Are you excited for Summer? I know I am especially with the weather trying to warm up a little in the North East but not quite matching the rest of the country. I can’t wait to spend the Summer with BBQs, ice cream, beach walks, family time, my birthday and perhaps a holiday. The one thing that I am nervous about is my Summer wardrobe.
I’ve talked about my body confidence before and it is a rollercoaster of a ride! Just like every other person on this planet there are days I feel really unhappy and want to change everything and then there are others where I can put on an outfit from my wardrobe and feel invincible. You wouldn’t even think that I would suffer from body confidence. I don’t know about anyone else but seeing all those stunning girls in the Love Island villa this year has left me feeling a little bit frumpy. However, I am here to tell you, and myself, that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!!
Numbers have no relevance to you. It has no relevance to your style and it shouldn’t affect your body confidence. I’m guilty of “wanting to be a size 10” even nowadays but why do we do this to ourselves? what is a “size 10”? It’s just a number! I have had many conversations with various customers about how we used to be able to get the same size across a number of stores but nowadays that is not the case. You only have to watch Lucy’s video where she tested size 14 jeans across ten different brands to see what the high street stores are doing to our society. Just in New Look alone, I’m across three different sizes and in Primark I can only fit into something that is two sizes bigger than my ‘usual’ size.
Unfortunately garments aren’t made for different body shapes. You can be in the same size clothes but weigh and look completely different from someone who is in the exact same size clothes as you. What looks flattering on you can look completely different on someone else. That is why sizes shouldn’t and don’t matter. Do you love the look of those trousers? Buy them and flaunt them!
When it comes to Summer fashion, I have spent so many years avoiding clothes like shorts and vest tops because I didn’t want to show of my chubby legs or my bingo arms but no one actually cares what you look like. In fact some people might see you flaunting your style and be envious or proud of you. The other day when I tried on the distressed Mom style shorts from New Look I immediately felt confident. Yes, my legs aren’t lovely and slim like those that you see on Love Island or even Instagram but I’m never going to look like those girls and that is okay. I have decided that I am going to stop being scared of Summer fashion and I am going to get my sticks of meat out and enjoy every moment of Summer for what is is worth! I’m not going to sweat it out in a hoody because I am scared of what my arms look like or wear thick jeans because I don’t have perfect thighs. I am going to forget about the labels and grab the clothes that I feel comfortable and confident in.
If you take one piece of advice from this post, let it be this:
Buy the shorts or that vest top that you like, flaunt it and feel comfortable in what you wear because you are amazing and Summer memories is much more important than stressing over how you look. Your size doesn’t matter but loving yourself and feeling body positive definitely does! When you go out no one will be judging you for what you are wearing, they will be seeing that beautiful smile and you enjoying yourself.
Are you anxious about Summer fashion? How are you going to combat it?
♥
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Can you believe Father’s Day is next week?! That’s right on the 17th June, it’s the day to celebrate your Father, Dad, Grandad and everything he has done for you. I don’t know about you but anything that involves presents for men have me baffled every single time. I thought I would give you a couple of ideas which might be a little helpful to you not just for Father’s Day but for any celebration.
The easiest gift that is perfect for Father’s Day is something personalised. There are so many different options available to you, not only online but in-stores as well. I’ve recently talked about designing a watch from Gifts Online 4U (read here) that I will be gifting this year, however, they have released a selection of new products including cufflinks, bottles of alcohol, a personalised tape measure and even an at home brew kit. I encourage you to have a look on the Gifts Online 4U website because they do have some wonderful options. The wrapping paper is from Pretty Gifted whom I have used plenty of times before.
Personalised by Ryman is a new range of unique and bespoke gifts that is designed to make someone feel special. You can personalise a selection of notebooks, frames, wrapping paper and stationary. I was kindly gifted a soft cover notebook*, a Parker Jotter pen* and a personalised mug*; the customer service was fantastic and the products arrived quickly which is what I like when ordering personalised products. If you are a student, you can also save yourself 10% with your student discount which I think is brilliant if you’re on a budget. The products which I received are such good quality for the price especially the notebook.
If your father is into skincare and pampering himself then you could opt for some cruelty free skincare. I know that Nivea, Dove and LYNX are quite popular however non of these brands are cruelty free. Superdrug offer the B. Men range which, personally, I think is quite underrated. The Volcanic Cleansing 4 In 1 Wash* is a brilliant product because it is suitable for multiple uses. You can use the wash for face, beard, hair and body as well as being suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Charcoal products are all the range this year so you could treat him to the Charcoal Face Scrub*. It’s a 3-in-1 product that deeply cleanses, purifies and smoothes the skin.
Bulldog Skincare and LUSH are other brands that are cruelty free. The Prince Shaving Cream is a good option if you know your father has quite sensitive skin. Whilst Bulldog offer a range of products including deodorant, shower gel and moisturisers. You could create a shaving kit in a basket or wash bag to gift on Father’s Day. For an example, it could include: an electric shaver and the B. Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm*.
You can’t go wrong with a mix of food or drinks. Previous years I’ve gifted food hampers with a selection of his favourite foods and coffee. The best thing about this is you can really tailor it to what your dad likes. If your dad is a coffee drinker I recommend looking at Bird & Wild as it’s sustainable, eco-friendly coffee that gives back to charity as 6% of sales are donated back to the RSPB to help protect wildlife and restore woodlands. At the moment Bird & Wild comes in two delicious flavours: Seasonal Blend is medium roasted with dark chocolate tones and bright floral aromas whereas the Espresso Blend is medium dark roasted with a tang of cocoa and fruit ideal for more espresso and milky drinks. You can buy them on Amazon or Ocado so they are super accessible and a really good company to support.
WAKEcup is aiming to end single use cups and bags by introducing reusable, sustainable options. They are made from farmed bamboo, Tryek paper and BPA free plastic which makes it ideal to add into your food hamper present. If you can get to Selfridges London, WAKEcup is offering personalisation of the range from the 15th – 17th June or alternatively you can order personalised products on Not On The High Street too. The WAKEcup includes a bamboo coffee cup, water bottle and tea infuser whilst the WAKEbag include a polypaper bag, tote bag and wallet. They even partner up with eco charity partners, the Marine Conservation Society and A Plastic Ocean, where 10% of all the profits go too.
Another safe present worth looking into is getting your dad or grandfather a pair of slippers. Lazy Dogz are a British designed leading e-tailer of slippers who have also released Beach Dogz for sandals. All their footwear have memory foam insoles and toughened soles. What I love most is that from £1 from every purchase goes to the Manchester Dogs Home. Of course, there are a range of different styles to suit anyone including women if you are wanting to grab a pair yourself. The pair I chose were the Milo Black Sandals*.
Finally, you can’t go wrong with a pair of socks. You can walk into a supermarket, clothes store or get a pair in your weekly ASOS order and just know that he will not be disappointed. Is socks just the one thing that men seem to forget or are they just too lazy to buy a couple of pairs themselves? I’ve recently discovered Critically Endangered Socks who are such a lovely company. The company was founded by a lovely man named Dom Desmond who met an NGO called Friends of the National Parks Foundation who protect areas of the rainforest and help critically endangered animals. Last year, he created the company to support some of those endangered animals including: dolphins, leopards, elephants, turtles and orangutangs. The socks are made from cotton and bamboo. Bamboo is biodegradable and natural which means they are certified free of any harmful chemicals and kind to allergy prone skin.
The socks above are the Sumatran Elephant* and the Maui Dolphin*. Each pair comes individually packaged in a box with a card to give you a bit more information about the endangered animal which just leaves you feeling as though you’ve done something good for the planet.
I hope this post has given you some inspiration for what to get your dad. Have any of these taken your fancy? What have you got in store for your father this year?
♥
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*Some of these products featured in this gift guide have been sent to me to review and feature on my blog. This does not affect my opinion on the products and services from the brands featured.
Don’t cast a clout until May is out! I’ve heard that saying a lot recently especially with the weather being so up and down but we are now in June which for me means Summer is fast approaching. Can you believe that we are already half way through the year? No, I can’t either!
I’ve not really got any Summer plans this year apart from a week off for my birthday with nothing planned and working, hopefully many hours so I can have some dollar in the back pocket. For someone with a passion for fashion, I am excited to see all the new clothes that are coming into season and I might have some time in my diary to have a couple of days with family and friends.
Anyway with the Summer months upon on, I thought now would be a great time to share my tips on hosting a perfect Summer BBQ! I’ll just be talking you through some of the important things for a BBQ to go down well, in my opinion.
First and foremost, drinks! Pago Fruit Juices* are produced from natural ingredients sourced from the best producers in the world. They have brought out some intense but delicious fruit flavours including: Cloudy Cherry, Pear, Strawberry, Tomato, Multivitamin Tropical, and Rhubarb & Pear to name a few. They are available in a number of bars, cafés, restaurants and delis throughout the UK and are a great alternative if you prefer non-alcoholic option. Their drinks taste so good as a refreshing treat however I also used them in cocktails at a recent BBQ by topping them up with lemonade or soda water. You can find plenty of recipes on the Pago Fruit Juices website.
There’s no BBQ with no food and snacks so make sure you’re all stocked up especially on the good stuff. I always like a good old corn on the cob that’s been done on the BBQ. Do you know those ones that you can get on holiday from the sweetcorn stand and they are so fresh that they still have the leaves on them? They are my personal faves! I usually opt for anything from Linda McCartney however my favourites are: the Pulled BBQ Burgers and Red Onion and Rosemary Sausages. I like to pair them with some fried onions or cheese and a side salad or some fresh coleslaw, then your good to go. Don’t forget to throw the crisps and dips on the table for snacking in between cooking on the BBQ too!
I honestly believe that the best thing about Summer is getting to spend time with loved ones, even if the sun can be rather temperamental sometimes. If you’re extremely organised, you could arrange for some activities or games but nothing is better than good food and drink with amazing company to share it with.
How will you be spending your Summer? Have you got any exciting plans? I would love to hear your ideas on how to host a BBQ with family and friends.
♥
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I’ve mentioned about my body confidence issues in the past but it’s got to a point where I rarely feel good in my clothes and I’m struggling with what to wear. Does anyone else feel like this? Well I’ve decided that it’s time to stop being so harsh on myself!
Life is too short to be worrying about how much I dislike my arms in side profile photos or the thigh gap that I’m forever lusting over. I have developed a love for fashion ever since working at New Look. This interest has actually encouraged me to sign up to Fashion Retail & Enterprise at Newcastle College. Over the Summer, I want to start trying new trends and pieces that I wouldn’t usually go for starting with stripes. I used to avoid stripe clothing like the plague because I taught myself from being a young teenager that it will make me look bigger than my size. This is just one of the steps that I am trying to change and embrace my new found love for myself and my body. Three months ago, I wouldn’t have been able to sit at my computer telling this little corner of the net that I feel slightly more confident and that in itself is a huge step forward.
Personally, I think there are three things that have damaged how I view myself and the love that I have for my body. The first is weight loss groups such as Slimming World and Weight Watchers. I remember going when I was younger with my mum and I used to passively listen whilst playing on my gameboy. It wasn’t until my early teen years that I realised how damaging it actually was. I never wanted to eat bananas because they weren’t a good fruit compared to melon or strawberries and I always used to pick up a Freddo chocolate bar rather than a share bag of buttons when I was with my friends because it was a ‘better’ choice. I urge you too not listen to this! I’m not going to sit here and say anything negative about weight loss groups because it might actually be working for some of you but it definitely doesn’t have that positive impact on me and my mindset.
The other two kind of go hand in hand. I believe the media and society require you to look or feel a certain way. I feel as though if I don’t have the ‘perfect’ body or that I am not the size that the media suggests is healthy then I am not good enough to achieve certain aspects of life whether that be having a baby or being able to fit into a wedding dress and look 10 million dollars. But do you know what I say? F**k them! You be who you want to be because what matters is how you feel in yourself. If you feel good about yourself, don’t stop doing what you are doing. You don’t have to look a certain way, or be a certain dress size to achieve the things that you want to do. If you want to wear those striped trousers for browsing round the shops at the weekend, then wear those god damn trousers! At the end of the day, I know that in a couple of weeks we probably aren’t going to be stressing about how we felt because there is a lot more important things in your life for you to concentrate on. You are an amazing person! Don’t stop being you.
I’d love to know how you deal with body confidence? How do you embrace yourself? Share your tips below!
♥
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Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past five months, you will probably know that I work for New Look. It’s just as a Sales Advisor but to me it is so much more than that. Not only has it given me a routine again but it consistently fills me with confidence, joy and pleasure. Is there really any feeling that’s better than enjoying your alarm to get you up for work? I’ve made friends not only from my current store but the Shrewsbury store that I started in which I still keep in touch with to this day. Anyway, I’m rambling…I am not really here to talk about my job but more of the charity ball that was hosted at the weekend.
As someone who struggles with body confidence, I had tried on so many dresses because it felt like that kind of night but in the end I went for a culotte jumpsuit from New Look. I felt so confident in it although it was something very unlike me. This weekend I have planned to wear it with some white sandals and a denim jacket if the weather is still lovely.
The night was to raise as much money for the Macmillan Cancer Support Charity but it was such a good night. There was an awards ceremony, drinks, a raffle and the chance to socialise with other stores in the region. Our store was lucky enough to win a total of three awards: Lindsay won Sales Advisor of the Year, Ashleigh won VM Star of the Year and Jenny won Best Hub Post. I’m so proud of our little team! After the awards, we danced the night away and had a right good laugh.
♥
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Are you excited for Summer? I know I am especially with the weather trying to warm up a little in the North East but not quite matching the rest of the country. I can’t wait to spend the Summer with BBQs, ice cream, beach walks, family time, my birthday and perhaps a holiday. The one thing that I am nervous about is my Summer wardrobe.
Numbers have no relevance to you. It has no relevance to your style and it shouldn’t affect your body confidence. I’m guilty of “wanting to be a size 10” even nowadays but why do we do this to ourselves? what is a “size 10”? It’s just a number! I have had many conversations with various customers about how we used to be able to get the same size across a number of stores but nowadays that is not the case. You only have to watch Lucy’s video where she tested size 14 jeans across ten different brands to see what the high street stores are doing to our society. Just in New Look alone, I’m across three different sizes and in Primark I can only fit into something that is two sizes bigger than my ‘usual’ size.
Can you believe Father’s Day is next week?! That’s right on the 17th June, it’s the day to celebrate your Father, Dad, Grandad and everything he has done for you. I don’t know about you but anything that involves presents for men have me baffled every single time. I thought I would give you a couple of ideas which might be a little helpful to you not just for Father’s Day but for any celebration.
How will you be spending your Summer? Have you got any exciting plans? I would love to hear your ideas on how to host a BBQ with family and friends.
As someone who struggles with body confidence, I had tried on so many 
♥
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