Because you had a bad day!

So being a 'newbie' blogger, I am learning all the time. This week my site has had a few technical issues, my comments are being spammed and time I have available for blogging has been reduced.

Being a newbie, everything has been exciting and new. So once the newness wears off and the only new things are problems, blogging changes. I have been trying to think about blog posts that people would be interested in reading, what would get the most views, how much my stats are increasing by and how I can receive products to sample and review.

Then I realised, when I created Little Miss Plus Size, it was about me, my voice, my journey through life sharing the products I love! Its not about the highest stats, the most subscribers and the constant advertising of my blog.

My blog is about me, I want my readers to know me and if that means I only have one follower I will be thankful that they know who I am, that they read my posts and they are not just following my blog so they will get a follow in return.

I also have been caught up in the world of blogging and have not spent the time I would like to read my favourite blogs. I have always loved watching Youtube videos from some great beauty gurus, however blogging has shown them in a different light. Its all about numbers, followers and twitter hits. This is a side that you don't see in my opinion when you are a subscriber to there channel.

Recently I have also thought that if I haven't posted that week that I must write a post and I worry that maybes I am not posting as much as I should.

I love blogging (believe it or not after that ramble!) however I just want to let you know how easy it is to get caught up in the blogging world. From now on stats, followers and quick blog posts are going to be a thing of the past.

Quality posts instead of quantity, I want my blog to grow over the years with my experiences and genuine readers, not end up being a number. I want to learn new photography skills as well as writing skills.

Sorry for the not so happy post but I felt I have to let you know how I am currently feeling and hope you will see a change on my blog in the future.

Thanks for reading

Tracy xx

 

 

Wifty.co.uk October Box!

Over the past few years I have been a fan of beauty monthly subscription boxes, I am a fan of GlossyBox and Birchbox UK. For those of you who are not aware, the concept is you pay a monthly subscription fee or a one off payment in return for a gift box delivered to your door with deluxe samples of the latest beauty products on the market.

I love this concept because for a small fee you have an opportunity to try a lot of new products that are maybes out of your prize range to try the full sizes.

Last month I was looking online and reading blog posts and came across Wifty.co.uk. Wifty.co.uk offer a monthly subscription box, but its not for beauty products, it is for accessories from new and undiscovered designers. The concept is really sweet, what's not to love about receiving a lovely packaged gift box all neatly wrapped with lovely treasures inside.

So when I was contacted by Gaelle, the creator of Wifty Box, and asked if I would like to try their October Box I jumped at the chance!

So today was the day, the box was delivered by a local courier and I was so excited to see what was inside. Of course being a blogger I wanted to leave everything all wrapped up neatly and take pictures, but I couldn't wait! Opening each item was exciting.

When you open the box you are presented with a information card giving you information on what that particular months box contains and a bit more information about the designers or the inspiration behind the box. This month the box was inspired by the Mexican celebration, Dia de Muertos and contains a Wifty exclusive piece created by artists Philip Eggleston and Domingo.



So the first item I opened was a candy striped bag that contained skull shaped sweets, they remind me of white mice sweets but they were in the shape of a sugar skull, they were very tasty, I enjoyed nibbling on them as I opened the rest of my box!



There was a larger item wrapped up in tissue and I was not disappointed with what I found. It was a beautiful red rose clip, feels like velvet and in such a beautiful red wine colour. It is a crocodile clip and would look lovely in your hair, I even think that you could add this to a jacket through a button hole or on a handbag. It can be so versatile but think a up do with this as a accessory would look amazing.



The next package I opened was this lovely tattoo transfer, now I don't have any real tattoos so this could look cute, the design is a lovely rose, and I think is subtle but could still edge up an outfit. It has been provided to Wifty box by www.23jewellery.com why not check them out on twitter @23jewellery.



Last but by no means least I opened my final little surprise and it was this adorable [un]possible cuts wooden broach. I love the colour, a lovely turquoise colour with a etched out design so you can see the wood showing through and I will be adding this to my keys I think it will look very cute! http://www.unpossiblecuts.com/



One thing that is apparent when you receive this box is that it has been created to make the experience of opening it very enjoyable. Everything is neatly wrapped in tissue and sealed with cute stickers. I feel very lucky and extremely grateful to have receive the October box.

Anyone who can support new and undiscovered designers gets a thumbs up from me and also the items you receive are unique and I can guarantee they will be a talking point.

The box itself costs £15 per month and for that you receive 2-3 pieces and you can cancel at anytime which is always a plus so your not tied down or committed for a certain period. They also offer 6 month subscriptions for £75 and a annual subscription for £135, if you were enjoying your Wifty Box and you thought you were going to be signing up each month then the 6 and 12 month subscriptions would save you a little money too.



Wifty.co.uk have been kind enough to offer my readers 10% off your first order! (valid once per person until 31/10/2014) by quoting littlemissplusssize10 at checkout. So I am so excited that you get the opportunity to try Wifty box also!

If you think that you would like to give it a try click here!

*This box was kindly gifted to me but I am not being paid or sponsored for this post and all my thoughts are not influenced in any way.

Thank you for reading

Tracy xx

Tried & Tested Skincare!

Firstly I believe skincare is very personal and what works for one person may not work for another, I guess that is why the skincare industry is so big as companies are dying to create that perfect product that appeals to everyone.

All my life I have had problematic skin, my skin is oily/combination with a dry nose! Yes, try finding a product that suits that skin type. I generally suffer with breakouts however as I have got older I have come to realise that my diet and lack of water have had a huge impact on my skin.

If you have read my Lush Christmas & Halloween Haul you will have seen that I picked up Bûche de Noël, a facial cleanser that is limited addition over the festive season.



I have never used a cleanser from Lush before but I was excited to give it a go. Firstly I was not so keen on the scent but I did not let that put me off, the idea is that you scoop out the amount of cleanser you need and add a little bit of water and use your hands to rub the mixture together until it forms a paste. I must admit that when I first tried this I found the feeling very strange (I normally just use a cleanser that is smooth) and a little bit like putting porridge on my face (not that I have done that before!) however the second and third time I started to look forward to my cleansing routine. It became a few minutes out of my day that I could relax and feel like I was giving my skin a treat. The amount of cleanser that I have used is such a small amount as when you add the water it helps the product go further.

Bûche de Noël:

'helps to bring back radiance to wintry skin

sweet almonds, kaolin and fruits gently buff and clean

Cocoa butter softens the skin

balance is restored by its fragrant essential oils'

I have been using this cleanser in conjunction with another product which I will get onto and I can honestly say my skin feels a lot softer and smoother.

I would defiantly recommend this cleanser to anyone looking to change there skin care routine for the winter months. The cleanser £6.50 for 100mls, so depending on what you are currently using or your budget I think that this is quite affordable considering how long the product will last.

A great thing that I love and admire about Lush is that they never force products onto you, they are more keen to match you with the right product than you pay for a product that you don't like or that doesn't suit you. With that being said if you go into a Lush store and have a genuine interest in purchasing this cleanser then ask if you could have a sample, Lush are normally good like that and as I mentioned earlier skincare is so personal so having a sample is a good way to see if the product is right for you.

Available now, click here!

Alongside Bûche de Noël, I have also been using a Foryou exfoliator, E1. I was kindly sent this sample to try and I am no way being paid or sponsored by Foryou Skincare.



The E1 exfoliator contains salicylic acid which helps to, in my opinion remove the dead skin and leave you with soft plump skin.  I have been using this alongside Bûche de Noël however this exfoliator can be used on its own and even daily which impressed me, as normally exfoliators are too harsh to be used daily.

The exfoliator is very pleasant to use, no unpleasant or overpowering scent, It has very little smell and it is very natural/herbal so it does not interfere with any other products I use.

The texture is so enjoyable to use. The exfoliator feels very moisturising and the grains are just the right consistency. They are large enough to exfoliate the skin yet not to harsh that it scratches the skin, and yet not too small that it is too smooth.

After using the exfoliator immediately after my skin is noticeable brighter and feels a lot smoother. At the moment it has not broken me out or irritated my skin and I can feel a noticeable difference in my skin using both products combined.

My blemishes have calmed down and my skin looks more radiant and smoother. This exfoliator costs £25 for 150mls however it is currently down to £20 so it is a little bit cheaper at the moment. Again I would recommend trying a sample as personally I would see this as a considered purchase, Foryou skincare have also made sure that you can try before you commit to the full size by offering a sample size for £1 which I would recommend doing before purchasing the full size.

Available now, click here!

I have included a before and after photo, make up free to allow you to see the difference in my skin.



I have really been enjoying both products and finally cleansing has become a treat!

Thank you for reading

Tracy xx

 

 

Little Miss Plus Size & Friends!

When I created my website 'Little Miss Plus Size' I was in a dark place in my life, and I am in no way recovered, but I am on the mend.

Something that has helped me soo much is feedback and comments from my readers, I cannot thank you enough!

I am in no way a well established blogger but knowing the effect my readers and followers have had on my life is truly inspireing!

With that being said, I thought what better than to have a space on my blog where my readers can interact with each other, support and help each other, including me!

Whether you are having a down day, found success with weight loss, used an amazing beauty product or anything you feel you would like to share including blogs you like or follow then I welcome you as a member.

All you have to do is register then you can start interacting with other members and create messages.

This may or may not be successful but if there is a way I can help or make just one person a little bit happier or share something that you think is worth sharing then it is worth a try if nothing else.

So the concept is that Little Miss Plus Size & Friends will be a part of my website that will be a social media Site.

If this sounds like it could be a good idea and you fancy being one of the first members to try it out then please register here!

Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks for reading

Tracy xx


 

Trying to learn to Accept!

This week has been very interesting for me, it began with Lulu going for her operation which terrified me but everything went well, there were a few problems but once she was given some pain relief things calmed down, so I was very grateful.

If you have been reading my recent posts you will see that I have been doing a bit of clothes shopping. I always bought new clothes and kept up to date with new styles and fashion, however over the past few months (possibly years) I have lost interest and had a 'why bother' attitude.

With that being said I thought what better way to inspire me to lose weight than to start building up a new wardrobe of clothes. I took some time to buy pieces that I would normally wear but shy away from as I am determained I am going to do the best I can to not let my past reuin my future.

I have bought them in two sizes littler as I thought this was more practical, it is not too much to loose that it would be impossible but can be very practical.

I have neglected getting my hair cut or wearing my make up but this week i decided to book my hair appointment and i have been enjoying exploring my make up again.

Wearing makeup and making an effort on my appearance has been a battle over the last few months, it sounds strange but i felt like I was not worth making an effort for. That makes me sad to think that at 27 I had given up! Not now, I have realised that little things like spending time putting on my make up or experimenting with hairstyles is something I am worth doing. It makes me happy, I do it for me and no one else.

My food has still been an issue, I have not followed an eating plan but I am hoping to fix this in the next few weeks once I start getting into a routine again.

My mind set this week has been a lot more positive and I am trying to be less harsh on myself and learning to be happy in the moment rather than thinking I don't deserve to be happy.

I was looking through Twitter this morning and came across a tweet that said : you don't need the best to be the best, you just need to do the best with what you have got. I think this is going to be a motto I start living by and think we should think about how lucky we are to have what we have got.

The thing about depression is your moods can be up and down, but I am very grateful that at the moment I can see a brighter happier future.

I have stayed away from adding photos of myself on my blog, but I decided that I want this to be my space, an place I can be honest, truthful and not hide away. So I gave myself a challenge of uploading a photo which I have done but I am also going to upload a make up free photo too, so you can see me flaws and all.





Thank you for reading

Tracy xx

Lush Christmas & Halloween Haul 2014!

So the wait is over, yes Lush have now released their Christmas & Halloween 2014 products and I can safely say they have not disappointed!

I don't know about you but there is nothing better than a cold winter night after a long day and enjoying a hot bath! I have been a fan of Lush ever since I can remember and I love products.

Friday I thought I would have a look on their website and I saw that there new products had been released so first thing Saturday I went shopping to my local store where there were benches dedicated to the new range.

I was pleased to see that a few old favourites were included but also a wide selection on new products to get my hands on. So what better way to share my love for Lush than to let you know about whats available and dream of my wonderful baths that are yet to come.

I love everything about Lush, the friendly staff, the fun atmosphere and there enthusiasm its soo refreshing, they don't force products on you, they just give advice and help if needed.

Now obviously this is just going to be my opportunity to show what is on offer in store and a brief description as I have not tried these products yet to give a review (but I am so excited to have loads of baths!).

Something which caught my eye as soon as I walked in the store was Holly Golightly, a gorgeous glittery (more sparkly) bubble bar. The smell is very refreshing and is described as uplifting and refreshing. I think this may be a good weekend pamper product.



A favourite of mine from last year was this little fella, The Christmas Penguin. now I am not sure exactly what a Christmas penguin is but this smells fresh and clean, not overpowering and would be lovely after a hard day Christmas shopping! Again this is a bubble bar. For those of you who are not aware a bubble bar is essentially bubble bath in a solid form. You crumble it under hot running water and they create lovely soft bubbles. Very luxurious!



Even though I have been a fan of Lush for sometime, I never really use their bath melts, however this year there was a new one in the collection, Snow Angel. This melt looks so pretty, it is a white angel dipped in gold glitter, looks like it is going to be very indulgent to use. It is meant to be very moisturising so I look forward to using this in the colder months when my skin is a bit dry off the cold weather.



Over previous Christmases I have seen The Melting Snowman, but I have never tried it, until now! He looked soo cute and I could not resist. With almond oil and cocoa butter I'm hoping this will also be very moisturising. Bath melts are added to a nice hot bath to melt away and leave heavily ingredients in the bath that are then soaked up onto your skin.



Another favourite from the past is Candy Mountain which is a bubble bar that smells good enough to eat! If you don't like sweet smells then this is not for you, this smells like sweets (funnily enough) and reminds me of Snow Fairy shower gel. Very feminine and lovely to use.



I love bubbles but I also love the experience of using a bath bomb! watching them fizz away and some even surprise you by changing colour or including confetti, so when I saw the new bath bombs in the collection I had to give them a try.

Butterbear is a new bath bomb, the smell is very subtle and soft, not heavily fragranced. It smells very comforting and has the same fragrance as the butterball bath bomb.



I loved this last year! Luxury Lush Pud bath bomb, it is very colourful and looks great fizzing around your bath. I really enjoy Lush's Twilight bath bomb and Luxury Lush Pud has the same smell.



Northern Lights, I was told by the lady in store that this is lovely, apparently it fizzes away at the ends until they meet in the middle. Very excited to try this!



Sparkler, If the name was not enough to make me buy and try this it also smells like their Rose Jam scent which I am a huge fan of. This bath bomb fizzes and crackles which sounds amazing and great for bonfire night. Cant wait to try this!



Last year I made sure to stock up on Snow Fairy and Rose Jam shower gels so when I saw that they were available this year I thought I would buy a Rose Jam (I love the scent) and try a new release for this year which is So White, this smells like apples, so crisp and clean and I can imagine feeling very clean using this. I think this would be lovely in the morning.



I don't know about you, but dry cracked lips are a pain that comes with colder weather. With that being said I like to make sure I keep them hydrated and exfoliated. At the moment I am using Lush's Bubble gum Lip Scrub which I enjoy using. So I decided to try Santa's Lip Scrub for a change as my bubble gum one has been great and thought it would be nice to try a different flavour/scent.



My skin has been acting up lately so I am on the look out for a new skin care regime and whilst I was looking in Lush I discovered Bûche de Noël, which is an alcohol free cleanser. The idea is that it brings radiance back to dull skin and includes very seasonal ingredients such as Satsuma and cranberries. I'm not a huge fan of the smell but I'm expecting big things from this cleanser and hoping that it will do the trick.



I also decided to pick up the Wizard Bubble bar which is part of their Halloween collection. It is a shimmery bubble bar that aims to help relive stress which can only be a good thing and it smells so good and can not wait to try it.



Whilst I was making my way to the till something caught my eye, this lovely orange and gold glistening pumpkin, Sparkly Pumpkin. It just called out to me and jumped in my basket so I had no choice but to buy it (that's my story and I am sticking to it!). However I did end up covered in gold glitter but I can live with that. The smell is very uplifting and you can smell the citrus fruits.

I hope reading or seeing the products in this post inspires you to visit your local Lush store and try out some of these goodies. What would you choose? Have you already tried any and what are your thoughts?

I am off to enjoy a nice bath the only problem is, is which one do I choose?

Thanks for reading

Tracy xx

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One Lovely Blog Award!

Thank you Stephanie Louise from Steph's Silver Lining for nominating me for such a lovely award. I love things like this and think that they are a great way to recognise bloggers for the work that they do and also a good way to get to know bloggers a bit better.

The Rules

1. You must thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog.


2. You must list the rules and display the award.


3. You must add 7 facts about yourself.


4. You must nominate 15 other bloggers and comment on one of their posts to let them know they have been nominated.


5. You must display the award logo and follow the blogger who nominated you.

 

7 Facts About Me!

 

1) I studied Graphic Design in Collage and have a degree in Graphic Design.

2) I live in Newcastle upon Tyne and have done all my life and I love it here, everyone is so friendly.

3) I used to be a bar maid and loved it!

4) I love writing, reading and would love to publish a book one day.

5) I am always sketching and designing pieces I would love to make for the plus size market and have a passion for fashion.

6) I enjoy sewing and being crafty. You will find me with the paper, glue and glitter!

7) I am a only child.

I would like to nominate......

Seereena

Abigail Wilson

Georgina Alice

Leah Shafik



Prompts By Dee

Hayley Sinead Flynn

Christiana Gabriella

Velvet Blush

Sammie Scaldwell

Hannah Cozens

Sarah Watson

Thesaltlifewife

Robyn Kimberly