When holidaycottages.co.uk asked me what items I wouldn’t leave at home when holidaying in the UK, it wasn’t too difficult to think of a few must have essentials.  UK holidays means we can forget about luggage restrictions and subject to items fitting in the car then they can come with us.

For me, my number one item that I struggle to leave behind is my laptop.  I know, I know, you must be thinking I’m a complete internet addict!!  Well if the truth me told I do miss the internet although if I was to go abroad I would go cold turkey for a week.

With wifi being potentially available on a UK holiday I always like to keep in the loop with what’s going on.  I know I can check my phone for this but I use my laptop for more than just being online.  I always take a mountain of photos when I’m away with the kids on the beach, the kids in the park, what I’m eating, drinking, the sunsets in the sky, the scenery around us, you name it, I snap it!  So there is nothing worse than coming home to hundreds of photos that need sorting, deleting, editing etc.  If it’s just our little family away on holiday, I take half an hour or so each evening when the kids are in bed to add all the photos of the day to my laptop and sort them out ready for my return home.  I then pour a rather large glass of wine to unwind for the day and spend the rest of the evening with the husband.

One thing I like to pack if staying in the UK is my own beach towel.  I know generally abroad these are provided but in the UK I like to have something that feels and smells like my own, you can relax and sink into them so much better.  Also I’d never leave the house without my sunglasses, yes I may be a tad obsessed but there’s nothing worse than going on the school run and whilst standing in the playground a glint of sunshine peeks behind a cloud and I’m stood squinting at other mothers.  The same goes for UK holidays, they may not be predicted sunny weather but you can be sure it will poke through the clouds at some point and I can’t bear the the thought of any deeper wrinkles around my eyes than have already begun!  Along with that goes the regulatory suncream and aftersun, if you have the room, pack it – nothing worse than seeking strange, expensive brands from local shops once you reach your destination!

Reading material is essential, ok, most of my time is spent on a UK holiday playing with the kids on the beach, taking them to a local attraction, showering the sand off them, feeding them and having fun family times, but surely somewhere in there I can sneak a bit of me time to read a few novels.  Being in the UK doesn’t restrict me to kindles, tablets and the like, I can take real paper novels, as many as I want, so why not?

Not forgetting the kids, they adore the beach, they want to play in the sand.  If I was going abroad I’d restrict them to one bucket and spade each that would be tightly packed within a suitcase, the bucket stuffed full of socks!  But no, on a UK break they can take an entire range of beach accessories, packed separately from your clothes – an added bonus!

As you can tell, UK breaks definitely appeal to me these days, particularly with young ones, I love not having restrictions on what I take, I pack what I want, take what I want and we are all happy!!

This is my entry into the holidaycottages.co.uk must-haves competition