Tea Bags and Hubby! (10 indispensable things to take on holiday with you)

Member Name: jammaker49

Product:	10 indispensable things to take on holiday with you
Date:	20/07/02 (113 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: I can relax!

Disadvantages: I worry if I forget something

Ten things that I wouldn’t go on holiday without!! Hmmm. I had to really stop and think about this one. In all honesty, it would depend where I was going. For example, there are a couple of things that I would definitely take with me if I were travelling in this country, and could load into the boot, that I couldn’t take abroad with me, even if I would like to! So in a way, I’ve had to compromise, and pick ten things that I would like to always take with me, even if in practice, it would not be possible. I have listed them in no particular order, simply as they come into my head.

ITEM ONE
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My own pillow! Now this is one of the items that always comes with me in the car, but is obviously not practical to take abroad. I always find it impossible to sleep on strange pillows! Since I was a little girl, I’ve always had Dunlopillo Dreamlux pillows, and anything else just isn’t the same! Even if I’m going to stay at my parents’ I cart my pillow with me! I wish everybody used them, then I wouldn’t have to take my own wherever I went! Therefore, given the choice, and room to pack it, this would be my number one item.

ITEM TWO
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My trusty old backpack. I always like to do a lot of walking when on holiday, and there is nothing worse than having your hands full. They get sweaty, blisters start appearing, and it’s just so uncomfortable to walk whilst carrying something. I bought my back pack 5 years ago in the Isles of Scilly. It only cost me £3.99, and is beginning to show its age, but I am loath to throw it and get a new one. It is relatively small, but large enough to hold a towel, suncream, swimsuit, a couple of drinks etc, and has enough pockets on the outside for my mobile phone, small purse, and other such items. The back of it is slightly padded, so it is comfy against my back, and the straps are wide enough to take the weight without pulling on my sh
oulders. I suppose I should start looking for a replacement, but for the time being, onto my necessities list it goes.

ITEM THREE
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My Avon Bronze sun creams. Factors 15, 10 and 6. I used to be an Avon rep, and have always sworn by this brand. I start off with Factor 15, and gradually decrease it, although I usually continue with the F15 on places that burn easily. Hubby starts with F10 and goes down to F6 as he has skin that doesn’t burn easily. I hate seeing all those lobster red bodies sprawled in the sunshine, getting sorer and sorer. I would much rather protect my skin from burning, and tan gradually, without having half my holiday ruined through being so sore. I buy new bottles each year, and wherever we go, they come too. Even if it is only on the allotment! So I always make sure I pack plenty. One year we ran out and I had to buy a different brand. I burnt! So never again. It comes with me.

ITEM FOUR
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My own supply of teabags! Yes, I’m one of those awful people who surreptitiously slip an extra teabag into the teapot at breakfast time, especially if I top the pot up with hot water (which I invariably do!) I like my tea to taste of tea, and not coloured water. I also find there’s never enough bags in the hotel room, and I don't like to go down and ask for more! So I shove a good handful of PG tips pyramids into a plastic bag, and pack them inside a shoe or something, just so that I can always have a decent cuppa. I can’t be doing without my cuppa, even on holiday!

ITEM FIVE
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Half a dozen clothes pegs. I don’t know about you, but I find it difficult to sleep unless the room is really dark. I also find that we always get the room where the curtains don’t quite meet, so the light from outside shines in. A couple of strategically placed pegs overcomes this, and I get a good nights sleep. They are also useful for pegging a c
ouple of small items up to dry if you need to wash anything, and I have also used them to peg the shower curtain so that the water doesn’t splash out everywhere. They don’t take up any space, so in they go!

ITEM SIX
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Wax ear plugs. Hubby snores like an express train going through a tunnel, so I use these at night anyway. They also shut out the sound of late night revellers, and passing traffic, so that I sleep undisturbed. By carrying them in my handbag, I can also use them in the plane if the noise gets too much, or if the pressure makes my ears pop. I take a good supply, as I’ve found you can’t always get them abroad, and I don’t like those foamy ones that most places seem to stock.

ITEM SEVEN
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My old, comfortable trainers. As I have already said, we do a lot of walking, and there is nothing as comfortable as an old, well-worn pair of trainers. How many of us have taken sparkling, brand new trainers, only to find that they rub somewhere, or are just not comfortable after wearing them for a while? When I walk, I don’t want to be worrying about a sore spot appearing on my feet. It’s not a sensation you can ignore, and can really spoil an otherwise enjoyable walk. My old trainers might not be the height of fashion, they might not glow brilliant white, and I might even throw them out before I travel back home. But at least I know that for the duration of my holiday, my feet are going to be comfortable. If my feet are comfortable, then I don’t get crotchety and start moaning. I’m not a pleasant sight when I start moaning! So in go the trainers.

ITEM EIGHT
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My little 35 ml camera. It’s nothing spectacular. I only paid £35 for it. It has auto wind, picture counter, zoom lens, rewind, and a 10 second delay feature, and that’s about it. But it does take lovely photos. Hubby has a digital, with umpteen features t
hat he’s never used, but he insists on carrying it around, and then worries about it getting knocked. And it’s HUGE! Mine fits neatly into a pocket in my backpack. If it gets knocked, am I really worried? Of course not. It’s not going to cost me an arm and a leg to replace. I’ve taken some wonderful pictures with it, and will continue to do so for as long as it continues to function.

ITEM NINE
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Spare glasses and contact lenses. I am as blind as a bat without them. One year, I forgot to pack my distance glasses, although I did have my reading glasses. This meant I had to wear my contacts all day, from the moment I woke up, until I went to bed. If I took them out, I couldn’t see. Equally, if I go without packing my contacts, you can bet your life I’d need them. So now I make sure I have the lot: varifocals, reading glasses, prescription sunglasses, contact lenses, plain sunglasses for over the contacts, and reading glasses for over the contacts! Sounds a lot, but they are an absolute necessity.

ITEM TEN
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Hubby! Well I need someone to carry all the rest of the things don’t I? Seriously, apart from the one time I went away for 3 days with my daughter, we have always holidayed together. I find it an ideal time to unwind together, and catch up on proper conversation, which is not always possible in the normal course of life. And strangely enough, even after more than 28 years together, we still quite like each other! So hubby comes too!

So there you have it. Ten things that I would opt to pack before anything else. I’m bound to think of some others, but I think they would be additions rather than replacements.

As I go away (yet again did I hear you say?) in just over 2 weeks, I shall print this out and pin it to my wall. Just in case!!

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