With time ticking away, it’s time to get things together.
The most stressful part has been getting the COVID Antigen test. Luckily, the results came back as negative for both of us!!! This means that tomorrow will be a very busy day but at least it will end up relaxing.
First stop is to Amazing Lash Studio. Need to make sure my lashes look outstanding.
Stop number 2 is to Ross in search of a belt for my husband and also some socks for him.
Stop number 3 is to Marshalls still searching for a belt for my husband.
And, of course, since I’m in the area, I will need to go to Ulta.
And one last stop at CVS for prescriptions. While there, I decided to use my $7.00 worth if coupons I decided to get a couple of things.
The rest of the afternoon will be finishing the packing and double checking each and every list known to mankind.
Finally, it’s time to relax and manicures and pedicures for my hubby and me.
Ending the night with a visit with mom. Unfortunately, her Alexa mysteriously disappeared, so Jim is trying to set up the replacement he bought. He’s not a happy camper.
I’m sure tonight will be sleepless as it usually is the night before a road trip.
Tomorrow will be a fun day so hopefully before we get on the ship, I will be able to share that blog as well
This is always the most difficult thing for me to do. I’m always changing my mind on what I want to take and what I want to wear. But one thing never changes. And that is how I pack my jewelry.
On our last cruise, I used one container for my daytime jewelry and one for the evening jewelry. Yes, I am that extra. It’s the only time I get out!!! These containers can be found at any hobby or craft store and also on Amazon. I love using them as you can arrange the sections according to your needs.
Now it’s time to sort this mess and get them into containers.
Here’s the daytime container.
Here’s the evening container.
Now it’s time to get all the last minute errands run and finish getting our stuff together.
The list of items in our first-aid kit is rather long. But why take any chances when you’re on vacation.
All of the items are contained in a trifold bag I purchased from Thirty-One. It works real well and it is easy to store in our carry-on luggage.
Now for the list, in no particular order.
Tylenol
Advil
Tylenol PM
Aspirin
Excedrin Migraine
Band Aids
Hydrocortisone cream
Athletes foot clotrimazole cream
Absorbine Jr back patch pain relief
Cold and Hot extra strength medicated patch.
Biofreeze.
Day time cold & flu.
Night time cold & flu.
Nasal spray
Vitamin C drops
Cough drops
Pepto Bismol
Laxative
Antacid
So, I guess you can tell I have included just about everything I could think of that could be of use. But if history repeats itself, the only thing we will use are the BandAids and antacids.
Not sure which blog will come next, but I hope it will be something useful.
It is amazing how the stuff you see on Instagram can easily found on Amazon. I found things I never knew I needed. But now I know the truth!!!! Amazon is the best! So let’s get started with the extra things I purchased on Amazon for this cruise.
Relavel marble makeup bag, marble pattern. It measures at 10 1/2 ” wide x 6 1/4″ long x 3 3/4″ tall.
Relavel marble make up bag, large marble pattern. It masures 16 1/4″ wide x 11 1/2″ long x 7″ tall.
O2COOL deluxe handheld battery operated misting fan, light blue (FML0001). Sold by MoveAbility Brands.
TowelTouch Cooling towel, 4 pack. Sold by CHMG online.
Sani-Hands hand sanitizer wipes. Sold by Preferred Pharmacy Plan.
Aqua 4-in-1 monterey hammock inflatable float. Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC
StrawExpert Set of 16 reusable stainless steel straws with travel case, cleaning brush, silicone tips, extra long metal straws for 20, 24, and 30 oz tumbler. Sold by StrawExpert.
Aloe facial skincare sheet hydrating mask. Sold by PalNour.
Cedize under eye collagen patch, 24K Gold anti aging mask. Sold by Arena Innovative Designs.
Face Mask, pack of 50, blue. Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC
Vaccine Card protector. Sold by AISON STUDIO.
And that is the end of the Amazon shopping… at least for now.
Jewelry shopping is always fun. For vacation, I like to purchase pieces that don’t break the bank if lost yet are of a good quality. Enter Amazon!!! Amazon is been a blessing especially during the pandemic. So, let the shopping begin!!!
VK Accessories Thread Ball Dangle Earrings (blue white stripe).
Bocar Fashion Collar necklace with Thread Ball Pendant (NK-10491).
Bocar Statement Collar Beaded Necklace with chunky earrings set (NK-10585).
Orchid Art black white earrings, 2 pairs. I will only be taking the pair that is black with white dots.
Faceted leopard pear shape link post earrings (WHITE). Sold by PHI PHI STORE.
Faux pearl hoop earrings. Sold by DAVIAWD.
D.Rosse 2 pairs chic boho matte flower statement stud earrings set with gold (pink pearl and blue pearl). I will be taking the blue flower earrings and leaving the white ones at home.
Gem Stone King infinity pink ribbon spring rose pendant.
Bohemian green earrings, enamel leaf drop earrings. Sold by Surray.
Lux Accessories navy nautical starfish anchor arm candy set (5 pc). Sold by ShopLuxDirect.
CanMixs Smart Watch for Android phonies iOS Waterproof. Sold by CanMixs Co., Ltd.
And so this ends the Amazon jewelry shopping blog. The items I have shown are ones that I am 99% sure I will be taking. As I was writing this blog, I deleted several items that I purchased as I decided they will not be going on the cruise with me.
Coming up in the next blog, clothes I have purchased from Amazon for myself and my husband. Who did I purchase the most clothing items for??? Myself or my husband. I guess we will all find out on the next blog.
With 9 days to go until we board the Carnival Vista, it was definitely time to get my hair taken care of. Simple! My plan is to have my hair trimmed and have some subtle highlights added. I booked my appointment with my trusted stylist and friend, Theresa Bankston at Preferred Image Salon. She is amazing and truly listens to what I want and doesn’t roll her eyes too much when I say just whatever you think it needs.
Before…
And after. This photo was actually taken the day after my appointment because I left the salon without taking the after shot! I had to return as I left my cup of Dr. Pepper at the salon.
Now I have time to play with my hair to see how it will look with curls for the fancy nights or straight for daytime and casual evening.
In all honesty, my shopping for the cruise began in 2021 so there are some items I have not worn yet and I’m hoping I can fit into them!
WARNING…. I HAVE NOT IRONED OR STEAMED ANY OF THE CLOTHING ITEMS FOR FEAR OF ANOTHER CRUISE BEING CANCELLED. This will be the first time I will not pack until after I receive my negative COVID test. So, please do not shame me for the clothing looking like a wrinkled mess.
Most of my clothing items were purchased at Venus.com. I have been buying my vacation clothes from their website for a long time. I love their selections and the quality is fantastic. So, let’s begin with the items I purchased for our cancelled cruises and our upcoming cruise.
V-neck halter top in blue.
Lace inset smoked top in white.
Strappy deatil top also in white.
Fringe Earrings in navy.
Polka dot jumpsuit in black with white dots.
Bandage dress in black. Unfortunately I was not able to take a decent picture of the dress so this is one from their catalog.
Lace inset mock neck top in pink.
Grommet lace up one-piece swimsuit. I purchased 2, one in blue and one in white.
Angie smoothing one-piece swimsuit. I also purchased 2, one in blue and one in red.
Bandeau one-piece swimsuit in aqua. I may not take this one with me.
Asymmetrical strappy heels in black.
Another place we like to shop is Academy. I ordered 3 swimsuits for my husband online
O’Rageous Men’s Volley Swim Trunks one in the color Cabbage Wave, one in Dark Blue, and one in the color Living Coral Wave.
While at the store, I found some shoes!
BCG womens canvas lace up training shoes. One pair in black and one pair in white.
Old Navy had a sale on their variety 5-pack of triple-layer cloth pleated face masks for adults with ear adjusters son I ordered 2!
ShipTees.com had a fac cover that I HAD to have so I ordered one for me and one for my husband. He has not worn his yet but my is currently in the wash!
From DSW online, I purchased a pair of Nina Ranata Sandal in the color navy. I cannot wait to wear them!!!!
While looking at shoes at Macy’s online, I found a pair of Circus by Sam Edelman Camara Medallion flat sandals on sale so I purchased a pair in the color Pink Confetti.
I also purchased a pair of Jessica Simpson Women’s Rilane Slide Sandals in the color black.
On a trip to Costco, we purchased 2 pairs of shorts for my husband. They really have good prices, but they tend to sale out quickly.
When Steinmart had their closing sale, I found a pair of capri’s that truly gave me cruise vibes!!! So, of course, they had to come home with me.
And what is preparing for a cruise without shopping at Target. This time, my shopping was limited to jewelry. Specifically, I purchased items by the brand SUGARFIX by BaubleBar.
Three quarter fringe hoop earrings in navy.
Modern Statement necklace set in gold.
Layered link chain necklace in gold.
And that is where this shopping blog will end. The next blog will be the Amazon shopping I have done specifically for this cruise and maybe the cruises that cancelled. So, please come back.
One thing for is for certain, small shops and/or shops owned by an individual ALWAYS have amazing customer service. And they always want to make sure you are completely satisfied with their products. I will continue to use the shops I’m about to talk about.
We are currently at 20 days away from our cruise. At least that is the plan for now but we all know that could change in a moment’s notice.
The first time I ordered from customcruisewear.com was for our four-generation family cruise on the Carnival Vista in 2018. I found myself in a jam and needed to make an order for 9 shirts that I needed within a couple of weeks. Angela made sure our order was taken care of and was beyond helpful. Our shirts were amazing!
In 2019 after I Carnival Dream cruise, I started looking at cruises for 2020. I found an 8-day that I thought would be perfect as we have not been on a Bahamas cruise on the Carnival Freedom and the bonus was that there was an inside stateroom with walkway view available on deck 7. It was a no-brainer, especially since there was currently a $50 deposit special going on. So we were scheduled to sail in August 2020. As a Christmas present, I got my husband a t-shirt from customcruisewear.com that says HUSBAND & WIFE CRUISING PARTNERS FOR LIFE. Of course, I got one for myself as well. This was going to be the shirt we would wear when we boarded the Carnival Freedom!!! And we would have worn them except, COVID had other ideas.
On June 22, 2020, our cruise was cancelled. We had prepared ourselves for this possibility and we had a back-up plan in place. We had already decided that if it were to cancel, which it did, we would book on the Carnival Radiance and would upgrade our stateroom to a balcony cabin with the extra large balcony. I knew one was available and I was keeping my fingers crossed that it would still be available when I spoke to my PVP. It was!!! So now we were booked on the Carnival Radiance for August 2021. We had a year to prepare for it. Surely everything would be back to normal in 2021.
We were wrong. On July 23rd, 2020, we received a letter stating that our cruise was being cancelled as it would not be finished with dry dock. Thanks, COVID. I quickly looked at other options for August 2021 and we decided on an 8-day Bahamas cruise on the Carnival Dream. We booked it on July 23rd, 2020 in a balcony stateroom with the extra large balcony on deck 7.
During this time, it became obvious that the mom and pop shops were really suffering. And I’m sure they are still struggling to keep their heads above water.
Once June 2021 came around, I felt more confident that our cruise on the Carnival Dream would happen. I was so confident that on June 4th, 2021, I ordered a shirt from customcruisewear.com that says VACCINATED AND READY TO CRUISE. On that day, I decided that this would be the shirts that Jim and I would wear on embarkation day!!!
After a few days, I started thinking that I really wanted a shirt that says EMBARKATION HERE I COME and another shirt that says FINALLY ON A FUN SHIP. Since I knew that Angela at customcruisewear.com does custom shirts, I looked at all of the designs she has on here website and decided on the backgrounds I liked then sent her an email asking if my request could be done. And within a day or 2 I had the designs. So, I ordered 2 of each shirt. These shirts were ordered on June 9th, 2021 and I could not be more happy with these purchases from customcruisewear.com and will continue to order shirts from her.
On June 10th, 2021, we received an email stating that our cruise was being cancelled. And now we are booked on the Carnival Vista. I feel more confident with this as she has already started sailing. But I am fully aware that this too could change. But I’m still shopping!!!
After purchasing the shirts, I decided I really wanted to find some earrings with a nautical theme. I wasn’t finding anything on Amazon that I really wanted so I turned to Etsy and did a search for nautical theme jewelry. There was so much to choose from but I narrowed down my options to 3 pairs of earrings. And since I couldn’t pick just one, I picked all 3!!!
The first one is a pair of Anchor Earrings that are studs. The name of the shop is JustaGirlintheGarage. The earrings are perfect and I would highly recommend her shop. I will be wearing these earrings when I’m wearing my swimsuit, so almost every day!
The second one is a pair of Flip Flor Anchor hardboard earrings. The shop name is PaintedPugCreations. I love these earrings. In fact, I’m wearing them today. They are not heavy at all and will definitely be worn a lot!!!
The final one is a pair of Nautical Earrings from the shop MichelleLynneJewelry. I will definitely be wearing these earrings when I wear my FINALLY ON A FUN SHIP shirt.
In the future when I’m looking for earrings for a special theme, I will first look at these shops. They are fantastic and the quality if perfect.
So now I ask that you please come back for the next shopping installment.
We are now at our 200-day countdown. Normally I would be diligently making out our packing lists, to-do lists, and checking hotel rates daily. Although I have been checking hotel rates, I have not made any reservations as I know changes are coming. I just do not know when. So, we are basically in a holding pattern.
While in this holding pattern, I have discussed with my husband our options when the time comes. Depending on how the cruise is changed, we are considering changing to the Carnival Vista in March, 2022.
And so, we wait. I consider our options for other things to do in August.
I remember a time when you book a cruise and they mailed you your boarding pass, luggage tags, and the little fine details such as your cruise contract. It was compact and easy to carry!!!!
This was an awesome cruise!! The itinerary was fantastic. Having plenty of time in the ports was a real treat. In Aruba, we were able to shop in the morning, go to the beach in the afternoon, and go out that night. Truly it was good times with our friends and we definitely met some very interesting characters.
One day I will find a cruise out of San Juan that does an itinerary similar to this. Maybe one day, Carnival will have a journey cruise from Galveston that could get me back to Aruba!!!!
Now I wonder where the pictures from this cruise are…
our life reality 