I'll be honest, the vast majority of my spare time is spent either on holiday, planning the next holiday or browsing future holiday destinations!
I was first bitten by the holiday bug when I was a child, when our family summer holidays were the highlight of my year. We never went anywhere far flung and exotic as my mum wasn't keen on the idea of flying, so we always stayed within the UK but it really didn't matter - my memories of our week exploring Great Yarmouth were just as exciting and full as adventure as any long haul holiday could be.
I took my first trip abroad at the age of 21, when I visited Margarita Island in Venezuela for 2 weeks - it was quite a dramatic introduction to the world of foreign travel and I adored it. I travelled as much as I could afford to from then on, and once our children came along I was determined not to let our travelling stop.
There's nothing I love more than seeing new places through their eyes, and I love that they get just as excited about holidays as I do.
In recent years I've really noticed how good for my mental health and overall wellbeing it's been to have breaks with my family - as somebody who works for themselves it can be hard to know when to stop and step away from my working role, and I'm guilty of over stretching myself. I often work until the small hours of the morning, and I'm rarely seen without my iPhone in hand checking emails on the go - I find it impossible to switch off from working life at times.
So getting away from it all and having a week or so away from all of that really does do wonders for my mental state. I always feel so much lighter when I get home.
I've been feeling quite nostalgic lately, going through old photographs and putting together a travel scrapbook for the boys to look back on when they're older so when On the Beach asked me to share my favourite holiday destinations with my followers, I jumped at the chance to share!
So here they are.... the places I've loved visiting as an adult and with the boys too.
1)Tenerife
I'd always thought that hot beach holidays wouldn't really be for me as, due my to extremely pale skin and aversion to very hot weather, I'd never really fancied them but I found myself spending 2 weeks in Tenerife on a nannying job a few years back and it completely changed my opinion!
The beaches were beautiful, there was so much to do and the whole vibe of the holiday was so relaxed - it was the perfect place to unwind but also an amazing destination for exploring and experiencing new things too.
We visited a beautiful zoo park during our trip where I got to stroke a dolphin, which had been something I'd always wanted to do.
I loved my stay in Tenerife and it's somewhere I'd really love to visit again.
2) Norway
We visited Norway as a family on a cruise holiday 2 years ago, and it was truly a holiday to remember.
We sailed through the breaktaking Norwegian Fjords and I've never felt so relaxed and in awe of nature in my life. The scenery was truly stunning, and all of us loved exploring the local towns and villages with Flam being a firm favourite for all of us.
We'd love to return to Norway again in the near future, it was such a wonderful experience.
3) Disneyland Paris
Of course, if you follow me on social media you'll no doubt be aware that my boys and I are HUGE Disneyland Paris obsessives!
Most of our holidays are spent here - infact as annual pass holders, we've been 6 times in the last 2 years! We just can't get enough of the Disney fix, and we're forever counting down to our next visit.
4) Blackpool
Although it might not be the first place you think of when you think about holidays, Blackpool was actually one of my favourite travel destinations as a child.
There was always so much to do there - from the amazing Pleasure Beach with its traditional fairground rides to the piers and shows, amusement arcades and of course the stunning and world-famous Blackpool Illuminations...there was always so much to keep us entertained.
I visited again recently with my own children and was delighted to find that Blackpool has lost none of its charm, my boys adored it's long sandy beaches and the chance to explore the beautiful Blackpool tower which is now home to an amazing glass walkway 380ft above the ground! Blackpool pleasure beach has also been updated with the addition of Nickelodeon Land where TV characters and themed rides have been added in amongst all of the old favourites from my own childhood.
If you haven't visited, I highly recommend it!
So what about future trips?
Now that the boys are getting a little bit older, we're starting to consider more long haul holidays and beach holidays too.
As beach holidays aren't really something I've got much experience of, I have to admit it's a little nerve wracking trying to figure out how to find the best deals and the right destinations for us as a family which is why I'm really pleased to have recently discovered 'On the Beach'.
They have a really handy Holiday Finder tool on their website which allows you to search for holidays from your choice of airports on your chosen dates, giving the option to search for All available destinations which I always find really helpful as I'm never 100% where I'm looking for! You can also select the "Good For Families" option in the search results too.
'On the Beach' also let you spread the cost of your holiday right up to 2 weeks before you fly too, which would be fantastic for us! And they're fully ATOL and ABTA protected so you can book with confidence too.
Looking back over my favourite holidays has really got me in the mood to plan next years travels, and I'll certainly be using 'On the Beach' when we venture off to sunny climates!
Written in partnership with 'On the Beach'
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