Readers of this blog will know that I have terrible trouble packing.
Or rather I have trouble fitting in clothing to the metric tonnage of toiletries and tablets I am compelled to take on holiday.
For our approaching week in a log cabin in the wilds of Malvern, I am obviously preparing for sudden climatic change and an outbreak of some terrible fever or ice-cream related injury.
There will be an outdoor hot tub (will it have a mosquito net?) and a hammock (with a gym mat underneath in case of falling out, I'm hoping).
What has all the hallmarks of a really fun place has turned, in the wry twisting of my neurotic mind, into an endurance test a bit like "Ninja Warrior" mixed with "The Cube".
Needless to say, the Husband, who travels around the world with a spare vest and a toothbrush, cannot comprehend how I could possibly be allowing the dark clouds of holiday anxiety to roll not just over my head, but over the whole family.
But then, men rarely do the packing, do they?
Mind you, the Husband says he spends most of the time taking stuff out that I put in so that the car will actually move and we can fit the kids in!! That's after one of his comprehensive car maintenance sessions of course. Cue much huffing and puffing and shouts of "where is the tyre gauge"?
It's ridiculous because nothing usually goes wrong on our infrequent trips I did, to be fair, spend my 25th birthday in bed in an Egyptian hotel room in Luxor with terrible travellers' tummy.
That particular anniversary was marked by my managing to ingest one finger of a Twix.
An Egyptian doctor was sent to my room who gave me a strange injection in my bottom and wrote a sick note which said I had "psychic problems" (true, my tarot reading is very dodgy).
I was duly flown home by British Airways and felt better as soon as I put one foot inside the plane.
Is it any wonder, then, that I am a bit nervous when travelling, health wise?
My coping strategy is shopping for toiletries and medications and I have been whiling away the odd half hour internet shopping at Chemist Direct, which carries a surprising large range, including an online doctor service and offers a prescription service for both you and your pets. (You simply order your prescription and post the prescription slip to them).
The brands include the usual favourites such as Colgate, L'Oreal and Vaseline but also some surprises such as La Roche-Posay and Roger & Gallet.
I ordered the La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Comfort Tinted BB Cream with SPF 50+ at £14.95 which offers UVA and UVB protection with a matt tint and the Roger & Gallet trio of soaps in "Jean Marie Farina" at £12.99.
I have been searching for Roger & Gallet "Fougère" soaps ever since I was an au pair in Paris at 19 but with no luck.
I'm hoping this Mediterranean inspired fragrance will be a good substitute.
In preparation for our holiday, I stocked up on a Stereoplast Holiday First Aid Kit at a bargain £4.95 and a Jungle Formula Plug-In Mosquito Killer at £8.99.
I also found some TravelMAX travel tablets for motion sickness and traveller's tummy which contain ginger as the main ingredient - a bargain 60 tablets for £1. I'm planning to use these instead of the full strength travel pills to see if the ginger plus the 'placebo effect' might work.
I placed my order on 8th July and received it two days later via courier, on the 10th July.
Everything was well packaged and as I had ordered it.
Delivery is free over £40 or otherwise £3.49 for delivery within 5 working days.
Next day delivery options start at £4.75.
I thought the service was great, the prices reasonable and, unlike shopping in store at the two main big name UK drugstores, there's less of a risk of being lured in by BOGOFs and promotional gifts which tempt us toiletry addicts to spend far more than we should, or need to.
That doesn't mean I won't be having another quick 'check' before we go though.
Doesn't hurt to be prepared for every eventuality, does it?
*A voucher was received for the purposes of this review.
