Sustainable Living

Need Help Preparing For Your Self-Catering Holiday?

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With the pandemic lingering, going away on a self-catering holiday is rising in popularity.

A self-catering holiday is a holiday where you, as the name suggests, cater to yourself. This includes doing your own washing, cooking, and generally caring for the property as if it is your own. While this is desirable to feel part of a ‘home away from home’ ( and to ease nerves around interacting with strangers induced by the pandemic ) it’s certainly worth planning for.

What exactly should you take? Should you plan meals? What is there to do? Read ahead for a few beginner tips on how to prepare for your self-catering holiday.

THE BASICS

Forgetting the basics may often seem impossible, but you’d be surprised! Before you set off to your holiday or home away from home, ensure you have these essentials:

• Enough food, snacks, and drinks.
• Washing up liquid and detergent.
• Shower essentials.
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste.
• Chargers and necessary electronics.
• A smaller travel bag to take necessities along on day trips.
• Weather-appropriate clothing ( swimsuits, windbreakers etc ).
• Comfortable shoes.
• A first aid kit. There may be one at the property, but it’s better to be safe!
• A torch.
• Any paperwork you may need such as insurance or booking details.
• IDs.
• Headphones. Especially if you’re in for some long journeys!
• Toys, board games, movies, sports, things to keep entertained. Especially on family holidays.
• Optional camping gear. Even if you just have a camping night in the property garden!

MEAL PREP

It’s always ideal to have at least a little meal plan. Especially if you’re going away with the family. They may have individual needs to attend to, such as allergies. Some eaters are also very specific. It’s always best to ensure comfort and structure with a solid meal prep plan.

For breakfast, we suggest something simple as a staple. You could pack cereal, and have one day in the week where you have a full English as a treat. Also, pre-prepared packed lunches for day trips are a huge time-saver and go down a treat with kids. Dinners are always more complex as it’s best, and most nutritious, to make them from scratch most nights. Of course, you can always order in! Here are some simple, easy-to-make dinner ideas to help you with your self-catering holiday meal plans:

• Pizza! Homemade pizza is messy but fun. It’s especially fun for little ones!
• Jacket potatoes with optional fillings.
• A hearty roast dinner.
• Chicken tikka masala.
• A hearty pasta or rice dish, like spaghetti or risotto.
• Shephards Pie with lots of nutritious vegetables ( disguised in gravy for the picky eaters ).
• If you’ve got a BBQ, you can even have a BBQ night. Burgers, hot dogs, lamb. Oh my!

Also, be sure to pack seasonings. Also any other tidbits such as tea bags, coffee, olive oil, et cetera. Unless your property already provides them, of course.

GET COSY WITH IT

This may seem like a given, but it’s easy to forget items of comfort in the rush to pack all your basics! You’re likely going on your staycation to relax. Throw in a couple bundles of fluffy pyjamas. An adorable idea for the family would be to pack matching pyjamas! It’s an opportunity to bond, to laugh with ( and possibly jokingly laugh at ) your loved ones.

You can also pack items for a ‘spa’ night. Maybe face masks, nail care kits et cetera. You could even throw in some hot chocolates. While these extra luxuries are a lot of fun, don’t neglect your home comforts. Basic comforts like your own towel, perhaps your favourite pillow, and spare comfy clothes never go amiss.

Another idea is to bring temporary decorations. For festivities such as Easter or Christmas. This could really personalise the property to you and your loved ones, bringing you closer together on your holiday together.

PLAN ACTIVITIES AHEAD

On a self-catering holiday, the possibilities are endless! You can get up to a number of things in and around your short-let property. Such as, but not limited to:

• Arts & Crafts ie a painting night.
• Movie nights.
• Outdoor sports and games such as Badminton or you could set up your own Mini Golf.
• Board games. A classic!
• For the couples, perhaps a date night with a home-cooked meal.
• Plan a hike in the local area.
• Similarly, plan for a day or night out in the local town.
• Use family games consoles for a games night.
• Cook or bake together.
• Go bird-watching.

Intrigued about short-lets? Find out more here.