’ I replied excitedly. ‘I can create a review within one month of receiving them.’ ‘Oh no,’ Sandal Shop replied. ‘We’d want you to wear them for nearly a year before reviewing them! We …

Read More about Sustainability + summer sandals: My favourite summer sandals for travel

In yesterday’s post I mentioned that I had a blogging hack to get more pageviews to old blog posts. I’m sure anyone who has been blogging for a few years has got old posts that barely get any views. Maybe they ranked well years ago or maybe they just never took off? It’s frustrating to …

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What would you say if I told you there’s a device that could make your skin look and feel younger? Your skin will visibly look fresher and feel so much softer? I’m guessing half of you would be biting my hand off and asking what it is. While the other half would be sceptical and …

Read More about Jupiter by Spacetouch Review: Does this $7,200 anti-aging device work?

I’ve shared so many holiday packing lists over the years but the question I’m always asked about is how I manage to pack light for long holidays. It’s easy to pack light for a 2-3 day holiday, but what do you do when you’re away for 2-3 weeks! Or even 2-3 months? How on earth …

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Llanbedrog Beach – Everything you need to know about visiting my favourite beach on the Llyn Peninsula! Llanbedrog Beach has quickly become one of my favourite beaches on the Llyn Peninsula. This one-mile stretch of gorgeous, golden sand is spectacular and whenever I visit I feel like I’m on a tropical island, not in Wales! …

Read More about Llanbedrog Beach + hiking to the Tin Man!