Thursday 4 August 2016

How to Survive Packing for a Weekend Away

As we're at a family wedding for the next three days, we need to be super-organised. I know, that's an understatement! So, with fingers crossed that I don't jinx our efforts, I thought I'd share some of our essentials and favourites with you in today's post.
We're starting the weekend early with a girly afternoon tea, followed by a family/bridesmaids/ushers meal on Friday, the nuptials on Saturday and post-wedding celebrations on Sunday, so we need smart outfits for the whole family along with all the usual food, nappies, bottles etc for the bubbas.


I'm a bit list obsessed and, ever since a model friend let me into her secret for last minute dashes to location shoots, I also take pictures of outfits on my phone complete with accessories. It might seem OTT, but it's saved me time on holidays, nights out and now when getting babies ready. It means the hubs and I can simply check the snap on our phones and know that we're not missing anything. Try it and you'll see just how much easier it makes things!


In a bit to cut down on bags (pah!), the tinies often share a weekend bag and I swear by Cath Kidston's foldaway overnight bags (similar). I love how cavernous they are; they'd give Mary Poppins a run for her money! I'm coveting their double decker version too though as it has an ingenious zip section at the bottom that's perfect for shoes, wet clothes and food/bottles. I love that, once you're home again, you can pack them in the pouch and pop them in the drawer until your next use as I loathe clutter and there's enough as it is with two children!


I'm a tad envious of how cute our littles ones' outfits are; while Holly gets to look adorable in either of her Peter Rabbit pink and grey dresses, Charlie will look super smart in his linen ensemble (similar). So as not to be caught short with the inevitable spills and mess, I've packed a spare shirt for Charlie and this adorable bunny romper for Holly.



Meanwhile, I'm sticking to one of my favourite shades, in a sky blue fitted Bardot lace dress (now on sale), nude heels and I'm swapping my usual clutch for a stylish changing bag which cleverly disguises itself as a gorgeous leather handbag (you'll be able to get your hands on one very soon)! The hubs is an usher and, as it's a traditional English wedding, will be donning tails with a grey waistcoat, so I like to think the whole family is rather tonal!


The Sundays after weddings are always a more informal affair, but I hate to break the spell so try to stick to something that is pretty and casual in equal measure, so have opted for a nod to romance in this lace top which I'm pairing with pale pink ankle grazers (similar) so I can still run around after our toddler! In fact, for Friday night's dinner, I sticking to the theme with a gorgeous blue lace top and white ankle grazers. When they're a weekend affair, there's always lots of photos taken both the day before and after a wedding, but invariably it will be at a meal of some sort, so you're bottom half often goes relatively unnoticed, while a pretty top ensures you look dressed for the occasion.

On a more practical note, there are a few parenting essentials that we'll be packing: in case we find ourselves without a high chair at some point we're taking our totseat and, so as to avoid expensive catering for a toddler, we're packing lunch for Charlie in his Pacapod feeder pod, including his beaker and snack pot. Although we'll be taking our Bugaboo donkey, so we can move around pram-free at various points, we're also packing Holly's carrier. The fact that it's a gorgeous soft pink feels like it's wedding-friendly too (it's actually called coral crab and is part of Babybjörn's watercolour collection). And, as part of the same range, we're taking our bouncer; it might seem excessive, but we take it everywhere as it folds completely flat and, in the summer heat, the mesh fabric keeps the air-flow going we'd be foolish to embark on trips away without it. Ours is a soft blue (my favourite shade again) and is called ice-blue fish. Our SnoozeShade will be handy if we find ourselves needing to carry Holly in her car seat as it offers more shelter than the integrated hood. Finally, an absolute must is a baby monitor (I really hope I haven't jinxed things with this one!) in case we manage to get them settled in a room for nap time at any point and for the, all important, worry-free hours on the dance-floor in the evening; we've already checked ahead to make sure our room isn't out of range (fingers crossed). We have two monitors at home, but are packing the one that plays music and has a light show. Although C isn't the biggest fan of the light show, the music often seems to settle him so we're hoping it will do the same in unfamiliar surroundings.

Packing done, we're ready to head off so I'm hoping my military level of organisation will have paid off!
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