If you're anything like my wife and daughter you'll find something in your wardrobe that you got 2 years ago, still with the tags on and forgotten about!

Haven't bought my first items of clothing for my summer hols yet. Don't normally think about it until around the end of May when I've usually started to lose a bit of weight. No doubt I'll be buying some footwear soon, especially now that this beautiful weather is making me feel all summery.
My first purchase on return from hols is always some sort of food that I've tried whilst away. I think I try the recipes out in order to extend the holiday feeling a bit. Last year on return from Santorini I bought the ingredients to make tzaziki (wrong spelling) and beef Stifado. Only this evening I bought Feta cheese and olives to compliment the sunny day we've had today.

I have yet to make my first purchase for my hols starting 18th June. I tend to leave it until quite close to the date, but I'm looking in earnest!

I have payday next week so my first purchase might be some crocs footwear.

I like to be organised so Ive already started to buy the essentials - toiletries etc that are buy one get one free and then put them away plus if I buy them in the weekly shop, I don't miss the money as much.

I have also started buying my daughter's new summer/holiday clothes. Being that she is only 3 I feel that I ought to and she has grown so much over the winter, none of last year's clothes fit her. Anyway, once her and hubby are sorted, I can then go on a splurge and spend, spend, spend on me. Plus I'm on the dreaded diet (but thats another thread) and if I'm going to loose all that weight that I'm planning on, I will need to do my holiday shopping later than them
Chivas - It is a requirement and rule that all women - young or old - have at least one or two items in their wardrobes that still retain their price tag :wink:. Mine is full of them and I'm embarrassed to say that I'm guilty too. Some of them were purchased years ago

Guilty x 10 for me on that one.

I might order sunscreen from Avon this week, or might leave it until next catalogue. Whatever offers they have on they seem to better it the next time!

I've started getting things in for my two kid's as they've grown out of everything, I hate shopping for my Son as he's 14 and 6ft 3" it's just a nightmare! I've managed to get a couple of things for myself but I could just do with so much and I hate clothes shopping

I love buying clothes for holidays, but being just this side of 50 this year's fashion is just far too young for me. Those smock tops I used to wear when I was 14 now make me look like a pregnant duck. I seem to be in a time warp as the clothes for the more "mature lady" make me look like a frump. Being only 5ft tall doesn't help either. Anyone got any tips?

Those smock tops I used to wear when I was 14 now make me look like a pregnant duck

I had to laugh at that Helen, I tried one on in Next last week and as soon as I put it on I said to my Daughter I felt like I was pregnant It looked so nice on the peg!

I went on Tuesday and Wednesday and got loads of clothes to go away on April 29th. Have to agree with the 2 comments above, I tried a smock top on and it took my mind back to when I was about 7 months pregnant in 1981!!! Ended up buying nice trousers, skirts, some nice sexy tops which are fashionable, but probably not as fashionable as the smocks

Think I will leave those for the youth of today - oh crumbs, now I feel old

Mary x

New Look have some really nice cotton skirtd and tops at the moment. Grabbed a couple of bargains yesterday!

Did really well today in H&M for my two kid's. I managed to get some men's cargo type trousers to fit my Son in length and they have an adjustable waist and also shorts, brilliant if you're very tall and skinny! The shops a godsend for me

I have most things now, cheap vest and t-shirt tops and shorts for the beach and when tops are as little as £2 each you don't mind the kids spilling half their ice cream on them!!

The only thing is not going away until August and my daughter (10) has already been snooping around in the 'holiday bag' for things to wear this half term holiday because the weather has been so nice

I have to agree on the smock top issue, unless you have a boyish figure - don't bother. Don't be attracted to this item thinking it'll make you look streamlined or hide a multitude of sins, it'll make you look 'bigger' even the lucky so and so's who have managed to keep a flat stomach after having children!!

Go for a wrap around style top, much more flattering to the eye no matter what your size.

I have bought 2 pairs of crocs so they are my first purchase.

I have a shopping basket filling up on Amazon with book choices but I don't want to click and order them just yet as I am prone to read them before I go away.

Got a couple of good books in Tesco yesterday- only need about another 6 now and that should last the fortnight. It'll be into the cheapie shops for their 3 for a fiver I think. Nothing worse than running out of holiday reading

Crocs- very tempted. Going to Milton Keynes on Sunday, so I think I will try some and see what I think. As for clothes, I usually have this thing about liking lots of new stuff for us all to take away. Costs an absolute fortune- the kids get chocolate ice cream down theirs which won't wash out so they don't wear it again and they end up with too much as well so it's hardly worn and outgrown by the next year. I'm going to try and be a bit more sensible this year.

Pam

Bought my first bikini last week and......sent it back- it looked ridiculous on me. I thought I was buying far too soon before the diet took hold (wishful thinking). Bought a gorgeous pair of gold sandals on e bay though. Also bought a pair of white linen trousers from Matalan. My holiday purchases are underway eventhough we don't go away until August.

I've paid the balance of our holiday tonight (8 weeks till we go) so I'll need to start thinking about shopping. I think the kids are mostly sorted already as I bought for the 6 year old's in last summer's sales and supplemented it in the Next Clearance Shop in the autumn. The 3 year old can wear her big sister's cast-offs (well the ones that aren't chocolate ice cream stained!). They'll both need shoes but I'll leave that another few weeks so that they haven't outgrown them by the time we go away.

Filled my holiday bag with toiletries and cosmetics - we are having a refit at work and have loads of reduced stuff. So with 75% off and then my discount I have enough packed away to last two years. Bought 2 pairs of linen blend trousers in Primark today - not bad for £6. If they last the holiday and next summer's barbies then I will consider them a bargain.

Had another trip to Primark this morning and somehow fell under the spell of shocking pink mixed with khaki after I picked up a camouflage print bikini with pink straps; bought another pink bikini with sequins as well and a couple of shocking pink vest tops, matching three-quarter pants and some more beach skirts, and some of the mock-croc flip-flop styles in shocking pink and red.
Nipped out again this afternoon to our local retail park, got 3 tops from H&M to go with my pink/khaki theme, a pair of pink Miss Sixty sunglasses from TK Maxx and a cute smock top from Internacionale. Finally, popped into the specialist bargain swimwear shop which has just opened and got another shocking pink bikini with pink foil pattern.
Yes, we've just come back from a holiday but most of the stuff I wore on that one was what I had last year, so it's time for new stuff for August. A lot of what I've bought today (apart from the bikinis) will be worn quite a few times before we go away as long as this nice weather keeps up so I won't mind if it gets stained or spoilt in August, I'll have had my money's worth
Got some suncream from Asda yesterday while it's on offer and while they have the full range, also got my mozzie plug tablets.
And, no I don't feel giddy about buying stuff now for August - you try buying holiday stuff in August - it's all wooly jumpers and xmas decs by then

Hmmm, i must be very disorganised. I am going to Malta on 22 May and haven't bought anything clothes wise yet!!!! Maybe it is time i got myself sorted!