Happy Holidays: How to make your holiday even happier. Feel happy on holiday. Image of Europe travel vacation fun summer woman feeling free dancing with arms open in freedom at Oia, Santorini, Greece island. Carefree girl tourist banner panorama.
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Happy Holidays!  How to make your holiday even happier.

Can we all just agree that holidays (or vacations) are brilliant?  Let’s face it, if we weren’t happy on holiday, we wouldn’t keep taking them, would we?

There’s something about a break away from the every day that guarantees to raise our spirits.  Whether we’re off to relax, experience new cultures, try new experiences, spend quality time with loved ones, have some fun, tick-off somewhere on our bucket list – holidays rate highly on our happiness meter.

So whether you simply want to take your holiday happy vibes to the next level or are looking for ways to increase the chance of a disposition even sunnier than the weather…

Here are my top tips for a happier holiday

Happy on holidays. Image of beach with Do what makes you happy written in the sand

Happy Travels: Center Parcs Woburn Forest. Image of Center Parcs Woburn Forest
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Happy Travels: Center Parcs Woburn Forest

‘Family, I have a surprise for you!’ announced my husband with a triumphant smile on his face.  Fairly certain that the news wasn’t going to be we’re pregnant – I mean I would know right?!  I listened in with much anticipation. 

‘For Mum & Dad’s anniversary next week, we are all going to Center Parcs’  [cue screams of excitement from the kids.] 

I on the other hand – whilst very appreciative of the gesture – was slightly more apprehensive.  You see, I know of Center Parcs, but I’ve never been to a Center Parcs – Isn’t it all just about trees and cycling?

How special was our 15th wedding anniversary going to be there – was this something I was actually going to enjoy?

Well, yes, it was actually.  I really enjoyed it, we all really enjoyed it. 

Here’s what I thought was great about Center Parcs Woburn Forest (and why you might enjoy a break here too)…

Fun things to do in Malta with kids. Image of young girl playing by a water fountain in Valletta Malta.
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5 Fun kid-friendly things to do in Malta

Here’s the third and final part of my Happy Travels Malta mini-series.  You can catch up on the first two here: 10 Things you should know about Malta and here: Happy Travels: Where you absolutely should go in Malta

This time I’m concentrating on the little ones!  As a parent, picking a destination that will also make my children happy is a paramount part of the decision making process. 

Malta is a perfect family destination, not least because of the family-friendly culture everywhere you go. 

Image of 2 children looking out to sea in Malta

There are so many fun places to visit despite it being a really small island.  Actually, the fact that it is such a small island makes it ideal as there won’t be any long car journeys to contend with.  Such a win!

So if you find yourself in Malta with kids here are 5 fun kid-friendly things to do…

Happy Travels: Where you absolutely should go in Malta. Image of a Valletta side street
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Happy Travels: Where you absolutely should go in Malta

Continuing on with my Malta mini-series (and assuming you’re up to speed on 10 Things you should know about Malta) let’s talk about things to do in Malta!

As you may be aware by now, I have grown-up visiting Malta and WITHOUT FAIL, these are the places I visit absolutely every time I’m there. 

Get ready to tear yourself away from the sun lounger and make a beeline for these must-experience places on the beautiful island of Malta…

10 Things you should know about Malta. Going to Malta - what you need to know. Image of Malta skyline
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10 Things you should know about Malta

You would think it would be exceptionally easy for me to write about Malta.  I mean over half my family live there, I have Maltese blood running through my veins and I’ve been going to Malta for as long as I can remember.  So I guess the problem is I have too much to say about this little gem of a Mediterranean Island and feel more than a slight bit of pressure to make sure I do it justice. 

Plus talking about Malta makes me more than a tiny bit desperate to return, you see – emotional attachment to it aside – I flippin’ love this place!

The sights, the people, the weather, the history, the food, the wine – oh the wine!  And because it’s such a small island you can cover so much of it in a short space of time.  Yes there is an awful lot to love about Malta (even if I am a little bit biased).

Without further ado, let’s kick-off my Happy Travels: Malta – mini-series, with…

10 things you should know about Malta

5 Things to do in Buda, Budapest. Image of inner courtyard area of Fisherman's Bastion
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5 Things to do in Buda, Budapest.

Prior to visiting, I certainly wasn’t aware Budapest was a city of two sides – Buda and Pest  – see what they did there?  Pest is very much where the action is at, especially if you class ‘action’ as nightlife.  However, before you rule Buda out – let me tell you – it has tons to offer!  Think historical buildings, laid-back charm, amazing views, shops, restaurants, cafes, museums – not to mention (although I will) the Castle District is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  I believe no trip to Budapest would be complete without time spent in beautiful & peaceful Buda.

Whether you plan to visit for the day or make this your home for the duration of your stay, here are my top 5 recommended things to do in Buda:

48 Hours in Budapest. Image of a street in Budapest leading up to St Stephen's Basilica
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48 hours in Budapest: How to get the most out of a Budapest mini-break

Have you ever reached a point where life has become so hectic, you’ve started operating on auto-pilot?  I surely had by the time the husband and I boarded our flight bound for Budapest.  

We were in serious need of this break, life had become a bit off-balance.  A focused opportunity was needed to get everything re-charged and aligned again. This was a break minus the kids.  A real chance to just…be. 

Usually we’ve planned everything far in advance.  What are we going to do? Where are we going to eat?  But other than where we were resting our heads for night, this time, we planned nothing. 

Granted, this is a potential recipe for disaster, especially when you only have 48 hours in Budapest and want to get the most out of your visit.  However, we soon discovered – when it comes to Budapest – you don’t have to plan overly hard to discover something amazing.  

Recognised as having one of the most outstanding urban landscapes in the world, the Hungarian capital is the perfect no-pressure escape for burnt out people wanting to recharge, rebalance and just have a pretty great time.

Here’s how we used our 48 hours in Budapest to go from stressed-out to chilled-out:

Living.pretty.happy in Copenhagen
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Living.Pretty. Hygge in Copenhagen: Top 5 hygge inducing moments.

The most amazing concept I’ve ever been introduced to, I learned whilst in Copenhagen.  If you’ve not heard of it before, allow me to introduce you to Hygge. As an active partaker of finding happiness in each moment - I was more than happy to allow Copenhagen to work it’s Hygge magic on me. Here are my top 5 Hygge inducing moments from our trip...