Simply Be Haul!

So what do you do when your worried and your dogs having an operation? Well after I took Lulu to the vets and had an emotional goodbye my only option was to go home and wait. I don't know about you but if I am in the house on my own and something is on my mind the only thing I do is panic and think about the worst scenario that could happen.

With that being said I thought I might as well use this as an opportunity to have a look around my local shopping centre. So sitting in the car park waiting for the shops to open feeling anxious and nervous but I decided I was going to be brave.

The first shop I went to was Lush, I love this store! I was hoping that there Halloween products might have been in store but unfortunately they weren't so I decided to head to Simply Be.

I find that you either go shopping and find nothing you like or you go and end up buying the shop! Ok so maybes I didn't buy the shop but I had a pretty good go so I thought I would share with you some pieces I picked up.

Firstly with Lulu on my mind I saw this t-shirt and knew I was going to buy it. It is a nice white t-shirt with an adorable black and white image of a pug wearing a red bow tie! Where I work I have to wear smart/office wear so on weekends I generally wear t-shirts whilst I'm at the beach, going on walks etc so I thought that this would be perfect for then.



I love dresses, I normally wear them with leggings or over the top of skinny jeans. I saw this dress and thought it would be perfect for work or even dressed up. It is navy with a white and burgundy pattern. It synchs in the waist and skims your hips, I love it! It also has mock lapels on the shoulders which have small gold buttons which in my opinion instantly makes it a more interesting piece.



I love patterns (as you might be able to tell!) and when I saw this dress I liked the mix of different textures and print. The top half is a stretchy fabric and the skirt is made of chiffon with a navy underlay. The top has a lovely dark pattern and reminded me of autumn, the pattern is lovely burgundy/berry flowers with a forest green leaf. Very pretty! I also think this would be very versatile and could be worn dressy or casual.



My last dress I am in love! the style, the pattern, the colours are me to a tee! It is a gorgeous skater style dress with sleeves. The pattern is so feminine yet suitable for autumn/winter. I will most likely be wearing this with a black waist belt and a statement necklace. It was £50 which I think is very expensive but the material and cut justifies the price tag.



Lastly I saw this onesie, I love onesies for lazy winter days. However all my onesies are very thick and fluffy (which is great when its freezing) and I tend to get too warm in them. So when I saw this I thought it would be ideal for me, it is short sleeved so I wont get too hot and the material is kinda like jogger material so very comfy. I love that it has a hood so I can get all snuggled up! You guessed it, its patterned! Lovely Scottie dogs wearing different patterned bow ties, what's not to love!



 

Hope this has gave you a look at what's out in store, and just to let you know Lulu is fine, the operation went well, she was sleepy yesterday but back to her usual self today, which makes me  very happy!

Thanks for reading

Tracy xx

 

Sad Times!

So those of you who read my blog will be aware that I suffer with depression, anyone who knows about or is going through depression you will be aware that small things can seem like the end of the world.

I am still taking my medication but recently I have started to have panic attacks (something I have never had previously). At first in all honesty I thought I was having a heart attack! My chest felt heavy, I was going dizzy and burning up.

This happened about three times in the past week and once I thought about when it was happening I realised that it was actually happening in situations I was panicking or anxious.

My moods have been so up and down this week and found it hard to focus or think positive about things, which has meant my relationship with food has taken effect. I have decided to take a bit of time off over thinking about my food and spoke to my Sliming World consultant and discussed that my mind set is not there at the moment and she was very supportive and no doubt I will be back at her group  over the next few weeks but at the moment I am finding that it is one more thing that I am doing wrong.

Over the past few years my dog (Lulu) has became my best friend. Now many of you might think that sounds ridiculous but she is. When I have been sad she has been there, when I have been happy she has been there and we have shared many days at the beach playing with her tennis ball, She is my world!

Thursday I took her to the vets for a check up and it looks as though she might have cancer. They have found a lump and there not 100% sure what it is but they are going to operate. She is almost 8 so she has that on her side so fingers crossed everything will be ok.

Monday is going to be a very long day for me, she has to be taken to the vets very early and is expected to be there most of the day, leaving her will be hard, she wont understand why she's being left and will be in a lot of pain afterwards.

So I'll be keeping everything crossed in hope it goes well.

Just thought I would give you a update on what is currently going on

Thanks for reading

Tracy xx

Fresh as Pure Soap!

I absolutely love the fragrances made by Philosophy. My favourite is Baby Grace, then my second Pure Grace. Baby grace is a soft comforting smell and designed to make you feel nurtured and comforted. I love it, I always get compliments whilst wearing it and its not heady or strong yet its not too light that you cant smell it.

Pure grace is a clean fresh fragrance, the best way to describe it is the same or similar smell as drying your washing outside, or getting into clean sheets. Very crisp but subtle and not over powering.

I have always been conscious of smelling fresh and clean, I normally carry two perfumes, a deodorant and body spray on me at most times (excessive I know!). I hate that feeling when your out and about and you can smell that someone is not so fresh and I feel that being a bigger lady people like to assume that its you that smells. So I like to feel fresh and 100% confident that I smell good.

I find that a lot of larger branded perfume's tend to be quite heady or overpowering or even synthetic which is even worse, so I have always stuck to Baby Grace, however it is now discontinued. Me being me I have two 'back up' bottles for when I run out.

So with that ramble out the way, I have been looking for a everyday fragrance that suits me. I have struggled to find one on the high street and last week I found The Library of Fragrance (@LibraryofFragUK on Twitter). What drew me to them was the fact that there header picture was a picture of 3 fragrances, Dirt, Grass and Tomato! Not your typical fragrances so this intrigued me and I decided to look at there website.

They have a huge range of fragrances and a lot are not your traditional ones, for example Gin & Tonic, Fireplace, Four leaf clover, the list goes on.....www.thelibraryoffragrance.com.

I was happy just looking around there website when I found 'Baby Powder'. I find ordering fragrance online quite daunting as you cant smell it (obviously) and I always like to see how a fragrance suits me throughout the day before purchasing.

Something drew me to Baby powder, it was described as being calming and bring backs comforting memories of being a child. I decided to order it as that's the only way I would find out if I liked it and it cost £15 for 30mls which was not too bad (Baby Grace retails for £34 aprox).

Whilst I was on the site I spotted 'pure soap'. Being someone who wants a subtle but fresh smell I was naturally drawn to this fragrance also so I ordered that too.

The delivery was Royal Mail 2nd Class which meant I ordered late Saturday evening and received the fragrance Wednesday. The bottles were packed very well and made the process a bit more exciting as you had to search for your bottles amongst the little foam pieces. This was ideal as they are glass bottles so this ensured that the product was delivered safely and without and breakage.

The first fragrance I tried was of course Baby powder, and I was not disappointed. The smell is almost identical to Johnsons Baby powder. Very clean and comforting. It sits on the skin well and is very subtle, I could imagine people saying 'you smell nice' opposed to 'what perfume you wearing?'. This is defiantly going to be a handbag fragrance for me, you can top it up throughout the day but you don't change the smell i.e. it does not get too strong.

If you like the smell of powder or you use powder purely for the smell then this is defiantly worth a try.

Pure soap, where do I begin! I would say its a little more fragrant than Baby powder but still a clean fresh fragrance. The best way to describe it is imagine going to a posh hotel or store and using there hand soap, the feeling of being clean keep smelling your hands because you love the smell (hope that's not just me!). It actually smells like white pure soap, imagine a thick creamy bar of soap that has a rich creamy lather, that's what 'pure soap' smells like.

I am really pleased I bought these fragrances and I hope in time I am brave enough to try some of their more unconventional fragrances. Why not give them a visit at http://thelibraryoffragrance.com/and see what fragrance you would choose I would love to hear what you think or if you have any recommendations.

Just been informed that there fragrances are also available at boots too! (really helpful as you can actually smell them before you buy!)

Thanks for reading

Tracy xx

 

A Typical Day!

I'm following the Slimming World food plan and I don't know what it is but I am still struggling. The plan is great, the food you can have is great but for some reason I cant get into it fully with my current mind set. That is going to be the hardest thing for me to overcome. Sometimes being big you find that there are certain people who look at you and tell you its simple to lose weight, you just eat less and move more. I completely agree that that is the science behind weight loss but if it is that simple why do people struggle so much to lose weight?

For me its all in the mind, I have an unhealthy relationship with food and categorise food in my head as good food and bad food. Which again is fine but if I was following a plan that allowed a treat I would still think I had fallen off plan and then start to feel guilty and then say the famous words 'I'll start again tomorrow'.

In my heart I want to lose weight, I want to be healthy and most of all I want to be happier yet for some reason I am stopping myself. I'll have good intentions of doing well and then I'll think 'oo I'll have a cheat night'. Then feel guilty about it and then the circle begins again.

So at the moment I am fighting between my head and my heart but I am still pushing forward. There are no quick fixes (I have learnt that the hard way). And losing weight requires a lifestyle change rather than a 'diet'.

Anyone who loves food and wants to lose weight I would recommend Slimming World because there are no foods of limits, its just about cooking differently and treating the 'bad' foods as a treat and to have them in a controlled way. What I mean when I say that is instead of eating a bag of sweets and feeling like you have gone off the plan, allow yourself a handful or a couple and 'syn' them. Syns are just a way of allowing foods that have less nutritional value to still be enjoyed but not over indulged.

I thought I would share what a typical day of my eating plan is when I am following the plan.

For breakfast I enjoy 2 Weetabix with 200mls of Koko dairy free milk, I then top this with a banana sliced up and red and green grapes. I find adding fruit bulks out the meal and keeps me fuller for longer.

For lunch I am normally at work and don't tend to have a lunch break but if I do its normally 10-15 minutes so I like something quick. I prepare fruit and on this occasion I had grapes. strawberry's, kiwi and banana.

For dinner it depends on the time and also how long I have to prepare my meal. On this occasion I had a chicken breast seasoned with Cajun spice. Along side of that I had sweet potato wedges cooked using Fry Light (a one calorie spray, alternative to oil) and a salad made using lettuce, cucumber, peppers and red onion.

For a snack after my dinner I generally enjoy a Muller light yogurt.

This was one of my more healthy days, don't think that if you follow Slimming World that you just eat fruit and veg, you can do but there are so many alternatives which I am hoping to share in the future.

One of my most unhealthy habits is that I am addicted to Pepsi Max, on this plan you are allowed Diet drinks but I know that this is a habit that I am keen to get away from.

Hoping to balance my head and my heart in the future!

If you are wanting more information check out Slimming Worlds website, there are recipes and stories that might help you decide if this plan could work for you. www.slimmingworld.com

(I am in no way being paid or sponsored by Slimming World, I just genuinely trust in this plan, especially if you are someone with a larger amount of weight to lose).

Thanks for reading

Tracy xx

 

Swimsuit Summary!

 

Lately you may be aware that I am in the process of losing weight and trying to lead a fitter and healthier lifestyle. I enjoy the gym but recently I have found it a bit too strenuous on my joints (starting to sound old now!). Even though I am a large lady I still want to exercise and build my fitness levels.

When I was younger (lets say 6 years old) me, my mam and grandparents booked my first holiday abroad, we were going to Malta! I was soo excited to be going on a plane and it was one big adventure for me. My mam on the other hand wanted me to fully enjoy the experience and she was concerned that I could not swim.

She enrolled my onto swimming lessons at my local pool and every Saturday we'd head along to the pool and I loved it! Ever since I have loved being in the water or beside the sea (my star sign is Pisces so I think that has something to do with it.).

When I was young it was a case of taking your bather and towel to the pool to have fun, as I got older I still loved the pool but became very conscious that my body shape and size was different to others so an activity that was once fun became more unpleasant for me as my insecurities grew about my body.

I worked out that if I could make it from the changing rooms to the pool then the rest was fine. Swimming is a great activity and can be good especially for those of us that carry a bit more weight as swimming is not weight baring on your joints.

Recently I discovered a quiet private pool in my area and is mainly used by adults or classes. I love Aquafit, its soo much fun and it does not matter what size you are and you can go at your own pace if you need to. So when I seen that there was a class on 3 times a week I decided to try it out, I love it! Nobody looks at you, there all there for there own personal reasons and if anything they admire you for giving it a go.

My shape is more of a pear shape so I find buying swimwear quite difficult as I need the bottom to be bigger than the top. I thought I would share some of my thoughts on a few that I have. All swimsuits were purchased through Simply Be as they had a larger selection to choose from.

1) If you are looking for a basic swimsuit with minimum support then this one will do the trick, It is a basic high leg design and if you are looking for a swimsuit for a casual swim this would do fine however support is minimal

2) I love this swimsuit! I like that it is black but still has a bit of colour to add more interest and also the design flatters your figure as the colour sits on your ribs which does give you a bit more shape. This swimsuit has a tummy control panel which helps to suck you in but is not too restrictive. There is a built in bra shelf also so gives a bit of support too. I use this suit for aquafit and it is great but I would have preferred the body to be a bit longer just so I had full confidence whilst bouncing around in the pool (obviously that is a technical term!).

3) If your wanting full confidence in a swimsuit that offers support then this would be the one I would chose. It also has tummy control and I find this to be more supportive than number 3, The bust support is also great and you can 100% be sure that your safe in the knowledge that your secure. The only thing I did not like about this was the colour, but that is personal preference, I like to blend in and this screams look at me! I have had compliments of how nice this swimsuit is its just preference.

4) I thought all my swimsuit needs were fulfilled when I saw this one, it is a swimdress, the skirt is long and skims the hips, it is not clingy in the slightest, perfect! However the bust area is where it all goes wrong, you have to tie the top as it is a halter neck style. I became afraid that the top was going to come undone and then when it was tightly tied it was too restrictive. The cups do have slight padding but are designed to enhance your cleavage needless to say tis did not leave much to the imagination which has meant I am unable to wear this for swimming, It would be great for the beach or sitting around the pool.

I still have not found my perfect swimsuit but I am always on the look out. Do you recommend anywhere for plus size swimsuits?

Thank you for reading

Tracy xx

A change is on it's way!

Little Miss Plus Size is a very new blog and the blogging world is also very new to me! One thing I have realised is that I love being part of this community and I have found writing makes me happy. I write for myself it allows me to escape my day to day life and put a bit of time aside to focus on something that makes me happy. The thing that is strange to me is that there are people out there that are interested in what I have to say, I love reading comments and also love reading others blogs, there are some amazing ones out there.

I also love the plus size community that's out there. They are fab women that have helped and are helping me realise that yes I'm a big girl but that doesn't mean I cant enjoy fashion or beauty! Its very inspiring to see and read about. Before I started my blog I was very naïve I never heard of Plus North or the Plus Size Awards. Seeing that there is an industry for us ladies is so inspiring and a industry I would like to be part of.

Just an update on my weight loss journey, I had a bad week, I knew it would be a bad result and I was terrified to get weighed but I am 100%  sure that Slimming World (www.slimmingworld.com) is the plan for me. Saturday came (my weigh in day) and I knew I had gained (if I hadn't there would of had to be a miracle involved!).

My mam had mentioned she had a coupon for membership and first meeting for £4.95 (which is the cost of weekly meetings), me being me I know that soo early on in my journey having a gain would be seen as a negative thing so I decided to re-join as a new member. My consultant understood and was very supportive. So this is a fresh start for me, I have done my weekly shop and planned my meals so I am going to be enjoying doing a bit more cooking.

If your determined to do something but you keep getting pushed back, just keep pushing forward at the end of the day what have you got to lose? You owe it to yourself to be in charge of your own happiness and success.

I have also been thinking about my blog and the direction in which I would like to move forward, I am going to be aiming to upload new posts twice a week, one will be fashion/beauty related and the other will be lifestyle related.

I like the thought that I have somewhere to express my feelings at least once a week and hopefully find motivation to keep going to lead a healthy lifestyle. I am not 100% sure on the days I will be uploading but I don't work weekends or Wednesdays so I'm hoping to find a routine that can work with both my blog and my work.

The thought that there is even one person reading my blog amazes and pleases me soo much, so thank you! I genuinely appreciate.

Thanks for reading

Tracy xx

Colder days are Coming!

 



If you have had look at my previous post you'll see that I am aware that the colder months are soon going to be upon us. With that being said I thought I would share with you some of the skincare products that I find useful during these months (obviously I use some all year round too).


1) Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask- I love Liz Earle products, I like that the ingredients used are very natural. This mask includes shea butter, rose scented geranium essential oil and a few other amazing ingredients. This masks purpose is to soothe and rehydrate the skin and it does exactly that. I apply a generous amount to my face and neck and then leave for 10-15 minutes before removing with a damp muslin cloth. If my skin is feel extra dry sometimes I leave it on over night then any product that needs to be removed is done so in my morning skincare routine. I enjoy using this product and find that it doesn't break me out and I am left with soft smooth skin. The smell is a non offensive rose smell and is not too over powering. Great product.

2) Benefit's It's Potent eye cream - As I am getting older it is becoming more apparent that eye cream is important. Out of all beauty products that I use I find eye creams to be the most tedious, I know I have to use them but I find them the least enjoyable to use. I don't particularly have sensitive eyes but I am sceptical about using products on the eye area. A while ago I bought a travel size gift set from Benefit that included their 'Its Potent' eye cream. I enjoy using this cream at night, that way it has enough time to sink in and I wont then be adding make up on top. It is a nice product and it hydrates the eye area nicely. Worth getting a sample if you are sceptical.

3)Benefit Moisture Prep Toning Lotion- As I have previously mentioned I had bought a travel size of the Benefit skincare range and this is another product I have been using. I have only been using a small amount on a cotton pad and then apply to my face and neck. Now depending on my skin needs I may just use this in the evening during my night time routine.

4) L'Occitane Amande Foot Care - After my experience with the hand cream in the same range I started to use the matching foot cream. After summer my feet tend to need a bit of looking after, so during the winter months I like to keep my feet just as moisturised. This also contains almond milk and has the same smell as the matching hand cream. I tend to use moisture socks when I apply this cream as this allows it to soak in and in the morning I'm left with lovely soft feet.

5) Sudocrem - So this is a 'nappy cream' I hear you say, yes it is but its soo much more. All my life my mam has been a fan of Sudocrem in fact in our house it was nicknamed 'magic cream'. There was never anything that this cream could not heal. As I have got older I still use this mainly for spots but during the cooler months its good to use for cold sores. The only downside is that it is very drying but that is how it helps clear up sores or spots.

6) Balmi lip balm - One thing that is almost impossible to avoid is dry lips in the colder months. I love this lip balm to throw in my bag and top up when I feel like I need too. The fruity smell also makes it very enjoyable to use and it hydrates the lips. If you were looking for something more nourishing I would recommend Carmex, I use that on an evening but my Balmi does me throughout the day.

7) Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser - I bought this moisturiser as I have used it in the past and enjoyed it, I picked up the Dry/Sensitive option which I was a mistake as previously I used the Normal/Combination option. I love this product however it has been too thick for me during the summer months but I'm hoping it will be perfect for the winter as my skin is exposed to the cold weather. Again there are some great ingredients such as avocado oil and natural vitamin E. If you were not wanting to splash out on a moisture mask, if you apply a generous layer of this and leave either over night or a couple of hours you will get a similar effect to a mask.

So hopefully I will be able to keep dry skin at bay this winter. Hope this has helped!

Thanks for reading

 

Tracy xx

 

Now thats Handy!

Ok so I'm sorry about the cheesy heading but as the weathers getting a bit colder, this is the time I start to notice my hands getting a bit drier so I thought I would share with you the products I will be reaching for to help turn my dry hands into soft smooth ones.

The first product I would like to mention is from Soap & Glory, I constantly like the feeling of clean hands so I always carry a hand sanitizer with me. I  have used many brands in the past but most tend to be drying and have either a unpleasant or very alcohol based smell. I discovered 'Hand Maid' from Soap & Glory.  Firstly the smell is very pleasant, not sickly or over powering but still gives you the feeling that it is able to kill germs and clean your hands. The smell is described as fresh, fruity and floral and I have to agree, it has not got on specific smell it just smells clean and feminine. I also find that Hand Maid does not dry out your skin too much, obviously antibacterial gels do contain alcohol which can be very drying on the skin but I find that Soap & Glory have got the balance perfect and its not too drying on the hands. This will forever be my handbag must have!

 



I am the type of person who always likes clean hands, they need to feel clean. So the thought of using hand cream is not my favourite beauty regime. I have tried many in the past and found them too thick or greasy and have to wait ages for them to sink in, by this time I want to re-wash my hands to get rid of the product!

So when I found out that L'Occitane made a lighter version of there shea butter ranges I thought I might as well give it a try. The hand cream in question is L'Occitane Amande smooth hands. I love there almond range so I was not disappointed however the fragrance is different to there almond oil but still just as nice. The cream contains almond milk which is known for it softening properties.



I find that a little goes a long way and I apply it just when I feel like my hands are feeling a little dry. The formula is light and sinks into the skin perfectly. Its amazing.

With that being said I do love the feeling of soft hands and even though I do apply hand cream it is a light version and sometimes my skin just needs a bit more. As I don't like the feeling of thicker creams but still need the moisturising benefits I have found that I am able to use a thicker cream at night. I love Soap & Glory products and always pick them up when they are on 3 for 2 at boots, this is where I came across 'Hand Food'. My original intention was to use this as my daily cream but I found it too thick (this is purely personal others have said its fine) so instead of giving up on it I decided to start using it in the evening. I apply a generous layer and then pop on my cotton moisturising gloves and this allows the cream to sink in and I don't have to have greasy hands. In the morning I am left with soft smooth hands. Hand Food also has some great ingredients including shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow (yes marshmallow)! The smell to me has that classic soap and glory smell and is very pleasant.



So I hope I gave you a little bit of help to combat the cold this winter.

Thanks for reading

Tracy xx

Tough Times

Since I was younger I have always had a problem with my weight. I have came from a single parent household and not until recently I have realised that my mam has always overcompensated that fact buy using food, for example if I was good I got a treat (sweets etc), if I was  sad I got food to comfort me etc.

I was always a happy child and over the years the weight started to increase. I was always known to be happy and learnt to accept that I was always going to be the 'big girl' of a group. I struggled with my weight in my teens, it seemed to increase each year but still I was a happy go lucky type of person.

In my late teens I balanced collage and working in a office part time, I was constantly running back and forth so although I was big I still had a decent level of fitness even threw in a couple of gym and fitness schedule.

I would say it wasn't until I was 19 that I was serious about losing weight, I was at college, worked part time in a office and worked in a bar on weekends. I started to socialise a bit more and wanted nice new clothes and wanted to look better. I tried diets and was successful and lost around 2-3 stone, I felt good about myself and I was very happy.

Slowly but surely I started to slip back into old habits and stopped dieting completely. The years came with more weight, but I was still happy. In my early 20's I broke my leg twice which had an impact on my weight, but still I was happy(can you see a theme yet? lol).

Three years ago (almost four) I met a man who I thought was my world, the relationship was far from great but I thought I was in love. He made it known that he liked a larger lady so I felt no need to change my size. After a few months he would slowly start to insult me and my size when we argued, my confidence was knocked and I started to comfort eat, I gained a large amount of weight in such a small time. I stopped being sociable because in the back of my mind his comments were in my mind, Do people think I'm disgusting? Will everyone stare at me? I started to cut off ties with fiends, I didn't want to go out. I still went to work but slowly even panicked about going shopping and with the added weight my health was really suffering.

This year on my birthday the relationship completely ended due to issues too personal to say.  I was not in that relationship anymore but those thoughts were still in my mind. I was on a downward spiral, I got to a really low place, a place id never imagine id be in.  When you ask someone how they are I was the 'I'm fine'  girl, all my emotions were held on the inside and too the world I appeared to be 'fine'.

A close friend started to know changes in my and over a few month tried to tell me she thought I needed to see a doctor as she thought I was suffering from depression, I did what I always did and said id be fine.

Inside I was full of hurt, anger and feeling ashamed that I let myself get into this situation. Five weeks ago I decided to make a appointment with the doctor (I very rarely visit doctors) I was nervous and scared but surely the way I was feeling wasn't normal. The visit to the doctor was terrifying for me I wrote all my feelings down as I got teary trying to explain my feelings. I handed the paper to the doctor who went through what I had wrote with me. She then went through a checklist with me where she asked me questions and I had to reply on the scale of how the statements best suited me.

After the discussion she diagnosed me with severe depression. I (very naively) never really understood depression, surely its just something you can pull yourself out of and another word for people to claim to be diagnosed with? The doctor could explained that people who are depressed have a chemical imbalance. The easiest way of explaining it is that the weekend before I went to the doctors I got a flat tyre and I thought life wasn't worth living, dramatic? yes but that was how I felt.

I was prescribed with Fluoxetine (Prozac) and was sceptical about taking it, (I don't even take cold medicine!). The first mistake I did after my doctors appointment was to Google 'Fluoxetine', I read a lot of reviews saying how terrible the side effects were and scared myself into not taking them.

Once I decided to take them the only side effect I suffered from was a bit of drowsiness and sickness in the beginning but now five weeks later I have never looked back! obviously its not magic and my issues are still there but I'm going to be attending counselling to talk through and hopefully help me with my issues in the future.

At the moment I'm in  a good place and I find that blogging helps me, gives me a project/hobby. I know think twice before saying 'I'm fine'.

*I am in no way professional educated to provide medical advice, if you are in a similar situation please speak to your GP.

Thank you for reading.

Tracy xx

 

A Trip to Boots!

 



Who doesn't love Boots? What's not to love, all your favourite beauty brands under one roof. I'm lucky (not for my bank balance!) to have a large boots near me and its all too easy to just pop in to see what's new. I have seen myself go into Boots for deodorant and come out with a large shopping bag, plus you gain points when you spend which means you can buy even more beauty products you love. I think Boots have caught me up in there beautiful but deadly cycle.

This time I went with the mind set of focusing on hair care. I currently use TIGI S Factor which is nice but can work out quite pricey for every day use. When I was younger I remember my mam using Aussie shampoo, this was way before it was so popular, but me myself had never tried it.

When I saw that Boots were doing 3 for 2 on hair care I decided that this was my chance to experiment with the brand. I use a lot of hair products so I like to use a clarifying shampoo or one that is known to remove product build up.

Looking at the different types of shampoos, conditioners and masks that Aussie stock was quite overwhelming but after standing in the hair care isle with a handful of products I decided to opt for there Mega range which sounded perfect, it removed build up but was ok to be used everyday. As it was 3 for 2 I decided to try one of there 3 minuet miracle deep conditioner as I do like to make sure my hair is healthy and nourished. I'm really looking forward to trying these out as I am expecting big things, let me know if you've tried the range and any recommendations you have.

 

After standing in the hair care isle on my way to the till (I'm always drawn to this shelf) there is a stand that shows off Boot's latest offers and I saw that the Dove's Purely Pampering range was on offer, it wasn't 3 for 2 but I think it was half price. I love these body washes but I use far too much, they are a thick creamy consistency and smell gorgeous, the smell stays on your skin throughout the day and because they are a cream they are not drying on the skin. So me being me I picked up a few to stock up on.



 

Let me know what your favourite  products are and any recommendations

 

Thanks for reading

 

Tracy xx

Very Fiorelli

Earlier this month I decided to have a look around Very's website, I heard that they had a beauty section and I know that they also sell plus size clothes also.

Whilst I was looking around I decided to check out the accessories range in particular the handbag section.

I don't know about you but even though I am now 27 I still feel the need to buy stationary and a new autumn bag from September onwards as all the 'back to school' inspired pieces are floating around.

I was very pleased with the brands that Very stock, they stock a wide range of designer brands including Ted Baker!

Previously I owned (and still to its just a bit lets just say 'loved') Fiorelli Cecelia Bowling Bag, which was great as it was large enough to carry a lot however I wanted to try something a bit smaller. When I saw that Very stocked Fiorelli bags I decided to have a look at the new seasons styles, this is where I came across my new baby, my Fiorelli Mia Tote Bag in Tan.

[gallery ids="75,73"]

This bag is absolutely stunning. It is made from a soft fabric and is beautify finished with white stitching. The gold hardware doesn't look cheap or tacky and looks very well made. The bag has a double zipped compartment and a front flap so lots of room for day to day items such as purse, keys notebook etc.



My bag is in Tan however they have the same bag available in Black, Navy and Purple (I'm trying to hold myself back from buying all three colours).

The bag costs £54 which is reasonably priced for a Fiorelli bag and if you sign up as a Very customer you get to have the option of paying in full, monthly or take 3, which is where you spread the cost over 3 months.

The bag was delivered next day and wrapped up in tissue (as you can see I still haven't brought myself to completely remove the tissue and tags) which made it feel extra special! I love it and hoping I'll get a lot of wear out of it in the upcoming months.

Thanks for reading

Tracy

xx

 

Benefit 'Hello Flawless' Review

 

I have been a lover of Benefit makeup since my teens, I love their blushes especially Dandelion, the only liquid foundation I used to use was Benefits Non-Fiction so when it discontinued a while back I have been searching for the perfect base.

So you can imagine how happy I was to hear that a new foundation had been released.



 

I bought the lightest shade which is 'I'm pure 4 sure' Ivory. I still found this shade too dark for my skin tone I prefer a foundation with more cool tones and almost white to avoid the dreaded jaw line mark.



The foundation is a nice texture, with buildable coverage however I personally find it too shiny, I prefer a matt base but if you do like a bit of illumination then this is nice as its not glittery, however it wasn't my cup of tea.

I tried putting powder on however it ended up making me look cakey. I would recommend using a primer with this foundation and they actually give a small sample of there 'Stay don't Stray' primer which I liked however I still prefer there Pore-fessional primer instead.

Overall I don't like this foundation for my skin tone but if you have more normal/combination-dry skin type I think this would be worth a try but I recommend asking for a sample before you fully commit.

My skin type is oily/combination.

Id really like some recommendations for foundations for pale skin with a decent amount of coverage if you have any?

Speak Soon

Tracy

xx

 

Time to get Fit!

Hi everyone! so if you have been reading my previous posts you will be aware that I am struggling with my weight at the moment. I recently joined slimming world and this is my second week and I struggling, I'm an emotional eater and I'm feeling low at the moment so trying to stick to an eating plan seems to be like a huge task right now.

I have decided now is the time to incorporate exercise into my daily routine and I wanted to share with you some of my new products which I'm hoping will help and motivate me on the way.



My new Nikes

Ever since I was a teen I absolutely loved Nike trainers, there so comfy and last a long time. So even though they can be expensive they are completely worth it in my opinion.

The pair I decided to purchase were the Nike Pegasus 30, there bright, colourful and super comfy! I'm in love!



Dumbbells

Ok so I have been a member of a gym for a while now, unfortunately I just don't attend! At home I own a treadmill, bike and cross trainer and now I have just purchased a set of USA Pro dumbbells. They range from 0.5kg-2kg. My plan is that since the gym isn't working for me at the moment is to use my dining room as a home gym and incorporate home exercise with outdoor walking (which lulu is very excited about).



Fitbit Flex

A few weeks ago I decided to purchase a Fitbit Flex, for those of you who aren't aware it is a wrist band that tracks your steps, distance, sleep patterns etc. When I am in the mind set of weight loss and exercising I work best seeing my progress and improving my previous stats. I have tested out the sleep function and I was very impressed, it told be how long I was asleep, how many times I was restless and also if I woke up during my sleep. The device itself does not display any information other than progress dots, in order to find out the stats you sync your Fitbt to the Fitbit app which is easy to do but a shame there is no information displayed on the band. If you would like me to do a full review on this please leave me a comment down below.

 

Ok so lets hope I can get moving more and become more active! Let me know in the comments what motivates you?

Speak Soon

Tracy

xx

Failures on an Emotional Eater

Ok so this may get personal, actually wait this will defiantly get personal. All my life I have been over weight, from a very young age, however I have always been happy and  took pride in the clothes I wore, ok so let's fast forward a few years, in my late teens I started to be more conscious of my size and wanted to start loosing weight I did and lost approximately 3 stone so I was still a big girl but could still manage happily in day to day life. Now a couple of bad relationships later and life getting in the way I am sitting in my car writing this now an obese young adult woman who is suffering depression, I never thought this would be me! People warned me and did I listen? No! Slowly I started to comfort eat more frequently and gained a lot of weight in a small amount of time. The clothes I used to be inspired by no longer fit, the gym classes I used to go to are now a huge struggle. Now in no way am I sitting here blaming anyone but myself but if your reading this and see a familiar pattern, talk to someone maybes you need to talk about your emotions or seek professional help, I didn't, the weight kept going up and my confidence kept going down. I'm currently only fourth week of Fluoxetine and in the process of counselling. Once my demons in the past are let out into the open I'm hoping my weight loss journey will not be so hard. I admire you curvy ladies who are strong and confident your helping people liked remember why we are here!

Sorry for being too personal but thought it would be good to let you know a little bit about me.

Thanks for reading

Tracy

xx

Mini Haul ft Liz Earle, Lush and Philosophy

So I decided to do a bit of shopping, feeling the need for a bit of retail therapy. Firstly have you ever found yourself watching TV shopping channels thinking hmm, I need that gadget that looks great totally pointless but I like it? then that's me! I'm a fool for a good shopping channel, my fave is QVC. So whilst I was getting ready for work I had the telly on and hear the word 'Philosophy', for those that don't know Philosophy is a beauty brand that specialises in skincare and fragrance, I love there 3 in 1 shower gels they smell amazing however there quite on the pricey side. I have loved Philosophy since the beginning and my fave fragrance is Baby Grace, its so pure and calming, not heady and I receive comments on it all the time, unfortunately its discontinued, so when I saw 'state of Grace featured Baby grace I knew I had to have it, the set comes gift boxed with five fragrances: Baby Grace, Inner Grace, Amazing Grace and Pure Grace, they all smell lovely, if you like a strong smelling fragrance then this set is probably not for you, you get 5 bottles which are 10mls each the only down side is they aren't spray bottles which is a shame but I'm still in love lol.


Then i needed to pop into town for some bits and pieces and whilst i was in Boots i noticed that they now stock Liz Earle so I decided to put my points to good use and got two bottles free with my points!!! I love my cleanse and polish and have tried dupes which are nice but you cant beat the real thing, I noticed they stocked two facemasks I might try in the future, a clay mask and a moisture mask.




Finally I cant walk past lush without popping in, the store just draws me in its not my fault! that's what I tell myself anyway, so I love the rose jam bubbleroon i think the sent is lovely, quite sweet but nowhere near as sweet as snow fairy which is a super sweet fragrance so i decided to treat myself to a large bottle hoping it will last me.




 Speak Soon 


Tracy 


xx

YouTuber's who inspire me

Hi everyone,

So back in 2010 I really became interested in watching beauty related videos on YouTube, I broke my leg back in July which meant I felt a bit isolated from general day to day life, I wasn't able to go to work, collage or generally socialise with the outside world due to my injury. Then I discovered YouTube, there are some amazing youtubers out there who I really admire, and maybe sad to say but they allow you to enter there world and allow you to discover amazing products, events and stores that you may generally never come across.

I'm just a normal average 27 year old so who am i to say this but i thought id let you know about the three youtubers/bloggers that i have followed from day one and encourage you to check them out.

1. Sprinkle of glitter

sprinkle of glitter has been created by Louise, a mum who has a passion for beauty, fashion and of course her child, baby glitter (so cute). Louise's videos are great whether its a boots haul or a vlog of her day to day life, Watching her videos gives you a real insight into her life and an amazing personality, she is very friendly, funny and very honest about products she talks about.

I must say i have bought many a products based on her reviews, Defiantly check her out, she has a love for life and a very positive role model.

youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Sprinkleofglitter

 Blog: http://sprinkleofglitter.blogspot.co.uk/

2) Zoella

Zoe (zoella) is someone who always makes you smile, her quirky videos and great personality make watching her videos very enjoyable. Zoella is a beauty/fashion youtuber however she has some great videos about coping with anxiety and coping mechanisms for leading a positive life.

her channel is very inspirational and also very onto of the hottest trends/products available.

youtube: http://www.youtube.com/zoella

blog: http://www.zoella.co.uk


3. Dolly Bow Bow

Where do I begin, dolly bow bow is created by a young jewellery designer called Kate. Her videos are so interesting and girly, me I'm a sucker for floral, ditsy prints and cute unusual items so watching Kate's videos are like a dream, she has an amazing out look on life and comes across as a genuinely nice person, someone you'd love to have as a best friend and she has just became a mum to a lovely baby boy, Archie! Dolly Bow Bow features beauty hauls, home ware, interesting finds and some great look books. Also her store has some of the most beautiful pieces of jewellery, gifts and fashion. if you want to sit back and be inspired id defiantly recommend her channel.

youtube : http://www.youtube.com/user/Dollybowbow

blog: http://www.dollybowbow.blogspot.co.uk/

So they are my top 3 youtubers I hope you enjoy there channels and find some great new reviews and videos!

thanks for reading

Speak Soon

Tracy

XX

Mini L'occitane Almond Oil Review

Ok so I may seem a little late to jump on the band wagon but after finally taking the plunge of purchasing my 2nd bottle of this amazing shower gel i thought it was about time to share my thoughts on this.

Firstly the first thing when I imaging the smell of almond i think of marzipan which immediately put me off purchasing this shower gel,  when i was on a shopping trip at Metrocentre I thought id call into the L'occitane store and finally smell this amazing shower gel, the smell is so fresh and invigorating and don't get me started on the texture it is an oil but the moment it comes into contact with water it turns into a cream foam which feels so luxurious! Its great as a shower gel or if I feel like a pamper session i run a small amount under a running tap and enjoy a luxury Cleopatra bath. Heaven!

I would say if you do nothing else go and smell this shower gel, L'occitane stores are a lot like lush stores in the respect they usually have a bowl with water to try products out. Id definitely recommend this as a treat or would be amazing as a gift.

http://uk.loccitane.com/almond-shower-oil,83,1,29819,270017.htm

Speak soon

Tracy

xx

Vintage Fair & Beach Bliss

 

Hi everyone,

I visited 'Newcastle does Vintage', this is an event which was held at the theatre Royal (I love this building it always reminds me of good times visiting when I was young) and its an opportunity to explore and purchase a one of vintage gem that has a whole history behind it.

There were rails of amazing clothes that you'd never be able to find on the high street, pretty floral's, retro prints and amazing jewellery. One stall that really caught my eye was full of dainty pretty jewellery full of nostalgia from necklaces featuring Dorothy's ruby slippers to Alice in wonderland 'drink me' pendants. I managed to pick up a business card and the name of the stall is 'two penny lane' unfortunately the fair was really busy so I was unable to take any nice photography however the website address is www.twopennylane.com .



Everything is so precious and the packaging adds to the vintage nature of the products

Anyone who enjoys anything vintage id strongly recommend a visit to a fair held near you, one tip i would give would be to attend early as they do get busy and the best finds go first.

For info on your nearest fair check out www.britaindoesvintage.co.uk.

After looking around the fair i decided what better way to end my bank holiday than a visit to the beach with my favourite furry friend, lulu, yes lulu my little Yorkshire terrier, rather than bore you with the details of my beach trip I have decided to take you along through photography.

[gallery link="none" type="slideshow" ids="33,34,35,36,32,31"]

Thank you for reading and feel free to comment.

Speak soon

Tracy

xxx

Welcome to my new blog!

Ok so over the last few years I have really been interested in blogging, and I have finally took the plunge!

My name is Tracy, I am 27 from the UK and I have a passion for all things girly and I would like to think Im your typical girly girl except for one thing..............my size. So Im big which is fine but Im unhappy with my size, I have always had an issue with my weight but I have always been a very happy bubbly person, until now.

Its my time to make a change, I have tried every diet going and they all work.........if you stick to them, which unfortunately is my downfall. However I don't know why but September always makes me think of a fresh start, a new beginning, so........I decided to take the plunge and join slimming world on Sat 30th Aug. I had looked at the Slimming World website and found that there was a class at 8.30 and I knew if I did not go now I never would.

So Sat morning I made my way to the class where I was greeted by friendly faces and my new consultant Emily, she completely put me at ease and talked through the new members meeting with me and the other newbies, she was friendly and talked through the plan (I have been a SW member many times but gave up, this is my last attempt),

We then all stayed to group where members talked about there week and shared recipes etc I walked away feeling determined!

So Sat came around and I attended group, in my first week I lost 9lb!!!! I was over the moon, I know this time is my time and I will do it.

Monday 8th September and Im sitting here struggling, letting those demons in my head get to me so I decided to create a blog, my online diary showing my journey, this may include recipes, coping tactics, fashion hauls, beauty hauls or just turn out to be a lifestyle blog.

Id love it if any of you are in the process of weight loss and how your getting on, having a support system is such a huge part and id love to be a part of your journey too.

Tracy

xxx