Monica

Alton Towers is a place of childhood dreams so we were really excited to take our kids there last week. After a long and difficult summer, it was the perfect treat before our kids went back to school! But, like many of you, we did have some reservations about visiting Alton Towers during the COVID-19 …

Today’s Hidden Gem has been sent in by Jessica Friend from The Weekend Tourist as she’d like to share more about The Rollright Stones, a hidden gem in Oxfordshire and the county’s answer to Stonehenge!     The Rollright Stones are always the first place that I take anyone who might be visiting us – …

    Have you heard the theory that it takes 21 days to form a new habit?   There’s evidence to support the theory that you can form a new habit by doing it consistently for 21 days but, to be honest, there’s just as much evidence to say it takes longer. Some studies suggest …

Three kids. Wow, that’s a lot isn’t it! Today I’d like to share what life is like having 3 kids! We’re nearly nine months into having 3 kids now so I thought it was time for an update to tell you what life with three is like. In the UK, the average woman currently has …

Today’s hidden gem about Chee Dale in the Peak District is by Rob Haggan from The Outdoor Adventure Blog. Rob thinks Chee Dale is the perfect alternative to the busy Monsal Trail. The Monsal Trail is an undoubtedly gorgeous trail to walk or cycle along but it does become extremely busy during these beautiful summer …

    Have you heard about Blue Zones? Blue Zones are areas in the world where people live considerably longer than average.    A few years ago I had to do a lot of research into the world’s Blue Zones for a project I was working on for a client. After that I became a …

Today’s blog comes from Sophie, the blogger behind Sophie’s Suitcase. Sophie wants to share more about the gorgeous Newburgh ‘seal’ Beach in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where you can spot seals all year round! I’ve been asking bloggers to share their favourite hidden gems around the UK and, while this beach might not be hidden, I’m sure …

Welcome to the first in a series of blog posts about the UK’s hidden gems. I don’t know about you, but since lockdown began I’ve discovered so many local hidden gems. My local area has even more to offer than I imagined! I’ve asked some top bloggers to share some of their favourite hidden gems …

This post about tips for planning your holiday to Kerala has been sponsored by Kerala Tourism.   If you’re planning a holiday to Kerala, or you’re still in the early stages of deciding whether Kerala is the holiday destination for you, then this is the blog for you! Today I’d like to share why Kerala …

If you’re expecting your first baby and you’re starting to think about the products you need to buy then I’m sure you’ve already realised what a minefield it is! There’s so much stuff! And so many products that are almost the same but just a little bit different. Tiny babies surely don’t need all this …

Now is a great time to be organising your travel photos and finding some kind of storage and display solution for all those gorgeous travel memories. So many people have memory cards, hard drives and phones filled with photos that will never see the light of day again because they’re hidden away in a chaotic …

Experiencialism is probably something you’ve come across already, but might not have seen it called this. Experiencialism is the thought that experiences make us happier than possessions. If you have a Pinterest account then you’ve probably already seen a billion quotes and posters with this message! If you’re an experiencialist you prioritise experiences over things. …

I’ve finally written this post after lots of requests by my fellow travel bloggers who are having babies or thinking about having children in the future. There are lots of bloggers who love their career, but can’t see how they could maintain their business and travel lifestyle if they had a baby. Everyone likes to …

Now more than ever I’m feeling eternally grateful that I have the kind of career that allows me to work from anywhere. And for an increasing number of people this work from home lifestyle isn’t just the dream, it’s an absolute necessity. (Admittedly, it was more appealing when it was a choice and not compulsory …

We’re going off-topic today as I’ll like to share some honest reviews of a beauty product haul I did last year. I spent £250 on skincare products and I found some products I absolutely LOVED and some that I’d happily pour down the drain (if I hadn’t paid so much for them!) I waited a …

Today’s blog post is coming from Australia and is in collaboration with Tastes of the Hunter Wine Tours. Suzanne Sheldon shares all of her insider tips about Hunter Valley wine tours!  If you’re looking for a Hunter Valley wine tour and you’re not sure which one to choose then Suzanne has some great tips to …

You may have seen that I’ve set myself a challenge to create 31 new blog posts. I had this wonderful vision of writing a new blog post every day but it’s taken me an entire week to get this one live! So I guess lesson number one should be that you don’t get a lot …

If you’re looking for a book to lose yourself in then I have just the book for you. It’s one of those you can really get your teeth into. The kind of book you’ll pick up and suddenly hours have passed while you’ve been absorbed between the pages, lost in a world where the characters …

If you follow my Instagram stories you will have seen that I recently did a shout out for blog post ideas. I have this problem where I sway between having so many ideas, so much inspiration and so much excitement to create new posts that I actually don’t create anything. I want to do it …

In these crazy times, I feel that now more than ever, we need to be thinking about simple ways to save money, save the environment and buy things that are more sustainable. I’m sure that once this crazy pandemic is over we’ll see a massive shift in our routines and habits as Coronavirus is making …

I’d been planning on writing this post for ages and now I can’t think of a better time to share my tips and advice on working from home with kids at home too! Now that schools have closed and anyone who can work from home is, there are a lot of us trying to plough …

It’s been two weeks since I posted an update on The Travel Hack and, wow, what a difference two weeks made! It feels like we’re all holding our breath as our world has been turned upside down by Coronavirus. We’re living in a semi-frozen state of panic, scared to leave our homes, scared to talk …

  Today’s blog post about things to do in Taipei, Taiwan, is written by travel and culture writer Jessica Chen.   So you’re going to Taipei and you’ve just hit enter in Google for “things to do in Taipei, Taiwan.” Congrats! You found the perfect bucket list for things to do in Taipei! Taipei is …

Last year I was sent two Sandmarc iPhone camera lenses to review and I’m so excited to share this review with you because I absolutely LOVE these lenses. I have the wide angle lens and the macro lens for an iPhone XS Max and they really do take your mobile photography and video-making to the …

The Aston Rose pushchair is Ickle Bubba’s latest pushchair and we were lucky enough to be sent one to review when it was released in November 2019. We’re a busy, active family so it’s fair to say we’ve been putting the Aston Rose through its paces! This pushchair was gifted but I am under no …

Our weekend trip to Combermere Abbey was gifted. This is our experience of a family staycation in their Wellington Cottage. We visited Combermere Abbey during the weekend Storm Dennis made an unwelcome appearance. The rain lashed incessantly against the windows while the wind hammered on the door. There was only one thing for it; light the …

I’m not sure when it happened but did you know that the Lake District has become a real foodie destination? With gastro pubs aplenty as well as stylish cafes and fancy hotel restaurants, the Lake District has a lot to offer when it comes to foodie temptations. The Lake district is undeniably one of the …

This is sponsored by e-visa.co.uk Did you know that if you’re visiting Canada you’ll probably need to apply for an eTA Canada before you travel? It’s an Electronic Travel Authorization and is basically a permit for you to enter the country and is an online substitute for a visa. It’s something I forget about nearly …

This post contains affiliate links.   I have a confession to make today. I am an Amazon Prime addict. I order something via Amazon Prime almost everyday. I know, I think that sounds bad when I say it out loud too, but I’m not a crazy shopaholic, honest! It’s always stuff we need and I …

This is a question I’m asked about all the time so I thought it was finally time I addressed it in a blog post! When people realise that a big part of the job for many (not all) travel bloggers and journalists is attending press trips, people always ask, ‘So what happens when you go …

Last year I wrote a list of all the things I wanted to do with the boys throughout the year. It was mostly ideas for days out so we wouldn’t waste our weekends trying to decide what to do. I pinned the list to our family notice board in the kitchen and I’d scan through …

I’d like to introduce you to someone very special. Say hello to our baby girl, Alba Rose. Alba arrived in October weighing 7lb and she’s a snuggly bundle of absolute perfection, if I do say so myself! I’m not sure how I’m going to write this post because all I can think of is a …

Let’s not beat around the bush here, family holidays are expensive. As soon as children are two years old you need to pay full price for their airfare and, unless you all want to squish into a tiny hotel room together, you’ll be forking out extra for accommodation too. And then there’s eating out and …

This post about travel hacks for Orlando has been created in collaboration with Klook, an online platform to book travel activities such as attractions, tours, dining, transport and more. I’m a big fan of getting these things booked in advance to help pay for as much as possible in advance and make you feel like …

In today’s post I’ve collaborated with Jurlique to share my ultimate beauty hacks and favourite beauty products when flying long haul. Now I’ve hit my 30’s I can really see a difference in my skin when I’ve flown long haul. The combination of dehydration and tiredness seems to age me about 10 years, and make …

Today I’d like to share some of my top travel tips for your first trip to Thailand. If I’m ever asked where my favourite place is in the world (and I’m asked this a lot!) I always say Thailand. Thailand has it all with incredible beaches, vibrant cities, loads of interesting history and culture, the …

If you’re looking for a family glamping holiday that ticks all the boxes then I can’t recommend Camp Katur in Yorkshire enough. I stayed at Camp Katur at the end of the summer after a series of glamping trips with Dacia and Camp Katur was my final and favourite glamping site! And that’s saying a …

If you’re travelling to Paris for the first time then I’ve got some great travel tips to make your trip is a breeze! Paris is a bustling city and it can be overwhelming! I remember my first solo trip to Paris and there was so much I wanted to see and do that I actually …

This is my review of the Withings Steel HR watch. It’s a watch with fitness tracker with a gorgeously stylish and traditional watch design, so it can be worn as an everyday watch in all situations. It looks just as good on a night out or in the office as it does in the gym! …

Pip from Pip in the City recently visited Kagoshima in Japan for The Travel Hack and today she’s sharing the best things to do in Kagoshima and why she thinks you should visit! This trip was supported by Tokyo Metropolitan Government.   Imagine a city where the centrepiece is a gigantic, active volcano, spewing out …