By Cicely Jackson For Soren’s House
With the world slowly opening back up again, we have started to venture out more as a family (safely of course!) & have gotten into a bit of a routine when it comes to packing everything up in preparation for our trip out, whether it’s for a walk & a picnic, out for lunch with family, or a little weekend get away. Here are some of our essentials that make our lives a little bit easier.
Firstly, lets talk changing bags. With our youngest being 18 months & still in nappies, a bag to throw everything in is a must! We find the Large Sticky Lemon Backpacks absolutely perfect for use as a changing bag, due to the wipeable outer (we all know how much rough & tumble nappy bags get up to!), elastic bottle holder, & front & back pocket. Even better, all the backpacks in the Sticky Lemon range are made from recycled PET bottles, win win in our book!
Next up we need to talk about snacks!! Both of our children spend the day grazing, so a designated lunch box to bring out on every outing helps to stop (most of..!) the quarrels between them! The Liewood Arthur lunchboxes are our firm favourites. Each child has a different coloured lid, so knows which one is theirs & knows the snacks in there are to last the trip. Made from stainless steel with a gorgeous silicone lid, the lunchbox also comes with 3 compartments, which is perfect for my daughter who doesn’t like her food to touch. My daughter also requested this for her school lunch box to take on her first day of school so we have opted for the larger of the Liewood lunchboxes, the Nina; same design but slightly larger.
I don’t know if every parent has this battle, but we’ve been on a journey finding water bottles for the kids for use out of the house that a) don’t leak and b) are easy to drink from & that the kids actually use. Our whole family now exclusively use the Liewood water bottles. Myself & my husband love the Liewood Anker bottles, made form stainless steel & come with a sports lid & a steel lid, perfect for us to use & also to share with the kids.
Both our children have settled on the Liewood Warren Silicone Bottle; square in shape so no rolling away when inevitably thrown from the highchair!! Light enough for both children to pick up when full, a sports lid which is easily opened & closed, & most importantly doesn’t leak!!
Entertainment for our children is a necessity, especially if we are out for lunch. They gobble down their food so fast so need something to entertain them while we eat ours (still warm would be the goal!).
My daughter is 4 years old & loves everything crafty, especially sewing. She really loves the Wee Gallery lacing card set & this a brilliant mess free activity that she can really set her mind to & concentrate on. The set contains 6 thick cardboard characters & 6 beautifully coloured laces, all finished off a study cardboard box which is perfect to pack them away into & bring out on trips.
My son is 17 months old, the harder of the two to keep entertained while we are out for a meal, but the one item that keeps him entertained for longest is the Wee Gallery Press & Listen Book. He has always been very interested in music, whether it’s dancing along or playing with instruments. So the Toot, Toot, Boom book is right up his street & really simple for him to read himself. Each page contains a button for him to search for & press, playing a different instrument & accompanied by a beautiful playful illustration.
Knowing we have these things makes the mental load of packing for a weekend out a little bit lighter!
Luciana joined our team as a mum blogger in 2020. A dedicated mum to a lively daughter and a dog, Luna, Luciana brings authenticity and passion to every post. Her expertise in parenting and lifestyle topics offers practical, relatable advice for real-life situations.