I'd thought I would write a blog post on not what items I am excited to take on holiday but what items I have taken on holiday that's been tried & tested and  really impressed me.  I visited Croatia for a week to take in some of the incredible sights. Of course there was some sunny, relaxing beach days too. Below are some of the items I took with me that really stood out & is worth the space in my suitcase. I will definitely be taking these again with me  when I go to visit Majorca. 

It's great to have  when you are on a plane & makes a nice base for under your make up. I was literally spraying this on my face all day. It is very similar to the Caudalie Beauty Elixir but for a fraction of the price £3.50!! . I would even go to say that the La Roche-Posey one is slightly better,

It's a lovely colour & easy to wash. I didn't feel self conscious or embarrassed on the beach wearing this bikini. It is now a holiday favourite.

I don't like to wear too much makeup on holiday but a swash of this with a great liquid lip & a bit bronzer is all I need.

My hairdresser also said it works just as well as one of their expensive brands in the salon. I found a smaller bottle of this oil in Boots for less than £4.

Even when the colour has slightly faded, it still looks good. It's a matte finish but is so lightweight and non drying it doesn't feel like your wearing any. Above all else this liquid lipstick lasts a long time & doesn't dry up in the tube. It's actually good for value for the high price.

It is also great if you have tan because this will make it last just that little bit longer. Maybe I'm crazy but I think it makes your tan look a better colour too.

It's not padded but gives a great shape & is underwired. I bought this in both shades nude & black. Perfect for strappy tops & dresses or any off the shoulder garments.

I had a fantastic holiday in Croatia. I'd thought I would share a couple of my holiday snaps with you. If you are thinking of going to Croatia definitely go. I would go now as it is getting a very popular  holiday destination. We stayed at the Dubrovnik Sun Gardens Hotel. It was superb. It had 3 pools, a private beach, nice food. It is a little out of the way but that just  made it quiet & peaceful. It had wonderful scenery all around, so no matter what room you get you'll be guaranteed a good view. They have an excursion desk where you can go on some reasonably priced trips. We visited Bosnia & Montenegro. For more information check out their website here. Next stop, Majorca.......

In my second instalment of A Day Out To series, I went to the Red Bull Soapbox Race 2017.

The Red Bull Soapbox Race is for experienced racers or amateurs, to design and build outrageous hand made karts and put them forward in the race as a team. They get judged on points regarding the creativity of the cart, showmanship (the teams have to put on a bit of a performance before they race!) and the speed it takes to complete the track, and let me tell you, 90% of the karts break apart spectacularly before the finish line.

These races take place all over the world. This race took place on a very hot day at Alexandra Palace, London on Sunday 9th July 2017.

As the Karts go down the track, they are faced with about 5 drops/humps to go over. This is when all hell breaks loose and bits of the karts start to fly off everywhere if not break apart completely. It is hilarious!!
The karts are cleverly put together and are well thought out. My favourites were the Jurassic world, Donald Trump, the birthday cake, BB8 from star Wars and the Lego Joker & Harley Quinn.

The Red Bull Soapbox Race is a great day out and lots of fun. Gates open at 10.30 and the event ends at 17.30. I would say get there early if you want a good spot as there is around 20,000 people in attendance. Ticket prices for adults were £15.00, slightly less for children. There are plenty of food stalls to buy food. Just be warned there is no where to sit apart from the hill that most people gather to watch the race. There is a steep hill when going into Alexandra Palace, bear this in mind for those who are not mobile. I had to climb that hill on what seemed to be the hottest day of the year, and believe you me, that was a challenge in itself!!
The event is filmed and showed on the day a couple of hours later on the freeview channel Dave. Who knows, you might even see yourself on TV :)

This was my favourite Kart of the day. IBRIS project -  Jurassic World

As part of my day out to series I ventured to Lacock Abbey.  The Abbey has an 800 year history. A building that started life as a medieval nunnery before becoming a home for the Talbot family.  William Henry Fox Talbot invented photography. He captured the worlds first photographic negative. This meant for the very first time an image could be fixed on paper and reproduced several times. To celebrate this pioneering invention there a is museum next door to the Abbey dedicated to Talbot's work.

The Abbey, gardens and village are so pretty, untouched, and picturesque, it is of no surprise it has featured in many films and television dramas. As you enter the middle grounds of the Abbey, you instantly recognise the courtyard scenes in the Harry Potter films. The Abbey was used for Professor Snape's  classroom, Harry's first broomstick lesson and in the scene where Harry  first saw his mother & father in the Mirror of Erised.

Harry Potter is not the only production to film here.  Period dramas such as Pride & Prejudice (1995), Cranford, Downton Abbey and Wolf Hall have all filmed scenes here.

Be sure to take a stroll around the gardens. It features all the summer flowers in bloom. Take a visit to the nearby orchard and the eighteenth century rockworks. 

The surrounding village compromises of a historic church, little craft & pottery shops. A tearoom and a pub, The Red Lion Inn which featured in Cranford. 

Lacock Abbey is a lovely place. Peaceful, tranquil and full of history. Standard tickets price are £12.70 for adults and £6.30 for children. Visit the National Trust website for more details here.