A Cool Seatbelt

Now that summer is truly upon us, it's time to complain about the annoying hot things that may interfere with our enjoyment of the sunshine! One thing I've found is that, when I return to the car, the metal clasp on my seatbelt is boiling! The way to avoid this is simple - buckle it back into its clip when you leave the car, keep it in the shade and...

...hey presto! Cool seatbelt.

Cashback Smartphone Apps

Yesterday, I posted a top tip about using cashback sites whilst shopping online. A fairly new development along these lines, offered by cashback sites, is a 'snap and save' method of earning cashback when you are out and about.

All you need to do is download an app on to your smartphone which will enable you to take a photo of the relevant receipt. This should be free!

A good one running at the moment (until 25th May) for new members who sign up is through Top Cashback called ‘Fill the tank, save your bank!' You can get £2 cashback for fuel purchases of £10 or above from major fuel stations via their Snap & Save app. Fill up with £10 or more of fuel, take a photo of your receipt using Snap & Save and then you should receive cashback within 14 days.

In addition, I've noticed with some of these apps, you can get cashback for just visiting a store if you check in, so it is definitely worth investigating them!

The Perfect Picnic

Hopefully summer is well on its way and one of my favourite things to do when the weather is nice is to take a picnic to the park, countryside or beach. So I thought I would do a top tips checklist of the things to think about when planning for a picnic, so one can enjoy the occasion with ease and style! I find that John Lewis has a great selection of items at great prices, so I have chosen some lovely products from them to give an idea of the best!

First, make sure you have the right bag or bags for all of your items. I like to have a cooler bag to keep everything fresh and chilled and a backpack is the easiest and most convenient to carry.  This Joules picnic backpack is perfect for four people, with plastic and metal cutlery and glasses, a bottle cooler and even a copping board and wine opener! There is loads of space in the second compartment for food. Another top tip is to freeze bottled water, place in the bottle cooler section and this will help keep the food chilled and save on space.  Otherwise, try to find slimline ice packs.

Next, make sure you pack the right food! Keep it simple; anything too fiddly gets a little annoying and difficult to eat (especially if it's a little windy).  I find that finger food works best - sandwiches cut into quarters are always good, but there's sausage rolls, scotch eggs, cold chicken legs - all sorts of goodies that can be just taken out of the packaging and eaten. However, I always pack a few homemade salads, quiches or tarts and fruit and vegetable crudities and transport them in tupperware.  Pudding-wise, I tend to avoid anything chocolate based due to melting, but biscuits and cake always go down a treat!

Returning to packaging, it's definitely worth investing in some good tubs to transport homemade food.  I would be tempted to go the whole mile and get this fabulous tiffin box, which looks stunning, is sturdy and will hold all sorts.

However, for something smaller that will fit in the bag, these Sistema Klip It containers are great. They come in all sizes and colours, clip shut securely and are designed to fit together for space saving perfection.

Next, what to sit on? A great picnic blanket is certainly needed and I love this checked fleece rug. It's soft wool on one side and waterproof on the other and rolls up securely and small for comfort and practicality.

However, blankets aren't for everyone so I also tend to bring some foldable chairs.  This 'House by John Lewis' beach chair is great as it folds up and is lightweight, so can be easily transported.  It's also great value for money at just £15.

Other things to remember are napkins and/or paper towels which keep everyone and everything clean and tidy and also help if there are any spills. I also ensure I have several plastic carrier bags to put all the rubbish in at the end. There's nothing worse than leaving a place in a mess following a picnic. Final top tip, if there is nowhere to place the rubbish, take it home!

Forgotten something?

How many times have I gone out and, half way to my destination, I start panicking about whether I have switched off the iron or my straighteners or something else that may set the house on fire?  A lot; certainly more often than I would hope!

I spotted these personalised mats on Ebay which I think are quite brilliant!  You can get any message you want, but I like this one...

A great way to remember to turn everything off before you leave the house!

Keeping the car clean & tidy

Travelling by car means there is always rubbish by the end of it, whether it be car park tickets, food packets, tissues etc etc and it's really annoying to not have anywhere to store it during the journey.  A nice idea is to use a spare cereal container, line with a plastic bag, and place in one of the footrests.  It can then be easily used but also sealed to stop spills and smells, and then items dispensed of quickly and effortlessly at the end of the trip.

Did you know....?

Ever get confused about which side the petrol needs to go in the car?  I do!  Or if you're a bit more with it than me, you may wonder if you are driving an unfamiliar vehicle like a rental car.  Well, I've just discovered that there is usually a little arrow or triangle on the petrol gauge of the dashboard which points to the side where the tank is located! D'oh!

Protect your wine!

Travelling somewhere with wine and are worried about the bottle smashing in transit?  Why not use an inflated child's swimming armband to protect it?

Perfect for those cheeky weekend getaways!