I feel like I’ve written so much about having three kids but one thing I haven’t spoken about is how to make time for yourself and your partner when you have children. Whether you have one child or twenty children, it can be really difficult to make time for yourself. We all know it’s so …
One of the main conversations I have with bloggers who want to grow their blogs is around creating more content. I’m a firm believer that the more content you have, the bigger and better your blog will be. I know there are many bloggers out there who will argue that they have really successful blogs …
Road tripping around Ireland has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. It’s the combination between beautiful scenery, vibrant cities and quaint towns that captured my interest and I’ve longed to drive along the Wild Atlantic Way with my car windows down and the radio blasting out my favourite songs. …
Check out my 12-week blogger e-course if you’re interested in becoming a full time blogger. ‘Niche’. Urgh, it’s a horrible word. But it’s a word I’ve been saying A LOT recently. I’ve been speaking at a few blogger events and conferences and the word ‘niche’ keeps coming up. Why? Because having a niche when blogging …
I’m just scratching the surface with the topic of reducing household waste. Like many others, I’ve recently watched a few documentaries on the topic such as Stacey Dooley’s Fashion’s Dirty Secrets, The True Cost on Netflix and Drowning in Plastic on the BBC. We’ve all known about these topics for years. We’ve known that fast …
Today’s post is for anyone who wants a change. Anyone who wants to try something new, fix an area of their life they’re not entirely happy with or, to use the current buzzword, anyone who wants to pivot. My current experience with a change of brand… As I’m sure many of you are aware, I …
Yes, that’s right, heated jacket. Heated! Today I’m reviewing the new Explorer Jacket from Blaze Wear, a heated jacket that’s a complete game-changer for people, like me, who are always cold. Blaze Wear specialise in heated clothing and their new Explorer heated Jacket is basically like wearing a gorgeous coat filled with mini radiators. Seriously, …
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 …
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 …
Cambridge local, Tilly-Jayne, is today’s guest blogger as she shares a local’s guide to Cambridge, one of the prettiest cities in the UK! You could say I’m incredibly lucky to have grown up with Cambridge as my local city. Cambridge is rich in history, great for an Instagram shot and a popular tourist destination, for …
This is my review from Zening Resorts in Latchi, Cyprus. I visited for a healthy holiday package which included daily yoga and fitness and lots of time and space to relax. It was incredible! Looking at the latest updates from Zening Resorts in Cyprus, it looks like the resort has been modernised and is now …
Some of you may remember the time I was a millionaire for a day. I can feel a handful of people nodding enthusiastically while the rest of you frown in confusion. Whaaat? In 2015 I worked with The National Lottery during a campaign where people were entered into a raffle each week to win £1 …
Finally, after the longest January of all, it’s February! I feel like there’s been a collective boost in morale today as we’ve said goodbye to the longest and hardest month so far. It helps that the sun is shining in Wales, the snowdrops are proudly bursting through the soil and everyone has a spring in …
One of my favourite things about travelling is discovering a place that truly surprises me. I thought I’d hate Marrakech but I loved the exotic hustle. I didn’t know Iceland would be so beautiful but I was blown away. I hadn’t expected to fall head over heels in love with Slovenia but it quickly became …
On my first full day in Montenegro the weather was cloudy and dull so I decided to take a day trip to the Bay of Kotor as it’s something that would be incredible come rain or shine. I had a car and this was one of the highlights of my trip! Note: It’s very, very …
I’ve got some exciting news today and I’m so happy to announce I’m going to be working with Admiral Travel Insurance as an ambassador! OK, I know, booking your travel insurance isn’t exactly the most exciting part of your holiday. I’d rather be researching hotels, things to do and places to eat and drink too! But …
There was a time when hotels or villas were pretty much your only option while on holiday or travelling. We all accepted this and didn’t question if there were any other options available. If you were travelling on a budget you have to stay in a hideous budget hotel and there was very little flexibility. …
Whitehorse is unlike any city I’ve visited before. As the capital of Canada’s Yukon Territory, Whitehorse is home to just under 30,000 people – almost the total population of the entire Territory – and it’s so far north that you need to drive south to reach Alaska. Yukoners who live in Whitehorse value living among nature (which the …
It’s been forever since I’ve written any kind of personal update and I’ve had a few lovely emails asking how I’m getting on with the epic renovation project. It was the end of last year when I told you about my house. Yes, we bought a house! But it’s not just a house, it’s the …
New Year’s Resolutions have had a bad rep for the past few years. The message that we’re all ‘perfect as we are’ is a wonderful and uplifting message that we all need reminding of at times! It’s an especially important message because a lot of the New Year’s resolutions messaging comes from the diet industry …
Hi and thank you for stopping by The Travel Hack! My name is Monica, I’m 33 and I live in North Wales with my partner, Sam, and our three kids, George (5), Joseph (4) and Alba (1). I’ve been blogging for 12 years and I’ve been doing this full time for eight years! The thing …
I took a family trip to the Orkney Islands with NorthLink Ferries and had the most amazingly peaceful week in such a stunning area of the UK. Here’s what I got up to and my guide to the Orkney Islands. Have you ever noticed the way you rarely realise how hectic and stressful life can …
I’m one of those people who is completely obsessed with hotels. I love everything about them from researching them and booking them at home, to reading reviews, stalking their Insta feeds and then that first moment when you walk through the lobby doors and get a big whiff of fresh flowers and furniture polish. I …
On Wednesday evening, PhotoBox gave a handful of lucky dads an amazing opportunity. They gave them the chance to be featured in London’s National Portrait Gallery alongside other dads like David Beckham and Henry VIII. I couldn’t quite believe it when an email pinged into my inbox asking if I’d like to surprise Sam and …
Elle and I spent three days at Watergate Bay Hotel on the north coast of Cornwall. We enjoyed their Taste of the Bay package which allowed us to dine at Zacry’s restaurant, The Beach Hut and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall. We also had an incredible surf lesson, yoga session, spa treatments and plenty of time …
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 …
Earlier this year I took my second trip to Ghent in Belgium and had an incredible day exploring all the things to do in Ghent. This trip was part of my weekender with WowTrip which was a surprise weekend away (you can read my WowTrip review here) and we ended up in beautiful Brussels. We …
Hello and welcome to my Bruges Weekend Itinerary with lots of things to do in Bruges. In this travel blog post I’ve documented our whole Bruges itinerary so you can replicate it or use it for inspiration for your weekend in Bruges! Bruges had been on my ‘Dream Weekend Away’ list for years. I’ve …
What’s that? There’s a stroller that converts into a car seat? WHAAT!? Yes, if you’re looking for a stroller into car seat contraption then I’ve got just the thing for you. Let me introduce you to the Doona and keep reading for my Doona car seat stroller review. I’ve been putting off writing my review …
It’s over 8 years since I left to go backpacking around Southeast Asia and Australia. I remember the day we left like it was yesterday. I was so excited I thought I might burst but I was so scared I thought I might break down in tears and refuse to board the plane. We had …
It’s just a quick blog today because I want to show you some pics of my favourite new bag from Maria Maleta. It’s a beautiful backpack/handbag that gets even more brownie points because it’s reversible. You can wear it with the red suede or the brown leather on the outside. I’m a handbag girl through …
Update: I’ve owned the Caribee Fast Track Wheeled Backpack for over a year now and I still love it. I test out a lot of backpacks and suitcases and this is still my favourite. I can’t recommend it enough for long journeys, backpacking or any trip where you need a large case! ********** For my last …
Our family had the pleasure of staying at Lower Mill Estate in the Cotswolds, an idyllic holiday setting with stunning holiday properties. Holiday homes are dotted around Lower Mill Estate across 300 acres of nature reserve and many of them surround the gorgeous lake. We stayed in a lovely little cottage booked through Manor Cottages. …
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 …
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 …
We’re almost two weeks into our second lockdown in Wales and as England are going into their second lockdown, I thought I’d share some tips that have really helped me this time. I’m sure we’ve all seen lots of tips by now suggesting we go for a daily walk, FaceTime our friends, bake a banana …
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 …
I’ve recently turned 33 and I’m finally getting to an age where I don’t feel like a kid anymore – yes, at the age of 33! For the past 10 years or so I’ve felt like I’ve been playing grown-ups, not like I actually was one. But after the birth of our third child and …
Oh it’s the big dilemma isn’t it. You’ve had one child and you’re starting to think about having a second but how long do you leave it? What is the best age gap between children? Too big a gap and will they ever be friends and play together? Too small an age gap and life …
Today I’m sharing what it’s really like to ride in a hot air ballon after my incredible early morning flight in one! It was 5.30am and the field was covered with a mystical blanket of cloudy mist. The sun was rising and streaming through the trees as a group of guys unloaded the enormous hot …