Carnival Breeze 2022 – Purchases not from Amazon

There are time when you need to go outside of Amazon to find items you need. Or perhaps you just find them by accident while shopping. Some of the items I purchased because I knew it would be needed and used. Others, I just happened to see while shopping at Target. That store gets me every time, just like Hobby Lobby and Michaels.

So, let’s go shopping.

The first thing I purchased was 2 cardigan sweaters from Walmart online. I forgot to bring a sweater on our Carnival Vista cruise and I regretted not having it in the evening. The MDR tends to be chilly.

I purchased some nautical themed face masks on Etsy. The Seller/maker is Handmade By Lady Dianna. I love the style of the face mask and they are so cute! The definitely show my obesssion of anchors.

Since we are cruising on Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be appropriate to find a red dress to wear. I found one on Venus online that was on sale and definitely what I was looking for. I initially purchased it to wear to the steakhouse on embarkation day but I have since changed my mind and will be wearing on cruise elegant night. It fits great which I knew it would. I have been shopping with Venus online for years and I always seem to NEED to purchase something before every cruise. Last year I think I bought 5 swimsuits!!!!

I read on our Facebook cruise group something about wearing red beads so we would be able to recognize everyone. I found these cute red heart necklace while looking for items for an Aladdin project. For obvious reasons, they ended up in my possession!

And then there was Target. Everything single thing I purchased was not on my shopping list at all. Some impulse buys are necessary, like socks. Others, not so much. But I did it anyway.

Besides the socks, I purchased Sugarfix by Baublebar red heart earrings. I will be wearing them on embarkation day along with the the Sugarfix by Baublebar heart necklace.

I also purchased some Sugarfix by Bauble earrings that came in a set. I was looking for simple gold hoops, it just happened that the blingy set was attached to the gold earrings!!!!

This should be everything I will be purchasing for this cruise. That is unless something catches my eyes that I just have to have!!!

Carnival Vista 2021 – Precruise #10 Last minute preparations…

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

Carnival Vista 2021 – Precruise #3 More Shopping!!!

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.

Carnival Vista 2021 – Precruise #1

We currently are 23 days out from our cruise on the Carnival Vista. I’m still not 100% positive it will happen, but I am trying to remain optimistic.

Pre-cruise reservations have been made for our overnight stay in Galveston. We will be staying at The Commodore on the Beach as we have stayed there before and had no problems. So, should this cruise cancel, at least we WILL be spending one night in Galveston.

This cruise will be taking us to Mahogany Bay, Belize, and Cozumel. We plan on doing nothing in Mahogany Bay other than shopping, which I didn’t do the last time we were there, and possibly spending time on the beach. We will just wait and see how we feel when we get there. In Belize, we might take the tender to the port for some quick shopping but then again, we might just stay on the ship and do absolutely nothing. We are looking forward to our stop in Cozumel. For the first time in fourteen trips, both cruise and land, we will be going to Mr. Sanchos. I am looking forward to doing something absolutely different than what we have done before.

Yesterday, we were notified of some new protocols for vaccinated and unvaccinated passengers. Beginning August 7th, there is a new mask protocol in place. “We strongly encourage all guests to wear face masks when indoors, particularly guests who are unvaccinated including children under the age of 12 should wear masks in public areas, except when eating or drinking.” I am NOT concerned with this at all and I have no problem following this. Beginning August 14th “we will require ALL fully vaccinated guests to produce a negative viral COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) taken within 3 days of their embarkation on all Carnival Cruise Line sailings” It goes on to say “Fully vaccinated guests will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test along with proof of full vaccination upon arrival in the terminal and can then proceed to board.” Jim and I will be have our tests done on either the Wednesday or Thursday before we are scheduled to cruise. And let it be know, I will gladly follow this protocol as well.

Leading up to yesterday’s letter, I had been doing some shopping. Mostly from Amazon, and couple of things from Venus, and several t-shirts from custom cruise wear. I strongly recommend that shop for cruise shirts and they also have door signs and banners and other cruise related items. Go check them out sometime.

In the days to come, I will blog about the purchases made for this cruise that will also be used in future cruises, what we are packing, and even some jewelry I made for myself. I had to do something to keep myself occupied.

So for now, I will end this blog. Please stay tuned for the next blog, Carnival Vista 2021 – Precruise #2.

200-Day Countdown to Carnival Freedom, Patiently waiting for our 8-night cruise, issue #1

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Although this cruise was actually booked months ago, I have been in a funk, so to speak. Typically at this stage, I would already have our hotel booked, parking reservation made, and started planning the clothes we will be taking. But for some reason, I just have not been able to get into it like I normally do. That is until today which is actually 198 days away!

What changed??? Well, I always look for good deals on hotel rooms and I have always been able to find good deals on Hotels.com. But for some reason, the prices have been more than I want to pay for one night stay. We prefer to stay at Quality Inn as we have always had a good experience there. We have also had pre-cruise stays at The Commodore and used bonus time at Silverleaf Seaside Resort (now Holiday Inn Vacation Club Seaside Resort… don’t get me started about this). Since prices are more than I care to pay, we started looking at possibly staying in Kemah for the night. I’m basically a creature of habit. I ALWAYS stay the night before a cruise in Galveston and have dinner at The Original Mexican Cafe. I just could not wrap my head around staying somewhere other than Galveston. Today, I decided to check Priceline.com to see if their prices were any different and I am so glad I did. I booked a room for one night at Scottish Inn. The room is prepaid for and there is no cancellation for this booking. We are locked in for our stay!!! The best part is the price difference between the two websites was $36.00. I try to save money anywhere I possibly can!!!!

We have friends that stay there often pre-cruise and have had no problems. I like that it is off the beaten path yet convenient for our needs. By that I mean that it is close to The Original Mexican Cafe and not far from the cruise terminal.

So now, all that is left is to book the parking. I’m 98% certain that I will be booking our parking with ezcruiseparking.com for this cruise. We used it on our Carnival Dream cruise last year and the only drawback for us was the walk to the car after the cruise. But, for the price, we are willing to make the walk again. We like being able to walk to the cruise terminal before and after the cruise and our preferred parking is approximately $40. more.

I also need to start making lists!!! One good thing is that I do not need any new clothes and we do not need any new luggage. I may have gone a little overboard last year, LOL!!!! Hopefully this year we will not leave our 12-packs of coke at home!!!!

Modified Keto day 14… Family birthdays, and mom’s dementia.

Some days I feel like I’m in a rut. Doing the same things over and over and over. Like my morning coffee. Like deciding on continuing with the diet or try something else. In all honesty, today I didn’t eat anything until around 5 pm. And then it wasn’t much. But I’m just not feeling myself. I’m feeling bloated. And with that feeling comes the feeling of being defeated. Hopefully tomorrow, these feeling will be gone and I will have a much better day and week on my modified Keto journey. At least that is what I am hoping for.

Today was a fun and somewhat productive day. I managed to design our tumblers for our upcoming Carnival Vista cruise. It is the first time I have used my Cricut Explore Air to cut vinyl. I have completed one tumbler and even though it isn’t perfect, it will work perfectly for my needs.

My plan is to put things on the tumblers that are what my family wants on theirs. So the variety includes a cruise ship, a couple of dolphins, a whale, a flamingo, a ships wheel, and a 3 anchors. And each tumbler will also have everyone’s name on them. Everything has been cut but I have not had the chance to put them on the tumblers. Hopefully that will happen tomorrow.

This afternoon was fun. We had family birthday’s at my sister-in-law and brother-in-laws house. We celebrated birthdays for my brother-in-law, my daughter, and my granddaughter Victoria. This is always fun and there is always plenty of food.

On our way home, we had to stop at CVS to pick up a prescription for my mother. She wasn’t expecting us to come over, but when we got there she was happy to see us. She didn’t know she had a prescription ready but she told me she was out of a lot of her medications. My mother’s dementia seems to be getting worse. She hasn’t driven in over, no longer manages her medications, and does not manage her finances. But she thinks she can do anything and everything. Vascular Dementia is sad to witness. We know that one day we will have to make some decisions about where she will be living. But for right now, she is able to take care of her basic needs. She does not cook for herself but we make sure she has plenty to eat.

My mother is very excited about our upcoming cruise. Of course she thinks she needs new everything for the trip!!! While I was at her house, we did some online shopping and got her some casual things to wear in the evening. Now all she needs are some shorts and some dainty things and she should be good to go!!!

My hope for this cruise is that she makes some memories that will stay in her mind for a very long time. My mom, daughter, granddaughters, and I will be making scrapbook pages after our cruise. I hope that will help her with retaining the memories we make.

Hello Modified Keto day #12, I think. And I may or may not have done some more shopping online!

I must say, I am glad I cheated on my diet yesterday. Why? Because today, when I woke up, I did not have a headache. Because yesterday I realized exactly how low my potassium levels had become. And because today when I fearfully stepped on the scale, I was pleasantly surprised that weight had not changed. Nothing I did damaged the progress I had made. So yes, I am happy that I cheated on my diet and the next time I feel I am in need of a cheat day, I will not fear it or feel guilty about it.

After a VERY GOOD nights sleep, I woke up and had my normal coffee. I didn’t eat anything until after 11am. At that time I had a brunch consisting of bacon and scrambled eggs with spinach, mushrooms, and onions topped with hot sauce. And I couldn’t eat it all!!! A stayed full for the remainder of the day.

Around 6 I was a little hungry so I fixed a plate of shredded chicken, cheese cubes, olives stuffed with garlic, cucumbers, Parmesean cheese whisps, and ranch dressing for dipping. I ate all of the olives and some of the cheese cubes, a few of the whisps, and just a little bit of the cheese. Once I was full, that was it.

I also realized that today is the beginning of the tax free weekend in Texas. So, I decided to check out Old Navy and Steinmart to see if there was anything I couldn’t live without or that I need for the cruise. I guess only time will tell if I purchased anything!!!

Tomorrow my little Yorkie rescue, Dixie turns 4. At least that is the age that is shown on the papers we received. But our vet thinks she might actually be older due to her health issues. But that’s ok. I do not care how old she is, we will celebrate her birthday by taking her to Petsmart for a new collar and maybe a new shirt or dress and a special birthday treat. She deserves to be spoiled on her special day. Not that she isn’t spoiled any other day, LOL!