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Monica

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

Last weekend I travelled to Gothenburg in Sweden for their famous Christmas markets. It was so magical and festive and my boyfriend and I had a fantastic time. I love wintery weekends away, no matter where they are. They’re often really affordable compared to summer weekends and I hate the thought of hibernating at home …

Read More about What to pack for a wintry weekend away

If you saw yesterday’s post about Scandi style bloggers you will have seen I’m slightly obsessed with the laidback Scandinavian fashion. I was more than a little excited about the prospect of a shopping spree in Gothenburg! The style is chic, it’s classy and it’s just so easy for travel. It’s not just the clothes …

Read More about A design and shopping tour in Gothenburg, Sweden

Have you ever looked at someone and thought, ‘Wow, they look amazing, but I’m not really sure why….?’ They’re wearing old jeans and a t-shirt, slightly scruffy boots and chunky jumper. It’s almost exactly the same outfit I wear everyday. But why does theirs look so much better? If you’ve ever been to Scandinavia you …

Read More about My favourite Scandi-style bloggers

Before we begin, you have to watch the video above so you can see for yourself just how magical and Christmassy Liseberg is! My main reason for visiting Gothenburg in December was for Liseberg Christmas Market. It’s the largest Christmas market in Scandinavia and if anything is going to get you in the festive spirit, …

Read More about Liseberg Christmas Market in Gothenburg: The Best Christmas Market in the World?

This weekend I travelled to Gothenburg, Sweden’s second city and the home of Scandinavia’s largest Christmas market. Gothenburg is a small city so it’s perfect for a weekend away. There’s lots to see and do but not so much that you feel overwhelmed or like you can’t possibly see everything. I loved the quaint charm of …

Read More about Snapshots from Gothenburg

Some people are ‘all-inclusive people’ and some people just aren’t. Some people love the long, lazy days, extravagant buffets and the stress free relaxation. Other people can’t think of anything worse than being confined to the same hotel for a week or more. But there are some people, like me, who sit somewhere in the …

Read More about 10 tips for an all-inclusive holiday to Egypt

I know what you’re thinking. Selfies are one of the most self-absorbed cries for attention possible. Almost every selfie I see on Facebook is accompanied by the hashtag #SelfieWanker in a hopeless attempt to seem like less of a, well, selfie wanker. But I’m a massive fan of the selfie and in 2015 my resolution …

Read More about Why my New Year’s Resolution is to take more selfies

On Saturday I attended Nuffnang’s blogger’s workshop at CitizenM hotel in London. I’ve written about a few different blogging conferences and workshops such as Cybher, Traverse, Blogstock and Food Blogger Connect. I love going to blogging workshops mainly because I love being able to meet new bloggers, no matter what blogger category they fall into. …

Read More about Nuffnang Blogger’s Workshop: Useful + Beautiful

The Travel Hack is all about affordable luxury so that means saving on one aspect of travel in order to splurge on another. I would love to travel in first-class luxury and dine in nothing but famous Michelin-Stared restaurants but, unfortunately, my budget doesn’t quite stretch to doing this ALL the time so I combine …

Read More about Save or Splurge: How to travel in style on a budget

This week I’ve been testing the new UPP fuel cell, a portable power cell to give you up to one week’s worth of power to your devices. If anyone else out there is as geeky as I am, you’ll be getting pretty excited right now. This sounds like a modern and convenient device but is …

Read More about Upp Fuel Cell Review: Off-grid power for more than one week

“I can’t believe I made that! Look, look, I made that!” I was beaming with pride like a child who had just painted their first picture. I looked around at my fellow bloggers who had mixed expressions. Some were smiling fondly at their California rolls like proud parents while others looked completely bewildered as their …

Read More about A Sushi and Cocktail making masterclass at UNI in London

One thing a travel lover can never answer is the question that pops up all the time. ‘Where’s the best place you’ve ever been?’ I’m asked this all the time and usually refuse to answer because there are just too many options. It depends on your mood, who you’re with, your budget, the season and …

Read More about 12 things you didn’t know about Iceland

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for a travel lover? Read on for unique and affordable gifts they’ll love… For the first time in my life I’m actually feeling pretty organised about Christmas. Lots of my presents are bought and even wrapped already and I’ve sent my Christmas list to Santa. (I know this sounds …

Read More about My Christmas wish list and perfect presents for travel lovers

It may be a few years ago now but my favourite travel experience is from my time travelling around Australia in a campervan. Nothing beats the freedom of a campervan, especially in such a huge and beautiful country like Australia. Every time I think about that battered old, green campervan I get a little tingle of excitement …

Read More about Travelling around Australia in a campervan | My FAQs

pintrk(‘load’,’2612413566639′); pintrk(‘page’); pintrk(‘track’, ‘pagevisit’); How do I start a blog and get free stuff? This is a question I’m asked a lot. Actually, it’s the question I’m asked the most so it makes sense I write a blog post about it. This also means I can give a more detailed answer than I ever could …

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Last month I travelled to Turin in Italy for the launch of Lavazza’s latest calendar. This isn’t the kind of trip I normally take but the photos were taken by Steve McCurry and I’m a huge fan of his travel photography. I was also keen to find out more about this year’s calenadar theme, Earth Defenders. Lavazza produce a …

Read More about A trip to Turin and a sneaky peek at Lavazza’s latest calendar with Steve McCurry

Thank you so much for all of your lovely comments and congratulations from Tuesday’s post. In case you missed it, yes, I’m pregnant! Despite a growing bump and five long months to get my head around this, I’m still totally in shock. I actually cannot believe I’m going to be a mum. Each kick and …

Read More about I’m pregnant! | FAQs and my plans for the future

There’s no denying Ryanair has a bad reputation in the airline industry. The staff are rude, the additional fees are outrageous, they’re always late and an annoying horn sounds every time you land. You know how it goes: “Dooo do dooloooo, that’s another on time flight!” Me: “Yes it might be on time but you …

Read More about A Ryanair Survival Guide: How to fly with Ryanair and avoid the hassle

Last weekend I was in Dublin for the city’s annual Bram Stoker Festival. I went to this festival last year too and I loved it so much I knew I had to go back with Sam. If you’re unsure, Bram Stoker was the author of Dracula and was from Dublin. There are lots of horror …

Read More about A Blood and Earth Cookery Course in Dublin with Domestic Godless

Is there anything better than being greeted at a hotel with a beautiful bunch of fresh flowers and a box of macaroons? I was being given a tour of my Citadines Suite when I spotted them and got a delightful waft of sweet and floral scents. I already knew I’d be spending the next half …

Read More about Luxury in Paris at Citadines Suites Louvre Paris

I’m really, really excited about this competition because it’s only open to readers of The Travel Hack! (Yes, you won’t be competing against hundreds of thousands of people!) Do you remember earlier this month I was travelling around Paris, Lille and Berlin with Citadines? I was taking part in a blogger competition and was doing …

Read More about #Competition: Win a 7-day European holiday!

^She definitely isn’t trying… 😉 If you’re already thinking, ‘I don’t care what I look like while I travel. I just pack my bags and go, you’re lucky if I pack a toothbrush’, then this probably isn’t the blog post for you. This isn’t about piling on the make-up or spending hours styling your hair …

Read More about How to look good without even trying while you travel