1. Cheeky Shoes are the perfect travelling footwear: soft, comfortable and lightweight. Made from neoprene they also allow for foot swelling that you sometimes get on planes, and the fabric also keeps your feet warm in the temperature-controlled environment. I was sent a pair for review and have used them camping, travelling and also carried them in my handbag to replace heels at the end of a long evening. So impressed was I that I ordered a pair for the Mothership who was likewise delighted. cheeky Shoes are bringing out a new line of shoes shortly and I await them with great interest!
2. PlayAway Case: I saw this case at the Baby and Toddler Show earlier in the year and was very impressed indeed. The perfect ‘replacement’ for the ubiquitous Trunki, the suitcase has been designed by mothers to be hand luggage and an entertainment centre all in one. The case is small enough to carry on as hand-luggage, so you stow the suitcase in the overhead locker and pull out the play section- hardsided but with plenty of room for all the precious things your child may need during their journey.
It has a really clever design and, because the suitcase is a conventional shape, you can pack it easily with all the things you’d need on a week’s holiday. We were sent one ahead of our half-term trip to Italy and dragged it on four planes through two airports, all with great ease. The handle had three heights which allowed for adults and children alike to wheel the suitcase, and the pod was likewise easy to pop out in the airport terminal- an added bonus is that the recess left when you remove the play-section- has a ready-made board game printed on it, with pieces and a dice contained within the section itself. No problem then if you are delayed en route: the kids will be kept busy by the suitcase.
Every case is supported by a whole range of quizzes, word searches, crisscross, colouring sheets, and games which you can download, print at home and take on your trips. These can be themed to wherever you are going, i.e a stay in hospital or holiday to Spain. There is something for everyone.
They are also designing educational interactive games which come out later this year and currently are available through the website for a fabulous price of £59.00!
I cannot recommend them enough: we will be getting a second for our other daughter ahead of our trip to Norway this summer and waving goodbye to the Trunkis.
3. Montagne Jeunesse foot cream- sent to me by my award sponsors at the BiBs this year, this has become a holiday essential, indeed a daily essential with the current UK weather. A luxurious cream that rubs easily into your feet, this has been infused with Spearmint which makes your feet feel lovely and cool as well as smelling fresh.
4. MP3 player– Moneysupermarket thoughtfully got in touch when they knew we were going on holiday and offered us an MP3 as part of their Inspect a Gadget competition. I’ve never really gotten over the demise of my mini-disc so wasn’t sure but picked up the player at my local Currys and downloaded a bunch of stuff to it. Crucially I downloaded a couple of audio books and boy are they perfect, not for me, but for the children that accompany me on most journeys, from car trips to train trips to plane trips. It takes a few minutes to fill it with stuff, to charge, all through the USB port of my laptop, and it’s so small that I can carry it even in the smallest of pockets.
5. Baby wipes. The secret weapon of parents across the land. Never before I had children did I imagine that wipes could be so useful and versatile. Obviously they are great for cleaning up sticky hands and faces, but they also can be used as emergency loo roll when they run out of it on your four hour flight (true story) as well as cooling you down. You can use dried out wipes as a paper alternative for drawing. You can also use them as make-up remover, shoe-polish, to clean stains and to get fingerprints off screens. Never go anywhere without them.
Don’t forget to check out the book reviews on my A Few Good Reads posts if you are travelling: there’s plenty of ideas for all ages of reader.
*Disclosure: all products mentioned were sent for the purposes of writing this review. Our opinions are honest.*
I LOVE the Cheeky Shoes and the Playaway case they both look fab, with a family of six we need to keep our packing to a to save on space. I shall be adding both of these to my wish list 🙂