At some point throughout the year, you’ll need a holiday. A time for you and your little people to get away from it all and recharge the batteries. The so-called warmer UK months can often be a bit of a damp squib (this summer was an exception – don’t get used to it!) so an injection of vitamin D is ideal for some all-important rejuvenation.

Now, the idea of a holiday is great – the idea of planning for one, less so! Making sure you have everything you need is nerve-shredding and making sure you get there with all your faculties intact is a mission unto itself. Fortunately, there are a few things that can help ease the pressures of planning for a holiday. Keeping your offspring as happy as they can be on the journey is key to starting things right. If you can beat the travel blues, you’re onto a winner.

Here are three Travel Hacks every single parent should think about…

Over Christmas we like to take the girls up to London for a special family day out. Last year we went to see Disney on Ice at the O2 which was great fun. This Christmas we were invited to review KidZania London at Westfield which had the girls hopping about with excitement! KidZania is an indoor city for kids aged 4-14yrs which blends together reality, learning and entertainment. During your 4hr visit kids can try out different role play professions from over 60 activities, testing their skills and having fun. Here's what we thought of the city run by kids...

Keeping kids moving and engaged in winter months can be a challenge as it’s very tempting to just stay indoors and keeping warm. However this can not only make the children antsy but is also a surefire way of getting cabin fever for you too! There are plenty of activities to keep the kids busy and entertained during the winter months. These activities are the best ones I’ve found to bond with your children this Winter rather than letting them just bond with the TV!

Hen Parties are changing - whoop whoop! Thankfully we are no longer stuck with the choice of a night in an awful club wearing L plates or a pretty boring girls pamper night in. The choices for activities and the expectation of a bit of quality mean things are certainly much more appealing to the hens and the guests. But one thing activity seems to be out competing them all and it is, in it’s own way, somewhat traditional and that’s Hen Party Life Drawing. But what is it all about and is it any good?

Science needs more women! So last month I took my girls up to London to visit The Science Museum in Kensington. Armed with technical backup from my 15yr old nephew, who has GCSE Science glory firmly in his sights, I was ready for serious questioning and expected to come away with a couple of budding physicists/biologists/chemists. First impressions of the museum was that is was a little dry for my 4 and 7yr old little ladies and I began to get slightly worried whilst wandering through the Flight gallery that we were gonna be done in record time. I'm not a teacher! I don't know how to make these static objects fun for my kids! Then I noticed a banner for Wonderlab: The best thing to do with your kids in London with kids. Sounded amazing. And, simply put, it is.

Finding a great family car can be challenging due to the long list of needs from different members of the family. For starters, and probably the most obvious, the car has to be spacious enough to fit the adults, the kids, plus everyone's luggage. Yes, my daughter really does need to take her fancy dress wardrobe with her everywhere she goes. Then you need to think of safety. As family car shoppers you are are naturally safety-minded as you are carrying the most precious of cargo - your children. Make sure you look for a car with the highest Overall Safety Rating available in its class which also includes some advanced safety features. Your family car is bound to take long trips from time to time so you need to think about convenience and comfort features too like a smooth ride and comfy seats to keep the family happy and relaxed while on the move. This list of the best family cars features these key elements while still offering great value. 

Last month will be forever burnt into my memory as Husband and I shipped the kids off to France with their Grandparents while we celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary in Croatia. The week before we left I juggled keeping the kids entertained and my excessive work to do list and when we got back life switched to healthy eating, back to school shopping and catching up with my besties. A summer to remember.

This month Husband and I celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary with a child-free holiday to the beautiful country of Croatia. We stayed at the Sensimar Adriatic Beach adults only resort on Croatia's  stunning Dalmatian coastline. Located at the foot of mount Biokovo in the small town of Živogošće, Sensimar Adriatic Beach is a TUI hotel on the South Coast of Croatia. It lies roughly 2 hours south of Split and half an hour from the port town of Markaska. To say we were pleased with our choice of holiday destination and adult only, all inclusive hotel would be an understatement.

There are lost of pluses to self-catering holidays with kids including more space, flexibility and perhaps even your own pool, but the downside that you need to cook and do it with limited equipment.  Here are 5 meal ideas for self-catering holidays with kids that are quick and use minimal pots and pans.  They are tried and tested by my 4 very fussy little people.

So, you and your spouse are itching to have a fun and exciting road trip! However, you have a little baby that you are afraid to take. How are you supposed to have a fun and stress free road trip with a baby? Well, I am here to tell you that it is possible to have a great road trip even if you think the baby might ruin your fun.