Camping made Easy

You'll notice from the content of this post that is it completely unfood related! I make no bones about this: I'm also a busy mum with a little one which is why the food bits don't get updated as regularly as I'd like and there are other things I'd also like to write about from time to time. Maybe a different blog format might work going forward, but for time time being, if you don't want to read about potties, look away now!

I'm a recent convert to camping and definitely have the bug! A year ago we invested in a proper tent to accommodate the British weather with lots of room indoors for those grey, wet afternoons. Since buying it, though, we have rarely made use of it, as the four or five weekends we've spent away have been perfectly warm, sometimes even hot, and sunny. Yes, it has rained in the night once or twice, and we had to dry the tent out this time after returning, but are learning tips and tricks from other campers along the way. Last time we went, I forgot the potty. Now, this doesn't seem like an important omission. But at three o'clock in the morning, when your pitch is the far end of the site away from the facilities, with a three/four year old who's overexcited, believe me, it is! And a potty takes up so much of that valuable boot space. Luckily, we just about fit most stuff into the boot, with only an odd chair and pillow in the back, but are always looking to save space when we can. So, when Oxo said I could choose something to try from their Tots range, I instantly chose the space saving  2in1 Go Potty which retails at £20. 

It's essentially a small hard plastic toilet seat, with bumps in all the right places, and two side legs like flaps that fold out and lock into place, making it incredibly sturdy. I did worry that, in sleepy mode after not a lot of sleep, my LO might wobble off, or tip it over but, no, it proved to very very stable. The legs lock into place and you need to push the buttons in to fold back down. It comes in it's own bag and with a set of three potty liners. These, again, are much more robust than the standard ones available and are cleverly designed with detachable tags which tuck into the holders under the seat.







Simply put the liner into the 'hole' and fold the edges over the seat, tucking the ends through the grippy holes. When you remove the bag, the handles tie at the top and the bits you've tucked in to secure the liner, tear off easily so there's no spill. And you can definitely fit it more than one wee!

The only problem camping with it, is where to dispose of the full bag. At our campsite, there was no nappy disposal bin, otherwise I'd have put it there, so I ended up tipping the contents down the loo and popping the bag in the bin. 

To use as a smaller toilet seat, push the buttons in while pulling the flap legs out again to the edges and place over the regular seat. Again, this is sturdy and doesn't slip as much as you might think, but ours will be kept firmly in the camping bags, ready for our next trip! As it folds fairly flat, it will even pack in the top of a flight case or small suitcase too if you're looking for something to take away on holiday to a hotel or apartment. 

Disclaimer: Although I was sent products to try for the purpose of this post, all views and opinions are entirely my own, truthful and honest.

No excuses...only explanations.

Ok, so I must be coming to the end of the year I gave myself to complete this challenge and am nowhere near finishing. It hasn't been the cooking that's been the problem so much, as the time needed to write up the posts, insert and edit photos and, in particular, write up the actual recipe to include ingredients and recipes, even though I've cheated and linked to it online. I often find myself having cooked two out of the three dishes, usually the starter and main, and not getting round to the pudding: therefore I have several books on the go at one time, all in various states of completedness! Then it becomes a case of sifting through, seeing which recipes are left to finish off. At the moment, I'm two thirds through 'Jamie does...' With a peach Bellini recipe still waiting, and one third through Jamie's 'Cook', starter and pudding to follow. 

Anyway, there are no excuses here, just explanations. I know many of you find the sporadic nature of posts annoying, and believe me, so do I. If you were certain that every Monday, let's say, there'd be a new post, you'd check in and see what this week was all about. So, with that in mind, let's put this challenge on hold. Come September, I'll find myself with more time than I know what to do with, quickly filled I'm sure, but it will at least give me a few hours to write, edit and blog. I'm going to have Monday as my writing and posting day, ready for the week ahead. 

There will be posts in the meantime, and some may even be Cooking the Books #recipeasy, especially since I still have a couple with outstanding bits and pieces but I'm not going to race to the finish. I've got an Oxo mandolin slice to review, and, completely unrelated to food, a travel potty we're taking camping with us this weekend!! So those will be next in line. I can't imagine the peach Bellini and post will be far behind, especially given the gorgeous weather we've had over the last couple of weeks! 

Keep checking the Facebook page for updates, and if you subscribe to the blog (link's on the right) you'll automatically get updates with regards to new posts. And don't forget to comment below the posts...I'll happily answer any questions, or would love to hear how you've got on with some of the recipes, or your own creations. 

Merlotti x