5 Holiday Destination Ideas in EUROPE | LIFE

Hello!

"thought of the whitewashed buildings clinging on to the cliffs and the scenic views of the clear blue sea gets me drifting away"

As summer time rolls around, we're left on our toes thinking, 'Oooh, where in the world shall we go this year?'. Well, it might seem like an easy task to decide where to go, but let's be honest, it takes up way more time than it should just to pinpoint where to land.

I had that same dilemma when booking my holiday a few weeks ago. "Oooh I've always wanted to go to Thailand, but then there's New York, what about that? Hmm.. or maybe I'll just stick to Spain?" It had me going back and forth and I just couldn't decide! 

Hopefully this post will give you a few ideas and possibly help choose that destination, and if you're on the other side of the boat, having a mind blank as to what countries even exist now-a-days, then maybe this will get the ball rolling. 

source: 1,2,3,4

The beautiful country of Italy is quite the tourist destination. However, I feel Italy is known for Rome or Venice, and Sorrento doesn't get as much attention. It looks like it'd be such a beautiful place to visit, and the houses on the cliff look pretty cool! A coastal town in southeastern Italy where you can spend the day wondering around the centre 'Piazza Tasso' and spend your nights sitting by the 'Amalfi Coast'. Oh, and feel like climbing a mountain slash volcano? You can do that too. 

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Not going to lie, I had no idea this place existed until Snapchat had it in one of the 'stories'. The place where some event about racing cars is being held this year, but also the place that has incredible views. On the Snapchat story you got to see some of the beautiful homes and buildings in Monaco. Located just below France on the map, it is a place that deserves more attention. There's something about these small, yet utterly beautiful, countries that have not yet hit 'mainstream' that feels pretty special.

Go and visit the 'Jardin Exotique', which, believe-it-or-not, stands for Botanical Gardens! The cool thing about it? It's located on a cliffside and looks absolutely stunning (see here). You can also take a look at the Prince of Monaco's Palace or take a trip to the Monaco Opera House.

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France. Okay, I couldn't choose one area of France to visit because, well, just look at those pictures! Every part of it is stunning, and each part completely different. You can see the coastal rocks, the beautiful architecture and of course, the Eiffel Tower. 

If all else fails, and you find yourself getting bored of seeing all the 'Pyramide du Louvre's'  and the 'Mona Lisa's' - just take a trip to Disneyland! 

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Every time I mention that I wouldn't mind visiting Amsterdam people get a little wide-eyed and start shaking their head. No, I do not mean the red light district, people, but the beauty of the country. Having seen The Fault in Our Stars, it made me want to see the beautiful canal, Anne Franks house, the peaceful roads and everything else Amsterdam has to offer. 

source: 1,2,3,4

Remember me telling you about my dilemma with picking a holiday destination this year? Well, I was very, very close to picking Greece. The thought of the whitewashed buildings clinging on to the cliffs and the scenic views of the clear blue sea gets me drifting away even as I'm still at home.
Want to take a visit to Italy at the same time? Well, they say Ancient Akrotiri is the 'Pompeii of Aegean Islands' (Santorini is one of the islands of Aegean Islands).
Or take a ride on a donkey like the do in 'The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants'.

So, although I went for Egypt to go and take a visit to this year, these 5 places are definitely on my 'to visit-list'.
What do you look for in a holiday? Is it the landmarks, the beaches or the weather?

Win a Weekend Away for Mother's Day!

Hello!

"Everyday, she'll be doing things for us to make our lives easier"

That time of year has approached us already, and Mother's Day is just around the corner. Well, actually it's next Sunday!

It's nice to have a day to appreciate the mothers. Mothers do so much for us and we definitely don't given them enough credit (well, at least I don't - guilty!). Just like Valentine's Day, we shouldn't thank our mothers one day a year, but should everyday.

My mother is so lovely. She always puts us (my brother, dad and I) first, and it feels like she's living for us. Everyday, she'll be doing things for us to make our lives easier, and not once has she thought about herself. In the morning, mum would wake up before all of us, whether it be a 4am emergency call for my dad, or a relaxing Sunday, or whatever, she'll be up and ready, cleaned the bathroom, made breakfast and tea and freshly presses juice for us all before sitting down herself. She'll be doing anything she can for us, and is the most happy person I know - always has a smile on her face!

My mother is One in a Million, and I love her to bits, but don't tell her enough!

As me, I'm sure you love your mum just as much, and to treat her this mother's day, there's a competition you can enter to win a weekend at one of Parkdean's Award Winning Holiday Parks.

All you have to do, is write a short paragraph as to why your mother is One in a Million. How lovely would it be to surprise your mum?!

I hope you have a lovely Mother's Day on Sunday 15th March 2015.

Tell me: What's one way your mother is One in a Million?

Gift Idea: Personalised Magnets

Hello!

"Just pop in some photos, import them from Facebook if you want to, and just click order"

It's that time of year where we search to the deepest corner of our minds, trying to think about the slightest clue given as to what to buy someone for Christmas. Although I may not know the person you're thinking about the slightest bit, I can tell you I've found the perfect gift.

"a lovely present that stands there and looks pretty."

 PicStick. There's the answer to your problems. Simple yet effective, their service can be exactly the thing you're looking for. You can choose up to 9 pictures which are printed as magnets. You can then tear off each magnet and give one each to 9 separate people, or just give the whole thing to one person (or keep it for yourself!).

"great if you have that one photo that just describes your relation with a person perfectly"

I must say, the magnet is not extremely strong, but it stays strong on a fridge door. Each picture has a white boarder which make's it look like it's a polaroid (or just come off of instagram!).

"it's silly, fun and cute at the same time!"

 The personalisation factor is lovely, and the website is pretty simple to use. Just pop in some photos, import them from Facebook if you want to, and just click order.

"search the deepest corner of our minds, trying to think about the slightest clue given as to what to buy someone"

 Delivery wise, it's super quick and comes in a card envelope. No bending here!

"white boarder which make's it look like it's a polaroid"

This is so great if you have that one (or 9) photo that just describes your relation with a person perfectly. I.e. I have a photo with 3 of my friends with these funky hats on and caught mid-switching them around to each other's head - it's silly, fun and cute at the same time!

"Simple yet effective"

Overall, a lovely present that stands there and looks pretty. See what I did there? :)

Is there a specific photo that describes your relationship with a person? 

London City Lights - Holiday Festivities in full blast!

Hello!

Being it less than ONE WEEK before christmas, it is officially Christmas Week! Hence proving why I have let out two other Christmas Posts this week! One being some festive spirit and another being outfit ideas! Who isn't hurrying around searching for the perfect presents, admiring the beautiful scenes in town - so find the perfect outfit for the parties can be made easier with those ideas!

Anyway, so like I had just mentioned, part of the Christmas Spirit is admiring the festive spirit in town.. so with that I thought I'd share my town with you!

So, if you follow my twitter then you may have seen me mention that I went to the city one Friday night and had so much fun… so obviously I took some pictures:

This was Oxford Street! The bobbles looked so lovely and I like the way the bus is in this image! Really brings out the idea of our beautiful city of London! 

Piccadilly Circus: There's a SNOWGLOBE around the statue! What a cool idea, hey? You may have read this post where I met Nick Clegg, well, I went there then and it looks totally different! The christmas atmosphere changes a lot! 

Look at the Christmas Tree!!

 We stumbled across a Christmas Market and obviously had to have some Roasted Chestnuts! They burnt some, but it was fun none-the-less!

 Also, I had a chocolate covered apple!

As for my bedroom, I have christmas lights behind my bedstead and tinsel wrapped around it! Not shown in the picture is a snowman teddy (called Mr. Chilly, FYI) and 3 christmas candles!

 Finally, the CHRISTMAS TREE!

So tell me, how has your city decorated for Christmas, or how have you? 

Fresh Juice over Cartons... Why?

Hello!
Many of you may be aware of the 'Juice Cleanse' craze going on at the moment, and to be honest, I love it!
From a family who has freshly made juice almost everyday of the week for at least the last 6-7 years, I am a huge fan. My parents had seen a tele advert for a juicer and jumped on it and since then we've been served with carrot, apple and ginger juice for a very long time (with the occasional melon or over-ripening fruit added to the mixure!)... oh, and for a change we'd have freshly squeezed orange juice too.

Anyway, the REAL reason I'm writing this post is to tell you the reasons why freshly squeezed juice, orange juice in particular, is much more beneficial than the cartoned juice. I am not a huge fan of juice in general, I don't remember the last time I drank soda and nor do I enjoy fruit juice or any sort of cartoned juice in general, but when it comes to fresh juice... YUMMY.

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice in my Summery Glass! 

You may know that food (vegetables/fruits etc.) in general lose nutritional value when they're cooked, by that I mean raw broccoli has more vitamins and minerals than cooked, such as steamed, broccoli, therefore if orange juice is cooked in any way, the nutritional value is reduced. "Cooked juice? WHAT?"you may ask, well, legally (in the UK anyway), all juice has to be pasteurised before sold to ensure longer shelf life and the idea that bacteria is killed. Now, pasteurised means heating the juice, which is basically cooking the juice, what does this mean? This means the nutritional value is reduced!

Therefore, store bought orange juice, no matter how healthy and high in nutritional value it may seem (I'm looking at you, Tropicana), it won't beat the freshly squeezed, legit juice. Also, the sooner you drink it after it is squeezed, the higher in nutritional value as it is said that the longer it sits, the decrease in nutritional value.

Moreover, many store bought juices have added sugar and ingredients that you may not be aware of, so you may think it's great for you, yet it's not. So, even though it takes a little more effort, I recommend freshly squeezed NON-PASTEURISED juice to ensure you're consuming the most nutritious beverages with the highest amount of nutritional value to nourish your body.

Woah, I feel like I said 'Nutritional Value' a million times in this post! Anyway, I hope you learnt something from this and decide to join me and my family with the fresh juice consumption.

xoxo,
BerryBloomXO

Disclaimer: I am not trying to say the juiced/cartoned juices are BAD for you, just that there are many benefits of fresh juice - and if you find that you crave some orange juice and don't have the time or energy to squeeze it fresh, by all means buy the cartoned version over that soda (try and avoid added sugars, though)... :)
Oh, and I'm not a nutritionist or anything, just a curious person who likes to research stuff! :D