Holidays with Lotus Belle

At the Handmade Soap Company, the family has grown over the last few years, Manny is now 2.5 and Bridgie is coming up to 1.

While we need a holiday as much as the next person the thoughts of an airplane with 2 toddlers is quite daunting. We got chatting and thinking, we both love the great outdoors and Gemma has been talking about going camping for ages - so last summer the four of us stayed in a yurt for a week. And I thought I was getting too fancy for that!!

So, we bundled into the car and set course for Lake Windermere. It turned out to be the best holiday we’ve ever had. We were completely hooked. When we got home to Ireland, we went in search of our own tent. The added flexibility of owning our own really incites that freedom-of-the-road feeling. So, this is what we ended up with. And we’re all pretty happy with it!

We like to think it’s a cross between a piece of art, a Mongolian yurt and a chaotic party. Not too far from everyday reality of two toddlers to be honest! And, it all fits neatly in the roofbox of the car. So that’s our family holidays sorted for the next few years.

Just as inspiring as the beauty of the tent is the story behind it, and don’t the Irish love a good story? I called the number on the website to order my tent and it was the owner, Hari who answered. We had a great chat and she ended up telling me the story of the company’s origins and inspirations, which was really a story of her life. She literally dreamed of becoming a tent designer, here is her amazing story.

The great outdoors … get out there!