The Real Rules of Plus Size Fashion

I've seen so many pictures and articles about how to survive summer as a fatty.

Don't wear these colours/shapes/patterns, dress in a tent, cover up this way or that way.

Who makes these rules?

It's so backward to me to give guidelines to anyone on how to dress.

So those pictures and articles are going to be shunned from my memory banks and replaced with my very own shoddily-put-together-in-paint-2-minutes-ago "rules"

I'm going to wear stripes.

I'm going to wear bright colours.

And bold patterns.

AT THE SAME TIME.

I'm going to get my arms out.

Get my legs out.

Cover up my cleavage if I want to.

(No I won't look frumpy, I'll look like me with my boobs covered.)

I'm going to be ME and I'm going to enjoy it.

And to those who judge, vocally or otherwise, to you I say HA! 

I like being me. I'm the best person for the job and I'm awesome at it.

Yours Clothing, Bluewater

Have you ever had one of those experiences that leaves you beaming with confidence and feeling better than ever?

When visiting the new Yours Clothing store at Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent last month, that's exactly what happened to me.

Yours has such a wide range that this shop is bursting at the seams with a variety of basic and on-trend styles, colours and patterns. The sheer amount of clothing can be a little hard to navigate when you first walk in. I didn't quite know where to start, but once I found my rhythm there was no stopping me as I scurried from rack to rack picking up all manner of things to try on.

The gorgeous Abi (staff member and fantastic blogger over at aisforabi) treated me to the Worlds Biggest Changing Room. Plenty of room for groups, wheelchair users, mums with buggies or a cat swinging convention. Or, as was the case for me, enough space to go crazy trying on too many clothes.

But the size of the changing room isn't what impressed me the most. The greatest thing about my trip to Yours Clothing that day was the people. I've already mentioned the fabulous Abi (expect a blogger meet up in the future, I need to hang out with that girl!) but the experience doesn't even stop with staff. No, it was everyone. The staff made customers happy and in turn the happiness bounced off every single shopper in the changing room.

I felt so good I even put on a maxi dress!
Sadly it didnt fit my 5ft 3in, big boobied frame.

I've never experienced such community in a fitting room before. Everybody was chatting, comparing sizes, giving opinions and tips and swapping clothes. I tried on things I wouldn't normally dare to because I felt secure in knowing that there would be no fat-shaming or body snarking. Everybody was just themselves. (Or a happier version thereof.) I was stripped to my bra and leggings and comfortable enough to let the other women in the adjacent rooms wander in and see how I was getting on. With the exception of my husband and children, it's the most naked I've been in front of anyone for years!

I don't know what happened to this picture- it's so fuzzy-
but I neeeed this blazer.

Thanks to the amazing people at Yours Clothing,  Bluewater, I tried some new things, met some great people and had the best shopping experience possibly ever. Excellent! Bring on the new Ashford and Maidstone stores!

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred/World Cup Challenge

I've put my body through a lot in the past 3+ years: two pregnancies, three kids, surgery, sleep deprivation, stress, 3 house moves... It's all taken its toll and I am aware of my body's struggle to remain intact recently. I think I need to change my lifestyle a little bit in an attempt to slow down this gradual falling apart. My joints are stiff, I get out of breath just walking for 20 minutes and I am always tired.

I'm not desperate to lose weight. I've come a long way in learning to accept and love my body just the way it is. And think of all the pretty dresses in my wardrobe that would no longer fit! No, losing weight is not my aim here, however I am keen to try and stave off the pitfalls of being unhealthy. (Unhealthy and fat DO NOT go hand in hand; I just happen to be both.) Any weight loss or gain will be a bi-product of what I am hoping to achieve. 

So anyway I'm setting a challenge for myself and for anyone else who wants to join me.

The World Cup Challenge

The World Cup starts today and concludes in 31 days, on July 13th.

For the next 30 days, I would like to do the following:

1: Take daily cod liver oil for my joints.

2: Say no to takeouts and ice cream (this is currently out of hand and I indulge around once a week at the moment).

3: Do a modified 30 Day Shred with the hope that I'll improve my upper body strength (vital with 3 young boys) and my cardio fitness.

4: DRINK MORE WATER.

I am not going to do before and after bodyshots. To me that would be pointless and irrelevant. What is important to me is how I feel on the inside. Whether I feel my health is improving and how much energy I have. Body positivity isn't just about loving every shape and size, but about loving how you FEEL in your body, and that's what I will be focusing on in the next 30 days. (Of course on day 31 I'll probably be naughty and treat myself to a cheeky ice cream while I sit and listen to my husband tell me exactly why we're not watching the World Cup Final again.)

The first step is always the hardest. But today is the day. I'm going to do this. Wish me luck!