Things That you Should Pack On Holiday But Never Do

We have just returned from a few lovely beachy days escaping from the Jozi frost and wind.

There are the obvious things that many of us tend to forget like toothbrushes and chargers and then some odd indispensable items.Here are some of the things that I packed (or should have remembered to pack that make life so much easier while on vacation. 

1. Extra packets to pack dirty clothes when you return. It is not a holiday if you do laundry. The exception is dirty stuff that you will wear again during your stay, like swimwear. Which leads me on to the next point.

2. Pegs and sample sized washing powder. Hotels always seem to have washing lines or clothes horses but nothing to stop cozzies from flying away.

3. An extra bag or two that folds flat. (Like those re-usable shopping bags). Luggage has an uncanny habit of breeding and multiplying by the time you return. 

4. A small first aid supply.

5. Ziploc bags (they should pay me for touting them so often). The big ones are handy for keeping things organized and compressed and the smaller ones for avoiding toiletry spillages. I also use small ones for keeping jewellery from getting lost in my luggage bag. I also put shoes in a separate flat bag or packet in my suitcase (but I am just weird and don't like my shoes touching my clothes).

6. If you have babies that use bottles, microwave steam steriliser bags are super handy and take almost no space. Even when we stayed at hotels with no microwave in the room, the kitchen staff were always happy to assist with bottle sterilisation.

7. I always pack a small bag with small new toys for the little ones... nothing fancy, but a new colouring book, little cars, notepad, mini board game etc which will keep them occupied for part of the journey will do wonders for your sanity. Also, pack in a couple of old favourite toys of their choice. This will help them feel settled at their new destination.

8. If you have a hairdryer at your hotel, do not bother with a travel iron- you can use the hairdryer to remove any bad creases in clothing if you really need to. 

Easy No-sew T-shirt Bags

I am sure many of us have old t-shirts that no longer get used and this is a fantastic way to give them a new lease on life.

I am not particularly handy with a sewing machine, but that is not a problem as these t-shirt bags do not require a single stitch. They are washable and eco-friendly. Best of all, they can be made in five minutes or less.

This particular bag is made out of one of Noodle's old dresses that she had outgrown,(one made out of stretchy t-shirt material),but you can use any old t-shirt (or tank top). They can even be made out of old pillowcases, although these will not have the same stretchy effect.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Using a sharp scissors, cut a wide opening at the neck (for the top of the bag, so make it as wide as you would like the opening on top to be). I skipped this step for this bag as the dress had a large neckline already and I thought the red piping detail would add to the aesthetic appeal.

Chop the sleeves off to create handles. Then cut lots of vertical slits all along the bottom, to create tassels about 3 to 5 centimeters long (you can make the tassels chunky or skinny, depending on the look you are going for). Cut the front and the bag simultaneously so that the slits line up.

Then all you do is tie knots all the way along the bag, tying each tassle to the one immediately behind it. You can make a double or triple knot for extra strength and durability. That's it- you're done!

We hung this one on a hanger and use it as a sock holder for Noodle's socks, but they also work well as shopping bags (a larger men's top will work well for this) or as holders for pegs, toilet rolls, toys, or anything else you might fancy.

No Sew T-shirt bag

Tassles tied together at the bottom of the bag