A photo diary of my holiday

The Courts Garden National Trust property, Holt, Wiltshire

Hello pickles, I haven't really shared any photos of my holiday last month (except for on Instagram) so here are some highlights.

My Spanish holiday in pictures

I've shared the outfit photos (well, most of them!) and I've shared a few other shots on Instagram, but here's our holiday to Spain in photos! Dun-dun-DUNNNN!

Almost every day we had breakfast al fresco, which was lovely. We'd sit out here again in the evenings most nights drinking and talking into the small hours until it got too cold. Out of everything I miss now I'm back home, it's being outside for such long periods. There's something so soothing about being able to sit outside instead of being indoors. I live in a flat with no garden, and I really miss being able to sit outside all day, hearing nature sounds and watching the birds stop by for crumbs. We'd have freshly baked bread for breakfast every morning with cheese, ham, fruit, olives and fruit juice, etc. It was lush. James's eyes are closed in the photo, oops.

The villa complex has a pool per every few villas and no one else used it the whole time we were there. It was HEAVEN.

That's how close we were to the pool.

Being such a history and architecture freak, our visit to Cartagena was my favourite day out as it's a very ancient town with lots of gorgeous buildings, including some Art Nouveau ones. I loooooooove Art Nouveau everything! We weren't there a long time as it was SO hot and Mookie wasn't feeling well, but what I did see made me really want to go back and spend a couple of days there. There are lots of statues there, including one in the second collage which is a memorial to victims of terrorism - El Zulo.

Look at the detail in those Medusa heads - amazing!

Is that a bullet hole in that building?

I know there are so many more things to see and do in Cartagena and I'd love to go back. You can read some more about it on Wikipedia here.

I have lipstick on my teeth but I won't tell if you won't ;)

This my friends is what I called the 'marriage lasagne' because it was so damned good I wanted to marry the chef. Soooooo good. My days. We ate at this place twice in the week as it was to die for, and the restauranteurs almost wanted our custom, which was the warmest reaction we had all week. ;)

More carbs!!

Trust me to finish on food! We ate well all week as we were quite active and you need carbs to fuel all those blogger outfit changes. ;)

I hoped you've enjoyed this blog post. Are travel posts something you like to see?

Thanks for reading,
Leah xoxo

10 things I learned in Spain

Yes, I AM sitting on a pool noodle!

1. There aren't a lot of fat Spanish people, so when they see a fat person they STARE. And stare, and stare and stare......and when you glare back they don't do the polite English thing and look away. It's a little disconcerting at first but I soon got used to it. 
2. Caroline is scarily good at mimicking. Her David Bellamy impression is hilarious!
3. Mookie REALLY loves sloths. Like really really. She started crying when talking about them and I was an awful friend and I laugh-cried, but mostly laughed. Sorry Mookie, I'm a shit friend!
4. Flying with anxiety disorder is literally hell. The flight going out was worse ("If this plane falls from the sky now, how long will it take us to die?" being one of the things that kept going through my head) but the flight back was a little better. Just like I learned in CBT, exposure therapy really does help. 
5. Spanish restauranteurs are generally as warm as arctic tundra. They don't care if you eat at their restaurants at all. We had a couple of good hosts, but the majority wouldn't have cared if we passed them by. (This is totally my personal experience, and is gathered in contrast to other sunny holiday spots I've been to like Greece, Gran Canaria, Ibiza etc where people greet you warmly and are personable hosts).
6. I'm a luxury bitch who really needs her own personal swimming pool!
7. Spanish lemon Fanta is like crack. So good!
8. Irish bars are great no matter what country you're in.
9. Never fly home from Alicante on a Tuesday with Norwegian. The flight is N-E-V-E-R on time. Neverrrrrrr. Avoid.
10. Spanish people loooooooooove sunflower seeds. Love them. When we went to La Mata beach I was following a trail of them along the boardwalk like breadcrumbs in Hansel and Gretel. They put them in whole, chew them and spit the shell out. 

Mike sniffing the fresh lemons a neighbour brought round

James being all suave in the pool

Mookie trying not to fry in the sun

Take me back there right now!

Caroline, myself and Mookie all dressed up and wearing a bit of blue, coincidentally!

I still have some outfits and other things to show you from our holiday but life has been so busy recently. We've spent lots of time with our families since we got back and things have also been picking up on the blog too so I'm all sixes and sevens, but life is good!

I hope you're having a lovely weekend.
Leah xoxo

Holiday outfit - leopard print and gold in Torrevieja

I wore this outfit when we went to Torrevieja one evening whilst we were on holiday. It was the busiest place we went to while we were in Spain - a bustling town with a whole parade of kiosks parallel to the sea, which sold just about every kind of gift item you could imagine. Haggling is expected and I wasn't in the mood so I didn't buy anything, much to James's relief. ;)

Only the accessories in this outfit are new - the crop top, shirt and skirt are all past season.

These photos were taken in Torrevieja itself, by the sea. After these photos we went to a lovely restaurant opposite the sea for pizza. We were outside under a big awning with outdoor heaters, which were a bonus as it was freezing in the sea air as sundown approached.

There are a lot of feral cats in Spain. There were some near our villa and a lot in Torrevieja itself. They're running towards a kind man who had brought food for them.

It was rather incongruous to see so many Burger King restaurants while we were away (bottom left of photo).

Sundown over Torrevieja.
I'm wearing:

Boxy sheer gold shirt, past season Elvi
Crop top, past season ASOS Curve
Skirt, past season Primark
Beach bag, Yours Clothing - currently out of stock 
Embellished sandals, ASOS wide fit

I love this shirt from Elvi. It's metallic, has lovely gold buttons and has a boxy style which is nice and breezy for holiday wear. They don't have this top any more, but this style is one they use a lot.

Thanks for reading.
L xoxo

San Pedro del Pinatar salt lake & fatkini shots

Hiya! In this post I'm going to talk about our fun in the salt lakes at San Pedro del Pinatar and what plus size swimwear I wore for the occasion.

Fun in the salt lake - great for aches and pains 

We arrived at our accomodation in Spain very late on the Tuesday evening, so our first full day was the Wednesday. We went to San Pedro del Pinatar, where there's a salt lake just a boardwalk across from the sea. It was a fairly warm day so we all stripped off (except James) to float or sit in the salt lake. If I'd realised the pain relief being in the lake had given me I'd have stayed in longer - I felt great the next day! I'd never so much as heard of a salt lake let alone been in one before, so I had no idea of the benefits. If I go back to the area I will definitely marinate a little longer in the water.

You can also bring up cartons of the mud at the bottom of the lake to slather on your skin as it makes your skin really soft for up to 2 weeks afterwards. Mookie has done this before. Unfortunately the mud smells like rotten eggs so I didn't use it!
The salt lake is to the left out of the shot below, and as you can see, the sea is on the right - just a short walk of about 10 yards from lake to beach.

About the plus size swimwear I'm wearing

All of my plus size swimwear/beachwear in this outfit is past season or older. I knew there was a possibility I'd be getting covered in mud from the bottom of the lake (which stains clothes) so I wore an old tankini top and some black swim bottoms. The tankini top is from Simply Be and is about 15 years old. I wore it to Ibiza in 2002 and Cyprus in 2007 so it's been around. Like a lot of swimwear for plus size women there's not a lot of support for big boobs in this tankini top. It's halter neck which means the weight of my boobs is on the back of my neck, and the straps are thin and really stretchy so no matter how tight I do them up, my girls meet gravity. Halter necks + stretchy straps = no bueno. I think some underwired bikini tops are on the agenda for me soon!

 James's t shirt later turned everything in the wash pink. Oops!

I've got cellulite, I've got bruises, I've got fat rolls and I couldn't care less. I'm happy, especially when I feel water and breeze on parts of my skin that rarely see the light of day out of doors.

On this day there were women of all ages and sizes stripping off to stand on one of the pontoons and get in the lake and no one batted an eyelid at my fat dimply thighs. Why would they, when having fun is on the agenda?

I look at these photos with nothing but joy because I remember the breeze on my skin, floating in the lake, then crossing the boardwalk to go paddle in the sea. At no point did I worry about being fat.

 Mookie and Mike having a great time!

 Us drying off in the sun afterwards.

I'm wearing:

Beach cover up, Simply Be, similar here here
Tankini top, old Simply Be
High waisted bikini bottoms ASOS Curve, similar here
Trousers, past season H&M plus, similar here (peg leg) here (harem style)
Shoes, past season Primark wide fit similar here

When was the last time you let it all hang out in the breeze?
L xoxo

I'm back!

Hello lovelies.

I got back from my holiday in the early hours of Wednesday after a 7 hour delay in Spain. I feel pretty rough after that long in Alicante airport and I'm so fatigued and in loads of pain now, but the holiday was GREAT and we crammed so much into every day.

I have SO much to share with you from this holiday. I have loads of outfit posts to share and also some posts about what we did while we were over there.

What you can expect:

Lots of photos of me in swimwear
Day outfits
Evening outfits
Review items from Navabi, Brastop, Apples and Pears, Yours Clothing, Lindybop etc

While I was away my social media followings increased and I got lots of nice comments, but also some attention from hate sites on Tumblr. I shrugged them off because crying into my wine would've diluted it and that would've been a real shame. ;) I went on holiday with the aim of having fun in less clothes than I'd wear at home, and I did just that. The blog posts I'm going to share here in the next couple of weeks may bring more trolls and haters into my life because there's going to be lots of me in not a lot of clothes shared here, and not in your typical 'flattering' fashion blogger style. There's going to be cellulite, bruises, fat rolls, menstrual bloat and lots more unapologetic shit. Why the heads up? To let you know not to worry about me if you see shit about me on the internet. Just report and block, as I will (and inform me if you see it before me).

I have so many things to share I don't know where to begin, so I guess I'll start in chronological order. It's good to be back.

L xoxo

Travel | Piran Meadows Resort and Spa

Hiya!

When we went to Cornwall recently, we stayed at Piran Meadows resort and spa, a gorgeous home-from-home not far from Newquay.

James's mum and dad found a reduced 4 night break, and seven of us went on a family holiday. James and I shared a caravan with his mum and dad to share the cost, and his brother, our sister in law and our baby niece stayed in one nearby.

The word caravan doesn't do the accommodation justice though, not at all.

The park itself is beautifully landscaped with not a bit of litter to be seen anywhere. I didn't see so much as a discarded chewing gum wrapper the whole time we were there. The caravan is the most luxurious one we'd ever stayed in, and I didn't think that possible after the caravan we stayed in at Easter. As to the cleanliness when we arrived, the only way I can describe it is forensically clean. You would imagine no one had ever stayed there before you. If you pass a staff member on the site, they'll say hello and make conversation, and not the kind of 'Oh, this is my job and I hate it' conversation, but an actual 'How are you? Is everything OK for you?' conversation.

Our caravan had 2 bedrooms and 2 toilet/shower rooms. James and I had the twin room, and the beds and bedding were to die for. We've both never slept so well in our lives. In fact, coming home to our own bed has been such a frustrating experience we're going to email Piran Meadows to ask them which mattresses and bedding they use. I think I only managed to keep up with everyone else on this holiday (after the busy few weeks beforehand) because I was crashing out every night as soon as my head hit the pillow. That NEVER normally happens. I toss and turn for hours each night.

In James's mum and dad's bedroom they had an en-suite and a massive walk in wardrobe, and even in our small bedroom there was ample storage.

Our bathroom

Our bedroom

There were lots of luxurious features like a flat screen in the living room and in the main bedroom, and plenty of plug sockets everywhere. Normally on holiday in a caravan everyone is antsy to get their phones and gadgets charged up, but despite us all being tech-heads who'd taken a minimum of 2-3 gadgets each, we were fine. Not only that, but there is free wifi on the whole park! Hell yeah.

Having 2 showers and toilets was wonderful as well, as there was no morning rush to get everyone ready. There was a full size fridge-freezer in the kitchen and plenty of good quality non-stick pans, not those hideous cheap ones you usually get which get ruined the first time you use them. (If you've ever stayed in a caravan you'll know what I mean because every single caravan I've stayed in thus far (dozens of them over the years) has used the same cheap crap.) There was a fire in the living room which got roasting hot, as well as radiators and a heated towel rail in the bathroom. And luxurious fluffy white towels are already in the caravan - a bath sheet and hand towel each. The beds were already made up, and there was a welcome pack in the kitchen with tea, coffee, biscuits etc. Everything has been thought of.

We only ate onsite once but the food was to die for. SO good. There are lots of facilities - a swimming pool, onsite bar and restaurant, spa and gym, bowling lanes, pool tables, play areas for kids, etc. On some of the more expensive accommodation like the lodges, they have hot tubs on the veranda! Oh my days. There are a couple of things some people may see as drawbacks - there's no evening entertainment, and the onsite shop is tiny. I frankly hate the cheesy evening entertainment that most caravan parks have and didn't miss it at all (I didn't even note the lack of entertainment until James's mum pointed it out) and we always do the shopping at a supermarket on the way to a destination anyway.

Would we go back to Piran Meadows? HELL YES. With bells on. As soon as possible! James and I want to go back next year.

If you're heading to Cornwall and want to stay in a central location in stunning style, then Piran Meadows is for you. It's worth every penny of extra money compared to its competitors - but I don't believe it has any real competitors. Caravan holidays will never be the same now they'll be held up to this standard! I know caravan holidays have a bad rap, but this place is not a caravan park as you know it.

https://www.darwinescapes.co.uk/parks/piran-meadows-resort-spa/
https://www.darwinescapes.co.uk/

Thanks for reading,
Leah xoxo

I wrote his post entirely of my own volition and have not been compensated for it in any way.

Life | Weymouth mini break

Hello lovelies,

I had a lovely break in Weymouth over Easter and I have a couple of posts planned to tell you all about it. James and I went away with 4 of our friends - a married couple, and a mother and daughter. It was brilliant, the weather was reasonable and I feel really refreshed.

We headed off to our friends M & T's place in Wiltshire on the Thursday. They'd offered to let us stay to break up our journey, which was very thoughtful. They have two cats so staying with them is doubly wonderful. Fussing kitties always makes me happy.

The caravan we stayed in was at Littlesea, a caravan park with gorgeous sea views just outside Weymouth. I love caravan holidays and have been going on them all my life. I find caravans really cosy. This one was privately owned and was really nice, and really spacious as caravans go.

Our friends kindly let James and I have the double bedroom with the en-suite loo as they know a comfy bed is really important to me with all my aches and pains from Fibro.

The kitchen was equipped with everything you'd expect and more, and there were numerous books, CDs, DVDs and computer games throughout the caravan, as well as flat screen TVs in all 3 bedrooms.

There is a small veranda at the front of the caravan which looks over the beach, and there were some lovely sunsets to be seen from it. The beach isn't a 'pretty' beach, with bits of old masonry and plastic bottles strewn about, but it had a charm of its own in a way. The tide never comes in too far so you can walk along the coast fairly easily.

What we did:

Friday

We went to Wetherspoons for a hearty breakfast, then hit the road. Arrived in Weymouth, did a supermarket shop, went to Finns rock pub then headed off for a meal at The Wellington Arms, a cosy little back street pub with a friendly feel. We came back to the caravan and had a birthday party for myself and our fellow holiday goer, another April birthday girl whose birthday was the day after mine.

Saturday

In the early afternoon we went for a walk along the beach. I chilled out in the caravan in the afternoon while 4 of our party went into town as I was so tired. James brought me back a lovely pair of earrings, a 'just because' present. On Saturday evening we went to Finns again. There was a band on and we all got gently toasted over the course of the evening.

Sunday

On Sunday morning we headed off to Portland for a drive and to blow away the last of our hangovers. It was warm enough for me not to need a coat. Yes, spring is finally here! We went to The Pulpit pub for a livener then spent an hour or two exploring the coastline by Portland Bill lighthouse. I rested often on the rocks. We stopped off at a kebab shop for tea as all the sea air and exercise had us all starving. We had a night in with drinks and lots of laughs.

Monday

Up at the crack of dawn (OK, 8am!) to pack and leave. I was supposed to be meeting another friend in Weymouth that day but she was held up and James was anxious about bank holiday traffic building up so we had to leave it. :/ We took our friends up on their offer of staying over with them again on Monday night, so we went to a rare breeds farm where I fell in love with a little lamb who'd been rejected by her mum. It was gloriously hot, another coatless day!

Finns is always fun. James and I have been to Weymouth a few times before and have been in Finns often. It doesn't change over the years, like all the best pubs.

I included the giant deckchair photos as we took them on the way home from Finns when we were all rather merry. :) I was still giggling to myself half an hour after I went to bed - the sign of a good night!

I took my Kindle and didn't read a thing the whole time. I took a fair bit of makeup and hardly used it except for Saturday night. I laughed until my ribs ached, got lots of fresh air, did a bit of drinking and lots of relaxing and I feel years younger. The company was perfect and it was lovely to spend lots of time with our friends. 

All being well we'll be going to Cornwall sometime next month with James's family, and you guessed it - it's another caravan holiday! ;)

Thanks for reading. I have some photos of Portland and the rare breeds farm to come up in another post.

Leah xoxo