HOLIDAY ESSENTIALS: Mum and baby

We first went on holiday with Sonny when he was four months old and it's pretty safe to say my packing for that holiday was a complete disaster.

I basically took everything

we had and filled two huge cases to the brim with basically mine and his entire wardrobes, a bouncer, tonnes of toys and so much stuff that didn't even make it out of the case! My husband barely managed to squeezing one pair of trainers and one pair of swimming shorts! Maybe it was severe baby brain, maybe it was simply just not having a clue what a baby actually needed, but whatever, I learned my lesson for next time. This post is mainly aimed at older babies as Sonny is now (at time of writing) 11 months and I think I did pretty well packing for him this holiday.

If I could go back and re-pack for a four month old who was still breast feeding I'd say you need to pack very little. Enough bodysuits to last each day, about three pairs of swimming shorts and some cute outfits to wear at night. He still wasn't at the playing stage so a couple of Lamaze toys would have sufficed. We took so many nappies we even came home with some but you don't even need to do that, most places have nappies and wipes same as at home.

So for this holiday, here is my list and I'll explain a little where needed.

BABY:

Essentials that you never (well try not to) leave home without. Nappies, wipes, muslin, bib, sippy cup, rice cakes, change of clothes. These go without saying for the journey of course.

What I'd add to this is touchy feely books like the 'That's not my..' series. These are also great for at night because you want to keep a bit of a routine going so at bedtime despite the time, we settle down with a couple of books, then milk, then bed. Same as at home.

Baby carrier: We have an Ergo 360 which I love and still use tonnes. You can take them through the gates in this if you don't want the hassle of a buggy and Sonny will often settle better in it. We also took it out at night with us so that when he was getting restless in the buggy we could swap him into it for a while.

Travel highchair harness: Yummy Scrummy from JOJOMAMANBEBE. These are amazing because abroad not everywhere had a highchair or they might have just one. This is lightweight and turns any chair with a back into a high chair. We used this EVERY day and I''ll be taking it with me everywhere now even at home.

Beach tent: A half moon shaped one that's great for protecting from wind and sun and Sonny could take a nap in there. I bought ours fro Amazon for around ten pounds.

Baby hats: Absolutely necessary for the sun and even if your baby pulls hats off take some and persevere. Sonny would always pull off hats before the holiday but I think he learnt that they did actually keep the sun out of his eyes and now he'll wear any hat all day long!

Things I took that we didn't use: Hooded towel. I think I would have used this if we'd been in the pool (it was too cold) but basically you don't need a fancy towel, a nice big soft one you can wrap them in is fine.

Neoprene beach shoes: wouldn't stay on his feet. In fact the only shoes that would stay on his feet were strappy sandals from marks and spencer.

And now onto you.

MUM

For Mums like me that want to keep up a little exercise while on holiday here are a few essentials and also my make up recommendations that last and look great abroad.

Stretchy shorts and lightweight sports bras. A couple of each is fine and takes up minimal room so wont be a waste even if you never use them. I love Primark for these, inexpensive and perfect if you even decide to leave them to make room for souvenirs.

Soft scarf: Use it to wrap around you or baby. I took mine everywhere and used it every day and night. The one I have in the pic is from H&M and I love it.

Belt that goes with anything: Go for one like this that is plaited and so can be used at any length, tight around waist or loose on your hips.

Head scarves: This was my first year of using head scarves but now I love them. Maybe I feel like I can be a little more classy and grown up now I'm a mum!! My hair has a tendency to frizz so this helps tidy it and I have that annoying post baby hair re- growth that looks like a mini afro around my hairline so this just helps keep it under wraps. I love mine from Zara and New Look.

Cheap trainers or old ones. Again Primark do fantastic cheap lightweight trainers that you wont mind getting ruined on the beach. Perfect for early runs before the boys woke up.

Bare minerals Foundation base: I have two colours or the foundation base, a light and dark and I mix them to get the perfect shade as I tan. I find this brand is amazing for holiday skin coverage. Light but enough to even out your skin and doesn't clog.

Wonderbrow: A great product for filling in brows, lasts all day and waterproof.

Benefit Hoola bronzer: Shade that suits all skin tones, perfect for contouring with a tan.

Benefit Sunbeam: Absolute favourite highlighter for a beachy glow. Barry M Liquid Chrome is also amazing.

Collection 200 Speedy Highlighter stick: The stick is perfect for ultra quick use.

There are LOADS of other things I'm sure but this is my go to list so I hope you got something from it. Please leave a comment if you found this helpful or have any questions and if there's anything you'd add I'd love to hear it.

Upmost thing is to relax and ENJOY your holidays, these are precious times that you'll remember and look back on for the rest of your life. Take as many photos and videos as humanly possible and back them up when you get home. I lost a lot of our precious holiday pictures after I dropped my phone in the toilet!

Don't worry or beat yourself up if you forget things, there are very few places in the world where a supermarket doesn't stock everything you need. Babies are actually pretty simple, it's us that stress, worry and complicate things.

Have a wonderful holiday and enjoy making those special memories. x