Summer Holiday Essentials

The school holidays are looming, and while all that remains of my Summer holiday is a pile of photos and a fading tan, the rest of you are probably just starting to look forward to your annual beach break. 

So, out of the kindness of my heart, I've decided to pass on a few of my holiday must haves. These are sure to come in handy, whether you're jetting off abroad, or indulging in a UK Staycation.

The Maclaren Volo stroller

The uber-lightweight stroller took us straight to the boarding gate. Weighing a teeny 4kgs, it folds up really small, and the handy shoulder strap that makes it simple to carry around - especially if you have other suitcases to lug around too. In fact I found it so handy I’ve actually been using it since we returned from holiday, instead of our regular pushchair. It only has one seat back position, but that doesn’t seem to bother my little one. It also comes with a hood and rain cover for the inevitable English Summer weather.

The Morrck Splasha Beach Wrap

Lucia absolutely fell in love with this! Made from thick, soft towelling, it’s like a wrap-around robe the fastens on the shoulder. We used the Splasha every day to throw on her after swimming in the pool, or in the ocean. It not only dried her off, but protected her from the intense Caribbean sun as well. Once it was on, it was almost impossible to get it off again - I swear she would have slept in it, if I’d let her!

A Portable DVD player

This was an absolute lifesaver on the plane rides to and from St Lucia. Popping on In The Night Garden, or Roary the Racing Car also gave me and Danny some much needed downtime from a toddler who was bouncing off the walls with excitement from the moment she woke up, until the second she went to bed.

Green People Soothing Baby Salve

Lucia escaped without a square inch of sunburn - her Daddy and I were not so lucky! I’d brought the salve in case her eczema flared up again, but we ended up using it instead on our parched, red skin. Although marketed mainly as a nappy rash salve, I find this stuff works a treat on everything from eczema, to abrasions, to sunburn. I always keep a tube at home.

Baby Gap Jelly Shoes

Lucia just adored these, and they were the first shoes she learned to put on by herself (albeit always on the wrong feet). They only cost me £7 (currently down to £5 in the Gap sale) and she wore them every day on holiday. They were soft, and comfy, and easy to wear both inside, and out on the beach. Because they’re made of soft clear rubber, I only needed to rinse them off at the end of the day, and they were good to go again!

Finally, an obvious one - I couldn’t have done without my digital camera, and camcorder to preserve all those lovely holiday memories.