I hate shopping--or Why I Don't Take Real Vacations.

Real Vacations are pricey. And not just the travel arrangements (Thanks, Kelli).
It's the stuff you need--travel size shampoos, body wash, toothpaste, mouthwash, you name it. SPF 6000 sunscreen because my usual 15 to 30 ain't gonna cut it in the Caribbean. Aloe, because I'm sure I'll burn a little. Spending cash for trinkets. And then there's the wardrobe.

For the record, I'm not a fan of clothes shopping. Oh, sure, I get these bursts of inspiration in which I'll drop a load of hard-earned cash on cute clothes, but these bursts are few and far between. Also, I lose patience after a while. More often than not, unless I have somewhere to go, my clothes shopping goes something like this: "This shirt fits. What other colors does it come in? Okay, I'll take one of each." So, when I have to go somewhere, like a vacation or a special occasion, clothes shopping become the bane of my existence. So far, I've managed to buy skirts (yes, skirts), tops, a pair of capris and one pair of sandals. I had to order my swimsuits online (painful!!!) and now I'm a-feared that they won't fit. Plus, I received an email from the online store that one of my suits is no longer available, so I'm kind of screwed. I should probably have at least one pair of shorts, or at least another pair of capris, a few more tops, and at least one more pair of sandals.

On the sandals front, I found the cutest, and I mean so cute they made me forget how much I hate thongs, silver thong sandals. Of course, my size was not available. Since then, I've been on a mission to find similar sandals without a hefty price tag (the cute ones were only $16.99). So far, nothing. And I've looked...Lord how I've looked. Payless, Ross, KMart, OffBroadway Shoe Warehouse, Shoe Pavilion...Nada! Plenty of silver if I want to look hoochy, but only flip flops for the casual wearer. Kids, I do not do flip flops. I have five days to find them.

and a moo moo to cover my whaleness when the online swimsuits turn out to be hideous.

Wish me luck and positive body image!

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