Happy Campers!

Camping is fast becoming a popular way to spend the summer holidays with family, it's great to pack up a tent, food and your sleeping bag and spend the night outdoors. With the amount of camp sites around the UK it is a great activity to do for a day or even a week or more.

As well as all your camping essentials, there is often a few bits and bobs that are forgotten when you pack to go camping, do not fear, we have a great checklist so you can remember those all important things that slip your mind.

Happy Camping!

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Our Top Sale Picks!

As you may know, our big summer sale is happening over at Ellie Ellie! We have made our summer sale this year even bigger and better than last, with a lot of great products you can get your hands on!

We've picked our favourite products in the sale and here are our top picks, what is your favourite?

Danielle picked our Wine Cork Handmade Recycled Noticeboard, something she would love for her kitchen! 

Ava picked our Traditional Pin the Tail on the Donkey game, perfect for garden party's this summer.

I picked our Retro Sweet Jar Wine Gums sweets, my all time favourite sweets and they are simply delicious!

Lindsay picked our Retro Sweet Jar Rhubarb & Custard Sweets.

Holly picked our British Postage Stamp Pre-Decimal Pendant in blue, one of her favourite colours!

Melissa, a huge Lego fan, picked our Lego Storage Head! 

Shop our Sale Now to find our favourites! 

Campfire Cupcake Recipe - Perfect little treat for Father's Day!

We just had to share this recipe as it brought back so many amazing memories of huddling round a bonfire toasting marshmallows! These bite sized cakes make a perfect 'little something' for Dad's this Father's Day, especially if he fancies himself as a bit of an outdoors type!

Campfire cupcakes complete with scrummy toasted marshmallows! Oh the memories!

Here's what you'll need-

140g light muscovado sugar
100 self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
50g cocoa powder
3 eggs
125ml vegatable oil
3 tbsp milk
30g milk chocolate chips
Pack of mini marshmallows

12 bun baking tray
12 bun cases!

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the sugar, flour, cocoa and baking powder into a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil and milk, then stir together with the dry ingredients until well combined. Add the milk chocolate chips. Place cupcake cases into a 12-hole bun tin. Divide the mixture between the cases, then bake for 20 mins until risen and cooked through. You can now leave to cool and store for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
2. Just before serving (either warm from the oven or cold), arrange marshmallows over the tops of the cakes. Heat grill to medium and pop the cakes under it for 30 secs, watching all the time, just until the marshmallows are lightly browned. Remove and eat straight away (as if you could wait!)

Camping for beginners!

There really is no better way to escape the hustle and bustle of general life than escaping to the countryside for a camping trip. Whether you're looking for something to do with the kids, or a woodland party with some friends, a camping trip is a great option!

 

We've gathered together some great tips for first time campers! If you're new to camping, these handy tips should set you well on your way.

 
Tents-

Always go for a tent that's a bit bigger than what you think you need. 9 times out of 10 you'll need extra space, plus when it comes to sleeping it'll give you a bit more comfort than being sandwiched like sardines.

Bedding-

Sleeping bags are a handy tool, but if you're like us and you like your creature comforts ..take your duvet! Nothing spells a good nights sleep then your own duvet and pillows. We'd go for extra blankets to make a lining for the bottom of the tent too! If you can get your mits on some vacuum pack storage bags to make the bed stuff more easy to transport that would be a bonus!

Clothing-

Always be prepared for what ever the British weather can throw at you. Make sure you check the weather forecast before you pack to give you a rough (emphasis on rough) idea of what you are likely to be dealt.You'll need everything from wellies, to sun cream.

Light-

Make sure you've invested in some good torches, as it gets pretty dark out in the sticks no matter the season. If you decide to take a late night stroll to explore, you'll need a torch to find your way back! It's essential, so don't over look it!

Food-

Most likely you'll be cooking off a BBQ or open fire, so keep it simple. Think about taking things that don't need too much preparation (unless of course you can prepare it before you set off!) Remember anything that needs to be kept cool needs to be kept in a cool bag!

Ellie Ellie's Recycled Picnic Bags are a great piece of equipment for outdoor adventures - thermal lined to keep your food or drinks cool, it's a great size too so big enough for picnic nibbles!