How to help a premature baby? Buy an Octopus!

How to help a premature baby? Buy an Octopus!

How to help a premature baby? Buy an Octopus!

Today I wanted to draw your attention to a wonderful project which is helping comfort premature babies whilst they are still in hospital. As the mum of a preemie I wish my son had one of these as I hated leaving him each night. 

Marta, a friend of mine set this up herself to help a friend who had a premature baby. The initiative is growing and needs a bit of assistance to keep offering this vital service to bambini! Have a read about why an Octopus is such a little life saver! 

Read More

Reasons To Visit Lake Charles, Louisiana

Reasons To Visit Lake Charles, Louisiana

Reasons To Visit Lake Charles, Louisiana

If you are currently in the process of planning your next holiday or you are simply fantasizing about where you should visit next, one place that is certainly worth considering is Louisiana. Lake Charles in Louisiana, in particular, is a stunning spot. Read on to discover some of the different reasons why you should take a trip to this part of the world

Read More

Which is the most beautiful Italian lake of them all?

Which is the most beautiful Italian lake of them all?

I wish it was that simple to look in a magic mirror and be told which Italian lake is the most stunning and should be your next holiday destination!

I've been to many of the Northern Italian lakes. Como, Garda, Trasimeno, Lugano. They all have a certain beauty to them. Their own personality.

Read More

Locanda Sant Anna: An Italian Hidden Gem (#Dolcevitabloggers)

Locanda Sant Anna: An Italian Hidden Gem (#Dolcevitabloggers)

An Italian Hidden Gem (#Dolcevitabloggers)

There are some places you want to keep for yourself. But then you can't believe somewhere so wonderful exists and really want to share!

So I'm going to be sharing a restaurant and hotel. Except it's not just any hotel, to us anyway. As this hotel is where we ended up having our wedding reception. 

Read More

Best place to stay on Lake Maggiore

Best place to stay on Lake Maggiore

As most of you know by now, we are huge fans of the Italian lake region. We've been holidaying and visiting family around Lake Como for 12 years. We were married there, our babies were baptised there and we really feel like it's a home from home.

However recently we were persuaded by Jo of Bookings For You to consider a different lake for our next holiday. Lake Maggiore.

Read More

#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #7 June 2018 - Hidden Gems

#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #7 June 2018 - Hidden Gems

June: Hidden Gems

For the June #DolceVitaBloggers link up topic, we’re asking you to spill the beans on your favorite Italian hidden gem! Your hidden gem could be anything that you think is too good to be kept secret any longer, such as a town, a beach, a restaurant, a shop, an Italian wine, a made in Italy product, a recipe or dish….the options are endless! Give your Italian hidden gem the love and attention it deserves. Shout it from the rooftops!

Read More

What to do in May Half Term?

What to do in May Half Term?

What to do in May Half Term?

Some of you will be looking forward to the May Half Term holidays. Others will be dreading them! What to do with little ones for a whole week. How to keep them occupied and not bored or bickering.

How to stop it costing a fortune?! It can be tempting to book holiday clubs, but they can be expensive and some children will not want to be out all day, every day of their holidays. Mine are tired already! And you might actually want to see them too!

So how do you find a balance?

I asked lots of experts! Yes that means mothers! What they are planning this May Half Term and what they can recommend.

Have a read, we have got you covered!

Read More

Summer events in Italy - Turin Epicurean Capital

Summer events in Italy - Turin Epicurean Capital

What is Turin Epicurean Capital?

Turin Epicurean Capital is a 3 day event in Turin, Italy. The year 2018 marks the 5th edition of the festival and it will take place from 20-22nd June. I organize the event to help promote Turin and shed some light on our beautiful royal city that is still pretty much under the radar despite most famous Italian brands and products being born right here.

Read More

4 Italian cheeses to try this Summer

4 Italian cheeses to try this Summer

4 Italian cheeses to try this Summer

Who loves great meals with friends? Cheese, wine and conversation? I feel like the older I get the more I crave this than chocolate and dancing!

Before my children arrived I would head out into London with my girl friends for dinner and the highlight of our meal was always the cheese board and wine! 

Now I'm married to an Italian, cheese indulgence has taken on a new meaning! There are so many incredible varieties to try but where do you start and what can you pair them with? 

Read More

12 Perfect Holiday Villas in Italy

12 Perfect Holiday Villas in Italy

12 Perfect Holiday Villas in Italy

Today we have a fantastic Guest Post from Jo Mackay, founder of Italian Villa rental company Bookings For You. Jo has kindly gathered together 12 beautiful villas which all suit different types of holidays. Have a read and find the perfect break for your family and friends.

Read More

Making Travel With Kids as Stress-Free as Possible

Making Travel With Kids as Stress-Free as Possible

Making Travel With Kids as Stress-Free as Possible

Travel with kids can be brilliant too! There’s nothing better than seeing your little one’s eyes widen with wonder as they take off on a plane for the first time, or the joy that brightens their faces as they splash about in pools, build sandcastles and search for pretty shells on beaches.

Read More

French Bilingual Children's Books - Week #14

French Bilingual Children's Books - Week #14

French Bilingual Children's Books

Bilingual Children - Week #14

This week on our Bilingual Children series I've decided to focus on the French language. 

Hopefully this will be useful as many families will have French as one of their home languages. However even if your family is monolingual this is one of the first languages English speaking children learn at school.

I've put together a list of resources for different age groups, which will help you introduce French at home, should you wish to! 

Read More

5 Italian Words or Phrases (#DolceVitaBloggers)

5 Italian Words or Phrases (#DolceVitaBloggers)

5 Italian Words or Phrases (#DolceVitaBloggers)

This month at Dolce Vita Bloggers we're writing about our 5 Favourite Italian Words or Phrases!

It's pretty hard to pick just five as you come across so many wonderful words when you study languages. 

These are mine, although I had to do words AND phrases as there were too many! 

Read More

#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #6 May 2018 - 5 Italian Words

#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #6 May 2018 - 5 Italian Words

May: 5 Favourite Italian Words/Phrases and How to Use Them

This month on #DolceVitaBloggers we're looking for your 5 Favourite Italian Words or Phrases! This can be anything you love, something unusual even something naughty! Definitely something we were unlikely to learn in a class!

We're really excited to read your suggestions and learn some new vocabulary ourselves! 

Read More

Protein Packed Pasta Alternative

Protein Packed Pasta Alternative

Protein Packed Pasta Alternative

Alternative pasta is a growing trend in the food industry at the moment. You may have seen some unusual colours making their way into the pasta aisle at the supermarket and wondered if you should give them a try.

As a family who consume a considerable amount of pasta we have also been dabbling in these new varieties!

Read More

Easy Ways To Get Kids To Love History

Easy Ways To Get Kids To Love History

Easy Ways To Get Kids To Love History

We all know that those of us who don’t learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. But while each and every one of us can benefit from a greater knowledge and understanding of history, it’s especially beneficial to our kids. The world seems so new to kids that it’s important to educate them in the ways of those who have come before. The study of history has a range of benefits for kids.

Read More

Tips For Submitting Minority Language to Memory

Tips For Submitting Minority Language to Memory

Bilingual Children - Week #13

All words are equal, but some words are more equal than others

When I started attaching a word of the day to the front door before going to work, back in September 2016. I didn’t have a real plan: I didn’t know how long it would have lasted for, I didn’t focused on any particular group of words.

I didn’t set a target . It was only my genuine desire to grow my son’s vocabulary in the minority language. A simple yet unrefined attempt to boost the number of words he could understand and pronounce in Italian.

It was a Monday to Friday exercise and started almost by chance.

Read More