Before you go, consider the benefits of watching instructional videos, DVDs or games that can help you learn to ski.  Some include basic but useful information about how to use a ski lift, for example. When booking a ski holiday, choose a resort where the instructors are flexible enough to adapt their lessons to individual ability and skill: it helps if they are able to offer useful tips and pass on their own techniques.

A good ski school will both teach beginners the rudiments of skiing and also boost confidence. Staff should be expert at the sport and available to help and advise on selecting the right lesson programme, access to all parts of the resort, buying lift passes and getting the right clothing and equipment for ski or snowboard hire.

Remember that the standard of tuition can have a major impact on the enjoyment of a ski holiday. Excellent quality of service, access to instructors who speak fluent English and learning as part of a relatively small group will all go to enhance the beginner’s ski experience.

We have two sets of families to see and lots of eating to do (and maybe even the occasional drink), as well as opening our presents, can’t wait

The internet has revolutionised Christmas shopping for me and although it isn’t great for the high street shops, it a lot less stressful for me and my wife especially if you are trying to cart around two small and tired children at the same time.

The internet also gives you a lot more choice when it comes to presents too, and even with delivery costs I always end up saving money which is an added bonus.

The internet really does take the stress out of Christmas shopping.

The deal that caught my eye was a 14 night Caribbean cruise with P&O Cruises. It departs on the 10th December and goes to various destinations throughout the journey. The cruise starts from Barbados and travels to Aruba, Grand Turk, St Lucia and Grenada before returning to Barbados.

Prices start at just £999 per person and flights to Barbados fly from either London Gatwick or Manchester (an added supplement of £100 per person is added to Manchester Flights.

This looks like a great deal and I would love to go on a cruise with my wife, but it’s too close to Christmas for us as we have two small children to treat. If you are a couple who don’t have kids or they have grown up and left the coup, then this cruise deal would be ideal.

I’ll be checking back on the Imagine Cruising website again to see if I can get a cruise for the middle of next year.

Because we are looking to go to the Mediterranean for our cruise I quite fancy going a little west instead for our city break and was looking at New York. The bright lights of the Big Apple have been tempting me for a number of years so I think the time has come to pay it a visit. Autumn is probably the best time to go price wise, the closer to November/December you get the higher the prices tend to go (probably because of the magical Christmas charm you see the City has on TV).

A quick look on the internet has brought up quite a number of last minute hotel deals for New York if we travel in the next few weeks, which is ideal. I think I should be able to get a 3-4 star hotel room for two, for three nights for around £500. New York has an amazing selection of hotels such as The Plaza, The Empire, The Waldorf Towers, The Ritz Carlton and quite a few more that will probably break my bank account however there is such a huge choice in the city I just have to decide really on where we want to stay location wise so we can get around easily and see all the sights!

The cruise sets of from Barcelona and visits Valletta in Malta, La Goulette, Civitavecchia, Marseille and Genoa. The cruise is also full board so we would not need to worry about food, but we’ll still need lots of money for my wife’s shopping habit.

Neither of us have been on a cruise before and I think this will make a great anniversary treat for the both of us.

I went to the Republic website as they have some fashionable brand names and found a pair of Jeans I really liked so they went into my shopping basket, now for a t-shirt. Firetrap have some great t-shirt designs that I just had to have, one with a bulldog on the front and one with a pair of hands holding a crystal ball.

It came to just over £100 which is pretty good considering what I’ve got; I’ll be looking fashionable in a couple of days that’s for sure!

I’ve tried Mellow Yellow smoking mix before and it’s great for chilling out with friends, and with the kids away at their grandparents caravan there will be lots of drinking and partying. Need to get some alcohol and barbeque coals tomorrow so hoping it’s not going to be too busy.

I’m also going to rearrange the living room so that there is more room to play the Kinect, which is always a great party activity.

Bring on the sunshine this weekend and let the party commence!

I get most of my supplies from Shiva Head Shop and they are doing a great deal on shisha blends at the moment, buy 4 and get the 5th free! With 25 flavours to choose from I decided to buy 10 different packs to try out.

I ordered them yesterday and hope to get them by Friday as I have friends and family coming round on Christmas day and Boxing day, but I do have some spare if we need some.

Las Vegas is the modern world’s entertainment capital, where millions come to live life in the fast lane, if just for a while.  In 1931 gambling was legalised and this is when Las Vegas really started growing as an entertainment centre.  Gambling remains its biggest attraction, with enormous casinos and opulent hotels setting the scene for a fun time.

Despite its shine the city itself is actually fairly small, with a permanent population of 500,000.  Tourist attractions apart from casinos centre on family entertainment such as a giant circus, the world’s largest golden nugget and a Star Trek experience complex.  Yet it is not all superficial – there are plenty of intelligent shows and productions regularly performed in the city.

If you are not visiting Las Vegas to gamble, the chances you are visiting because you are getting married.  There is no question Las Vegas is the wedding capital of the world.  Getting married in a jiff is no hassle at all and it is obvious why so many couples run away to Las Vegas to get married.

Not to be forgotten is the desert landscape surrounding the city.  Mountain climbing is also a major attraction around the city of Las Vegas, which is probably not the first thought you have when thinking about this glittering city.