Things I have bought, used and would recommend to everyone
If you follow me on my Instagram Stories, you will see that I share links to items I have purchased and could be of interest to others.
This is an ongoing – and fairly random – list of things I have bought, used and would recommend. It includes useful finds for the house, travelling, children and fashion, as well as books and magazines.
I will add new finds as I come across them and remove anything that is no longer available or relevant.
My shopping list covers:
Fashion
Mango Sienna straight-leg jeans
I bought the Mango Sienna jeans in brown this season, as brown is very much the colour at the moment.
My first pair was denim and I bought them three years ago. I still wear them regularly and have since added a second denim wash, black and beige – followed by this year’s brown pair. The only ones I have replaced were the black jeans, after two years of repeated wear and washing.
They have a flattering straight-leg shape and fit particularly well if you are shorter. I am 160cm (just under 5ft 3in) and can wear them without any alterations, which is unusual for me.
They cost under €30 – roughly one zero less than many of the jeans I bought previously – and I can absolutely recommend them.
Mango striped trousers
When I went to Mango to buy the brown Sienna jeans, I spotted these striped trousers and couldn’t resist them.
They are not exactly the same cut as the Sienna jeans, but they fit very nicely. They are more trend-led and I may not wear them forever, but I intend to enjoy them throughout the coming season.
When the time comes, I will retire them to my Vinted profile for somebody else to enjoy.
Margaux leather sandals
I lived in these sandals all summer—they are pictured here in Crete. Designed in the USA and handmade in Spain, they are beautifully made, go with almost everything and, most importantly, are incredibly comfortable. I may well buy them in more colours.
Books & Magazines
Cabana Magazine subscription
I love receiving my copy of Cabana Magazine every six months. The content is properly considered, but the fabric covers are part of the pleasure too.
Each edition features a collection of fabric covers created with a particular fashion house. Recent examples include Valentino and Brunello Cucinelli. Several different covers are produced and you don’t know which one you will receive.
At around €50 including delivery, it is also rather good value. Past editions have a surprisingly strong resale value, although mine tend to remain on the coffee table as part of the room. A subscription – or an individual edition – also makes a lovely hostess gift.
Start With Yourself by Emma Grede
There is something about Emma Grede that I really like. This particular clip from a recent interview explains some of it better than I can.
I am not usually drawn to self-help books, and anything promising to make me a millionaire is likely to have the opposite effect. Start With Yourself isn’t that. It is Emma’s own story – where she came from, how she built her businesses and what she learnt along the way – and it is fascinating to read.
Home & Travel
Cosmic Saona bathroom dispensers
I had been looking for ‘attractive’ dispensers for decanting shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, and tried several before finding the Cosmic Saona range.
Cosmic is a Spanish bathroom brand and the quality is excellent. We chose the Saona dispensers because the wide pump is easy to use and the colour matched our bathrooms perfectly – but other colours are available. Ours have now been in daily use for a year and are still going strong.
Custom water-resistant labels from Etsy
Having also tried a few disastrous labels, I found an Etsy seller who customised these for us.
They are actually intended to be water-resistant luggage tags, but work brilliantly for labelling our shower gel, shampoo and conditioner dispensers. Ours have been in place for six months and we haven’t had a single issue with them.
REA hand bidet shower with Hansgrohe white hose
All our bathroom fittings are matt white by Hansgrohe. They are understated and have been brilliant in an area with so much limescale.
The exception is the handheld bidet shower. I could only find a suitable white version with both hot and cold water controls from Rea. We were very pleased with it, but its original metal hose eventually rusted.
After a long search, I finally found the missing link: this Hansgrohe Designflex white shower hose in the 1.25-metre length. It fits the REA bidet shower perfectly and is short enough not to leave an excessive amount of hose trailing on the floor.
Bolsius 8-hour tealights
I discovered these Bolsius 8-hour tealights just before the summer and they are excellent.
I love having candles around the house, but the usual four-hour tealights rather kill the mood when you have to replace them halfway through dinner—particularly when guests are there. These really do last for the evening and are very good value.
I have since bought several other sizes of unscented candles from Bolsius and have been equally impressed with the quality.
Travel
Samsonite foldable travel bags
We keep a Samsonite foldable travel bag in the pocket of our suitcase. It takes up almost no room and is very useful when the shopping has got slightly out of hand—or when we simply need more space for the journey home.
The bags aren’t structured, so they can be a little awkward when only partly full, but they are extremely well made and cope very well with weight.
We have the L and the 70cm XL, both of which we use as checked luggage, with the L being good for cabin when needed.
Kids & Family
Regatta Kids Waterproof Changing Robe
A waterproof changing robe is something of a British swimming classic, but they are surprisingly difficult to find outside the UK.
Our daughter swims after school and the children are expected to leave without changing. That is manageable in warmer weather, but an ordinary robe isn’t enough during the winter. This Regatta Kids Waterproof Changing Robe keeps her warm and dry until we get home (and may have visited a supermarket or two on the way).
It ships worldwide from the UK, with duties included and no additional paperwork or payment required on delivery.
The sizing is extremely generous. We bought the 5–9 years size—which seems a rather wild age range—but it should last for several winters.
Micro Sprite LED scooter
We bought the Micro Sprite LED scooter for our daughter’s sixth birthday, choosing the Glow White model with blue LED wheels.
It is a lightweight two-wheel scooter with an adjustable handlebar and folds neatly to fit in the car. She uses it in our garden and we take it with us for local outings.
Friends and family contributed the helmet, light and bell, so she received the complete setup for her birthday.
Urban Kanga Wombat ISOFIX booster seat
This is our third Urban Kanga seat. We have moved through the range as our daughter has grown and have been very pleased with all of them.
We bought the Urban Kanga Wombat Plus because we needed a lightweight booster with ISOFIX for a trip to Greece. After testing it there, it now stays in one of our cars as a spare when friends travel with us. We have another in our second car and use it without ISOFIX.
The Wombat has no integrated harness. The child is always secured using the car’s own three-point seat belt. Its ISOFIX connectors secure the booster to the car, although the seat can also be used without them. It is suitable for children measuring 125–150cm.
I will continue adding new finds and removing anything that is no longer available or relevant.
Mrs O
