I have a lot in my life (most of us do) and for me, camping strips life back down to the basics. I’m happiest with the basics. Less stuff means less to lose and less to worry about. It’s liberating until you need to get back to real life again. And when you’ve got an old sedan, a 4 person family, and a tent that takes up half the boot, there’s no alternative but to keep it simple.

Your money goes further when you camp so you can stay away longer – and longer holidays are good, right? My family (wife, son 8, daughter 6) spent 3 weeks camping last summer. That was our longest camping trip so far since we've had the kids.

Before the kids came along, the wife and I hiked through Arizona and Washington and spent a breathtaking month in Slovakia hiking on High Tatras. In those 6 months were some of the best moments of my life and some of the scariest. From finding a rusty shotgun in a cave to an oh-shit-I'm-dead encounter with a bear, those memories are stories to tell the kids and one day the grandkids.

Nowadays, our camping trips involve sunscreen and aloe balm, pink unicorn sunhats and a pair of Wiggles boots. FML......seriously.

Don't get me wrong, I love my family, I absolutely love my kids. Wouldn't trade them for anything, well a new Ford Ranger XLT maybe......but nah......I've grown used to the kids and what's my life gonna be without the constant noise and never-ending questions like if I prefer Rainbow Dash's mane or Princess Elsa's hair. FML......seriously.

Instead of taking my own life during those rainbows and sparkles days, I spend time trawling online for equipment that will make our lives better, easier and a bit more fun. My latest obsession - the Hercules Adventure stick from Epicstore.

I told myself I absolutely had to take it out for a spin when it arrived. What a beaut. It's 6 sections that you screw together and within 4 of the sections are a fishing spear, a knife with a saw on the other side and bottle opener, a fire starter and a sickle. On the bottom end of the stick is a glass breaker.

The Hercules stick is sturdy, very sturdy. It's heftier than most other hiking sticks (1.3kg) but I got used to it quick and it became a part of me almost instantly. The sections and the equipment are very well made. CNC machined so it's precision cut and every part of it is useful and well designed.

The parents agreed to babysit for us so the wife and I spent 3 days on a 1400m ascent up Ball Pass Crossing. Breathing the crisp glacial air makes me whole again. Everything is good with the world again and my soul is fed.

The Hercules stick came in handy in a multitude of ways and I can't wait to take it to Dusky Track the next time the parents agree to take the noisy rainbow buggers.

You can get the Hercules Adventure stick here.

Ever picked up your kitchen sponge to do the dishes only to find that it smells totally gross? Ever wondered how germy and gross sponges can get while throwing them away so often feels totally wasteful. In an effort to be a little more green and feel a lot less gross and save some money, I decided to try an alternative: Epicstore's Silicone Sponge.

My Previous Way: Basic Fortnight Sponge

Generally speaking, my sponge habits aren't too bad. I'll keep my kitchen sponge for between a fortnight to a month, which doesn't seem that long until you consider you wouldn't wear your socks for a fortnight with just a light rinse and squeeze everyday......ewwwww.

I microwave them to disinfect them so they last longer but sometimes it makes them disintegrate a little and I've burnt a few in the microwave. If I throw out a sponge early, it's because it somehow got unspeakably gross or suddenly smells bad and my usual disinfecting techniques didn't work.

I also use a scrub brush for anything that's particularly stuck on my pots and dishes. I use my kitchen sponge mostly just to do dishes and wipe down the sink and kitchen counters. Otherwise, I'll use paper towels to clean up various spills and messes in the kitchen and I've got separate sponges for the bathroom.

I try to keep my home hygienic but with 2 kids, a husband, a budgie and a 2 cats....and 2 of us with eczema, I'm all about keeping the icky germs at bay.

I'd tried using a silicone sponge at a friend's house before but it was kind of slippy. As in, there wasn't much grip when you add soap and water to get a good scrub going. So, I didn't think much of silicone sponges.....until......

A mum I met at Ben's kindy told me about these new silicone sponges from Epicstore that you put on like a half glove and so doesn't slip when you're scrubbing. Also it gives your hand some protection when you're cleaning knives. It doubles as a pot holder. I was sceptical but she piqued my interest so I thought "why not?"

I've been using the slip-on silicone sponge for almost 2 months now and the verdict - I love it! It fits my hand well and is easy to scrub pots, plates, cups, sinks, cutlery......everything.....and I don't have to worry about scratching or cutting myself with any of my knives. It's perfect for scrubbing off dried toothpaste from the sink and I've used it to scrub the bathtub too....it's all your home sponges rolled into one. The only downside is that it's not absorbent so it doesn't soak up spills. But other than that, it's been my super sponge.

For a bit more than the price of a 4 pack of yellow/green kitchen sponges at the supermarket, the Epicstore one does the job perfectly, lasts longer and is so easy to clean in the dishwasher.

No more stinky sponges for me....yay!!

Over 50 million plastic straws are used each year. Most plastic straws end up in landfills and cannot be recycled.

Most plastic straws contains polypropylene and BPA, otherwise known as Bisphenol A, which can leach chemicals into your drinks.

According to the Mayo Clinic, BPA is an increasingly common industrial chemical used in the industrial production of certain plastics and resins. Over the years, BPA has been known to increase the risk of certain health issues, such as reproductive disorders, diabetes and cancer.

Reusing plastic straws is not recommended. Washing them can leave behind bacteria and germs. Most of the time they are not recycled because of the chemicals in them; these end up in landfills polluting the earth and seas, upsetting our ecosystem.

These are some better alternatives:

Glass StrawsBamboo StrawsStainless Steel Straws

Out of these, I prefer the last option. Here are 6 reasons why you should switch to stainless steel straws:

1. Environmentally Friendly

Haven’t we polluted the earth enough? According to Mother Earth Living, the manufacturing of plastic products releases a whole set of carcinogenic, home-disruptive and neurotoxic chemicals into the atmosphere. These products eventually find their way to our ecology through the air, water and land pollution.

Teach your kids the importance of switching to environmentally friendly products, such as bamboo, glass or stainless steel straws to protect the environment. This will encourage them to reduce the use of plastic made products and recycle.

2. Reusable

While bamboo might appear a good natural alternative, depending on where these are sourced, bamboo straws need to be cleaned and dried thoroughly before they are packed and sold. Otherwise, fungus and other nasties can remain on the inside of the straws unseen. Also, if kids decide to chew on the straws, there is a risk of splinters in the mouth.

Glass and stainless steel straws are reusable and can last for ages if you clean them properly. In addition, glass and stainless steel do not leach chemicals and do not interact with the beverage you are drinking.

3. Easy to Clean

I've used glass straws for awhile now and yes, I do admit they are pretty to look at and relatively easy to clean in the dishwasher. But I'm always a little hesitant to let my 4 year old help me bring his cup and straw to the sink. Not that he's ever dropped one. In fact, it was hubby who dropped one and crushed another when he "helped" take a pot to the sink and placed it on a straw that was in there.

Cleaning a stainless steel straw is easy. Most metal straws are dishwasher safe so all you have to do is rinse the straw and toss it inside the dishwasher and you are good to go. In addition, the stainless steel straws I've bought come with their own cleaning brush, to ensure that every inch of the straw remains hygienic.

4. Safe to Use

Glass and stainless steel straws are BPA free. Plastic straws that contain BPA have been known to leech harmful chemicals into the bloodstream. We try to keep nasty chemicals out of our mouths.

Again, glass is just that bit more fragile and glass straws just look too candy-like for some to resist taking a bite into.......oooooh, I don't even want to imagine.

5. Enjoy Your Drink Longer

What’s worse than preparing a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day only for it to turn warm before you even enjoyed it? If you leave your stainless steel straws in the fridge or freezer before you use them, it will allow you to enjoy your drinks for longer periods of time so those glorious drinks don't turn warm and taste awful.

6. Safer for Kids

In terms of safety, stainless steel straws are the best choice of drinking straw. Unlike reusable glass straws, metal straws are not easily breakable and can safely be used by children. If you have young children who like to throw things around the table during breakfast, invest in stainless steel straws and you won’t have to worry about breakage again.

It's time to ditch the plastic straws. Every plastic straw we don't use is another plastic straw that doesn't get stuck in a trout's gill or a turtle's nose. Switch to stainless steel straws today.

Check them out at www.epicstore.nz

I have a love-hate relationship with cooking. I love the way Jack tucks in when I prepare dinner. Some days I feel a fraud, adding a garnish to a pre-packed or pre-marinated meal I stuck in the oven. Other days I beam with pride when a recipe I followed, one I made from scratch, turns out lovely and true to the picture/photo/video I got it from.

We got married in July so I'm just coming out of new bride euphoria. My ring still sparkles and the wedding ash blonde highlights have long been redone back to a more everyday hazel I can more easily maintain.

How do other women do it? We want to lead strong independent lives on one day then we walk down an aisle and suddenly I take on a new name, I'm now Mrs Martin. Yeah, I could have stuck with my own last name or gone with the hyphen but seriously, who does that anymore?

Anyway, back to my love-hate relationship with cooking. I'm a klutz in the kitchen. I've tried Jamie's quick meal ideas and Heston's low and slow techniques but handling cold raw meat hasn't got less icky. My one pet hate is getting the garlic and onions chopped. Who knew almost every dish calls for chopped aromatics. I've tried the pre-chopped versions from the supermarket and they work relatively well but something's missing plus I feel less authentic in saying I made it all from scratch. Why that's important beats me but it is. I want to serve my family fresh and organic as much as possible.

Which brings me to a fabulous find I discovered last week. It's called a Finger Guard from this online shop www.epicstore.nz. You just slip it on your middle finger and it protects the fingers that hold the food while your knife slides right off.

Ingenious! My manicure lasts longer and my manic fear of slicing my knuckle is gone.

Now all I need is a cry guard....oh wait, that's just my goggles which have gone missing since Murphy, our cat, got hold of them.....so in the meantime, I chop onions in Prada shade....what could be cooler?? Ahem......

Coffee time before I try my hand at Nigella's puttanesca sauce.

So you love using straws and plastic straws are cheap so we don't think too much about them. They come free with fizzy bubbly guilt trip thirst quenchers and end up in a sea turtle's nostril....yes, we've all seen the horrific viral video.

Straws are how we first learnt to drink independently from a sippy cup. Sucking from mummy's nipple or a bottle transitioned into straws. I can't remember how many packs of 100 colourful plastic straws I've bought for my children's parties and just for making their smoothies and milkshakes more snazzy....but we can do better.

It's not often we find alternatives that just make sense. It was a discovery that, as with all the better alternatives, come at a higher initial price but end up saving me money and a guilty conscience. It's also such a pretty alternative that screams awesome-cool mum.

I found these stainless steel straws online at Epicstore while searching for cool gifts for my mums group friends. We all want the same things for our children; good, clean, safe products. It helps too that these straws are so snazzy. Every time I give Jacob his blueberry-banana smoothie or iced-Milo, I whip out my stainless steel straw and smile. We're both happy.

This is the shop's website: www.epicstore.nz