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.