Money Saving Monday Part Deux

Hello lovelies! Another week, another Money Saving Monday.

As you probably know I am on a spending ban for July with the exception of essentials and gifts. Last week I confessed to a little slip-up with my Bare Minerals foundation but I've done surprisingly well this week.

I've barely looked at clothes at all! There are sales everywhere beckoning me, testing me, throwing the proverbial banana peel underfoot, but I've somehow managed to avoid temptation. Of course that doesn't mean I've been walking around with my eyes closed. I've been looking at other things (that I'm also not allowed to buy, grr) such as fabric:

And home stuff:

Unicorn Jewellery Dish

Brunch-osaurus Salt & Pepper Shakers

And also tattoos but that's a post for another day.

So, not much to report as you can see. I am eagerly awaiting a phone case which I pre-ordered about 6 weeks ago so hopefully I can show you that without guilt before the next installment of Money Saving Monday.

I wonder how the other money saving ladies are getting on...

Abi - http://aisforabi.blogspot.co.uk

Debz - http://www.wannabeprincess.co.uk

Lucia - http://www.ucantwearthat.com

Sarah - http://plussizeproud.wordpress.com

Katherine - http://acurvycupcake.blogspot.co.uk

Kelly - http://misskittykaos.blogspot.co.uk

Nikki - http://www.nattynikki.com
Gina - http://fatfitfine.blogspot.com/

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!

Primarni Haul

As mentioned in my previous post, I found myself in Primark once again. I am both proud of myself for managing to spend under £25 but also kicking myself for not getting a couple of things.

This is my little stash.

Pale pink cardi (20), Foxy night tshirt (22-24),
hair bits, earphones, sunglasses, skinny waist belt

I had to put back the gorgeous light pink satchel style handbag and THOSE maternity leggings I picked up. Sooo comfy but I just don't have enough money this month. It's hubs' birthday and my eldest babys birthday at the end of March. Expensive times.

I'm getting a refund from a New Look return next week so maybe I'll go back when that's cleared.

Primark Public Service Announcement

Good afternoon my lovelies,

Please excuse the formatting of this post for I am sat in Costa (in LEEDS! I've never been here before), posting from the app on my phone. I just need to get excited for a moment...

Primark have a maternity range.
Yes! I know! I didn't know either until today!

Now, my twins were evicted from my belly nine months ago. So why am I getting excited? There are two reasons.

1) As we all know, Primark mostly only caters for those under a size 20. So when I saw the maternity range I wondered about the shape and whether my size 22-24 belly would benefit from the extra bump space.

I chose a daisy print swing dress to try on and went for the 20. It was so generous I needed a belt to gather the fabric and take away the tent look. This dress is made of a medium weight jersey cotton with a lot of stretch so I could have sized down a couple of sizes. Where was this dress when I was preggers?!

From the changing room

I also tried on some maternity leggings (not pictured). I like my leggings to stop at my bra so maternity bellywarmers are perfect. The size 20 gave me baggy knees so I went for an 18. And guess what! They are completely opaque! At only £4 they're a complete bargain.

2) The second reason I think we can get excited about the maternity range? Hopefully if the company are starting to broaden their horizons and make clothes for pregnant ladies, maybe... just maybe, plus sizes will be next.
We can but hope.

Dress for 99p? Thanks Yours Clothing!

Warning: if you're on a no spend month, stop reading!

The wonderful Debz over at The (Not So) Secret Diary Of A Wannabe Princess has brought to my attention a fantastic offer from Yours Clothing that has me a little excited. It's too good not to share!

I'm not going to lie; I squealed, rushed over to the website, picked my dress and placed an order without checking whar was already in my basket so I spent more than 99p. Oops! Even so, what a bargain these dresses are.

It's not clear how long this offer is available for so get your skates on as they're selling fast!

CLICK HERE for 99p dresses. GO GO GO!

Have you or will you order anything?



NB: To qualify you will need to enter your email address for their mailing list. You can unsubscribe from this. There is also a p&p charge of £3.99 (or more for next day/nominated day delivery).

Pick Of The Sales: Just Another Blogging Challenge

Welcome to another installment of Just Another Blogging Challenge. This months theme is January Sales & Bargains.

I've been quite a good girl this year and haven't gone completely mad in the sales. I have however managed to put together an outfit with a couple of bits I snapped up in the post-Christmas frenzy.

Dress: Pink Clove £8 (Reduced from £20)

Belt: Yours Clothing £6.40 (Reduced from £12, currently £8)

Shrug: Yours Clothing £4 (Reduced from £12.50, currently £5)

Take a look at these girls' sales bargains:

Steph - http://seeingsp0ts.blogspot.co.uk
Toni - http://theonlywayist.com
Kim - http://www.callmekim.net
Gina - http://fatfitfine.blogspot.co.uk
Nikki -http://www.nattynikki.blogspot.co.uk
Becky -http://www.doesmyblogmakemelookfat.com
Kaye - http://www.polishedcurves.com 
Naomi -http://www.diamondsnpearls.co.uk
Victoria -http://www.thecurvedopinion.com
Em - http://terribletumbles.blogspot.co.uk
Beka -http://bekasstuffystuff.blogspot.co.uk
Gemma -http://www.pinkgemmaplus.blogspot.co.uk
Anne-Lise - www.muki7x7.blogspot.co.uk
Michaela -www.Cardifforniagurl.blogspot.co.uk
Katt -www.acurvycupcake.blogspot.co.uk
Betty - www.bigfatbetty.com

My Favourite Dressy Purchase of 2013

You know sometimes an item of clothing catches your eye and from that moment on becomes something of an obsession? That's what happened to me and this dress. 

I first saw one very similar online at Topsy Curvy and I vowed I'd buy it. Treat myself. Then it disappeared and I was heartbroken. 

Fast forward to a month later and this popped up on Yours Clothing along with a didcount code. How could I refuse?! I snapped it up even though I had nowhere to wear it so it was saved for new years eve and has since been worn to a wedding reception. 

I love this dress. The fabric hangs beautifully on every curve making the shape very flattering. It's got a good amount of stretch to the fabric. It does thin out the pattern across my boobs as the white shows through under the print but it's such a busy pattern that I dont think it matters. The sheer panel at the top is a touch of genius. I can show a bit of cleavage without actually showing a bit of cleavage. Fabulous! 

Dress: Yours £35

Shrug: Yours £12

This dress is still available at Yours for £35 and is more than worth the money!

My pick of the new Pink Clove additions

I don't know why I've never shopped from Pink Clove. There's always something that catches my eye on the website but for some reason I've just never taken the plunge.

There are some lovely new spring/summer clothes on the website so I thought I'd share with you my favourite pieces on the Pink Clove new arrivals page.

1) Blue sleeveless wrap bust

dress with lace panel 

£22

This dress looks so vibrant and the lace panel is a lovely addition. This would look gorgeous in other colours too.

2) Ballerina wrap bust

dress in red 

£24

Similar to the above dress but with no lace and additional sleeves. This would be ideal for chilly early spring. It's also available in a pale green but the particular shade would make my pale skin look washed out.

3) Stripe dipped hem top 

£16

My wardrobe is slightly lacking in long tops and I've become a bit of a fan of dipped and hanky hems recently. Horizontal stripes? Of course, why not! Love this top.

Have you seen the new bits at Pink Clove? What are your favourites?

Outside My Comfort Zone: Work Wear

I knew from the second I read the topic for OMCZ 22 that I'd struggle a bit. The topic is work wear but I don't work. I have no clothes that I'd consider work clothes as I instantly think to office attire and I've not stepped foot in an office since I went on maternity leave over 2.5 years ago.

However who's to say what I do isn't work? I'm a stay at home mum. I may not get paid but I am on call 24/7. This week alone I have spent three sleepless nights being a nurse, a comforter and an entertainer to three children who have been unwell, unable to sleep and in need of cuddles and distractions. All the while I have been unwell but unable to rest because I cannot (and will not) let them down. It's a harder job than the call centre I used to sit at taking abuse for 8 hours a day. It's more emotionally draining than the ambulance job I had before that. So it is work. Hard work. And I love it! So I'm going to show you some of my "work" wear.

I start my day between 4 and 6am. And for the first couple of hours I wear nothing. These little guys don't judge!

I can put on whatever I fancy. Clashing prints? Who cares! Antlers? Why not!

Dress and leggings: Everything5Pounds

Antlers: Wilkos

And sometimes my little toddler picks stuff out for me. In Asda on monday he picked me out some socks. How can I say no?

So there you go. Its not officey but a glimpse into what I have worn this week while working my bottom off to be the best mummy I know how.

I hope the other #OMCZ girls can give you more work related inspiration than I did:

Stephanie http://www.seeingspots.co.uk/
Leah http://www.justmeleah.blogspot.co.uk
Mary http://www.marysbigcloset.blogspot.pt
Becky Brown http://www.doesmyblogmakemelookfat.com
Rachel http://www.adressisforlife.com/
Natalie http://awheelbarrowfullofstyle.blogspot.co.uk/
Nikki http://www.nattynikki.blogspot.co.uk/
Rebs http://sullen-hearts.blogspot.co.uk/
Verena http://aplussizefashionobsession.blogspot.de/
Beka bekasstuffystuff.blogspot.com
Rebecca http://theplussideofme.com
Hollie Http://www.prettybigbutterflies.com
Sabina http://www.femmefatalexsabina.blogspot.de/
Betty http://www.bigfatbetty.com/
Katt http://acurvycupcake.blogspot.co.uk/
Mookie http://muki7x7.blogspot.co.uk/
Erin http://erinslittlebigcorner.blogspot.co.uk/
Debz http://www.wannabeprincess.co.uk/

Skater Girl: Dress Wishlist

I'm still not entirely brave enough to venture away from skater dresses just yet. I've found a style that I like and that likes me back. Because of my ample boobage and high natural waist, this style of dress suits my shape perfectly. It nips in at the right place and skims my hips nicely. Love em!

These are my current top three skater dresses on my wishlist... I just need a few paydays to hurry up:

1. Yours Clothing Wine And Black Sleeveless Flock Skater Dress With Patent Belt £35

 I absolutely adore this dress. Burgundy feels a bit like my safe colour now that I'm trying to avoid too much black but I feel so comfortable in it. This dress has a lovely stretch to it (yay elastane!) and is true to size. I am usually a 22 and tried sizing down to a 20 but it hugged a little bit too much above the waistline. I really love the large print, it's not something I would've gone for before but I keep going back to this dress. It will be my Christmas dress, somehow.


2. Evans Black Lace Skater Dress £45

This is a beautiful lace skater dress from Evans. It's very lightweight and I think it'd look lovely either dressed up with gold jewellery and heels or a bit more casual with a biker jacket and ankle boots. This was my original Christmas choice but it got bumped down to 2nd simply because a) it's more expensive than the dress from Yours and b) I caught my ring while trying it on and I would worry about snagging the lace maybe a bit too much. It felt so natural and comfortable to wear though, especially as it has the added bonus of covering the upper arms so it's still in my wishlist top 3!
Also worth noting I had to size down to a 20 for the best fit.

3. Topsy Curvy Navy Velvet Heart Printed Skater Dress £30

I've never tried on anything from Topsy Curvy so I can't comment on the sizing or feel of this dress but I do know it's gorgeous! It only went up on the website this week but it's got my attention already. It's 95% polyester 5% elastane, which is the same as the Yours dress so I expect it'll fit in a similar way- hugging all the right places and skimming over the rest. 

So. That is my current Wishlist Top 3.
Just for fun, here is a changing room photo of me in the Top 2 dresses.

Is anyone else as hooked on skater dresses as I am?

Boots, Glorious Boots!

I would like to apologize for the picture quality in this and possibly a few other posts. My camera has been refusing to keep a charge, even with fresh batteries, so I'm using my phone camera. Anyway...


Primark and I have never been the best of friends. Until very recently, I only went there to buy clothes for my toddler. I somehow forgot they sell jewellery and shoes so last weekend I went back. While trying to navigate the 3 floors of cluttered everything, I spotted these and knew I had to have them:

I am a size 5 but found these a bit narrow so I tried them on in a 6 which fit perfectly. I'd recommend trying your normal size and the next size up to make sure you're getting the best fit.

I so rarely shop in Primark. The prices seem to be a little higher than they used to be but it shows in the better quality of the product. These boots (£15) were instantly comfortable and remained comfy even after a 4 and a half hour walk. I only had thin socks on and still these boots didn't rub, hurt or blister and they kept the rain out. No soggy socks!

These boots have exceeded my expectations. They are comfortable, practical and I must admit I am in love with them a little bit.

Now can someone please tell me where to get leggings that don't sag, stretch or crumple?

Hanna over at The Wardrobe Challenge is currently running a fabulous giveaway for a lovely tshirt, so I thought I'd show you the outfit I would put together around the prize tee. (Click here to be taken straight to the giveaway.)

Top, Lane Bryant
Black PU studded biker jacket, Yours Clothing
Check leggings, Simply Be
Clarks Kankan Buzz Boots, Simply Be

I think the biker style is the perfect outfit for this top. It's edgy but comfortable. The perfect combination!

I promise I will start blogging more about my outfits and such like. I have actually been given £200 (as an early Christmas present) by my wonderful man to go out and get a few bits. £40 of that went straight on jeans though! Today however is all about doing my Halloween nails.

Lazy Sunday

I went for a safe bet with todays outfit. A sunday lunch with family followed by sitting on the floor entertaining children meant I had to think sensible. 

I love the drop pocket longline hoodies from Yours Clothing. I actually bought a second one in black and purple stripe. They're soft, so comfortable and have a good amount of stretch. They don't hug under my boobs as much as I'd like but adding a belt would solve that issue.

I paired the top with a pair of Evans high waisted jeans I've had for a while. They're a touch on the loose side for me but that prevents them cutting in when I bend over which was practical for today.

I very nearly reached for my usual Converse on the way out this afternoon but wore a pair of New Look ankle boots instead. I adore New Look boots. They fit me perfectly. Snug but not uncomfortable and need no breaking in. 

So although I played it safe today I felt good. I added a pop of colour with red accessories and found another style of top that suits me. Things are looking up!

The Awkward First Blog Entry

This is my blog of self discovery. Of plus size fashion. Of rebuilding my confidence and loving my body no matter it's size or shape. I recently gave birth to twins and as such my shape has completely changed. Completely. I struggle sometimes to find clothes that suit my new body and I'm sure there are thousands of girls who feel the same way. Here I will endeavour to talk about the clothes I am comfortable in. The clothes I'm daring to wear despite being outside my comfort zone. New outfits, old habits, guilty pleasures. The small victories and big achievements.

I will no longer be defined by jeans, tops and converse. I will wear dresses. And knee high socks. And boots. Heels. Lipstick. I am redefining myself starting right now.

Join me.

Kx