Today was the first day that I spent shopping since we arrived in the UK. I was so fortunate to ramble my way into a shopping center with two different charity second-hand shops and a privately owned second-hand shop. There was a shop for the British Cancer Society and the British Heart Foundation side by side, and that’s where I found my best luck.

I had to do some guessing between US and UK sizes, which was extra difficult given my large bellied condition, but I managed to find this 100% viscose mini-dress/tunic in bold purples, browns, and oranges. It fits me perfectly, and I am so excited to bring it home. I also bought my girls a DVD of Angelina Ballerina, their favorite British mouse. I was very glad to not have bought them a mass-produced teddy bear for 10 pounds as a souvenir, and to have been able to stick to my shopping ideals even while on vacation.

One thing about British women is that they dress much more formally day to day than US women do, and the thrift shop reflected that. Most of the offerings were well maintained stylish blouses and slacks. Even the shoes were in excellent condition and very current in their styling. It was very fun to go rack to rack and see more than 30 items I would have loved to take home. Too bad I only have one suitcase with me!