May

1

Because I’m not sure how I survived without Curious George band-aids

Filed Under Caribbean Living | 

shopping!

shopping for the last 8 months and the next (4 to) 8 months all at the same time is insane. insanely fun. insanely expensive. i think back to all the money i saved since September by not splurging on pick-me-up sprees and realize i spent the last two weeks basically binge-eating after an excessively restrictive diet.

shopping was SO FUN. i am such a girl.

since i only brought one carry-on suitcase with me to Saskatchewan and, as such, can’t take liquids over 100mL back with me on the plane, i decided to make myself a little care package. with love from me, to me. then i kept shopping and realized one care package wasn’t going to be enough. then i shopped a little more and realized i should just dust off my old blue 40L Outbound backpack and check the damn thing for the long flight, keeping my fingers crossed that it wouldn’t get too lost on the ridiculously circuitous route home.

some of the things i bought were replacements for items that naturally get worn out or used up (make-up). other stuff was “upgraded” because i forgot them on Nevis and needed them in Saskatchewan (eyebrow tweezers). other things were “nice to haves” that i saw in the store and decided to make room for in my luggage/care package (kitchen tea towels and bathroom mat). other things are for Shenelle, my little sister.

and still other stuff i just plain realized i couldn’t live without. Body Shop Body Butter. how on earth did i go 8 months without my deliciously decadent Satsuma? smells so good i could just dollop it right onto my tongue.

i think the clothes were the most fun to shop for and buy. i brought quite a lot of clothes with me to Nevis in August, but definitely not enough to keep me from getting bored in 8 months. add to that the fact that i don’t have a clothes dryer and my shirts are looking faded and stretched out and worn, and i will probably donate half of them to charity when i get back. plus, i really really really missed pants that go all the way to my ankles. like, really. even in Nevisian humidity, you don’t have to wear capris or shorts or skirts EVERY day.

there is an ever-growing thread of “Things I Wish I Brought With Me” on MUA’s ValueMD forums that students keep adding to over the semesters and years. i guess this is sort of my version. and so, here is the (rather comprehensive) list of stuff i am bringing back:

- new shower head (!)
- Brita water jug and filters (even though i actually don’t mind Nevis tap water to drink)
- muffin pan
- tea towels & bath mat
- more clothes (mostly long tank tops, tshirts, and underwear)
- exfoliating gloves & new bath brush
- Body Shop Body Butter (x3)
- tea tree oil
- Blistex Herbal Answer lip balm (x3)
- Curious George band-aids
- hair dye (no, i’m not naturally this blonde, but yes i naturally have more fun)
- all-in-one shape ‘n buff file
- foot pumice
- Uremol 20 dry skin creme
- multi-vitamin
- vitamin B complex supplement
- calcium & magnesium supplement
- travel-size deodorant for school bag
- extra-strength Advil
- diamond-tip Revlon tweezers
- Intuition razor & replacement cartridges
- pressed powder
- waterproof mascara
- eyeliner
- blush/bronzer
- Vichy eye stick
- Crest Vivid White toothpaste (x2 - Brandon, i looked up the name)
- Rembrandt Intense Stain toothpaste (what can i say? i like coffee!)
- new brush
- hair clips
- Secret Platinum Invisible (x2)
- Secret Clinical Strength (x2 this brand is new to me and i’m curious to test it out)
- marshmallow strawberries
- Twizzlers
- giant box of Mike & Ike
- Sour Patch Kids
- Tide to Go pens (x3)
- Duracell rechargeable AAA (x2) and AA (x8)
- Crest Glide floss
- plastic cutting board
- activity book with Canadian puzzles and games
- bright yellow flip flops
- pink water resistant chronograph watch (Shenelle’s a runner)
- bubble blower
- spring t-shirts size 11 years (x2)
- novel about fairies (x3)
- stamp/sticker scrapbook

i had kind of hoped not to accumulate too much “stuff” while on Nevis because i know it will be a huge pain in the butt to bring it all home again. but whatever helps get me through this next year can’t really be all that bad.

can it? ; ))

Comments

10 Comments so far

  1. gillian on May 1, 2008 8:39 am

    Man, how do you last without marshmallow strawberries?

    I wonder how interesting other students’ lists are, and what it says about them. Your list is fun.

  2. Sarah on May 1, 2008 10:37 am

    I love this post! I love reading lists! I’ve looked at that vichy eye stick in shoppers many times but haven’t shelled out the cash to get it yet. You’ll have to tell me how good it is! I also love intuition razors, but i find they get used up really fast…like they dissolve or something? I’m also a big fan of Body Shop’s satsuma scent. I have the room spray, but no actual ‘on your body’ stuff. When I was in scotland they had a scent called ‘white musk too’ which is very different from ‘white musk’ believe it or not, and i fell in love with it, but I can’t get it anywhere here in Canada, so I have to ebay it :(
    Just the other day I saw a bunch of those strawberry marshmallows in the clearance section and I thought ‘does anyone actually buy those hideous things?’ but i guess they do!
    Well your list looks great, and it sounds like you’re all set to make the trip back to Nevis! I’ll be thinking of you come May 6th as i stare longingly at my own textbooks. I start working may 12th, so I’m just trying to enjoy these last few weeks of pure laziness.

  3. Donna on May 1, 2008 11:59 am

    I, too, use curious george bandaids. They make life better.

  4. darlene on May 1, 2008 12:04 pm

    :) what a fabulous list of goods!

  5. robyn on May 1, 2008 12:10 pm

    What a fun list! I just moved to a new apartment and am starting a new job (today), so I too have done an insane amount of shopping lately. :)

  6. jillian on May 1, 2008 1:32 pm

    after reading all that im starting to think i should come visit you next april when you’re getting set to come home. i can bring a couple extra suitcases! ;0)

  7. Chris on May 1, 2008 9:08 pm

    I stopped at marshmallow strawberries.

    Can’t…get…past…it.

    You did forget marshmallow bananas though. Or perhaps they’re past the strawberries. I’ll never know as I’m calling my marshmallow dealer now :-)

  8. Sarah on May 1, 2008 10:13 pm

    I’m seeing those marshmallow strawberries wherever I go now..

  9. Pam on May 2, 2008 12:01 am

    Those marshmallow strawberries are mine and my moms favorite! We like to leave the bag open for a day or two until they get hard and then eat them : )

    Maybe its a SK thing…

  10. Tim on May 2, 2008 8:20 am

    Bubble blower! You bought a bubble blower! The only bubbles I see are those that come out of the washing up liquid bottle - makes the chore of cleaning up more fun. I need a bubble blower.. defo.

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