This tale begins in Summer. Having recently moved to South Australia, we thought we would hit the beach on a 45-degree day to cool off and relax. This was our first trip to the beach since our move over, and we had no idea that there is little shade on SA beaches. So armed with the tiniest little beach tent and the contents of my house, I dragged my 38 week pregnant self over the hottest sand known to mankind, pushing against the hottest wind (known to mankind!) and tried to assemble the tiny little tent which once assembled - felt like the hottest sauna - known to mankind!
During the hour that we were trying to put up the tiny little tent, we noticed that most people on the beach had these really cute shades up, that looked a million times easier to assemble and gave off plenty of shade.
I made it my mission to track down this wonder shade so that when Summer came about again, I could throw away the silly little tent and join the ‘Super Cute Shade’ Club. And that is how I discovered the Hollie & Harrie Sombrilla (my sunshade lifesavers!).
After contacting Hollie & Harrie and fangirling over the Sombrilla, they sent me a Sombrilla of my very own to test out! #lifemade #sombrillafangirl
Hollie & Harrie Sombrilla - easy to use
The first thing I noticed when it arrived (apart from its gorgeous print), was that it was so compact, lightweight and easy to carry. It takes up absolutely no space in your boot, and it’s compact enough to fit along the floor in the back of your car too.
Now I am completely uncoordinated when it comes to assembling things, which is why I hated the silly little tent so much, but once we got the hang of how the Sombrilla should be put up it was easy peasy. I will admit though that I also watched the How-To instructional video just to make sure I didn’t assemble it upside down (for a normal person it’s not possible - but again - I’m unco!). For this reason, it is much easier for me when there are two of us to assemble it.
Hollie & Harrie Sombrilla Set Up from Skye Hollingsworth on Vimeo.
Now that we have the hang of it, we not only use the Sombrilla at the beach, but we also use it for picnics or to provide a shady spot when the kids want to play outside in the fresh air.
Hollie & Harrie Sombrilla - quality and manufacturing
The Sombrilla is made from 100% cotton and allows for plenty of airflow, and can be adjusted to continue to provide maximum shade even as the sun moves around during the day. I am very impressed with how much shade it provides as it easily covers my family of four with plenty of room for a couple more people.
While I am drawn to the Sombrilla because of its cute prints and design (and coverage of course!), my more practical Hubby was very impressed with the fact that once you disassemble it, it folds back into a compact little package and all the parts fit back into its cover without a hassle. He was expecting to have to wrestle it back into its cover a-la sleeping bag, but there was no need for that mess.
So, although now I have two little ones to wrangle into the car along with the contents of my house whenever we decide to go on a beach trip or picnic, I no longer have to worry about getting caught out in 45 degree heat with a complicated shade to put up while we all fry eggs on our heads. We are officially part of the ‘Sombrilla Super Cute Shade’ Club.
Want to join the club too? Hollie & Harrie are offering our lovely Stuff Mums Like readers 20% OFF their entire Sombrilla range, so pop on over, admire their designs and prints and stock up on one (or more!) of these gorgeous shades!
Visit www.hollieandharrie.com.au
Stuff Mums Like Promotion Code: SOMBRILLA
Sombrilla RRP $198.00
ShavEzy
Such a great item!! Must drop a few hints this year for a christmas gift for me.