Summer

Everybody has a favourite season of the year and mine is officially summer – why I hear you ask?

1. Flip flops – like most girls I LOVE shoes and I am sure my husband would say I have far too many (but clearly the truth is I do not have enough!). Of all the shoes however for daywear flip flops are my favourite and I love to wear them as soon as there is a slight hint of warmth in the air until I am forced by cold toes to put them away again.

2. Camping – if you need me to say more then please read this. There is no better feeling than sitting outside in the fresh air drinking a glass of wine and putting the world to rights. Then for hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows before bed and being woken up to the bright sunshine and sound of cows mooing. Bliss!

3. Barbeques – I love a good barbeque. A chance to get together with friends and sit outside. If combined with camping (see above) all the better!

4. Long days – I never have enough time to do the things I want to do. In summer when I get home from work it is still daylight for a good few hours and this makes the days seem so much longer with so much more time to do the fun things (like laying in the hammock in my garden reading a book).

Ah long live the warm weather….

Camping

So my next hobby I have a burning desire to blog about is Camping. Now camping is a little bit like marmite, there is not a single person when you mention it who does not have an opinion – they either love it or hate it. In my experience those who fall into the latter category have either never been or had one bad experience in the past (usually involving bad weather or insects) which has put them off for life.

Now camping has moved on a lot since I was young. It is no longer the case that after four hours of fighting with tent poles in the rain you have only a semi dry sleeping place where rain creeps in. In my view camping IS cool and great fun, provided you follow some important rules:

1. For the first few times go as the guests of a more experienced camper.
2. Always have a tent which holds at least double the capacity you need. Four man tents are designed for two people (unless you are prepared to be close – VERY close!!). I have an eight man tent for the two of us, which means for a weekend away I can also accommodate a couple of friends.
3.Luxuries are important. Don't take a sleeping bag – take a duvet, it is much more cosy. Always take a hot water bottle to warm the bed before you get in and cosy pyjamas are a must. Sleeping on the floor is for hardcore campers and idiots – get a decent airbed!
4.Take lots of warm clothes – being cold is miserable.
5.Essentials do include marshmallows to toast over the BBQ in the evening, hot chocolate made with real chocolate and biscuits for before bed time.
6.Choose the camp site carefully – do you want a pub on site or do you want to get away from all that?
7. Before you choose a tent of your own think carefully about what is important – go with a wishlist and do not compromise. A decent tent will cost you less than one week in a cottage and will last a few years. Mine would be this – quadruple the number of people for capacity, simple to erect (L don't be rude!), you can stand up inside it, plenty of living space, bedrooms at opposite ends of the tent, completely stitched in so nothing can get inside – not even an ant, thick material.

Now picture the scene – on a gorgeous summers evening sat outside the tent watching the sunset whilst drinking a bottle of wine, toasting marshmallows on the BBQ and putting the world to rights! Once you get drunk/tired make the menfolk prepare hot water bottles to warm up the cosy bed then when ready pop of to bed with just 5 easy steps. In the morning wake up to the sound of cows mooing and the smell of a breakfast being cooked on the BBQ – heaven!

I urge you all to try it just once this summer and see what you think – and yes that includes you Snaffles Mummy. You can't help but fall in love with the great outdoors this way!