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 mom 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 traveled as much as I could afford to from then on, and once our children came along I was determined not to let our traveling 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 favorite holiday destinations with my followers, I jumped at the chance to share!
So here they are....a mix of my childhood holiday favourites, and the places I've loved visiting as an adult and with the boys too.
1) North Wales
When I think of holidays from my childhood, North Wales is always the place that first comes to mind. My grandad owned a caravan here on a holiday park in Towyn, near Rhyl and every year we'd go and spend a week or two there...often my cousins would join us for the day and we'd spend hours at the penny slot machines in the arcade, or visiting the funfair together.
I have such fond memories of visiting the various quaint little towns and seasides, and we'd visit so often that we were on friendly terms with the owners of lots of local businesses - it always felt sort of like a home away from home.
It's been a few years now since I last visited, and I'd love to go back with the boys now that they're old enough to understand when I tell them about my childhood holidays there.
2) Blackpool
This was another favorite holiday destination from my childhood, and I actually did re-visit a couple of years ago with my eldest son Tyne.
I was amazed and delighted to see how little so many areas had changed - Blackpool Pleasure Beach looked almost identical to the way I remember it from 30 years ago, with so many of the rides still in operation!
The pier and amusement arcades brought back so many fond memories, and I was thrilled that my son loved our visit here just as much as I used to myself.
Of course the highlight of any visit to Blackpool has to be a trip to the famous Blackpool Tower and it's beautiful ballroom, and it didn't disappoint us - I think another little visit here for the famous Illuminations is in order!
3)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 Loro Parque during our trip where I saw a killer whale in the flesh for the first time and 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.
4) 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 favorite for all of us.
We'd love to return to Norway again in the near future, it was such a wonderful experience.
5) 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.
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 favorite 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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