Anxiety disorder and the importance of a morning routine

Having anxiety disorder means as soon as I wake up I'm overwhelmed with things I need to do. They say an elephant never forgets, but I think it's the same for people with anxiety disorder. I'm scared to forget things so I have a never-ending to-do list in my head the second I wake up. No task slips my mind. I wake up knowing exactly what tasks I didn't do the day before, and before I've barely drawn breath a list of today's pressing tasks comes crashing down on top of me. It's no wonder it's hard to get out of bed on some days. As soon as I wake I'm giving myself a hard time.

Over the last couple of months I've introduced an idiot-proof 2-step routine which gives me the grace to actually wake up before I start beating myself up.

The first and most important thing in my morning routine is coffee.

You could say that's true of life too. 😉

National Trust - Scotney Castle visit

James and I joined the National Trust a couple of months ago and Scotney Castle was our first 'free' visit to a NT property. It's only about 40 minutes away from us at Lamberhurst in Kent. We'd driven by it often so it was our first choice. Scotney old castle (above) was built approximately c.1378–80.

Life lately including Navabi Blog Awards - vote for me!

Hello lovelies! I've had a whirlwind few weeks and I thought I'd do a bit of an update for those of you who like to follow my life as well as what I'm wearing. A few weeks ago we went to stay with our friends M&T in Wiltshire. We had a lovely time there and did a lot of activities. It was so lovely to spend time in the countryside with them and their kitties. Here's an outfit post from that weekend.

Another exciting thing is I decided to put myself forward for the Navabi blog awards this year, and I've been overwhelmed with the votes I've already received. I was joint first place initially and now I've dropped to 7th so you can vote for me here if you like what I do. Click on my photo (and the photos of anyone else you want to vote for - you can vote for multiple people this year) then fill out the captcha at the bottom. Ta da! I entered myself into the competition on a whim and it has made me realise something. I've often felt undervalued as a blogger - not necessarily by the people who read my blog, but certainly by some of my peers. I feel that people underestimate me, don't see me as a peer, and I always feel like a black sheep. Entering and realising I'm actually viewed with some esteem has made me realise that if you don't put yourself forward for things people assume you're happy to be in the shadows. I've realised the only person underestimating me before was me. Even if I end up last in the voting by the time the two week voting period is up, I've learned a very important lesson.

Manon Baptiste from Navabi embroidered dress & giveaway

Have I got a treat for you today! Thanks to those beauts over at Navabi I have one of the dresses in this post to give away to one of YOU! (UK only). It comes in sizes 14-28 and it's a stunner, so do read on for more photos and details about it. Scroll down to the bottom for the giveaway itself.

This is the Manon Baptiste Embroidered A-line dress *AL and I'm wearing a size 28. Because it's an A line dress it flows freely over my body, so if like me your bottom half is your most bounteous area, fear not! I sometimes have to take a size 32 to fit over my bum, tum and thighs so this A line dress is generous. Let's have some more photos, shall we?

Two simple ways to wear a black maxi dress

I've got a bit of a chilly weather two-for-one today. I created two very different looks with barely any effort at all, one of the reasons why I'll always love black maxi dresses. They're so versatile! These shots were taken on an overcast and windy day and I was really feeling the cold. I started off wearing a light boho style cardi but soon swapped it for the cropped denim jacket and scarf I'd brought with me. This sounds like such an 'nanna' thing to say, but my outfits are very much weather dependent and I often end up wearing more than I left home in. Fibromyalgia really affects my ability to regulate my temperature and I always have at least a scarf in my bag - if not a spare coat in the car - as I'm really miserable when I'm cold.

Any link with *AL written after it within this post is an affiliate link, which means if you click and buy from it I will earn a small commission.

I'm wearing:
ASOS Curve hareem drape dress (out of stock) similar
here *AL £20 up to size 28
here *AL £20 up to size 28
here *AL £18 up to size 28
here *AL £18 up to size 32
Cropped denim jacket similar here £30 up to size 32 *AL
Open knit cardigan, Simply Be £17.25 *AL
Faux suede moccasins, Everything 5 Pounds *AL

New Look Curves Black Stripe 3/4 Sleeve Swing Dress

Hello lovelies! I've had this dress for about 6 weeks but have only just got around to blogging about it. This is the second time I've worn it and it's now in the sale, so get in quick as it's selling out fast. It's a really thick fabric and nice and warm so it's ideal for these WTF-happened-to-spring days.

Here are the outfit deets then read on for more pics & words.

Any link with *AL written after it within this post is an affiliate link, which means if you click and buy from it I will earn a small commission.

New Look Curves Black Stripe 3/4 Sleeve Swing Dress now £10 *AL
White lace edged crop leggings, Yours Clothing  *AL
Iridescent handbag, Primark (in store only)
Skechers (similar) *AL
Biker jacket, past season New Look

Boho looks are for fat babes too

You don't have to be thin to pull off boho styles. It's all about confidence and mixing things up a bit so you look like you got dressed out of a tent at a festival. 

Yes I'm wearing that bloody hareem dress again, but I'm trying to illustrate how easy it is to style up a black maxi in any number of ways. It's a blank canvas and you can do gothy, witchy or boho looks with ease. Previous outfits of me wearing this dress are here and here. Although this dress is now out of stock, I'm linking to a few similar black maxi dresses.

Any link with *AL written after it within this post is an affiliate link, which means if you click and buy from it I will earn a small commission.

ASOS Curve hareem drape dress out of stock similar
here *AL £20 up to size 28
here *AL £20 up to size 28
here *AL £18 up to size 28
here *AL £18 up to size 32
Maxi crochet cardigan, *AL Simply Be £20 up to size 32
Striped flats, Primark
Handbag, thrifted
Necklace, Bluebirds and Daisies

Nature goth in Wiltshire

Oh God, about the last 6 outfits I've worn have involved this hareem dress, which has now sold out. I wonder if others did what I did - buy one, realise it was the comfiest dress on earth then buy another! Having two of them means it's rarely off my body. I'm sorry it's sold out (I dislike posting outfits when things are sold out) but you can knot a t-shirt over any black maxi dress and achieve the same kind of look. Carry on reading to see me frolicking in a rapeseed field and taking outfit photos with a cat sitting on my foot. As you do.

Everything I'm wearing apart from the dress is old. The leather jacket is old New Look Curves, as is the t-shirt I'm wearing over the dress. The dress is from ASOS Curve and I really hope they restock. These dresses are selling out as soon as they come in. I bought a yellow one less than a week ago and it has already completely sold out.