More simply be

I'm very sorry if some of the stuff on here is no longer available.... I didn't realise I hadn't posted it yet! Hopefully there are different versions of most things or Asos have them in stock now they sell selected Simply Be pieces :)

Simply Be are so much better than they used to be. Their efforts to be fashion forward were always spoilt by the fact that trendy stuff often only went up to a size 24 or 24 (which is stupid for a plus size retailer like them!), but increasingly I'm finding stuff that actually goes above the more standard plus sizes, and I'm really happy about it!

Spiced Orange Luxe Longline Padded Coat

Here are a few things I've learned about Puffer coats......

1) They're almost always black

2) They come in different styles, but always in black

3) They rarely have a waist, and they're always black

4) Sometimes they're cool, asymmetric cuts with cool necks, but either have no waist, don't go above a size 22, or are still. bloody. black!

5) If they're not black and go above a 22, they're frumpy and muted colours like burgundy, navy, grey etc.

I have a black puffer from Asos which is a classic banger. A ride or die kinda coat. Here's the thing though, I don't always wanna wear black coats! Sometimes I've got a black outfit on and want a pop of colour! I had a beautiful white one but hey, me and white clothes are a genuine disaster, so I sold that one (which broke my heart!) and have been looking for a replacement for ages.

Cute hood!

So obviously what I'm saying is that I wanted a more interesting damn puffer! This one wasn't cheap, but also not too bad considering the quality (and you KNOW Miss Parsnips used a discount code!).

I sized up and I think that's a good move. I can get this over a jumper easily and it's really comfy. I've got the sash belt tied here but it actually has a nice shape when it's just loose to.

So let's talk practicality! It's kinda genius. High neck and large hood. super warm. not too loose around the wrists. So warm!

The fastenings are rose gold. MADE FOR ME MUCH?!

The pockets are lined with faux fur......

And so is the neck! How have I never experienced this in other winter coats? It's genuinely genius, so soft and warm!

24/7 Blue Wide Leg Jeans made with Organic Cotton

I reviewed the black 24/7 jeans a while back and was annoyed that they didn't have the blue ones in long length. Finally they're here!

I wanted a looser fit than the black ones I had (size 26) because let's face it. I spend most of my go damn life in my flat nowadays and I just want to be extremely comfy at all times. I also wanna be able to sit cross legged, so I ordered size 26 and 28. These have a bit of firmness so I kept the 28, even though they're a bit loose. again comfort is key!

I don't think they're particularly flattering on me but I just needed some jeans that I can be super comfy in and walk easily in! Skinny jeans are great but they can feel so restrictive when I'm trying to walk .... tiny strides are not the one! I have to wear these with a belt really.

24/7 Vintage Indigo Wide Leg Jeans made with Organic Cotton

Oddly this colour were a better fit in the 26. I prefer the fabric too.

They honestly made me feel like I was in the 20s again. In fact I wore them with a cropped cardi and my partner said I looked very 90s (in a good way!). Nostalgic and comfortable. Love it!

Wide, but not extremely wide!

Also long enough to touch the floor even when I wear boots!

Joss Washed Black Wide Leg Jeans

These are my favourties. Sadly the other colours don't fit as well or look as good (I have of course tried them!), but these are soooo comfy. I think they look pretty smart too. A bit wide than the others I got.

The 26 fitted but I didn't like how close they were around my belly so I kept the 28.

The waist band is sturdy enough to keep them up really well. Love these jeans!

Vintage Blue Belted Mom Jeans

Meh. The belt is too small for the jeans. Size 26. Not fussed about these really.

The wiast detailing is nice but the jeans themselves are very similar to the many pairs of asos curve jeans I already own, so I sent them back.

Mixed Floral Split Front Square Neck Jersey Midi Dress

Love it! So happy to have been able to get this cut of dress in jersey fabric!

Size 26, super comfy.

It's tighter on the hips than the bust and shoulders, so if you're pear shaped you might not like this style. If you're and inverted triangle you will love it!

Black Floral Long Sleeve Shirred Top

Love this. Size 24. Off fabric really but it looks so cute!

I just find it hard to find tops that have long sleeves and are long enough to cover my belly, without being so long that it looks frumpy or like a smock / dress! The added bonus of these tops is that they also nip in at the waist for a more hourglass look.

Supersoft Floral Print Jersey Midi Dress

I have shown you this dress in a different fabric. I did what I said I would and sold the other one (as wasn't keep on the print) and replaced it with this version. Just as soft and comfy, a more cass-style print!

Ergh these are so nice to wear - really they feel amazing on!

I love how they gather under the bust and give a great shape.

Green Animal Supersoft Jersey Midi Dress

So not long after I got the floral one Simply Be released this version. THE SWINES! Emerald green leopard print? Well I had to bloody have it didn't I?!

See what I mean about the boobs? I think they look rather fetching.... unlike my socks!

Pretty Secrets Cycling Shorts Set

Got this for bumming about on Valentines day. It's not very soft but it's kinda cute. I liked the print but apart from that it's nothing to write home about really.

Now some stuff that went back!

Vintage Blue Square Neck Denim Midaxi Dress

This is okay, but nothing special really..... not for £45 anyway! Stretchy but a bit gapey. I've got much nicer denim dresses from simply be so this one didn't tickle my fancy.

Blue Acid Wash Square Neck Denim Jumpsuit

Look.... I just don't know why retailers like to make denim jumpsuits in non-stretch denim?! It ensures that it will only fit a hand full of people properly and it's not comfy! It's even more baffling when the dress in exactly the same cut is bloody stretch?! WHY?!

Also, this is 2 sizes bigger than I usually wear from simply be and it's still tight. Short  in the body and tight on the belly. Definitely not for me or my body shape!

Lock-down coping mechanisms - self care / comfort is key

Life can be made better by spending money.... well no surprise there, but sometimes it can be made much better by spending little money, other times you need to invest in important items that make a real difference. I am a bargain hunter but I also know when to admit defeat and accept that occasionally, you can only get quality stuff by paying the big bucks! So let's talk about what I've been doing to make my home life more comfortable and my self care more sustainable! 

There comes a time in life when you have to admit that some things are really worth spending money on. BIG money! That happened for me in my early 30s. Back when I was a young and carefree lass I could sleep in really crap beds. Having always lived in rented accommodation, I spent a big chunk of my life sleeping in cheap beds that probably lots of other people had slept in before (and after!) me! On the occasions when I had to buy my own bed, I would get whatever was cheapest at Argos. Then I got older, my back got weaker, my body got bigger(!) and I had to accept that I needed a bed that worked for my body. So a £1000 bed was purchased.... and that was on special offer! In case it's of interest it was a king size Silent Night half ottoman, half drawers divan base, with a mirapocket mattress. The mattress is a thing of wonder... pocket sprung with a layer of memory foam and traditionally tufted on top. it's so deep I had to get special extra deep fitted sheets from Marks and Spencers 'cause normal sheets wouldn't fit it! Anyway, it improved my sleep, my back and my storage. I've had it for around 7 years now and if you looked at it, you'd think it was new. Best investment ever. 

YOU SAID THIS IS ABOUT LOCKDOWN TIMES I HEAR YOU CRY! Fair point, but this is related. Although I have an expensive bed, and I always like to have 100% cotton duvet sets (I can't recommend these George ones enough!), I didn't ever consider spending much on my pillows. I used to buy sets of two for like £8! Then a few years ago I spent a couple of night's at a friends place and slept on some memory foam pillows. I had tried memory foam pillows before but they had always been too hard and too high. These were different. It's not that I thought they were amazingly comfortable, I just slept like a log! Sadly they were also Italian and I couldn't buy them in the UK, so I investigated. 

I couldn't afford the really pricey ones at the time so I ended up with these. Cheap and cheerful. If you are on a tight budget then I really do recommend these. I slept well on them for a few years, but during lockdown I realised I was getting a bit of a sore lower back and neck and realised it was time to replace them.

So it went down like this; "every website says the best pillows are tempur but they're almost £100 each, which is mad for pillows! I'm gonna try some non-memory foam ones from Amazon"

I went for these sweetnight pillows. They looked big and squishy and like fancy hotel pillows. And they are big and squishy and like fancy hotel pillows! Here is the problem though. I'm used to memory foam, which is firmer. These feel so luxurious but I realised quite quickly that I still wanted to find my perfect memory foam! For those of you who hate memory foam (many people do and fair enough, the good stuff is expensive and the cheaper stuff is normally crap!) Then these are great. They're like massive clouds that you sink into! They're also adjustable, in that you can unzip them and take out stuffing (or add stuffing I guess, if you buy some additional filling!) To get the perfect height. These are pillows for the sofa bed now and are perfect height for a firm mattress!

This spurred me on to search for SOFT memory foam pillows. There really aren't many options and the reviews were pretty clear. Tempur cloud pillows. Super soft versions of a pillow brand that already has incredible reviews. I gritted my teeth and found the best price available on the internet and ordered two. 

£160s worth of pillows arrived pretty quickly and whoa! These things are HEAVY! They weigh a damn ton, but they felt heavenly! They also felt high. I was worried after the first night that they were in fact too high and I'd have to send them back, but aha! You can unzip the baulky cover they come in and it actually makes a marked difference. They're an odd nude colour which showed though my bedding so I put a white pillowcase on to neutralise the colour (and protect the pillows to be honest, because £80 each!), then my normal silver grey cases. I sleep like a drunk! My lower back is very grateful for the expenditure and so it my brain for nodding off almost as soon as my head hits this sublime pillow!

Sometimes self care means stress relief and I honestly don't know of a better way than through orgasm! I consider it an excellent way to calm myself down, help with anxiety, help with period pains (it apparently speeds up periods too as the muscle spasms help release more blood from the cervix!)and headaches etc. It's good for us and we should do it al lot! I'm extremely lucky to have a partner who is an expert at providing me with the big O on the reg, but I'm not gonna bother him every time I fancy a quick one, or if it's just to release tension rather than enjoyment. Masturbation is an essential part of life and if you are someone who likes clitoral stimulation (like what I is) then I have done some upgrades during lockdown. Of the ones I've bought, some are great and I highly recommend them. I don't mess around with battery powered toys because it's wasteful and frustrating if they die (or start dying slowly making the toy weak!). Rechargeable toys can be pricey but I've found some brilliant and affordable ones....

The Satisfyer pro 2 was recommended to me by a friend who needed a toy that was gentle and could be used without directly touching the clitoris. I wanted to suggest it for that reason! When I was younger I was too sensitive for vibrators. I would have loved this back then! Nowadays I can cope with pretty intense vibrations so using this is a longer and more drawn out orgasm, but it's intense when it arrives! The price has come down a fair bit so it's much more affordable than it was when it first came out! 

I like portable toys. Stuff that doesn't take up too much space, but packs a punch! This tiny little Bondara toy is wonderful! It's actually amazing how strong the vibrations are! It's not super quiet but it's quiet compared to a lot of wand style toys. 3 heads, all good. Probably my current favourite!

Last but not least is this genius little Lovehoney kit. Simple but powerful bullet vibe with different silicone attachments. I wouldn't use the bullet on its own because it would make my teach chatter! The heads are fab though and make the vibration less crazy. A real bargain this one!

Speaking of my lady parts, I changed over to organic tampons ages ago. I swap between menstrual cups* and tampons.  When I first saw organic tampons I was like..... how are they not all organic? What the fucking hell have I been putting inside my most delicate area if tampons aren't just automatically orgainic?! HORROR! Needless to say that when I found out that regular tampons contain ALL SORTS of chemicals I started to realise why my fanny wasn't too keen on them! I was using Lil-lets organic (which are excellent) but during lockdown I changed to a subscription because I was actually at my flat and could take delivery. Callaly are great and I highly recommend them. 

* I don't think I've talked about menstrual cups on the blog have I?! I tried a few brands and really struggled to find the right fit, but now I have lots! Me Luna are my brand. They are great for regular ladies but also those with a low sitting cervix, (mine gets lower when I'm on!) as they have shorty cups. Shorty is also a good option if you don't want there to be any chance of them being visible.... even if you're naked and bent over! They also have the options of loops that you can hook your finger into, making them so much easier to get out than the balls or tails on other cups! less panic if you find it hard to reach. They come in firmness levels soft, classic and sport. I only ever use my soft at the very start or very end of my period as the softer the cup, the harder it is to pop it open when inside. I like classic for regular days but generally sport is my favourite. They pop open easily and lock into place fast. on my heaviest day I use my normal length one because it has a larger capacity, but most of the time I use a shorty XL and it's bloody great! Cheaper than some of the more famous brands too. I know some people just have one cup but I like the option of wearing the best and most comfortable one for each different day!

I don't have good water pressure in the flat I live in. It's not dreadful but it's not good. I also live in a "very hard" water area in London, so obviously the limescale in crazy! I can't do much about it but when my folks bought a new shower the recently I thought it might be time to replace my ravaged showerhead too. I investigated on Amazon and thought I'd try one of the ionic heads. 

Oh my gawd why didn't I do this sooner?! It's like showering in a misty waterfall! Obviously I'm hoping the claims about the mineral balls are true and will help soften my water, which will be good for my akin and hair, but in terms of pressure, the tiny holes and the force created by the water flow having to push through the beads is wonderful! The little button on the side has three settings. One that is like a regular showerhead and is my favourite for washing my body, one that is really condensed in the middle for a massage effect that I love for hair washing and a combination of the two which is my partner favourite.... it's the most misty!

I read some reviews that said this isn't good for electric showers but it seems to be working a treat for me! We have a shower that sometimes doesn't ignite the boiler on cooler settings at shower rush hours in our flat (is downstairs are using the water!) But I find that I need to use a slightly hotter setting with this because of the misty nature, so I suspect it's going to work better on cooler settings (in hot weater) than the old one. Oooh a cold, misty shower if we get another heatwave this year? YES PLEASE! Also.... the hose included is better quality (and longer) than the last two showers I've had. Very impressive for such a low price!