My skin looks grey and I need vitamin D

To holiday at home or away, this is the question. There's no doubt staying put the in the UK is a lot cheaper than flying a family of four overseas right now. Much easier to bung all your stuff in the boot of a car and whizz off down the motorway for a couple of hours. I'm a big fan of UK holidays - in fact followers of the blog will remember that I've recently booked a luxury lodge holiday in Devon, with its own jacuzzi, sauna and lots of things to do for the kids. My husband thinks it looks a suitably chav-free zone too, which is good. But - and this is a big but - the lure of the sun can never be underestimated. Everyone is cold. My skin looks grey and no amount of fake tan is helping. I'm longing to ditch my winter woolies. I need some vitamin D. I want the kids to play in sand free of runny noses. I need fresh fish and fruit. There's nothing quite like a holiday with some guaranteed sun. There must be a way to have chav-free, stress-free holidays abroad without breaking the bank. Is anyone out there?!

Do tots and cruising mix?

I wonder if cruising with pre-school tots is a good idea? I've been on a few cruise ships without my small people and really enjoyed it, despite the slightly odd look friends give you when you say you like "cruising". Family travel can be very stressful if you don't get it right, so my aim with this blog is always to find people who will give you honest, frank advice. If I booked a cruise holiday now (with a one year old and a three and a half year old) would there be a ship with high chairs in the dining room? Would "mature" guests recoil on horror as they see our brood approaching? Would my manic three year old be tempted to climb over the side and throw herself overboard? I love the idea of it, but need to be convinced that there are ships out there which are really geared up for the younger crew.

Trunki's: too posh to push

I've been facinated by Trunki suitcases -designed for stylish globetrotting tots - since I saw them on Dragon's Den (although they didn't get the money as Theo managed to yank the strap off). They're great little suitcases in bright colours with wheels on them - and a little strap so that whilst your tot sits on the suitcase, you can tow them along. What fun. All the Trunki's have names, including a "posh" one - too posh to push! I have just ordered one each for Hannah and Max in preparation for our holiday.

Bush Babies are a must for globetrotting tots

An essential item for any globetrotting tot is the Bush Baby rucksack. A great investment for "hands free" travel. It's a natural next step from the Baby Bjorn carrier and brilliant for holiday hikes or pottering through cobble streets. Travelling with a buggy can be such a pain. Bush Baby carriers are normally quite expensive but try www.nappyvalley.co.uk to find a good quality one second hand. Ours was about £40, about a third of the normal price.

Insider tips for travelling with kids

I've just booked a holiday. What a wonderful feeling. Particularly on a gloomy January day. Even more wonderful when the news is full of gloom. It's only the second holiday I've ever booked as a family of four. When you've been a child-free globetrotter for many years, making the adjustment to travelling with small people is a big leap. Since I had my first baby (Hannah) three and a half years ago Dom & I have been firmly in the family holiday market. We've had some very successful breaks (camping in the South of France with Thomson Al Fresco) but we've made some mistakes (busmans holiday in a remote cottage in Somerset). That made me think about setting up this blog. Having worked in the travel industry for 15 years, I know lots of people who are not only globetotting mums and dads themselves, they also work in travel. In credit-crunched Britain I think there's room for some no-nonsence, independent advice about family holidays - from the people on the inside the travel industry who are all mums and dads themselves. Insider tips for travelling with kids.

So, my top tip of the day is this:

Forget overpriced Centre Parcs (which is great, but too pricy for many now) and instead look at www.hoseasons.co.uk. A brilliant range of luxury lodges. The one we have booked has its own sauna and its own jacuzzi on the decking. I visted a few of the lodge parks earlier this year. Brilliant for kids. And good for grown ups too - I can't wait to drink champagne in my own private spa. Luxury for less. Domestic bliss, that's what it's all about.