Love is one of the most beautiful and overwhelming emotions that the human race has. We have so much emotion packed into one feeling. Love makes us happy, it makes us sad, angry, fearful, brave, strong, weak - you name it, we feel it. Love is what fuels most of our motivations in life. We workout because we want to love our bodies and we go to work and find a career because of a passion and love to do well. When it comes down to it, love rules our heads and our hearts, but we need to be open to it happening.

We’re not necessarily talking about heading online to Tinder to find love, or join up with the latest Muslim dating site. However, opening your heart to the world around you gives you the chance to meet someone that you could love for the rest of your life. To share love with someone is a privilege, and you can only do that if you are open to it. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at four reasons you should open up your heart wholly and completely.

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1. A Chance To Be Happy. When you open yourself up to love and be loved, you give yourself the chance to be happy. There’s usually a piece of the puzzle missing somewhere in life, and allowing love - in whatever form it takes - into your life can make you feel full in your heart. Life is a little brighter with every new person who comes into your life.
2. Making New Friends. Love isn’t just about marriage and sex and all that comes with it. It’s the platonic love that you feel for your friends and colleagues that you become close. You may have a close-knit group of friends already, but is there really such a thing as too many friends? I don't think so. Opening your heart to new friends can make all the difference in your life and you get the chance to love harder than ever before.
3. Heal That Achy, Breaky Heart. There’s nothing fun about being dumped. It hurts, it makes you feel hollow inside and it can severely impact your mood going forward. Love can help to heal that crack in your heart, but you have to give yourself enough time to glue it all back together. However, the love from family and friends? Don't close yourself to that, even if you do close yourself off to romantic love.
4. Let Go & Jump Right In. The biggest reason that you should allow your heart to open to others? To let go of fear and jump right in. You’ll be able to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and feel fantastic for it, too. 

Love is not something that always happens naturally, but if you work on yourself to be more open to the possibility of love and being loved, you’re going to transform. Your whole attitude can change based on your ability to have an open heart. Let it happen and feel the magic.

This is a collaborative post.

Winter is upon us and so are the festive beverages, gingerbread lattes, hazelnut mocha and that marshmallow hot chocolate, they're heavenly and send festive cheer to your soul. Well, now you can make these beautiful drinks right in the comfort of your own home with the Monin coffee syrup set from Sous Chef comes with 5 different flavours of syrups including caramel, vanilla, gingerbread, hazelnut and amaretto you can have the best tasting coffee on the street! Psst...They are the same ones that costa use ;)

Not a coffee person? Well there's also cocktail syrups too, maybe you want a minty mojito or a strawberry daiquiri, the cocktail syrup set has it all, including coconut, mint mojito, passion fruit, strawberry and Curaçao Bleu they're a perfect touch to a cocktail party for new years eve or even a mocktail for the little ones plus they are so much fun to make too! Don't forget the mini umbrella!

But what if I'm a gin lover I hear you say?
Well, Sous Chef has a variety of gin related gifts including their popular pop-a-ball bubbles for gin! Add these flavoured balls into your gin and bite and burst them for a fabulous fruity experience.

The Gin bubbles I have are blueberry & lemon flavour and taste absolutely divine, they come in one pack but in separate tubs, so you can mix it up too, you can even get a tasty rim topper for your glass what about rhubarb and zingy orange? Sounds delicious!

Now its time to order and have a cocktail party of your own this festive season so check out the tasty recipes below and let me know what your favourite is!

Fancy an iced coffee? Follow this simple and easy recipe for a great-tasting chilled drink.

Check out this expresso buttercream recipe from Boo Roo and Tigger Too

I’m all for trying new board games and so is Lilli, we often have board game night and play some amazing games so when we opened this one we were so excited to get cracking! Asmodee sent us Crazy Eggs to try and review and my god it’s a fun game to play!

We started off by sitting down and reading the rules, now that Lilli is nearly 7 she understands stuff like this so much easier,
So there's eggs all over the place! You're the chicken, and you have to grab and hide the eggs to get them. All players must act quickly and perform the action on the dice to get the eggs and the first one to act right collects that egg but sometimes the slowest person loses an egg too! 

When the top of the dice is red tue first player to perform the action correctly takes the egg that's ont the stand, they then roll the placement dice and place the egg on the right location of their body. When the top of the dice is blue the last person to act returns one egg from their pile back to the egg box. If this player doesn’t have any eggs then nothing happens.

The first player to collect five eggs wins the game, so get clucking and be the best chicken of all!

The game is for 7+, even though lilli is still 6 she got the idea and was able to play fine but younger players may find it difficult to hold the eggs for such a long time.

Overall we really liked the game it was alot of fun but would be so much better with more players. You can find this game on Amazon it really is the perfect little game for family's. 

Looking for childcare can be stressful sometimes, especially if you don't know who to trust or if you need any further requirements like someone who can potty train, attend groups or even cook! ChildCare.co.uk has everything you need, it's an award-winning social media platform to find the best childcare for you, using your postcode and requirements such as a childminder, babysitter, nursery, midwife, private tutor or even just household helpers, you can find exactly what you need in minutes and it’s super easy.

Image from www.childcare.co.uk

It's free to register and so incredibly easy to find what or who you need, you can browse through profiles, read reviews from other users and talk to carers about what you need and what they can do to help you. Over 2 million members have used Childcare.co.uk since their launch in 2009 and they get bigger every day. Their brilliant service has helped so many family's get to work or even just get out for a well-deserved break.

Photo by Lina Kivaka from Pexels

You can read up on when to ditch the dummy, how much pocket money to give, the top 10 tips for playdates or even child safety, You can find out how much an average nanny costs in your area, find out what questions you can ask your childminder in an interview and find tonnes of other information about childcare with their popular articles and parenting guides, 


My thoughts:
I've found the site really useful, with all the great information and advance searches I can find the perfect childminder with great qualifications to fit our family's needs. I remember after I had my son I struggled with my daughter getting her to nursery and going shopping etc, luckily I had family and friends to help me out but if not I would have had to get a childminder, most childminders get back to you within 12 hours and have already got great reviews from other users, Childcare.co.uk really help take the nervous edge of choosing a childminder with so many great articles to read to help you choose and help ease your mind.

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok from Pexels

Plus, there are no booking or registration fees and if you end up using the site more and more you can upgrade to a Gold membership and get a free Kids Pass Membership and tonnes of other features.

I'd definitely recommend this to any family looking for that kind of help, So take a trip over to Childcare.co.uk and find the perfect match for your family today!

This is a collaborative post with Affiliate links, by clicking the links and purchasing the product I get a percentage of your sale at no extra cost to you.

Christmas is fast approaching, payday has been and its time to get buying them all-important gifts, we've put together the best list of what gifts to get this year, with everything from top toys, sparkling jewellery, and tech there's literally something for everyone to enjoy!

Must-Have Toys:

Bananas: You may have seen our recent post about these but I had to mention them again, the Bananas Surprise toys are still a massive hit in this house, so much that they've been added to the list for Santa too! Including a cute little animal surprise toy, some mini treats and stickers they're perfect for your little ones! Plus the new Strawberries are adorable and smell amazing.

Frozen 2: if your child's anything like mine she's so excited to see Frozen 2... But all the toys are already in the shops and there's so much to choose from, take an adventure with Elsa, Anna, and Olaf with these great dolls and playsets from The Entertainer.

LOL OMG dolls:
These dolls aren't like your usual LOL dolls these are full-size dolls with its own little dressing room playset, with so many supprises these are bound to be hot on the list this year! I've even had trouble finding them and its only 11 days into November!! they're selling FAST!! Smyths toys have them on sale and/or Pre-order so get there quick!

Toy story 4 ultimate walking talking buzz lightyear:
It's exactly what it says on the label but so much more! With toy story 4 being the massive hit this year its no surprise this is a top toy for Christmas, and if your child's anything like mine they're Toy Story mad, have loads of great adventures with this buzz for only £25 from Argos. 

LOL winter chalet: Now this item may be at the top of your little one's list and why not! LOL dolls and accessories have been a constant hit, get this amazing large size winter chalet from Argos with 95+ supprises a winter disco family, a working ski lift and an ice rink it's the perfect place for a winter holiday! 

DC Imaginext transforming RC batmobile: with a remote control batmobile that transforms into a super fun playset you'll have this zooming around the living room on Christmas day for sure! Buy from Argos now. 

Little Toys:
What2Buy4Kids has some amazing little toys for great stocking fillers and with our discount, you can get 10% off just use the code MMONST218 and save now!

Trustworthy Tech:

The Imo Mobile Q2 Plus: Mobiles for teens can get expensive, especially if they just seem to magically break all the time! Well IMO Mobile has a solution, the Q2 Plus, a smartphone with all the specs for a small price, these amazing phones can be purchased for £39.99 from Argos and Vodafone and they're perfect for that first phone.

Photo by Michael Morse from Pexels

Amazon Fire Kids: Now if your looking to get a tablet for the kids this is the one to get, honestly it's brilliant, it comes with fire for kids installed, over 100 apps and games to play, a protective case and a 2 year warranty with no fuss guaranteed, if anything goes wrong or accidentally gets smashed they'll replace it absolutely free of charge! Bonus for those little ones and so worth the money. Find it HERE

Vtech Kiddiezoom Duo 5.0:
Let them go wild talking great pictures, videos and playing games with their flashy new camera (see what I did there?) with fun effects and frames taking pictures couldn't get any more fun! Find it here at Very

Fit Watch: Fit watches are all the rage and they are really awesome they track your steps, your calories burned and how far you've travelled, mine connects to my phone and can even find it if I lose it. With just 1 hour of charging can give my watch a whole week or more of battery life and was only £19.99 from Argos

The Santa App:
We use this every year and pay £1.99 (or you can use the free version), you can get Santa to call you, you can send texts or ring his voicemail, you input your child's name and age and what they like and can select a call from Santa to praise good behaviour, warn about going on the naughty list or even wish a merry Christmas it really is fantastic, plus for older children there's a 'ensure Santa is real' call too! 
Find it on the app store here...Android or IOS 

Sparkling Jewellery:

Know someone who deserves that perfect gift? Well Lisa Edwards Jewellery has it, from beautiful blingy rings to stunning necklaces there's so much to choose from, it's a perfect gift this Christmas for that special someone.

Satisfying Subscriptions:

First up is kids Pass, I've written about this before and it really is great, money off for great days out, cinema, kids eat free and even save on holidays too! Try the Kids Pass for just £1 for 30days!

Next is the amazing Taste Card, with 2 for 1 on meals, money off cinema and popular attractions its hard to pass up on this!
Try Taste Card for 60 days for Just £1 then it's only £4.99 a month after! CLICK HERE for the offer

Taste Card was in the mood for giving this Christmas so we're giving away a month subscription for FREE to one lucky winner! Enter below to WIN!

Christmassy Gifts:

Christmas Eve Box: Now we're all about the Christmas traditions, and one of our favourites is a Christmas eve box, but unfortunately, it seems like every year I buy a new one and they don't last so we decided to go for a wooden box and make it personalised too!
So, I Just Love It sent us this incredibly amazing Christmas eve box personalized with our family name it's big enough for our hot chocolate, marshmallows, sweets, and a Christmas movie too, just perfect for our little tradition :) you can personalise your own box HERE.

Letters from Santa:
We reviewed these last year and it really is the coolest thing ever, get a personalised letter from Santa to your little ones, including where they live and you can even add their friends name too so Santa can say he will visit them next, you can buy the letter by itself or with a pack of activities too! 
It really is lovely. Visit the Lapland Mail Room to get yours! 

2020 Calendar:
for Christmas every year I get a calendar from my mum, its kinda cute and always helps throughout the year, well this year I'm opting for a Dog's Trust calendar, with a month-month view featuring heart-warming photographs of dogs we have helped in their 20 rehoming centres around the UK. Find it HERE

Etsy: Now everyone likes a great handmade gift and you'll find the best on Etsy, made with love and a touch of Christmas joy, give your loved one a part of the magic this year! Click the image below to find your perfect gift!

Scrumptious Treats:

No Christmas is complete without some treats, a fat Turkey and a snowball or two! Iceland has got you covered this year with dome great deals on meats and all the trimmings, maybe even a little drink or two! Plus get free home delivery when you spend over £25 online!

Chocolates: There's always that one treat you have at Christmas that you look forward to and for me, it's Quality Street!
The strawberry cremes, the toffee pennies and that orange crunch! They are all divine and there's always a tin on the table full!
get yours at your local supermarket and make Christmas extra special.

Board Games:

Pacmat: now this isn't any ordinary board game, its actually a large picnic blanket with a game on, the mat comes in a netted carry bag with dice and counters too so it's great for those wet winter days to play indoors the, in the summer can be taken outside for a game and then a lovely picnic too! The mat is compact, light and waterproof too so don't worry about it getting dirty it can be machine washed too!
You can find this amazing mat at Ordanance Survey.

Dobble: we've written about Dobble before and we have the Harry Potter version but this game is brilliant for kids and is great for, on the go, we even took it to Disney to play on the Eurostar! With Dobble you match the pictures with the card you have and see who wins the most it's really fun and can get really competitive too! Definitely a must-have for school-aged kids and above. FIND IT HERE

Advent:

In our house advent is really exciting, we all have our Calander's and I have an advent candle to burn each night to count down, here are the best calendars I've seen!

M&S Beauty advent calendar, it contains over £300 worth of beauty products for only £40!! A Bargain even if you're giving it as a gift.

Wilko Blox advent calendar, now if you're a bit of a cheapskate like me you know the Lego ones are like £25 each and with 4 kids that's £100 so the cheaper alternative is Wilko Blox, open the doors and build something cute every day and have fun playing.

Photo by Torsten Dettlaff from Pexels

Kinnerton chocolate calendars, they're £1 each and come in so many different designs like LOL, Peppa pig, paw patrol, superhero, and even sprouts! Buy these at your local card factory for just £1

Gordon's Pink Gin Gin 5cl & Chocolate Advent Calendar.
Know someone who loves pink gin? Get them this with 24 mini chocolates and a 5cl bottle of the pink stuff it's self it's easy to love for just £4.99 from B&M

LEGO Harry Potter Advent Calendar:
With 24 gifts including 7 Minifigures, this will keep any Harry Potter fan happy this advent. Buy it at B&M for £23.99


Family Breaks:
Everyone loves a family break and LEGOLAND is the perfect destination for little ones, join in the fun this winter with the master builders at Legoland UK

Haven Holidays:

Haven is best known for fun and relaxation, the parks that have it all! we have an annual family holiday here and it's always amazing with so many great memories. BOOK YOURS HERE FOR 2020!

I really do hope you find this useful and have a really amazing Christmas!

Check out other Christmas gift guides here from other amazing bloggers and share the love! 

Remember to enter below to win a month's subscription to Tastecard... The winner will be chosen on the 2nd of December 2019. Good luck! T's&C's apply. Taste card

Planning a trip away is always exciting, especially with kids, Paris is the perfect little city break for all the family, there’s so many places to go and so many adventures to be had. Booking with Voyage Privé couldn’t be easier to help your trip be as magical and fun as you want it to be.

Booking The Right Accommodation: 
Want something local? Stunning views? Or maybe something that’s a little hidden gem, well Voyage Privé have it all, with big hotels, quaint little B&B’s and stunning 4* rooms on great deals all year round you won’t have to look very far to find your perfect match.

Photo by Shvets Anna from Pexels

What To Do:
With great city tours, beautiful museums, Disneyland resort and the Eiffel Tower Just a short bus ride away from the city centre you can have so much fun. 
Local attractions include The Louvre, Notre-Dame Cathedral, The iconic Eiffel Tower, Galeries Lafayette shopping centre, and so many more, or for a more relaxed day take a stroll down the banks of the Seine river or head over to Montmarte and find a huge range of amazing authentic wine bars and delicious restaurants

Photo by Flo Dahm from Pexels

There’s so much to explore in the city like Versailles the city of the royals, known for its amazing castle which used to be the residence of King Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI, the castle is home to the room of mirrors, in this room the treaty was signed to end the First World War. 
And around 40km away from the city is Gallic Adventures at the Parc Astérix, the park is based on the world famous comic “Astérix the Gaul” its such a fun place with over 40 rollercoasters and rides for everyone your bound to have a scream! Dedicated busses run from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the park so getting there is easy too.

Disneyland:
Now if you’ve got kids Disneyland is more than likely at the top of their list when visiting Paris, it’s a magical land where dreams come true and only an hour away from the city centre, you can buy one off day tickets and spend the whole day soaking up the fun with Minnie, Mickey and the gang, with 2 amazing parks to choose from with incredible shows and rides for all ages it really is a magical park for everyone, plus you can stay till late and watch the incredible nighttime show illuminations with spectacular fireworks and all the extra magic! 

Disneyland is located right next to Marne-la-Vallée train station with trains and busses that can take you back to the city centre for a nice sleep after all that walking. You can grab some great information on Disney Paris holidays by visiting Mummies Waiting and checking out what kids can ride and other great information.

Plane, Train or Drive:
Now Ive never been on a plane to Paris but flying is really quick and you can get to the fun so much faster than driving or taking a train. You can grab flights with your package from Voyage Privé too! 
The Eurostar is a great way to get to get to Paris, direct trains are so easy especially with children grab the Eurostar from London, Ebsfleet or Ashford then straight to Marne-la-Vallée outside Disneyland Paris, it’s only an hour away from the city centre. 

Driving is also great, catch a ferry from Dover and cross the English Channel and relax before getting back in your car and driving to your destination. Whatever way you choose it’s all very simple and fun and you’ll have a great city break, Don't forget your passports! 

So head over to Voyage Privé and get some great deals now and enjoy your Paris city break.

This is a collaborative post.

Weight Training Techniques to Improve Your Fitness

Most people tend to ignore the thought of where to hold their weight when doing lunges and squats. According to fitness experts, different techniques target various muscle groups, and some may help your recovery in case of an injury. Here is how weight placement can transform common exercises:

Front Squat vs. Back Squat

Front squats are known to exercise the front part of your body, which includes the quads and abdominal muscles. Moreover, front squats shift the center of gravity towards the toe side of the foot, which increases your ability to move the body forward.

Back squats also exercise your quads, and at the same time, they work out your glutes and lower back. The pressure applied to your spine is essential in strengthening the spine but can result in severe pain and discomfort to people with spinal injuries or a weak core.

Straight Arm Planks vs. Forearm Planks

Forearm planks challenge your core and can be done by people who tend to exercise their base but have weak arms or poor shoulder stability. Workout supplements available at musclesfax.ws can come in handy, especially if you’re just getting back to training after a long hiatus.

According to gym trainers, keeping your forearms parallel to each other rather than holding your hands together. It promotes proper scapular and postural positioning.

Straight arm plank engages several muscle groups. Furthermore, since your body is far off of the ground, it is easier to maintain stability, which makes it even more effective in achieving overall body strength.

Lunges with Dumbbells at the Sides vs. Lunges with Dumbbells at the Shoulders vs. Lunges with Dumbbells Overhead

Holding dumbbells on your sides while making lunges decreases the amount of work required to move your body. In addition, it minimizes the amount of work your core has to do to stabilize.

Holding the dumbbells at your shoulders and with your legs pushing the weights forward and upwards requires more strength.Nonetheless, this exercise is limited to the size and shape of dumbbells, and it is useful in strengthening your core muscles.

Lunges with the dumbbells overhead challenges your core and shoulder stability. However, you should be cautious to avoid injuring your shoulders.

Sit-Ups with Your Hands Crossed Over the Chest vs. Sit-Ups with Your Hands Behind the Head

Performing sit-ups with your hands crossed over the chest increases your stability, hence making the exercise easier. This exercise targets your upper abs and is gentler on your cervical spine.

On the other hand, sit-ups with the hands behind the head put more emphasis on the lower abs and you will experience fewer neck strains.

Benefits of Weight Training

Other than burning excess calories and fat, here are other standard benefits of weight training:

Weight training increases your heart rate, which promotes blood circulation throughout your body. Based on research, blood flow-improving effects of weight training are known to last up to 30 minutes after the training session.

Besides that, the training strengthens your muscles, which helps to boost stability. Lifting weights is also known for improving your posture and helps you to stay upright.

 Christmas is a wonderful time of year where we all enjoy spending time with all our family. The extended family included. We gather around, enjoy the company, play silly games, enjoy a huge sit-down dinner and get merry right through to the new year celebrations. Some people enjoy staying at home whereas others like to book a breakaway. If you have a large family, however, there can be a lot to consider when planning a Christmas break away, especially if the extended family are going to be joining you. 

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Let’s have a look below at some of the consideration you need to make: 

Accommodation

The type of accommodation and size is, of course, going to be ruled by who is going. If it’s you and your children then a small cosy cottage might suffice however if nans, grandads, aunt and uncles are also going to be tagging along then you are definitely going to need to think about hiring a larger property that’s going to cater for everyone. There is an abundance of options on sites such as Air B n B and Hoeseasons have some great options. You can even narrow down your requirements for things such as how many rooms you need, how bathrooms, the size of the dining table and the amount of car parking spaces available. 

Travel 

When planning a big family trip it’s important to make careful considerations over how you are going to travel, especially in the winter months. If there is going to a lot of your travelling, it might be a good idea to car share or think about Coach hire. This way you are minimising the number of cars on the road, how many people are driving and also reducing the cost of fuel. It will also help with car parking at your destination. You can get coaches that seat as little as 19 people which is the ideal size for a few families to go together. 

Food And Drink 

For most, food and drink is a big part of the Christmas season, with many of us indulging in a few drinks, luxury foods and tins of chocolates. In fact, the Christmas food shop is most likely the most expensive food shop of the year, with a lot of people needing to save in order to be able to splash out with supermarket tokens throughout the year. It’s a good idea to think about grabbing some deals while you can and stocking up rather than bulk buying especially if there is going to be a fair few of you. If your food bill is already going to high because of Christmas think about what it would be like if you were all together in one place. However, you are able to split the bill between all of you which could work out better. 

Presents 

Even though Christmas isn't all about presents it's about the time you spend together, we all still somehow get caught up in spoiling each other especially when it comes to children and Santa. When staying away it's worth considering leaving the majority of the presents until you are home otherwise you are going to end up using all your space in your vehicle with gifts rather than the things you actually need. You could always use a roof carrier or trailer but if these aren't items you already have it could be a little bit expensive just for a Christmas getaway. 

Christmas is fast approaching so it's definitely time to get into full preparation mode. Whether you're going away or staying at home, it's time to get that to-do list out and start ticking things off. Do you have anything that should be added to everyone's Christmas list? Please share in the comments section. 

This is a collaborative post.