January 09, 2020

Why Puerto Pollensa is the perfect family friendly holiday

January 09, 2020/ Kristie Prada

If like us you’re planning a warm holiday in 2020 but don’t want to travel too far, the Balearic Islands make a wonderful family-friendly option.

We love Mallorca and specifically the quaint and calmer area of Puerto Pollensa. Situated in a horseshoe-shaped bay with sandy beaches and whitewashed villas it’s easy to see why this is such a desirable location. Behind the bay is the Tramuntana mountain range, a spectacular backdrop with lush vegetation around the villas.

January 09, 2020

Dealing With The Costs Of Having Kids In School

January 09, 2020/ Kristie Prada

We all want the best for our kids, which means that we have to ensure that we pave the way for a happy and productive school life. However, nothing comes for free, including said school life. To make sure they have the best experience, you will find yourself reaching into your pocket more often than not. But here’s how you can make sure it doesn’t totally eat up the budget.

December 20, 2019

Tips To Keep Your Children Safe While Online

December 20, 2019/ Kristie Prada

The online world is not secure as we hope it will be as parents. Growing up, your children are going to experience a lot of activity with the online world, so here are some tips to keep your children safe while online and browsing.

December 12, 2019

5 Italian shows to watch this Winter with Netflix

December 12, 2019/ Kristie Prada

Last year I shared some great Italian films to watch on Amazon Prime. Italian movies and shows are a great way to practice your Italian and learn about Italian culture. And if you struggle to understand you can easily add the English subtitles and watch in your native language.

December 04, 2019

Christmas Language Workbook for Children - Free Download

December 04, 2019/ Kristie Prada

We’re almost at the end of term! I hope you’re getting organised for Christmas and taking a break.

Christmas is a really fun time to inspire your children to learn a language. There are so many characters, animals, colours and foods to talk about.

November 25, 2019

Time With The Kids: Date Night? Not Just For Grown-Ups!

November 25, 2019/ Kristie Prada

Life is so busy when you grow up. You have to balance your time between a career that is going to take you places and a family that gives you a reason to breathe.

The fact that life is packed with things to keep you busy shouldn't stop you from enjoying yourself with your children. Children pick up on it when we are too busy to play, or to read, or to sit and just listen to the gobbledegook they come out with. They know when they need to be quiet to let you be, and that draws it into the spotlight: you need time with your kids.

November 22, 2019

Test your reaction times with 'Driven to Distraction' at Kwik Fit

November 22, 2019/ Kristie Prada

As someone who does two different school runs every morning and afternoon I’m spending a lot of time in my car! Combined with running my own business it’s often tempting to try and multitask and answer queries or emails whilst on the go.

You would think as we all know it’s illegal to use your phone while driving that this wouldn’t be an issue today. However, the number of road accidents in which mobiles are a factor has increased by 24% in five years!

So how much should we be checking our screens and just how much difference does it make to your reaction times?

November 17, 2019

[CLOSED} Fabulous Christmas Giveaway with Silversmiths Hersey & Son

November 17, 2019/ Kristie Prada

If you’re worrying about what to buy family and friends this Christmas it’s time to find something special at one of our favourite London Silversmiths Hersey & Son.

I last wrote about this family firm for Father’s Day as they always have wonderful gifts for men, however this time I have a great Giveaway for you as well to help with that Christmas shopping!

November 15, 2019

How to cook Peaches and Amaretti; Italian classes with Cooking in Florence!

November 15, 2019/ Kristie Prada

In September I was lucky enough to make a trip to Tuscany. The weather was still beautiful and I enjoyed several activities in this stunning region, some of which you may have wondered about trying yourself.

I’ve always wanted to do an Italian cookery class. I’m married to an Italian and have had lots of lessons from Nonna and Zia (Grandmother’s and Aunts) however there is always another dish to learn in Italy as food is so regional.

November 13, 2019

How much Screen Time is too much?

November 13, 2019/ Kristie Prada

This is one of those uncomfortable moments when you have to write about something you know you need to improve!

I was asked by Vizualize to reflect on how much time I spend at a screen and talk about my findings!

If you’re someone who works at a computer or even on your phone you will know the hours spent looking at a screen are unlikely to be good for you.

My iPhone actually tells me each week how my screen time activity is going, if it’s more or less than the previous week and whether I was productive or just scrolling Facebook!

November 01, 2019

How To Protect Your Personal Information Online

November 01, 2019/ Kristie Prada

Your personal information should stay just that way - personal. So when it comes to the online world, there’s a whole host of individuals who are merely waiting for you to be vulnerable in order to steal your information for blackmail or to commit other fraudulent activities. Here are some tips to help protect yourself and your personal information online.

October 30, 2019

5 Last Minute Halloween Ideas

October 30, 2019/ Kristie Prada

If like me Halloween has crept up on you. (did you see what I did there!) .

For us it seems to be a combination of a late half term, Guy Fawkes night being around the corner. My two children have also been ill for what seems like the whole of September. All this has knocked me off my normally organised schedule and here we are, Halloween is tomorrow!

October 25, 2019

10 Best Things to Do in Tuscany in Autumn or Fall

October 25, 2019/ Kristie Prada

Although we all love a Summer break, Autumn is one of my favourite times to travel to Italy. There are fewer crowds, the heat is not so overpowering, but often there’s a warm sun. Local festivals which suit the seasons are in abundance and most importantly the food in Italy is so comforting!

Last month I ventured back to beautiful Tuscany and as usual, the break was wonderful but too short! There is so much to do in this region and it’s easy to miss out or just visit the obvious hot spots.

October 21, 2019

4 Ways To Increase Traffic To Your Blog

October 21, 2019/ Kristie Prada

If you’re looking to make money out of your blog then an important metric for potential sponsors and collaborators is your blog traffic, which is essentially how many people visit your site and read your content. The more people your content reaches the more valuable your blog will become, so if you’re trying to boost your traffic, here are five things to consider.

October 20, 2019

Our last #DolceVitaBloggers Linkup!

October 20, 2019/ Kristie Prada

Welcome to our last #Dolcevitabloggers linkup! We’ve been hosting our dear linky for over 2 years now however it is now time to draw it to a close.

We’ve loved reading all of your posts and will still use the #dolcevitabloggers hashtag for any social media posts. However, we won’t be offering a way to link up blogs and vlogs anymore.

We hope you’ve enjoyed sharing your work over the last two years, we’ve learnt so much from you all in this time and built a lovely community of friends which was more than we could ever have wished for.

October 11, 2019

Why a Tuscan Villa Holiday is the Perfect Family break

October 11, 2019/ Kristie Prada

Having just returned from a wonderful Tuscan Press Trip with a group of female writers you may think I would be booking my next grownup getaway!

We were lucky enough to be guests of luxury villa company Bookings For You in the small village of Monte San Savino. We stayed at their property Villa La Tornaie and were hosted by the welcoming Mansalto Vineyard group.

October 11, 2019

5 Reasons To Hire Help When It Comes To Moving House

October 11, 2019/ Kristie Prada

Moving house can be incredibly overwhelming and stressful, especially if you try to do it alone. Although it can be expensive to hire help and assistance, sometimes it’s the best route to take. Whether you’re struggling when it comes to time or you don’t think you’ll be able to lift the heavy items, you may be surprised how much difference they can make.

October 03, 2019

Beds For Kids: Best Boy And Girl Choices

October 03, 2019/ Kristie Prada

Once your child moves into their own room, one of the big decisions is choosing a bed! After all, you need to make sure the bed you choose is exciting and appeals to them, otherwise, you will have a child in your bed every evening!

September 26, 2019

Staying In Touch With Overseas Friends and Family

September 26, 2019/ Kristie Prada

It’s a big old world, sure, but it’s also getting smaller with each passing year. Indeed, more young people than ever before are living in countries other than the one where they grew up. While this is a good thing, and exciting for the people who get to experience a different culture, it’s not all positive. There are downsides. For example, it puts a big gap between loved ones. Whereas people used to live close to their family for their entire lives (usually in the same house), now they’re in different countries!

September 22, 2019

#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #23 September 2019

September 22, 2019/ Kristie Prada

September 2019

Welcome to our September edition of the #Dolcevitabloggers linkup! The Linkup button below will be available from Sunday22 September and open for one week.