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Cath Kidston Medium Wash Bag
by beautybabiex
I always end up with at least one Cath Kidston goodie from someone at Christmas time. I am very much a pattern lover especially as surface design is a career I would love to go into. I was pleasantly surprised when I unwrapped this from my auntie who is exactly like me just older! She knew I needed a new wash bag as I stay away from home ... a lot and have nothing to carry my toiletries around in.
The medium wash bag costs £12 and can be brought from the Cath Kidston website or from other sites such as eBay and Amazon or department stores. I think its quite a reasonable price for the brand and average pricing for the size and product.
Cath Kidston is one of the most well known designers because of her gorgeous prints. Her first design was floral and her first item for sale with a pattern was an ironing board cover. Since then she has come a very long way and is my idol in the surface designing world. I have done quite a bit of research into her for college work so ask me if you would like more information.
When it comes to sizing, it is quite a big size compared to what I would expect from 'medium'. On the website the dimensions are stated as being 21x12x6cm. This means you can fit just enough for a weekend away. I usually have a smaller sized shampoo and conditioner, small deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. In honestly, regular sized things might fit but it would be a squeeze and I'm worried about breaking my bag.
The material is PVC due to the contents being wet after use. For example your toothbrush or shampoo. The outer material is cotton covered PVC and it is all 100% so no other materials are used. To clean the bag you simply need to wipe it with a damp cloth. I would try washing mine in the machine but I am not sure if it will work without some form of damage.
The wash bag can be brought in a few different patterns, this one is known as the Spray Flowers pattern. The background is actually baby blue (the image looks like it is white) and there are bunches of flowers all over it. I like the fact the material makes the design seem almost faded, if it was too vivid in colour I might be a little put off it. I like the fact it is similar to her first ever designs as I am not a great fan of her more retro patterns like the stars and spots. It is traditional and helps to add a little vintage, feminine edge to my travelling. It definitely is aimed to be used by women, I don't really think men would want to be seen with one of these - maybe in a different style though.
The bag has a handle on the side which I use to hang it on one of the hooks on my bathroom door (or on a shower caddy at my grandparents house when I go up. The zip around the bag goes most of the way around so you can easily get into the bag without fussing. The zips all have a toggle with Cath Kidston's name logo printed on them. There is a side pocket too which I don't really have a use for because it doesn't really stretch much to put anything in - for now it holds hair ties and clips. There is also a netted pocket and the main compartment so you can split your toiletries up. It is quite spacious but as I previously mentioned, be warned with the size of everything you are taking.
I quite like how the bag is so waterproof as when it is in a suitcase or other bag with wet bottles inside, it does not leak or cause damp on anything else. It is also quite sturdy and doesn't break easily showing how good the quality is. Cath Kidston always manages to outdo expectations and I think it is by far the best brand for well made items.
The bag has so far lasted me almost a year and it is still going strong despite many uses. Wiping it clean has been no problem and the zips are still working as new and haven't gone stiff or flimsy at all.
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Luggage Suitcase Weigh Scale with Tape Measure
by l500589
I was given my luggage suitcase weigh scale by my mum and dad a few years ago, as they rarely used it, and my wife and I do travel quite a lot.
I was a bit skeptical about it at first, as it looked a little bit cheap and nasty, and I thought I would not bother using it much, but it has turned out be very handy indeed and it has had ... a lot of use over the last few years.
So - What is it?
Basically it is a handheld weigh scale designed for weighing a variety of items, but is mainly used to weigh suitcases and bags to determine whether or not they are within the acceptable baggage weight limits for a flight.
The body of the devise is made from a black plastic material, and above this is a large circular white scale, measuring from 0 - 32 kilograms or 0 - 72 pounds on the other side of the scale. A bright red pin sits in the centre of the scale, and rotates to tell you the weight of the object which is attached to the big metal hook at the bottom of the black plastic body.
To weigh an object it is simply a case (pardon the pun) of connecting the metal around the handle of the suitcase (or other object), and lifting the weigh scale into the air, which will in turn lift the suitcase into the air, and give a reading to determine the weight of the suitcase.
I have found this little handheld weigh scale to be very accurate indeed. My last holiday was to Turkey back in August, and we had a 15 kg limit in our cases for a 10 day holiday which was always going to be a bit on the tight side - especially for my wife who likes to take the kitchen sink with her usually!
By using this handheld scale, I was able to make sure that each suitcase was fully loaded right up to the 15 kg limit, making use of every bit of weight that I could, but without going over and risking a penalty fee at the airport, which I believe can be as much as £10 per Kg over weight!!!
Once we got to the airport our cases both weighed 14.9 kg, so this shows that the scale is pretty accurate. Other people in our party were having to mess about changing luggage around from their cases and hand luggage, and putting extra layers of clothing on in an attempt to try and get within the acceptable weight limits, and this scale saved us from having to go through that drama.
Another little feature of the handheld weighing scale is that it has a built in tape measure at the bottom of it. This tape measure is retractable, and can measure up to 1 meter or 39 inches if preferred. This is designed primarily for measuring the dimensions of hand luggage to check that it is within the constraints set out for the airplane cabins.
Overall it is a useful little gadget to own. I was lucky enough to be given mine as a gift, but they are relatively cheap to buy at around £3 from places like Amazon. They would make an ideal gift for anyone who travels a lot, and they are nice and lightweight, and so they are easy to take away with you, to use for re-weighing the cases on the return journey, in the event that the case is fuller due to buying clothes, gifts, or duty free etc.
It can be quite heavy to lift the weigh scale and the case into the air, and read what the scale is indicating at the same time, so it is easier to have one person lifting, and the other person looking for the weight. The hook is very strong, and as long as the suitcase in question has a suitable handle, then the hook will stay in place very well as the case is lifted into the air.
In summary it is very useful, and does save a lot of hassle at the airport for a cheap purchase price.
Thanks for reading.
© L500589 2011
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Superdrug Clear PVC Vanity Bag
by January
Packing to go away on a short break or long holiday is always a little stressful and lots of times I have packed my bag the night before and woke up thinking, have I remembered to pack everything.
Then I saw this Superdrug Clear PVC Vanity Bag for £3.00 in Superdrug and tyhought it was a great idea for anyone like me who is ... forgetful about what beauty products and toiletries you have packed as you can see through the clear PVC package.
It's a very basic design with two zippers which go around the top of the lid and meet in the middle, these can be locked together if you have a small padlock to keep your make up or jewellery safe whilst traveling.
I like this as it is cheap and cheeful and does the job it's made for.
It stands 12.5cm high and is 17cm wide, so you can fit a few items in it. I like to buy the mini beauty products which you can get in the Savers shops and then I can get more items in the clear bag.
For travelling this is a good bag to use as you can wipe it clean if you have any spillages in transit.
It holds a few beauty products, face cloth, face wipes, toothpaste and other assessories you may need on your travels.
I can recommend this to you if your looking for a handy vanity bag to take with you on a journey as this one is usually always in stock in the store and you can also buy them online at the super drug site.
For me, it has been an assest when I'm packing to go away so it gets my vote of aproval.
Cheap and cheerful and easy to clean, a simple design for a handy product that although it only cost £3.
I have used it many times over the past year when I have been camping and going to stay at friend's houses. It also keeps your things dry when your camping if your bag happens to get wet in a down pour.
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