The items that I can’t be without during a city break…
I’ve been planning to go on a getaway for some time now, and whilst most will be jetting off abroad over the next few months, I’m going to be enjoying a staycation instead. After the drama of booking and having to cancel a trip to Italy last October, the thought of saving up for it all over again just doesn’t appeal to me for the time being. I thought about going on a caravan holiday down in Cornwall or something as I’ve done that many times with my family and it’s such a lovely break away, but I decided to go on a city break instead. I haven’t been to London in a while and whenever I do go, I never manage to fit much in as the travelling there and back from all the way up north takes such a chunk out of the day! I managed to find really cheap train tickets with a railcard (they’re usually at least £100 a person) so me and my sister planned to go down for a few days with Ru in tow just for a short break. We were originally going to just do one or two nights but now we’re going for three so it’s a good 4 day holiday where we’ll be able to get plenty of much needed relaxation whilst fitting in lots of the things on our to do list. So, today I’m going to share a few of the essentials that I’ll be taking with me. I won’t be able to share everything as the amount of stuff you need with a one year old is ridiculous – but I’ll be mentioning some of the items that I can’t be without on my travels…
Luggage
Suitcases can be so expensive and I can never justify the price of them when I travel so little, however Matalan have the nicest range of cases in at the moment and they’re all super duper affordable! I picked this purple chevron suitcase from their website and it’s perfect for a break down to London. I have it in a size large which admittedly, is pretty huge for a suitcase, however there’s two of us and a baby and after just putting in a few of my clothes alone it already got pretty full so I know we’re going to need all the room! This is actually my first 4 wheel suitcase too, I’ve always found they have been so expensive in the past but I’m glad I’ve found a brand that does good quality cases in my budget as this is going to be a dream to push alongside me when I have a buggy in tow too!
I’ve also got the Storksak Duffle in grey which is literally the dream. It’s lightweight and has a removable shoulder strap so you can carry it however you wish. It comes with a hanging organiser which allows you to put things into it, hang it up when you arrive and use without having to unpack it again. It’s perfect for mums and dads who want life to be made as easy as possible when travelling with little ones. It’s going to be perfect to take down to London alongside the suitcase as I won’t have to store this one in the luggage bit on the train and can keep all of the essentials near me like spare clothes for Ru and all of his bottles and foody bits amongst the numerous things I’ll need to keep him entertained with. It also means I can keep my valuables near me as I don’t really want to leave my expensive camera equipment in a suitcase I’m not sat with, I’ll probably keep my makeup in it too. It’s basically going to be my new baby change bag but bigger and better for travelling with when you have a lot more items with you, I love it!
Beauty
I think I’m going to do a post dedicated to the makeup that I’m taking away with me as there will be quite a lot I can’t be without – no surprises there! But I thought I’d list a few of the skincare and haircare bits that I’m loving lately and can’t leave at home. First up, I’ll be taking the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser as I’ve been really loving using this over the past week or so and it’s such a nice compact little cleanser in a travel friendly tube. A lot of my other cleansers are quite big and bulky so the packaging of this makes it the perfect little travelling companion. Another skincare favourite I’ll be taking is the Super Facialist Dark Circles Eye Cream, again this is in a small travel friendly tube and I’ve been reaching for it pretty much everyday lately as it’s lovely and hydrating under my eyes. The fact that it’s a product for dark circles is a bonus too as we all know how tiring travelling can be, especially with a baby!
I think I’ll also be taking my Tan Luxe Body Drops as I’m going to fake tan with my mousse the day before I leave but just incase I get some dry skin or anything that causes it to go a bit patchy, I want to be able to cover it up quickly and easily. The Tan Luxe drops are perfect for this as all you do is mix them with a bit of moisturiser and within a few hours you have a lovely natural looking tan! Perfect for if it’s warm enough to get my legs out and they need a bit of a top up too!
As for some haircare bits that will be coming with me, I’ll be taking the Umberto Giannini Frizz Control Styling Milk that’s probably my new favourite hair product. I suffer from thin frizzy hair and not only has this been helping keep it under control but it’s keeping my curls in place all day. Whenever I’m in London, I spend all day exploring different parts of it so a product that’s going to keep my hair styled for hours on end is a must and this is my new go-to! I’m also loving the Catch A Wave Texture Spray from UG too, it gives my hair some much needed texture and again, helps hold my curls in place all day! Hairspray just doesn’t work for me and does the opposite of holding my hair in place, so these two products are life savers.
Baby
Some toddler essentials that I’ll be taking include a colouring book and crayons for the train journey, a tablet with earphones and some downloaded Netflix films! Not to mention lots of snacks and juice. Sometimes it’s more convenient that Reuben is still in nappies as at least I don’t have to worry about him needing to pee every five seconds when going on a long journey. A few people recommended that I sign up to Disney Life so I’m going to have a look into that, I thought it was only available on Apple devices but it looks like you can get it on Amazon devices too which is what Reuben has so hopefully I can get it as he will love it!
Style
I’m not 100% sure what clothes I’m taking with me yet as I’m waiting for the end of the week to get an accurate picture of what the weather is going to be like. HOWEVER, I know for sure that the only shoes I’m taking with me are my vans. I have the old skool black suede ones and they are the comfiest shoes in the world, so perfect for travelling in as well as walking around exploring all day. I don’t even think I’m going to bother taking a second pair as it will just take up room in my case and I doubt I’ll wear anything else! I’m also taking my new sunnies that I picked up from Primark. Is anyone else obsessed with Primark sunglasses? Like they’re literally about £2 and my last few pairs have all been from there and lasted me so long, plus they look gorge.
What are your essentials for a city break? Any recommendations for toddler supplies?
~ This post contains items that were gifted to me and sponsored content. ~
