The Real Wuxi Expat Housewives have put our experiences together and put a list together of things that we either didn’t bring enough of, or didn’t know we would need when we arrived and want to make it easier on you as you move. This post will deal with those of you blessed to have a sea shipment where you can pack more with you.
Tractor Man’s company provided a sea shipment and an air shipment for us coming over. But, with a newborn and thinking, “Everything is made in China, so I’m sure I can get what I need there”, I ended up asking my mother to ship quite a bit of stuff to me during my first year in China.
One thing to remember though, this list does not apply to everyone. This is more to get you thinking of things that are easy to pack and will (in my humble opinion) make life a little easier. Also, as you are packing, think of what kind of apartment space you have and how much space you will have to store things. If you plan to make trips home then you can space out what you bring to when you need it.
You can find quite a bit of stuff here, but a lot of it is quite a bit more expensive than in the US.
Regular Packing:
Q-tips
***you can buy them here but they (again in my opinion) are not as good of a quality as the ones you can buy in the US. Tractor Man stocks up for me every time he goes back.
Deodorant
***PLEASE pack...you really can’t find this here at all. I have found 2 different types but they are tiny bottles and not at all what I’m used to. We probably have enough in our storage to last 2 more years. Ha!
Shave Gel
***maybe I’m just a shave gel snob (probably....) but I much prefer the gel to the foam. Tractor Man doesn’t mind the foam so that is what I buy for him and use when I run out of my gel. Plus they don’t have women’s shave gel over here. The one type of gel that you can find is Gillette, but one can is $8.00. So take that under consideration as well.
Razors (women and men)
***Especially women’s razors. The women here do not shave as much so the options are very limited in this area.
Tampons
***so far the only type of tampon we have seen here is the OB brand and in very small boxes (6pk).
Shampoo - if you have oily hair
***There is quite a large selection of shampoos and conditioners here, but my hair type is vastly different from the local Chinese so it didn’t work for me. Had I known (or even thought) about this in advance I would have packed more.
Plenty of new underwear (panties & bras)
Floss
Toothpaste
***Elle Lay was told before she moved to stay away from toothpaste here. I did not know that so Tractor Man and I have been buying Crest Pro Health here and it has been fine. So take this into consideration and decide what you think is best.
Medicine
***Even if you don’t normally use a lot of medicine its better to stock up and have it. Some of my suggestions are: Pepto Bismol
, Advil, Children’s meds
(Tylenol, Advil, etc), Cold Medicine, Neosporin
, Hydrogen Peroxide, Cold Sore Medicine, Flu medicine, Any prescriptions you have, and Vitamins.
******A side note on this (there is another post just on this topic) but now it is becoming illegal to ship medicines in to the country by packages, so you want to bring as much with you as you can that you will need.
Aluminium Foil
***Again, you can find this here in China, but in smaller rolls. If you can find the larger rolls on sale in the states, it would be easy to pack.
Wax Paper
***The only place I have seen this here is in Shanghai at the foreign goods store and Tractor Man about has a heart attack when he sees the price on it. Ha! So if you are a lover of wax paper as I am, I suggest packing it.
Pam Cooking Spray
***This would need to be packed in a suitcase since from everything we have ever been told, you can't put aerosol cans in any shipment.
Paper Plates
***This is something for sure you can find here, but if you have a sea shipment coming and have extra space, pack them. It will make your life easier and you won't have to shop for them for awhile. Plus they are much cheaper in the states and you can buy them in a big pack there.
Paper Towels
***Same as paper plates, but in the states they are a much better quality.
Napkins
***Napkins like we know in the states are not so easy to find here, so if you have space pack some of your favorites!
Packing for Babies & Toddlers:
Car Seats for all stages that you will be in China
***Granted, it is not required to use car seats here, but I still put my kid in one for long trips with our driver. You can buy car seats here, but again they are just way more expensive. So if you have the shipping space, plan for it and pack it.
Walking Stroller
***There are a lot of great places to walk around Wuxi, but the ground is not always even and you have to go up stairs a lot as well. My personal opinion would be to get a stroller with big tires to make walking easier.
Umbrella Stroller
***The small strollers are better for indoor walking and shopping where they block off the elevators and escalators. This type of stroller fits through there barriers where as my big stroller will not.
Table Toppers
Foldable Booster Seat
***This was something that I never even knew existed until I realized I needed something to take the restaurants. Most of the local places here either do not have high chairs or only have one. So if you go to dinner with another family with kids then one of you has to hold your kid. I bought a Brica Fold and Go and it folds flat and goes everywhere with me. (You can find the Brica Fold and Go on Amazon.com)
Clothing for all ages that you will be in China
***This was one of those times I was thinking, “I can buy that in China...its made there right?” But no...well...yes you can but you are going to pay quite a bit more for most things. So hit the sale racks and stock up as you can. My sweet mother is always shipping me the clothes that I go online and purchase.
Bigger type toys
***Again, just a money saving issue.
Books
***The one store here in Wuxi where I could find great kids books in English closed down and I haven’t found another one yet.
Boogie Wipes
***Great for colds.
Shoes for different stages
***This is a tough one I know...how do you know what size their foot is going to be? We just guessed the last time we were home and bought shoes in the next 3 sizes according to the season.
Baby & Toddler Snacks
***If you have space to pack some stuff with you do it.
Baby & Toddler toothpaste
***I found this here at a new baby store today, but since I can't read what is in it I would still get mine from the states, but there is always that option.
Food Type Items That Can be Packed:
Ranch Seasoning
Taco Seasoning
***This can be purchased here but is more expensive. They are in flat packages so they are easy to pack.
Pudding Packets
Again, this list is just a guide to get you thinking. Take a day and go to Target (or your favorite place to shop) and look at things that you wouldn’t want to live without and make a list. Then as you know what type of shipping you will have you can buy and pack accordingly. As you start thinking through these things, let us know if you have questions. Can’t wait to hear from you.
Thanks ya'll,
Belle
