There are lots of things you find out as you get older, the things you wish someone had told you as a teenager, so here are my top 10.

1. The most popular girl in school isnt always the happiest. Be happy being you.

2. Boys arent made the same way as girls. They think differently. You cant change them, so find the one that makes you laugh and when he frustrates you - laugh about it.

3. Chewing gum on clothes can be frozen off in the freezer. It doesnt come out of hair!

4. Your first love will probably break your heart. You may never forgive him for it but dont punish every other man for it either.

5. Bus journeys are fun when you are 3. Bus journeys can be entertaining when you are 13 but if you have children of your own, a bus, a pushchair and some shopping, is neither fun or entertaining. If you get the chance to learn to drive - do it.

6. Your family is a gift. You probably wont appreciate them till you have your own children but they will love you regardless of what you do. Love them back even if they embarress you today!

7. If you make a promise, make sure you keep it, especially to a child.

8. You can prepare mind and body for childbirth. You can do it, its what you were designed to do.

9. Remember where a dogs tongue has been before you let it lick your face.

10. Dont eat yellow snow!!

What do you wish someone had told you??

We are delighted to have another guest post from our friends at Moneysupermarket.com, so grab a cuppa and sit down to see how you can save money on your holiday plans!

Saving Money on Family Holidays

Money can be tight around this time of year, the over spend at Christmas can often lead to a miserable January of budgeting and being frugal with finances but if there is one thing a miserable January almost always evokes is the longing for a holiday in the sun. However research by TravelSupermarket.com has found that despite our lack of funds us Brits are still putting a high precedence on going on holiday, with 96% planning on taking at least one break this year. Other findings of the research showed that the price of the holiday will be the number one consideration for us when booking a holiday, overriding other factors such as accommodation and weather.   

When you factor in a whole family to pay for then costs can really escalate. Here are some tips on how to get the most for your money on your family holiday:

Choosing the right destination

One of the best ways to save money is to choose wisely when it comes to your destination, if you pick the right destination you could end up saving hundreds off the total price of your holiday. For families with young children Spain and the Canary Islands have always been a popular choice due to the short flight times from the UK and these will continue to offer great value for money during 2012. Greece will also be offering its visitors plenty of tempting offers in an attempt to attract tourists to boost its suffering economy. For those who fancy a long haul beach break, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and the Mexican coast around Cancun are all offering great all inclusive package deals during 2012.

Be savvy with your spending money   

When it comes to planning the budget for your holiday, many people fail to include their holiday spending money. Doing your research before you go can end up saving you money, never change your money at the Bureau de Change at the airport as they can often cost you a lot more than if you purchase your money online in advance.

Another great way to make the most of your holiday spending money is to take out a pre-paid card, you load as much money as you need on to it before you go and use it as you would any other debit or credit card. The benefit of doing this is that you won’t be faced with the charges so often caused by overseas transactions. You also have the added security over carrying cash with you which could be stolen; whilst of course your card could be stolen you will need a pin number to make any transactions.

All Inclusive vs. Self Catering

Deciding whether all inclusive or self catering is the most cost effective for your family depends on the type of holiday you intend to have.  If you’re the type of family who enjoy long lazy days by the pool and don’t mind not venturing to far from your hotel then all inclusive could well be the most cost effective for you. If however you enjoy long days out where you might require a packed lunch going all inclusive may not be the best option – you don’t want to end up paying for food at the hotel and spend all of your time buying meals whilst you’re out and about.

When you do go self catering it can be easy to over spend on meals and snacks out, decide on your budget before you leave and stick to it, otherwise you could end up spending a lot more than if you were to go all inclusive.

Travel Insurance Options

When it comes to saving money on your holiday don’t be tempted to cut costs with your travel insurance, while it might be tempting to not pay that initial out lay of cash it could end up costing you thousands in the long run if anything were to go wrong whilst you’re away.

When travelling with your family, a family travel insurance policy can be the most cost effective, usually the policy with consist of cover for two adults and up to 4 children (although this will vary from insurer to insurer.)

Purchasing individual policies for each family member can become costly particularly when buying it straight from the tour operator, shop around on price comparison sites such as MoneySupermarket.com for the best deals and you can find you can get it considerably cheaper online, freeing up money to spend on enjoying yourself whilst you are away.

When I was 16, I went on holiday with three of my friends, no adults (well aside from the one of us who was 18), no responsibility and no fear. Throughout the following two weeks I have no idea how my mom managed to get a wink of sleep. I didnt think about this at the time, didnt think about it for a long time and it only really occurred to me when I had my own daughter. Can I just say now, there is NO WAY my daughters will be allowed to go on holiday alone when they are 16. So this is my message to my daughters ....

Dear Daughter,

At 16 weeks old - you are a tiny angel, with huge lung capacity and you had the ability to capture my heart from the moment I set eyes on you.

At 16 months - you are a gift of laughter, cuddles and trust. Remember, you can always trust me.

At 16 years - You will be strong, defiant and believe you know everything. I know you truly believe this but remember, I was 16 once and trust me, you dont.

When you become a teenager, you will dislike me.

When you become a woman, you can turn to me.

When you become a wife, you will think me old fashioned for crying.

When you become a mother ....... you will understand.

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Every New Year people make resolutions from giving up smoking, going to the gym, eating more healthily and paying off the credit card. Now there will be those select few amongst us who are determined and see these through but for many of us mere mortals, by the end of February ... okay January, the resolutions are a distant memory.

So rather than make new resolutions about the things I want to achieve this year, I thought I would do a reverse list of all the things I did achieve last year. (I promise you that this isnt completely self indulgent and you wont be here all day).

1. Theo Paphitis, Dragon, Entrepreneur and generally lovely chap, well he recognised the Little Lilypad during his "Small Business Sunday" which consequently lifted our profile - so for this we are most thankful.

2. We were featured in Vogue! Need I say more? (although I must clarify it wasnt a pregnant and naked Demi Moore-esq feature)

3. We received a Bronze Mumpreneur UK website award

4. Our Blog was nominated for a Mothercare, Gurgle Blog Award

5. I was personally named one of the Top 100 Mumpreneurs by Mumpreneur UK

Finally and most importantly, I gave birth to my beautiful youngest daughter.

Had I set myself resolutions at the beginning of the year, would any of these things been on there? Possibly not (well except from the baby), so is it not best to watch the year unfold and to take pride in the things you do achieve rather than berate yourself for the things you dont?