Packing for our trip to Wales - My essentials

As I mentioned on my last post, our trip to Wales is just a week away now! It's time to for me to start preparing everything that we need to take a long with us. I have my pen and paper ready to start the dozen of lists that I need to write but I thought I would also put together a blog post of some of the items too. 

The drive to Wales is a long one and we estimate it to take us 6 hours to get there. Noah has never traveled longer than an hour in the car before and we think it could end up being a nightmare but we are remaining positive. I wrote about Noah's in car essentials but here are mine too. After all I am going to have to have something with me to keep me sane! 

My in car essentials-

1. My phone! Goes without saying really as it's permanently attached to the end of my arm. It will be great to be able to check social media and emails whilst my partner drives us there.

2. Under the Dome by Stephen King. Believe it or not but I actually started reading this book back when I was pregnant and I aimed to finish it before he was born. I kind of forgot about it even though I was hooked from the get-go. I will be taking it a long with me not just for the drive but to read in the evenings too.

3. My trusty old Nikon DSLR. I've had this camera for 7 years now and it's just needed for our first family holiday! 

My outdoor clothing essentials-

1. Tunic Jumper - With the weather being so cold at the minute I practically live in jumpers. This tunic dress is just my cup of tea, it looks super soft and would be perfect under a parka or other heavy duty coat. 

2. Cable Knit Dress - I know you either love them or hate them but I do have to admit I am a fan of jumper dresses. I like to team them up with a pair of thick tights and a chunky pair of boots. Perfect for keeping warm but staying slightly stylish too. 

3. Polka Dot Cardigan - I found this cardigan when browsing online, how cute is it? I do like polka dot and I think the print really suits the dainty style of the cardigan. I'm not sure on what colour I would go for though? 

These are just some of the items on my current wishlist but there is still so much left to buy so I need your help! What are your outdoor fashion essentials?

Packing for our trip to Wales - Noah's essentials

With our trip to Wales just a week away it's time to start preparing everything that we need to pack. I have my pen and paper ready to start our lists but I thought I would also put together a blog post of just some of the items that I intend on bringing with us.

The drive to Wales is a long one and we estimate it to take us 6 hours to get there. We have never traveled longer than an hour at a time with Noah in the car so it's going to be a struggle! I need to ensure I bring along enough entertainment, snacks and distractions to keep my 16 month old toddler occupied on the way there.  

In car essentials-

1. Disney Junior Get Up and Dance CD. We bought this a while back now because Noah loves Dinsey Jnr. We have found it helps so much to have this playing in the background when we are in the car. He will bop a long to the tracks whilst his Daddy and I embarrassingly sing a long to the words!

2. I think the iPad will be the main item I will rely on while we are on our long journey to Wales. I'm going to purchase a few cartoons and games off iTunes before we go so he has plenty to watch and play. 

3. Noah loves books and Spot the Dog is one of his favourites just like he was when I was a child. The books we bought recently were actually from poundland and are just the right size to fit in his tiny hands. 


Bluestone in Wales is a National Park which of course means it's very outdoor orientated. We need to make sure we pack clothing which is suitable for both rain and shine. Here is one of the outfits that would be perfect for Noah for on our "outdoorsy" holiday. 

Outdoor clothing essentials- 

1. Diesel Waterproof Coat - 
I swear by duffle coats when it's bitter cold out and this number ticks all the right boxes. With it's down and feather inner it's bound to keep your toddler warm whilst the waterproof outer will keep them dry. I love the colour of the coat too, a lovely shade of jade green. 

2. 3 Pommes Fleece Hoodie - 

This light weight hoodie is perfect for underneath a thick coat or over a tee when indoors. I like the style and look and it's something Noah would usually wear and get a lot of wear out of.  

3. Ikks Fleece Lined Trousers -
I don't dress Noah in jeans very often because I find them to be uncomfortable and they aren't very suitable for cloth nappies either (hello compression leaks!) When shopping I usually look for "jean like" trousers as you can still get the look but have the comfort too. You can find all three of these items and lots more over on Melijoe. 

Do you have any tips when it comes to travelling with a toddler? Or have any suggestions on how to keep him occupied on our long journey?