5 Tips on Packing For Your Summer Holiday!

I can’t write the words ‘Summer Holiday’ without hearing my Dad singing along to Cliff Richard’s summertime hit, as I sat in the back of a people carrier as he drove my cousins and I to Disneyland Paris, every year. A lot has changed since then, and now that I’m an adult I apparently have to pack for myself and whilst I do go away for the odd weekend, I haven’t been away-away on a proper summer holiday for at least four years and I haven’t been seen on a beach, in a bikini for at least six years, so you understand my panic when my boyfriend invites me for 15 days away in the blissful sunshine of Mallorca, with nothing but hand luggage… 

Here’s what I’ve learned so far on my packing preambles.

1. ‘That’ plastic zip-lock bag.
   
   When you fly hand-luggage only, your friendly airport staff will provide you with a little plastic bag to deposit all your liquids* in.
   *Liquids here mean any creams, pastes or liquids (most make-up items) that must be less than 100ml and must collectively add up to less than 1 litre.
   Even though I don’t leave for another month, when I put my make up on every morning, I stare down in dismay and whittle my collection down in my head to ‘holiday must-haves’. Whilst I don’t want to overpack and be that girl, I’d like to be prepared for most situations.
   We’re flying with EasyJet and while most airlines only provide a 15x15cm plastic baggy - EasyJet go by a 20x20cm rule and my God, will I be glad of the extra room, I’m sure!
   
2. How much space?
   
   Again, when you fly hand-luggage only there are various requirements on the size of your carry on bags. Lucky for me, EasyJet allow two pieces of carry on luggage; one ‘carry on’ bag and one ‘personal bag’ - your ‘personal bag’ is considered to be a handbag, a laptop case etc and should be no bigger than 45x36x20cm (which has to be able to be placed under the seat in front of you) and your ‘carry on’ bag should be no bigger than 56x45x25cm; this piece of luggage is sized according to being able to fit in the overhead storage bins.
   Important as hell to Google your airlines allowances on cabin baggage before you fly - you don’t want to end up caught at the airport with too many bags.
   
   It’s the exact measurements of these bags that lead me onto my next tip…
   
3. Go smaller or solid…
   
   As I’m hoping the weather in Mallorca in the height of Summer will be aptly reflective of the season and be in the late twenties to early thirties (C) this means most of my clothing items will be substantially smaller than my usual attire (much to my panic)
   I’ve also cottoned on to the clever idea of ‘travel sizes/mini’s’ or swapping out products  that would usually be liquid into solids. I’m a panicker that liquids in my luggage mean leaking in my luggage, so now I solid where I can.
   Shampoo and Conditioner - don’t even worry. Lush have got the biggest range of solid haircare that you could possibly imagine so I’ve chosen Seanik and Jason & The Argan Oil for my shampoo options and Big for my conditioner choice.
   Sunscreen? Again, Lush has come to my rescue. I’ve chosen both Sunblock (a solid, in-shower sunscreen) and Powdered Sunshine (a translucent powder) for my trip and will pick up some lotion sunscreen whilst I’m there.
   Deodorants? I’m sure there’s a rule somewhere that you can’t take aerosols on planes, so I picked up a Dove Stick Deodorant; semi-waterproof and much smaller than a can! (Better for the environment too!)
   
4. Communicate!
   
   If you’re flying with someone, then perfect. Talk about who can take what; you both don’t need to take ALL of the toiletries under the sun. Also, if one of you has been there before (true in my case) talk about what is already at your destination; sunscreen, hairdryers, some toiletries, beach towels…
   The more items you can eradicate by communicating (a strange concept for humans, I know) the more space you’ll have in your carry on bag. Winner. 
5. IMPORTANT THINGS!
   
   Please, please, please find your passport and other important travel documents way in advance. Make sure everything is in-date and not about to expire any minute. If you need any Doctor’s notes for customs exemptions for whatever reason, get them sorted way in advance. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this one - but the panicky person in me, is panicking for you. 

That’s just a select few of the many things running through my mind as I get ready for my trip. Hopefully you’re as prepared as I’d like to be.
Enjoy YOUR trip, I hope you fly safe and have an awesome time. 

(Pictures used in this post are from six years ago. Am well overdue a beach holiday.) 

Time for Tea!

Deep in the winding streets of seaside Brighton, is the most perfect hideaway for the tea-addict within you. Many seaside towns can be described as sleepy or quaint - Brighton doesn’t fall into either of those categories. Brighton has always been fashionable and now more than ever. 

The Bluebird Tea Company is a small shop nestled into the North Lanes. It was there that I met, the absolutely lovely, Hannah and her enthusiasm for all things Tea related. Hannah is a teabird, or a mixologist in the Brighton store. 

Everything about The Bluebird Tea Company screams out to me with notions of things that I love; small, independent businesses who are succeeding and kicking ass in the mean time. The Bluebird’s website tells us that ‘they have so far built the company from scratch with little outside help, from packaging design to packing tea, everything Bluebird is developed by Krisi & Mike’s own hands…’ and this is so evident when you’re in the store - the store feels like a comfortable, safe place where you can marvel at the hundreds of Tea flavours, have your mind boggled by the staff’s vast tea-knowledge and learn about the stories behind the creation of all the separate teas. 

If Lush (where I currently work) were a Tea company, we would be Bluebird. Ethical, eccentric and easy going… 

One of my favourite things that I’ve learned from their website, is that they’re called The Bluebird Tea Company after the dreamy idea that a cloudless blue sky day is called a Bluebird day. Having tried their tea and been in the company of the staff, for even just a short period of time, I can say that the vibe transcends their creation and trickles right down into store. 

The Bluebird Tea Company & Mixologists - spreading happiness, one cupful at a time! 

Initially, my friends and I visited Bluebird simply to get a tea to-go, but soon after perusing their in-store menu I was intrigued. Having spoken to Hannah for a short consultation she realised it was our first time at Bluebird and was more than happy to talk us through some of her favourite flavours. 

“What’s your fruitiest tea, I think I’m more of a REALLY fruity tea kind of person?” I asked. 

The loose leaf teas are all kept in giant metal canisters up on the wall behind the counter and some  of the names could well have come from the inventive minds at Lush HQ. One of my personal favourites and I think slightly illustrative of me, was a tea called Dozy Girl (lavender and rose infused tea that helps you settle off to sleep at night - as if I need help doing that!) 

Every time Hannah suggested something new, I couldn’t help but gasp with excitement and hurry to give the tea a good ol’ sniff. In the end, I settled on buying some sample packs which come in at around 20g/about six cups of tea, I reckon and they cost me £3 per sample - or something super similar. 

I went for… (see if you can sense a theme): 

Candy Floss:
‘Join us at the fair with this sweet and scrumptious Candy Floss white tea…’
Ingredients; Chinese White Tea, Hibiscus, Apple, Elderberry, Rosehip, Pineapple, Sprinkles (contains Soya Lecithin), Cornflowers, Stevia and Strawberry flavour. 

Three minutes, without milk. 

Strawberry Lemonade:
‘Bluebird’s best selling fantastically fruity infusion…’
Ingredients: Hibiscus, Rosehip, Apple, Lemon, Orange, Strawberry, Elderberry, Sunflower Petals and flavour.
Four minutes, without milk. 

And just when I thought I was done, Hannah offered another. 

Enchanted Narnia:
‘Turkish Delight brew with magical rose and creamy cocoa…’
Ingredients: Rosebuds, Cocoa Shells, Rose Petals, Lemongrass and Raspberry Leaves. 

Four minutes, without milk. 

A sucker for anything with a literary reference, an ode to my childhood and my love for Turkish Delight and I am sold! Having been home with my samples a while now, I think I’ll say Candy Floss is my current fave, which smells just like strawberry laces, although I’m intending to explore them all properly. I haven’t tried Enchanted Narnia yet, as I feel I might be saving the best till last. 

Sam and I had an iced Strawberry Lemonade in store, and it was lovely. Slightly reminiscent of the Passion Tea Lemonade from Starbucks US but all the better because it was from a tiny independent store in the heart of Brighton! 

Whilst Brighton is quite far from where I’m living at the moment, a lot further than I thought actually, Bluebird Tea are active online and will deliver, which I am more than excited for. I’m also looking forward to more seasonal tea from them - I missed out on trying February’s Love Potion which looked amazing, but I wait with baited breath to see what the summer brings! 

(Hopefully, more sunny trips to Brighton with great friends and amazing tea!) 

Thank you to Hannah for being so damn lovely and being as enthusiastic as we were (we love tea, she loved Lush, it was a win-win) and thank you to my girls Lucy and Sam for such a lovely day out!