Visiting Italy by bike: the best routes in Abetone and the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines

Those who know me know that I love to travel and cycle and have a serious soft spot for Italy, so combining all those elements is a dream come true. Last time I was in Italy I did some cycling and hope to explore a lot more on bike in the years to come and with so many areas perfect for cycling you can see why it's such as great place to do this. One of those areas is Abetone in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. Those who love cycling and admiring the beauty of nature can find a large number of spectacular cycling routes in Italy, surrounded by greenery and overlooking dreamy landscapes. Among the most interesting are the routes around the Abetone area, in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. These trails are not always very easy, in fact they can be quite challenging, and generally require a good level of physical preparation, essential for tackling some difficult steep slopes. To make the trails easier and less tiring, you can use an e-bike, also available for hire. E-bike tours in Tuscany ......

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The Benefits of Choosing an Active Holiday

Planning your next holiday? Whether you’re going solo or you’ve been saving up for a family retreat, an active holiday could be more rewarding than you’d expect. From cycling through peaceful vineyards, kayaking down rivers or getting fiercely competitive on the tennis courts, there are so many reasons to ditch the sun loungers. Personally, I really struggle to sit still, even on holiday, being active brings me a lot of joy and is has positive impacts physically and mentally as well as the social benefits of keeping active on holiday as it opens up opportunities to meet like-minded people. Physical health benefits When you’re taking a break, it’s important to spend time relaxing and stepping away from things that cause you stress in your daily life, however, this doesn’t have to mean lounging by the pool all day, as nice as that is the novelty can wear off and you can also strike a good balance by both chilling out and getting active. Swimming, hiking, and cycling are usually easy to ......

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Fire Safety Tips for home & away

*This post contains affiliate links Luckily I've never had to deal with more than very minor issues when it comes to fire although I once had to evacuate my house for a short time as my neighbour had a fire in her kitchen & smoke was coming into my home. I've also been one of those travellers who has had to stand outside the hotel because someone set the fire alarm off due to smoking in their room (which of course you can't do). But since having kids, fire safety has become even more of a priority and not just in our own homes but also when we are travelling.  Fires can occur in any kind of property, from your home to a school, workplace or even a hotel, so having basic knowledge of fire safety, improving safety in your home and what to do in an emergency is so important. Here are a few ways to make sure your home and travels are safer 1. Install a fire alarm & make sure your holiday property has one Firstly fit at least one smoke alarm in your home, preferably two ......

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8 things to do before a Family trip to a hot destination

* Contains Affiliate links As we head towards summer many people are planning family trips abroad to warm and sunny destinations, travelling overseas is something we all look forward too, visiting beautiful countries such as Spain or Italy and enjoying fascinating cultures and people. However while this comes with a lot of excitement there are also some essential preparations we need to take to ensure everyone stays safe, healthy and has a good time. I thought I would share eight critical things that you and your family can do to prepare for a holiday in the sun.    1. Pack loose-fitting clothes Yes I know many pack outfits and styles for a breakaway (Instagram pictures come to mind) but do make sure you also take some practical and loose fitting clothes that help keep you cool and help you from overheating and feeling the effect of the heat, this is especially important for young children who just want to be comfortable and run around.  2. Pack ext......

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How to Protect your Skin from the Effects of Traveling

Travelling is something that we all love to do, but it is also something that might not have such a positive impact on your skin. We all like to embrace that laid back carefree holiday vibe, swimming in the pool or sea and sitting in the beautiful warm sun trying to get tan. Whatever you choose to do when you’re out and about, the right skin care is always needed especially if your visiting a very hot or very cold destination as your skin will need more care during these times. Before we begin I also want to say that if you are planning on taking a flight I also recommend having ear wax removal, done as build up can cause you to have an uncomfortable flight, also a build-up of ear wax can cause pain, hearing loss and dizziness which you don't need while travelling. Back to skincare and long journeys can also take their toll on your skin so some thought and simple preparation need to be taken - but it's really easy. Top Hacks for keeping skin in check while travelling......

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My top Family Travel and Lifestyle posts of 2018

Well can you believe it it's 2019! Last year was a bit of a strange one in general, so much happen around the world, moments that tore communities apart and moments that brought different cultures together in beautiful ways. Personally I too had so many wonderful highs but also a few lows, there were changes in quite a few areas of my life from personal to work, both for the good and not so good but my boys and I made it through to the other side and had plenty of laughs along the way and I am not one for boring, we like life on the go and have some very fond memories we made in 2018 and are now looking forward to what the next year brings and feeling really positive about 2019. As always I am very grateful for every reader that finds there way to my blog and takes the time to enjoy the content, leave comments and feedback and enjoy following what myself and the boys get up too. So I thought I would share my top 10 Travel posts and top 10 Family Lifestyle posts and top 10 sty......

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How to survive chickenpox this summer

My eldest who is now 7 had chickenpox when he was around 5 months old and it was one of the worst cases our GP had ever seen and certainly wasn't the mild illness we had been expecting but this may have been due to how young he was. He ended up need Antibiotics, Antihistamines and suppository painkillers to keep on top of the pain and inflamed skin it caused. At one point he was in too much pain to lie on either his back or stomach, had constant diarrhea, struggled to feed and we had to top up his liquid in-take with Dioralyte to make sure he wasn't dehydrated. I don't think we slept for more than two weeks but once they managed to get on top of the pain, infection from open sores and inflammation things improved a lot and topical applications started to work meaning we could finally give him the comfort and relief he needed. Of course going through that means we are prepared for the next time we have to face this virus as my toddler is bound to get it at some poin......

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My Ultimate Pre-Holiday checklist for families

A relaxing and enjoyable family vacation can be one of the most rewarding experiences anyone could ever hope to share with loved ones. Or it can prove an unmitigated disaster that you almost immediately regret. Often, whether your vacation is a success or sinks depends largely on your preparation for it. So, to make sure your next family vacation gets off on the right foot, check out this definitive list of everything you need to do –– before you hit the road: Get the Papers in Order If you’re taking your family on an international adventure, then you’ll need to ensure you all have the proper paperwork first. Visas, identification forms, and/or passports all need to be up-to-date and correct, otherwise your dream holiday could get stalled at the starting gate and it's surprising how many people don't check the expiry on their passport and especially with children's passports which need to be renewed more often than adults. Take some time a few months before to get ......

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How to Pick the Perfect Villa for a Family Holiday

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will probably already know that we love to travel and we are also a big fan of self-catering because with children being able to cook for yourself whenever you want is a major plus as it's less restrictive and more flexible for kids which is what you want when you're on a break away from the day to day routine and hustle bustle of daily life. What we also love about a Villa property is that you can opt for ones that accommodated extended family members as well or even friends, that way you can travel and stay together as a group and also share the cost between more people but not compromise on facilities and location. Why a Villa ? So I have already shared a few good reasons above but personally, the major pluses of a Villa is that it's self-catering and the perfect option for larger groups but it also makes a great home base when you're traveling somewhere new and provides a level of privacy you dont get in a hotel......

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