When you moved what did you forget and missed most?

[MrsOlf]

We're moving to Houston in 2 weeks and our airfreight went yesterday (mainly stuff for DDs). The ship freight goes in 10 days and I wanted to ask the collective wisdom of those already overseas what you forgot to ship that you needed and anything that you really missed that we should take.
All help and ideas very welcome!

Depends on how long you are going for. When we moved to Oman, I left all our pictures and 'bits' behind in a big yellow self store.
I shipped them out the next year. It was costing as much to store them as it did to ship them.
Currently, all our pictures and bits are in Belgium with DH. Our house in the UK looks like a student place.

Take as much food as you are allowed. Things like sweets, tea bags, baked beans and cream of tomato soup, assuming this is a company move and you don't have to pay yourself.

The clothes I missed for my DCs when we were in the US were proper pyjamas (the American ones are horrid), long white socks for girls, and fitted shoes.

We didn't move abroad, but somehow we managed to leave behind the cutlery and my bikinis

Books ( currently in big yellow)
Specifically cookbooks .. I have no idea why I thought I wouldn't use them for three years.

Beans and tea bags - now dont let visitors from home in unless they've got some teabags in their suitcase!

................and Marmite.

Cook books - good idea. Just added them to the growing pile in my dining room!
We're not allowed to take food in the shipping stuff :-( but will ensure that we take some familiar foods as DDs v fussy...
PJs already packed and ready to go and will now go get the white long socks too.

Thanks for all the ideas.

As for bikinis, might need some exercise before a bikini is necessary

Tea bags!! I don't miss anything else (except my mum sometimes ) but EVERY guest must bring a box of PG Tips Decaf...

I also buy bras when I go home to visit, as they're crap here (Germany), but its difficult to know that sort of stuff before you've been settled in a little while.

We took everything as DH's company moved us. I took lots of adaptors for the plugs for stuff like the laptop charger, phone chargers etc. However, what I didn't realise was that they only work up to a certain voltage so my sewing machine, magimix, electric whisk, blender etc don't work here. I am in Canada and have to say that Marmite, Tetley etc are all readily available in place like Walmart, but bras are rubbish here :) Oh, and decaf tea is extortionate. I also have to say that it's the little things that made me feel at home, like our mugs for tea and coffee, our pictures and things like that. Don't underestimate how these things can change how you feel! Good luck with the move x

We took a heavy duty transformer to the USA and had a 'British Corner' in our basement, where we had a British TV and video player. We could also use it to charge things like our electric screwdriver.

Big things with motors won't last long, even with a transformer, but you have to decide how often you are going to use them. If it is only every so often, then it may be better to use them rather than buying new.

Teabags. UK medicines for kids (can't get sugar-free medicine here); UK off-the-shelf medicines for us (eg cheap paracetamol, lemsips, sudofed - much much cheaper in UK); underwear.

I get underwear shopping has to happen sometime this week then and a trip to Boots!
Thanks for all the advice!

bonfire night

err, thats it! :)

mixed spice

Be careful with medicine though. I'm sure you're not allowed to bring codeine into the US (unless it's changed since I smuggled my Feminax in, unknowingly)

I might have to come home for Bonfire Night...
Good advice re drugs though - will check my stash of drugs tomorrow!

I agree with everyone saying teabags and beans! I have a transformer which is great for my sewing machine and other electrical things. DVDs of British shows you love can really cheer you up when you're missing home, and books (but I guess that only applies if you're moving to a non-English speaking country). I also find that things are WAY cheaper in Boots, Mothercare etc than they are here (Mexico), don't know if that's the case in the US.

Another one for teabags. No-one does a cuppa like us Brits.

Everything else I can live without or mail order

What I am really pissed off about "losing" is my A-frame clothes airer. I should have sent it with the main shipment and lived without it, borrowed my parents' one or something; but no, I needed it for drying clothes and nappies so hung onto it, thinking I could get it airfreighted later. No chance! Waaaaayyy too expensive because it goes on size as well as weight. Of course you can't get anything like it anywhere now, and I miss it because actually I could get more on it than all the fancy-shmancy X-shaped fold up jobs; and it doubled as a tent! :(

If I lived o/seas again I would pretty much empty Boots and send it freight.

Add tights, hold ups or knee highs (whatever your preference) to your bra shopping - could be me but I've never seen the same selection as in the UK.
A friend in Caribbean won't let anyone visit without bringing mini chedders!

I did go to Boots and had to explain to the pharmacist why I was buying so much medicine! Might need to visit a different branch to get more.
As we'll be in Houston I'm hoping tights won't be necessary most of the time but I will add it to my list.
Those of you in the US, did you carry tea bags and choc in your suitcases or hand baggage? DH concerned about questions at customs...

All my baby stuff, as I was stopping at two. Ended up having number three and having to buy everything again!

Ah MrsOlf this is exactly what I said - not Houston but equally warm destination - then the one time I wanted to get a pair.... horrible manky 30 dernier natural tan was the only thing I could find.

And had to laugh about your experience with Boots - the one I went to last time I was home actually called over the Senior Pharmacist to query about my horde

I would take Maldon sea salt, 1/2 of Boots' inventory and Geeta's mango chutney.

For your airer - how is this:

www.urbanclotheslines.com/frazer-a-frame-clothes-airer