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Monica

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

Did you see Tuesday’s post with an introduction to the French campsites, Les Castels? Check it out if you’ve never heard of Les Castels before. Les Castels are gorgeous camping grounds all around France set within the grounds of stunning chateaux’s. Last summer I travelled to France for one week and visited three Les Castels …

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How is 2017 treating you so far? I feel like we’re far enough into January to ask that now – last week was far too soon and I was definitely still in a post-Christmas fog. Actually, I think I’m still in the post-Christmas fog. I’ve mostly spent this week with my head buried in my …

Read More about Weekend Reads #2 + why we’re prioritising travel

The Supa Dupa by Cosatto is a double pushchair I’ve been using for the past few months with my two boys. We have George who is currently 21 months and Joseph who is 3 months. I really struggled to find ‘the perfect double pushchair’ because they’re either too big, too bulky, too expensive or too …

Read More about Video Review: Cosatto Supa Dupa double pushchair

Take a look at these photos below and see if you can guess their locations. Go on, I’ll give you a minute. No cheating and scrolling down! I’ll know if you cheat 😉     If you’re anything like me, you’d probably guess that these photos were taken in far flung, exotic destinations. The kind …

Read More about 5 places for your weekend wish list that you’ll never believe are in the UK

At the end of last summer I took my favourite family holiday of the year. It was a one-week glamping adventure in France staying at three different Les Castels campsites around the country. Before this trip I’d never heard of Les Castels, but I was soon to discover that Les Castels is a family holiday …

Read More about An introduction to Les Castels, France: My favourite family adventure of 2016

Devon is one of the UK’s most popular holiday locations, and for a very good reason too.  It’s a beautiful English county known for its picturesque towns, charming villages, atmospheric harbours, and those gorgeous beaches. While Devon’s coastlines (uniquely the county has two) serve as one of the main attractions for visitors, there are also …

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  Paris is the perfect city for a weekend break, especially for us Brits who can get there in a hop, skip and a jump. The French capital is one of the most famous and popular tourist destinations in the world. It’s one of the top five most-visited cities with around 15 million visitors a year! …

Read More about 10 ways to have a relaxing weekend in Paris

This was our fifth and final foodie challenge with Huawei and took us to the shores of Wales on a sustainable lobster safari. Huawei had set us the challenge to seek out unusual food trends throughout the UK and to document it with the Huawei P9. Of course, we happily accepted such a delicious challenge! …

Read More about A sustainable lobster sea safari in North Wales

  Located in southwest Canada, the wild and sparsely populated Yukon territory is paradise for every adventure seeker and landscape lover. It’s a place to escape from everyday life and enjoy a natural, unedited version of the world. Glassy blue lakes fringed with impossibly straight trees and rugged mountains with snowy peaks lingering in the distance. …

Read More about The Travel Hack’s Guide to The Yukon

Are you looking for ideas about how to give a holiday as a gift!? Well you are in the right place! I have so many fun, thoughtful, exciting and easy ways to present a holiday as a gift. I’ve written lots of travel themed gift guides over the years but, realistically, the best gift you …

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You may be thinking it’s impossible to find an affordable but stylish and luxurious hotel in Paris. Admittedly, it’s a difficult task but it’s something I cracked during my last visit. With a perfect location near to Le Marais district, Place de la Republique, Canal Saint-Martin and Gare du Nord, Renaissance Paris Republique Hotel ticks …

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It’s time for our final Christmas competition. Today’s prize is the gorgeous North Face Thermoball Jacket from Blacks. Check out the ladies jacket here and the mens here. I’ve been wearing this jacket for a couple of weeks now and I love it. With the fitted, nipped-in waist it looks stylish but is still really …

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I tried so hard to get into the festive sprit this year but I just wasn’t feeling it. This really isn’t like me because I usually start feeling excited just after my birthday in October! This year is particularly exciting because George knows what’s going on a bit more. I don’t think he understands Santa …

Read More about Apps you need to get on your phone for a smug, simple Christmas

Do you want to know the best places in London for a selfie? Or gorgeous locations to get the best photos of the city? London is such a beautiful city but it can be difficult to photograph, especially when you’re at street level. All those tall and historical buildings actually make it really difficult to …

Read More about Where to take the best photos in London with panoramic views

“Are you employed?” “Yes, I’m self employed. I’m a…blogger….” I say with uncertainty, knowing my answer would be met with a familiarly blank expression. “I’m a travel blogger,” I add with a bit more conviction. “A….blogger….? That’s your job…?” I know the drill now. Her expression will either turn from confusion to intrigue as she …

Read More about What is a blog, anyway?

Today’s post is all about our quest to find the best Lebanese restaurant in Manchester! If you’ve been following The Travel Hack’s epic UK foodie adventure so far, you’ll have learned all about Korean food in New Malden, Caribbean food in Bristol and Nepalese cuisine in York. The next stop on our quest to find …

Read More about Where to find the best Lebanese restaurant in Manchester

This is the kind of competition prize you’ll only get truly excited about if you’ve ever had the message below. You’ve just taken your phone out to snap the perfect picture. It’s either the perfect lighting or the perfect moment and you just know it’s going to make the best photo ever. And then your …

Read More about Win a 32GB Leef iBridge 3 external memory for iPhone

Today’s Christmas competition prize is something you’re all going to love and is a £100 voucher to spend with Doris & Dicky. If you’ve never heard of Doris & Dicky before, let me introduce you…   Doris & Dicky offer the best in affordable luxury hotels with budget boutiques around the world. Usually, if you add …

Read More about Win a boutique hotel stay with Doris & Dicky

Today’s prize in our Christmas competition is a pair of Fremont winter boots from KEEN. These are cosy, warm and stylish so they’re perfect for winter and great if you’re travelling to any cold destinations. They come in a choice of three colours, whiskey, black or cookie dough and they’re worth £139.99. I have a pair …

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Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year but it can also be the most stressful – especially when you have a lot of gifts to buy for as lot of people who already have EVERYTHING! Add to this a busy schedule, a tight budget, and every high street being so manically busy …

Read More about Easy and affordable personalised Christmas gifts

This is the cutest prize for anyone with young kids. It’s from two brands I absolutely adore, Great and Small Clothing and Elf for Christmas. Great and Small Clothing make gorgeous PJs for the whole family. I don’t know if matching family PJs have always been a ‘thing’ or it’s just something I noticed since …

Read More about Win a Christmas Eve hamper from Great and Small Clothing and Elf for Christmas

The first prize in our Christmas competition is to win a Camsafe® Z16 anti-theft camera & 13″ laptop backpack in slate green worth £179.90. As someone who regularly travels with a laptop and a DSLR camera I’m always on the lookout for that ‘perfect bag’ and this one comes pretty close. I’ve also been using …

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The city of York brings to mind all things British. Proper cups of warming tea, cakes at world-famous Betty’s Tea Rooms and quaint Tudor architecture are just a few of the quintessentially English things associated with this town. So would it surprise you to know that York’s origins are totally international? It was founded by …

Read More about The Peak of Nepalese Food at Yak and Yeti in York, UK

  Next Wednesday I’ll be joining gocompare to co-host a Twitter chat all about Christmas travel. We’ll be talking about the places we’d like to go, tips for travelling during the festive season and exciting plans for New Year’s Eve. It’s going to be the perfect chat to get you into the festive spirit – …

Read More about Join me for the Gocompare Christmas Travel Twitter chat