8 ways I use IFTTT to make my blogging life easier

Since I've rebranded my blog I've had to streamline all the ways I share my content across social media. IFTTT (IF This Then That) is by far the most useful of all the tools I use to share my content. It's a content automation wonder tool which automates sharing your content to free up more time for all the fun stuff, like writing posts. Here's an example of how it works - IF a new blog post goes up on Blogger, THEN the post will be shared on my Twitter. Each little task is called an IFTTT recipe. Here are the recipes I'm using right now - 8 ways I use IFTTT to make my blogging life easier.

Knitwear with George at Asda & knitwear care tips

Howdy! I have a great affordable outfit using Autumn knitwear from George at Asda to show you today. I'm wearing/using 5 items from George at Asda in this look and the total comes out at under £60! If you're not in the UK, Asda is the UK equivalent of Walmart and offers affordable clothing and accessories (as well as groceries) online and in store. A lightweight cardigan is a way to transition towards Autumn without committing to a jacket. I don't know about you, but I avoid wearing a proper jacket for as long as possible to hold onto that summery feeling!

How to do a new year e-clean

Hiya!

I don't know about you, but by the time new year comes around I'm itching to simplify my life in every way. I always have a clear-out-and-donate spree of clothes and other bits in January, but what about our online clutter? Here's how I've made my life online easier.

1. Unsubscribe from annoying email newsletters.

If that company you signed up to hear news from in 2007 sends you emails every week and you don't read any of them.
If someone spams you with emails every day.
If it's something you were interested in once but you're interests have changed. It's OK, move on. You don't have to hold on to the past.

It's time to unsub from things which no longer interest you and create time for things you ARE interested in. I've unsubscribed from so many newsletters so far this year, and there are still more new ones coming in. I actually get excited when an email comes in and I think 'Yessss, this is the last e-mail I'm going to see from you!'

This is especially important if you're trying to cut down on temptation to spend. 

I've unsubscribed from SO many shop newsletters and it will save me money.

2. Declutter your social media feeds.

I had the vapours last week at the thought of cutting back my social media followers as I hate to upset anyone. Instagram particularly had got out of hand for me with over 4000 followers, and I was following about 1600 back and my feed was horrible. I couldn't keep in contact with anyone I wanted to keep tabs on among all the polite reciprocal follows I'd made.

Here's what helped me to unfollow in a heartbeat with no guilt -

If they hadn't posted in 6 months.
If they post more than 10 times an hour. (I used to be really bad at posting a LOT of photos to IG, but stopped after someone pointed out how annoying it is, ha).
If I came across anything racist, sexist etc in their feeds.

I also use the Unfollowers app to help me root out new unfollowers on Twitter and Instagram, but I do it with one eye open. I don't want to see who unfollowed me, I unfollow back to keep my feed in check. I'm on top of Instagram and Twitter followers now, which are my busiest two social media channels. It's a much more pleasant experience for me now I've cut down who I follow.

Only follow back people who really inspire you in some way. It's easier to never follow someone at all than it is to follow them then have them wonder what they did to make you unfollow.

3. Edit the blogs you follow.

I also unfollowed a lot of blogs. I love makeup, but do I really need to follow 100 beauty bloggers? Ahem, no. I cut it down by a lot. The more beauty bloggers I follow the more makeup I buy, and believe me, I get by all right on my own in that respect. Too well, actually.

With regards to plus size bloggers, I broke it down into 2 categories - those who interact with me when I comment on their blogs and/or who comment on my blog, and those who are somewhat aloof but add something to my life. If we don't talk and they don't add something to my life, I let them go.

FOMO is a big thing, and I realised that I was following a lot of people so on the one time a year I bump into them at a big event I can say hi and feel like I'm abreast all their news. But why? There are dozens of new plus size bloggers by the week and it's ridic to try to keep up with them all. I keep my circles small and I'm happier for it. 

4. Edit your friends list on Facebook. 

Yes I'm going there. Sometimes we hold on to people for the wrong reasons. Sometimes we haven't even got a reason, it's just a habit. There's this guy on Facebook who does nothing but take the piss out of me every time we interact. Why have I kept him this long? We have mutual friends and I suppose we've been 'friends' online since I've been on Facebook. But he's not a friend if he always nasty, is he? He makes out he's joking, but actually he's a prick. I've just deleted him. Woosah!

Beware over-familiar people who act like they know you from the start and feel like they can insult you like an old friend might. Don't put up with it from anyone. Notice when people constantly make digs at you. It might be disguised faintly as praise 'I hate it when you wear X, why don't you wear Y?' I have another person in mind who's never said a kind word to me but has plenty of criticism they share with me often. Sometimes people do it because we let them. Stand firm, call them out on it, and if they don't change, delete and block.

Have you got any tips for cleaning out your life online?

Thanks for reading,
Leah xoxo

Plus size fashion hashtags for Instagram

Hiya loves,

I love Instagram. It's by far my favourite social media and it's my fastest growing social media too (150 people in the last 7 days). Without a doubt, growing my followers has been helped greatly by using lots of hashtags on my fashion posts. Here are the plus size fashion hashtags I use for Instagram on my outfit posts.

#30plusstyle #40plusstyle #alternativecurves (started by @margotmeanie for alternative plussies) #bodypositive #bopo #celebratemysize (started by Plus Model Magazine) #curvee (started by @curvycupcake in response to Instagram banning #curvy) #curves #curvesreign #daremagazine (Canada's plus size magazine) #daretowear #effyourbeautystandards (started by Tess Holliday and the most used hashtag for plus size fashion) #fashionblogger #fatshion #honormycurves #goldenconfidence (inspired by plus size model Essie Golden) #loveyourshape (started by Danielle Brooks of OITNB fame) #mystylehassize #OOTD #plus_isamust #plusfashion #plussizeblogger #psblogger #psbloggers #psfashion #psOOTD #skorchmag (plus size digital magazine) #stylehasnosize #tcfstyle (started by @mariedenee) #teamcurvee #thisisplus (also started by @acurvycupcake) #whatfatgirlsactuallywear

I don't use all of them all the time. I chop and change depending on my mood. Choose which ones appeal to you.

Other than using hashtags, I comment and like lots of photos and reply to all non-sleazy comments. Interact, post often and build your tribe!

If you're not following me on Instagram, I'm here.

Thanks for reading.
Leah xoxo

5 ways to beat the blogging blues

Hiya pickles!

I was thinking about the times recently when I've needed a rest from blogging due to personal reasons or feeling burned out. Here are a few tips which help me beat the blogging blues.

1. TAKE A BREAK. If everything is getting on top of you and blogging feels like a chore rather than a pleasure, take a few days off (or longer if you need it). Do something fun, see your friends and family, or curl up on the sofa with a bunch of DVDs. When you're refreshed your readers will be ready and waiting. I felt enthused about blogging again after my mini-breaks a month or so ago and wouldn't hesitate to take one again if I need it.
2. TALK TO OTHER BLOGGERS. They're in the perfect position to sympathise with you when you feel uncertain about your blog or blogging itself. If you've built up a network of blogger friends on Facebook or Twitter, talk to them and see if they can offer you some perspective. The bloggers I know are fantastically supportive and always there to help.
3. LOOK THROUGH YOUR ARCHIVE. If you're tired out it's hard to be objective, so you might be beating yourself up about your blog content for no good reason. Blogging is a competitive business, and it's easy to feel like you don't match up to the big hitters. Any time I feel a bit blue I look through my archive and soon start to feel proud of what I've done so far.
4. REDIRECT. If you're unhappy with your blog, introduce some new features. Ask for guest bloggers, do some Youtube videos or even add a new subject matter to your blog. If you're a fashion blogger with a passion for cake decorating, talk about it. If you're a wordy blogger and want to branch off into beauty, go for it! If readers are really into you they won't care what the hell you talk about.
5. CHANGE YOUR DESIGN. It can be as simple as changing your profile photo, refreshing your About Me to make sure it's bang up to date, or else take time off to have a complete redesign. Whether you DIY it or pay someone else, a change of scenery can perk you up. If I'm feeling down about my blog, refreshing it a little always cheers me up.

Bloggers, if you get down, what helps you feel better? Blog readers, what makes you subscribe to a blog?

Thanks for reading!
Leah xoxo

Fibromyalgia and travelling

Hiya me dears!

I thought I'd do a little series of 'How I deal with....' posts to do with everyday experiences with Fibromyalgia.

Today I want to talk about how I deal with travelling. This is quite apt as today I'm travelling to Plus North, which is at least a 5 hour car journey.

Buses

Buses and I are not friends. Jerky movements, standing up in the aisles, getting bounced about, it all adds up to an unhappy time for me. Given a choice of walking or catching a bus, I would always walk, even if I'm in pain. I have poor muscle control so 'putting on the toe brakes' like you do on public transport to stop you falling over is totally ineffective for me. Not many people would be happy about me landing in their laps or standing on their toes, plus the heat, noise and general sensory overload of being on a crowded bus would likely make me extremely nauseous, so it's best if I avoid buses for my sake and everyone else's.

Trains

I can do trains. They go mostly in straight lines (roundabouts make me want to barf!), tend to be chilly rather than hot (apart from in summer) and if you travel at the right time of day, you can almost guarantee getting a seat. I would of course avoid trains like the plague in rush hour.

Cars

I like cars! Providing I don't attempt to read anything whilst on the move (it causes a migraine and/or vomiting) or get in a car with a wannabe Lewis Hamilton, cars are my preferred transport of choice. Unfortunately I don't drive so I rely on my hubby to be my chauffeur, a job he usually enjoys as he knows how much I love being taken on drives. He's a good, smooth driver so he never makes me feel sick. We keep the temperature in the car on the cold side so I don't get nauseous. I always have a couple of pashminas on me which I throw over me when I get cold. Fibro folk often have problems regulating temperature so I can go from hot to cold and back again in just a few degrees. Hubby runs hotter than me anyway so he's OK with the car being a little on the cold side. I wear comfortable clothes in the car - leggings, a jersey dress and perhaps a comfy pair of boots. I tend to get quite cold feet in the car in the colder months so I prefer to wear socks and boots rather than bare feet and slip on shoes.

After dark I wear sunglasses as the oncoming lights from cars into my eyes like lasers and again that gives me a migraine and/or nausea. I must avoid using my phone to text or use social networks when we're on the move, unless I look out of the windscreen every few seconds or else - you guessed it - vomit or migraine time. As long as we schedule in rest stops to pee and for me to get the kinks out of my legs and back I can do a few hours in the car without being too crippled afterwards/the next day, but there is some damage as the vibrations from the roads do affect my body. We always have lots of water in the car, and snacks on a long drive, so we have just about all my needs covered.

Flying

I have yet to fly since I've been really ill. I last flew the year after Fibromyalgia started and I was much more well then. I'd imagine the main problems would be pain - from being crammed into a space only fit for a child and from sitting still for a long time. I'm not too keen to fly again, to be honest.

So, as you can see I avoid doing things which give me a migraine or make me nauseous. Unfortunately quite a lot of things do make me feel that way when it comes to moving from one place to another in a vehicle, but getting to see friends and family is well worth it!

Tips for travelling for other ill people

1. Keep a fleecy blanket or spare scarf in the car or in your bag. Fleece warms up really quickly next to the skin so is my favourite blanket of choice.

2. Keep water and snacks in a place where you can reach them whilst on the move.

3. If like me you have an unpredictable bladder, your emergency pee kit consists of:

Paper plates
Empty Oasis bottles or similar - the wider neck is essential
Toilet tissue and/or wet wipes
A plastic bag

Pull over to as private a place as possible. Fold a paper plate in half and make sure there's a good folded line for the pee to flow down. Place paper plate near your lady parts and the empty bottle underneath. Pee to your heart's content, making sure you won't overfill your bottle. Clean up, do the lid up nice and tightly and put everything in a waste bag until you can find a bin to dispose of everything. You can do this in or out of the car, depending on how certain you are the bottle is big enough! You can also buy She Wees and P Mates, both of which I've used many times. They both have their advantages - the She Wee is totally reusable as it's made of plastic, but the opening is too narrow for me so I end up peeing all over myself. The P Mates are made of card and can be reused a few times, but have such a wide opening they're my pee solution of choice on the go. You can also buy no-spill portable urinals, like this one. Of course, if you're a fella you can pee easily in bottles, you jammy buggers!

4. If you are a driver affected badly by oncoming headlights, see your optician for advice. As I'm just a passenger, I can avoid the problem by wearing sunglasses. I think I'm photosensitive - I have many problems with my eyes. Bright lights give me a headache and make me physically flinch away (day or night), I have poor dark-to-light adaptation in vision (which is probably why oncoming headlights feel like spears in the eyeballs) and I have really dry eyes too.

5. Rest. Travelling really takes it out of me, even if I'm just sitting in a car, so ordinarily I like to arrive the day before an event so I can have a good night's sleep beforehand. This isn't possible with Plus North so I'm just going to have to wing it! If you're a passenger and need to sleep in the car, having a blow up travel pillow in the glove box is a good idea. I generally fall asleep sitting up (I'm like a baby, as soon as there's movement I find it very easy to sleep) but I also use one of my spare scarves as a pillow if needed.

Fibro folk, what are your tips for travelling with Fibromyalgia?

Thanks for reading!
Leah xoxo

10 plus size thrifting tips

Hello my loves!

I LOVE charity shops! I never know what I'm going to find - it's like digging for buried treasure. When I was a child dressed entirely in hand-me-downs and charity shop clothes I was ashamed of it. I found it ironic that all the posh girls in my class at school wore clothes from charity shops to be cool, whereas I couldn't think of anything else more embarrassing. Thankfully the stigma of buying from charity shops has long since passed. Over the years my love of fashion and bargains has grown, so it's only natural my love of charity shops has too.

Although thrifting/charity shopping isn't always easy when you're plus size, I've picked up a few tricks over the years.

Here are my top tips for bagging yourself a plus size bargain.

1. Go early (if you can.) Less people = better chances of finding a gem. Also, the store is starting off with a full complement of goodies which may not get restocked during the day.
2. Go often. The more you look the more likely you are to find a beaut!
3. Carry a pocket tape measure. Sometimes sizes are marked incorrectly, so if you know your bust/waist/hip measurements you can quickly size up a garment for fit.
4. Ignore sizes to a certain extent - if an item has give or is oversized you might be surprised at how low a size you can wear. Use your tape measure.
5. Remember stretch is our friend. For example elasticated waist skirts, jersey dresses & tops and knitwear will often fit larger than the label says. Until you stretch that thing out you have no idea what might fit you.
6. Try things on if you have the time and if you're shopping with a friend, ask their opinion.
7. Don't buy just because things are cheap - will you really wear them?
8. Give the item a quick once-over for damage - missing buttons and suchlike.
9. If you get to know your local charity shop workers really well, ask them to hold items for you or call you when they get something you're looking for - for example dresses in a size 26.
10. Keep the tags on and your receipt in case you need to return anything.

Bonus tip: Know your body. I'm a size 28 but I can get away with wearing a size 18 cardigan if the arms are big enough. I rarely do a cardigan up so it makes no difference to me if it doesn't quite meet in the middle. My belly and bum is the biggest area on me, so finding trousers to fit is highly unlikely, so I concentrate on dresses and tops.

Do you have any plus size thrifting tips to share?

Thanks for reading.

Leah xoxo

Tutorial - how to lengthen necklaces without tools

Hey lovelies!

I'm thick of neck and sometimes when I buy necklaces they're so short on me I start to feel a bit strangled. Here's a quick and easy way to add length to ANY necklace without tools. I buy a lot of £1 necklaces from Extreme Largeness but they only come on a 40cm chain which is tight on my fat neck.

You will need:

A necklace
A hair band, the thinner the better - preferably skin toned
Something pointy like scissors or tweezers

Get your hair band and thread it through the link end of your necklace (not the clasp end, as below.) Depending on the thickness of the hair band, you may need to push it through the link with something pointy, like scissors or tweezers. I used a skin toned hair band as if the clasp twists around to the front of my neck it won't notice so much. I got a pack of about 50 pastel toned hair bands from Primark for £1.

Loop the hair band through itself...

 ...and pull it tight.

Attach the clasp to the hairband, and you have a slightly longer necklace. Just attach the clasp to the end of the hair band. Ta daaaaa!

If this still doesn't make your necklace long enough, just loop another hair band onto the other hair band. You could also do this to bracelets if you don't mind the hair band showing on your wrist.

This is also a great tip to help disabled people do up their own jewellery. I have problems putting my arms up or behind me for any length of time, and fiddling with tiny rings really hurts my arms. It's much easier to attach the clasp to the hair band.

If this post has been helpful to you, feel free to share it!

Thanks for reading.

Tutorial: Glitter nail polish removal using tin foil

Hiya lovelies.

I thought I'd do a tutorial on how to remove stubborn glitter nail polish using tin foil. I love glitter nail polish and rarely wear anything else, so learning about this method was amazing. It really works!

Firstly, you will need:
Nail polish remover
Tin foil
Two large cotton wool pads
Scissors

Firstly I cut each large cotton wool pad into 5, then I take some tin foil and cut it into 10 sections. I've done square sections before, but this time I did long thin sections. I think squares are easier, but you could just as well tear off odd shaped chunks as long as they're big enough to cover your finger.

Wet a section of pad with nail polish remover. Apply it to your nail. Cover with tin foil, making sure the wet part of the cotton pad hasn't moved and is still over your nail, then scrunch it all in place.

Do your whole hand. Wait a couple of minutes then move the tin foil backwards and forwards over the nail between your clenched thumb and forefinger, as if you were revving up a motorbike by rotating the handlebar. Don't hurt yourself, but don't be too gentle either. The more times you go backwards and forwards the sooner the nail polish will come off. I probably twist mine about 10 times before removing the foil. Some nail polish may still remain around the edges of your nail.

Extract the cotton pad from the foil and use it to remove the rest of the polish from your nail. Do your whole hand and TA-DA! Virtually hassle-free polish removal. I get all the polish off one hand before starting on the other as it's hard to move your fingers once they're covered in foil. 

I must say as someone who has weak and useless T-Rex arms and hands because of Fibromyalgia, this technique saves me loads of pain. My hands cramp up painfully after a few seconds of grasping something tight (do I hear sniggering at the back?!) so constantly rubbing away trying to get stubborn glitter polish used to be a right arse ache. I used to avoid doing my nails because of it. If you know anyone who loves sparkly nail polish but hates the removal, this could be the answer to their prayers.

Have you ever used the tin foil method? Do you like glitter nail polish? 

I think I'm a glitter junkie. If something doesn't sparkle, I'm not interested!

ADDITIONAL TIPS USING TIN FOIL AND NAIL POLISH REMOVER.

While I'm on the subject of tin foil, scissors and nail polish I have a few tips for you.

1. If you have a sticky residue on your scissors from repeatedly cutting tape and it's making your scissors stick to everything, remove the stickiness by running a piece of cotton wool covered in nail polish remover over the scissor blades a few times. I usually do this with an old cotton wool pad after removing polish so I get more bang for my buck.

2. If your scissors are going blunt and you don't have a knife/scissors sharpener, fold a decent sized piece of tin foil in half 3 or 4 times (making sure the folded piece is as long as the blades of your scissors so you sharpen the whole length of them in one go) and chop through it with your scissors until you have nothing left. This will sharpen your scissors a treat.

3. At this time of year when heating bills go through the roof, you can get more for your money with tin foil and cardboard. Cover one side of a piece of cardboard (cut to match the size of your radiator) with tin foil shiny side out and place it behind the radiator, foil side facing into the room. Then instead of vital heat going towards the wall, it'll be reflected out into the room and you should see a saving in fuel costs over time as well.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed my tips.