Holiday Essentials and Poolside Must-Haves

As I may have mentioned a few times, we’re off on holiday in the morning and thought I’d share with you some of the things I’ve packed in my case! These are all little bits that will make my holiday a little more special as they’re new and have that feeling of being ‘holiday essentials’. Although, if I’m honest my main holiday essentials this year are my husband, girls, camera, iPhone and MacBook. Call me crazy but I find writing and editing pictures really relaxing so wouldn’t be without my camera and laptop.

So what other little bits and bobs have I packed? We’re staying in a beautiful house in Provence, with it’s own swimming pool, so most of our time will be spent in and around the garden and pool - especially as the temperature is looking like it’s going to be in the high 30s! I can imagine, I’ll find myself a little spot in the shade and try and relax as much as possible with a five and a two year old. Here are my poolside essentials.

1) I love this bright pink body sculpting swimsuit by Speedo! Admittedly I normally shy away from bright colours but I couldn’t resist this one, the colour’s amazing and screams holiday!

2) This massive sun hat from Gap is a must to make sure my face is shaded all day. I do love the sun but I also know it’s not my friend, especially as I’ve started to notice those first signs of ageing!

3) My book of choice this year is The Temporary Bride by Jennifer Klinec. It’s based on true events that Jennifer found herself in when she travelled to Iran to learn how to cook traditional recipes and fell into a forbidden love affair! Sounds amazing.

4) P20 SPF50+ will be sprayed on every day. As I’ve already mentioned the sun is not my friend and I’d hate to come back with burnt/ damaged skin.

5) Yes, I’ve also got a new bikini!! Again this one is a sculpting bathing suit but this time I’ve gone for a more neutral colour. I saw this one by David from Patricia Eve and knew it would be perfect for my holiday.

Now of course we will also be spending some time sightseeing and walking around the local villages. Here are some more holiday essentials I can’t wait to pull out of my case…

1) This beautiful cover-up by Iconique from Patricia Eve can also double as a dress with a plain white slip underneath. I love the colours on this and how amazing are those sleeves?

2) I’ve also got these new tan gladiator sandals from Daniel, which are made of the softest leather and are so comfortable.

You may have noticed that I’ve included some beauty essentials in the pictures above but they didn’t come out too well, so here is a round up of what I’ve got in my vanity case…

 

1) A Time Bomb ‘Sun-Kisses Weekender Kit’, which includes cute mini versions of their award winning products; Holiday in a Bottle (that adds an instant sun kissed boost to your skin), Glory Days Day Cream, Take-Off Time Cleansing Cream and Take-Off Time Polishing Pads.

2) Molton Brown Japanese Orange Body Wash - I love taking a new fragrance away with me on holiday and this year I’m opting for this shower gel. The hope is that the scent will forever remind me of this holiday.

3) Philip Kingsley Swimcap - this is SPF for your hair and protects against the damaging effects of the sun. It also protects against the drying and damaging effects of chlorine and salt water. A must-have as I know I’ll be in that pool most days.

4) Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan Mousse - As I’ve already mentioned I will spend most of the holiday in the shade or under a massive hat, so my healthy tan will come from this bright pink can. It’s an easy, quick, no mess way to give you than sun kissed glow.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little peek into my holiday case. Now I’d better get to bed, we have an early morning flight to catch!