T+M's Handy Holiday Hints

Summer is coming - and who isn't ready for a holiday? Whether it's a couple of nights staycation, or a full blown beach vacay (in our DREAMS) we all know that packing for a family = so much luggage. But we've got your back and have the most holiday helpful collection of Travel must-haves in our range, and a few top tips that will hopefully take the stress (well, some of it!) out of travelling en famille... Read on for Team T+M's handy holiday hints...

1. Our No.1 tip is to invest in a set or two of packing cubes - this ingenious 5 piece packing set contains two large spacious zip up cubes, two medium sized zip up cubes, and a handy mesh zip pouch. Perfect for holiday packing, they feature mesh tops so you can see the contents of each case, grab handles on the cubes, and one of each size cube has a neon zip tape so you can differentiate what is in each case (we use the neon zip tap cubes for our kids stuff, and the other ones for our stuff)… It makes trips so much easier when you have separate cubes for items such as underwear/swimwear/ toiletries - and they are handy for collecting dirty laundry too which can go straight in the machine when you get home...

2. We never go on any overnight trip or holiday without taking a Raf Weekender (or two). They are a Mary Poppins wonder of a bag, that holds so much gear! They are great as hand luggage, or beach/pool side (they have water-resistant coating and lining) plus they come with a large clutch/cross-body bag that is perfect for stashing passports, tech, or anything you want near to hand. We even stashed potties in ours during toilet training times (the Raf weekender comes with a changing mat too, perfect for changing nappies on the go)! Lightweight and easy to cram into the car on trips - plus can be clipped onto your buggy with buggy clips, or using the cross body strap...

3. Cool bags are cool in so many ways!!! Our new XL Smiley Cool bag is THE ultimate family picnic bag - huge and roomy for everyones food and drink, with a cross body strap that can go across buggy handles, side mesh pockets for drinks/ sunnies/ day-out essentials etc, and a fold down front pocket perfect for cutlery/ extra snacks and more drinks! On a smaller (but perfectly formed scale) our Arlo snack packs are great for little ones on journeys - perfect to stash small toys, snacks and little comfort items for your mini globe trotter. We like to keep our suncream in the fridge and then put it in our Arlo on hot days out, so it's stays nice and cooling when sprayed! They have a clip handle, which we end up either clipping to our Elwood straps on days out, or onto buggy handles.

4. We do like to compartmentalise - and our Eco Concept trio of clutches will help to keep stress levels low, and small holiday items sorted. The clutches can be clipped together for organising everyday essentials like tech cords, toiletries and baby items into separate compartments. We separate the smaller clutch and use this one for holiday money/ ID. Designed with waterproof lining, they’re ideal for stowing wet items too - so are perfect for pool/beach time. They are a great size for slinging into a tote bag, or under the buggy and the main clip is handy for attaching the clutches to bag straps and buggy clips for easy-grab action.

5. We hardly leave the house without a portable picnic blanket now we have kids. Our new T+M x Smiley Picnic Blanket is so useful on family days out. Super soft and padded it makes picnics so much more comfy (and lets face it, more stylish!) it features a waterproof base and also makes an great portable play mat. The clip handle feature means it’s easy to grab on-the-go or clip onto the buggy or the strap of a bag for effortless carrying. It's soft and fleecy too so can be wrapped around like a blanket (perfect for freezing cold British beach holidays)

6. Lastly - no day trip is complete without an Elwood Backpack or Kaspar Knapsack. The Kaspar has the addition of a fully insulated side pocket (as well as a insulated bottle sleeve) which is the perfect size for stashing some ice lollies, cold drinks or water sprays to cool down hot little faces!). All our bags have water-resistant linings, and separate clutch bags that are ideal for storing personal essentials. The unisex vibe of the brand means all members of the family are happy to swap and share bags on days out!:)