Category Archives: holidays

Take yourself away and stay

If you keep up with me you’ll know I often talk about self care here, well today is no different, it’s still as important if not more so with everything that is going on around us. Whether your day to day routine has been flipped on it’s head and you’re trapped at home, you have to keep pushing on because the work you do is essential or if you’ve lost a loved one, you will have been impacted somehow in the last year. It’s so important now to make sure you take care of yourself, take the time and make your mental health and wellbeing a priority.

When I was blogging regularly about style and fashion I travelled all over the UK very often and it was so nice to see so many places, it was like a bunch of mini holidays. The way things are going currently, taking a short holiday isn’t as simple as it used to be but there are still huge benefits to having a small break away. Once things are starting to get back to normal one of the places I’d love to visit next is Liverpool, sound silly but I’ll explain. I’ve been to a lot of places in the UK and a lot of those more than once but I’ve never been to Liverpool. So until overseas travel is completely safe I will be visiting places a little closer to home.

The Three Graces on Liverpools waterfront

For me, taking time away from my every day life and spending a few days in a new city always gave me a boost. It’s so nice to be in a place where you have none of the responsibilities of home like dishes, hoovering and even going to the office.

Sometimes taking the time to pamper yourself in a new environment is all it takes to give you a little refresh, shopping for and trying out new products to make yourself feel special can do wonders when taking time out for yourself. Can be anything from a new shade of lipstick to something more natural like a lash serum to enhance what you already have. Seeing new sights and shopping in new shops are all things that take me away from normal life and I always feel rejuvenated when I get home and it often makes me appreciate the things I missed while I was gone.

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Whether you take some time away or just make time for yourself at home just remember we are all doing the best we can and that’s all we can do. Be proud of yourself and treat yourself to a bubble bath, night off from cooking or enjoying the outdoors in a Hammock in your garden with a glass of wine. Whatever it is that will allow you to just chill and remind yourself that you’re a warrior and you’ve got this. You can’t be the best person for your friends and family and the people who may rely on you if you don’t look after yourself too.

Finally wanting to see where I’m from

My dad is St Lucian, he was born there and came over to the UK when he was 10 years old. My mum is second generation St Lucian, both her parents were born and raised there. I am St Lucian, born and raised in London and for some reason I have never ever been there.

Most of the members of my family, immediate and extended have been to St Lucia at least once. My sisters and my dad go regularly. Whenever I go abroad I always seem to go to the States. There is a lot more of America that I want to see so I definitely won’t stop visiting there but I definitely think it’s time I consider taking a trip to St Lucia. Going to America seems a lot more like being home in the UK. The language is the same and a lot of it is great to do the things I want to do when I’m away like shop and and spend time in the sun. I’ve always struggled to understand what a Caribbean holiday would have for me.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve started to see the appeal of a laid back, sun yourself on the beach, see the sights type of holiday over my usual cocktails and hitting all the malls I can find type.

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Besides a ton of family I have that live there, St Lucia has some amazing things to see and from what I have seen looks like a super romantic getaway.

I’m currently in a relationship with someone who has a completely different cultural history to me and I lover learning about where he is from and I think as the relationship progresses we will definitely want to visit each others country of origin I love watching travel shows and reading about places people have been on travel blogs but none of that would be the same as seeing where my family originates from and where some of them still are.

I’ve been looking on the website Destination2: Holidays that have been made easy to save people time and money, to try and figure out what a holiday to St Lucia would cost me and how I could swing it. I would definitely speak with my dad or my sisters as they’ve been before and would be able to advise me on places to stay and all the romantic places to visit.

I’d really like to do some touristy things there too, like seeing the pitons and bathing in mud at the sulphur springs.

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St Lucia boasts some of the most beautiful views in the world so even if you’re not interested in actually seeking out romantic activities the whole island is a romantic paradise. There is definitely a reason that St Lucia is listed as one of the top three romantic honeymoon destinations!

My own holiday must haves

These tips are all based on my personal experience travelling and are things I cannot holiday without. You can find a bog standard packing list anywhere on the net if that is what you are looking for but nothing beats the experiences of a fellow plus size holiday maker.

So for me the number one thing I cannot travel without is a plan. As a plus sized traveler I need to consider things that straight size people may not think about like seat dimensions. Being a UK size 32 I have concerns about plane seat sizes and bathrooms so I like to know who I’m travelling with (airline) and if I haven’t flown with them before I call ahead to ask any questions or air my concerns to get reassurance before I travel.

I like to make a very loose itinerary just so I know what I want to see, places I want to go and places I wanna shop while I’m away. It saves me having any wasted days sitting around on holiday not knowing what to do with my time. I by no means stick to the itinerary, it’s just nice to know what things are in the local area that have peaked my interest while research them. I like to have a stress-free experience when I’m travelling therefore planning is the first thing I do when I decide I want to go away it eases my mind and gives my trip more of a focus.

Once I have a plan I move on to the more exciting things…

When I’m on holiday one of the most important things for me is having good swimwear. Having a large bust means support in swimwear is crucial the last holiday I went on to Vegas, I took 11 pieces of swimwear with me and only two of those had the right amount of support and I found myself reaching for those the most.

I think investing in good swimwear is the way to go as they will last you many many years and they are something we are all like to feel comfortable in whether that be good boob support or firm tummy support or just a really well structured swimsuit/bikini. Paying that little bit extra for support or design really has is good investment as once you feel good in it you’ll definitely wear it year after year after year. Shopping for good swimwear online can be difficult especially if you don’t know your exact size. I always suggest buying swimwear and underwear in store where you can try them on and get the best fit, but if that is not an option there are many places online where you can get fantastic fitting, well made designer swimwear in plus sizes.

Finally, something I will always have with me well when I’m away on holiday now is good supportive footwear. I cannot stress enough how important footwear is, whenever I’m on holiday I always walk so much more than I do at home. There’s so much to see and do and you don’t want to waste any time so you’re constantly on your feet and the biggest mistake is not having the right shoes. When I’m on holiday I thought I having a pair of trainers it was good enough but having a right kind of trainers is so important I find that trainers that have good arch support and are made for walking or running are the best bet. Last time I was away I chose shows for fashion and not practicality and that was a mistake. Not taking the right shoes affected my entire holiday even once I bought the right type of shoes my feet still hurt and I was feeling the effects of the first few days wearing the wrong shoes. Even now back in the UK I still wear supportive trainers for when I’m going on long walks and I will never make that mistake again when I’m going on holiday.

So everyone has a few things that are personal must haves for their travels and these are mine, what are yours?

 

Self care: Take yourself away and make holiday memories

I want to write a quick post about self care… I know everybody says to do the little things for yourself to make sure you don’t forget and neglect yourself when you get busy with life, and they are absolutely correct! It is so important to take a step back and consider what you need . As well as the small things that help like taking a bubble bath, an afternoon away from the kids, a mental health day off work, an evening out with friends or a quiet night in bed with a glass of wine and a good book… whatever it is that you consider self care, do those things that make life a little better and easier so you are living your best life!

Not only do the small things matter, it is okay to do big things for yourself too, even the things that might make you feel a little guilty. Buy yourself that pair of shoes that you really want but don’t really need, take yourself out to the fancy restaurant you’ve been dying to try, treat yourself to a holiday/vacation that you could live without but really want to. I know that might seem a little extreme but some of my favourite memories have been while on holiday and if being away from everyday life and being happy isn’t self care then I don’t know what is. Having a break and creating some wonderful memories is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

You don’t have to go to the other side of the world like I did to have an amazing time and create some memories that will last you a life time. I have had amazing holiday moments in local places like Scotland, Italy and France. I am definitely due another holiday soon as I haven’t been away this year, right now I am looking at Holiday Gems for something for this year, Find their all inclusive holiday deals for 2018 here For me taking pictures when I’m away is very important because it gives me something I can share with friends and family and spark memories or being away that I will always have.

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Beautiful photo taken in Italy that holds a lot of memories for my family. It’s not only beautiful scenery that you bring back from trips away…

A recent trip I took to Scotland will be something I will never forget , it was not my first time in Scotland but it will definitely be the most memorable as I went to see my father get married. one of the best memories I have had while on holiday. I haven’t been to wedding since I was around 10 years old so this was extra special and it made it even more special being someplace beautiful while it took place.

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I have Holiday memories from as far back as 12 years old when i went to France the second time. this time with school and friends instead of family and I’m still friends with some of those people now. I remember the girls I shared a room with , I remember getting Calamari rings at a restaurant because I thought they were onion rings and being thoroughly disgusted when I bit into one lol and that being the reason I didn’t try calamari until I was 31 years old. I remember the disco we had on the last night and I even remember what I wore (ever the fashionista).

I honestly can stress how helpful to my mental well-being I find taking the time ti go away for a while and just have fun with no worries. I always come back feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on my life.

*this post is in collaboration with holiday gems but all content and opinions are my own*

 

2018 Destination wishlist

With 2018 just around the corner I have realised that I haven’t been overseas this year. My last holiday was last summer in July 2016 when I went to Las Vegas for a fortnight.

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Whenever I go on holiday I always opt for the United States as I’m more interested in shopping and being in a place that is similar to the UK, than I am about beaches and sight seeing. I have been to Florida a few times, France a few times and Vegas once. The next time I go away, I definitely want to go somewhere that is new to me.

As I get older I have been more interested in seeing more of the world, especially seeing the parts of the world my parents are from and less interest in seeing the same places I have been before. Watching travel shows and reading travel blogs has made me realise there is so much more of the world that I would enjoy seeing.

Both of my parents are St Lucian. My mum was born here to two St Lucian parents and my dad is St Lucia born. My dad regularly visits St.Lucia for business and to see family and in recent years my siblings have been accompanying him and spending time there getting to know family and the overall culture of the place.

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I have never wanted to visit as I always figured it wasn’t my scene.  Now age 33 I really really want to go and she where my family is from and St Lucia is number one on my Places to visit list.

My destination bucket list;

1. St Lucia

2. New Orleans

3. New York

4. Dominican Republic

5. Dubai

Most of the places on my bucket list are destinations covered by Destination2.co.uk who offer all inclusive holiday packages that take most of the hard work out of booking a holiday. They currently have a sale offering great prices for 2018 holiday packages. “We impartially compare major airlines, hotels and resorts to bring our customers the best deals for their desired destination. Destination2.co.uk is an Inspirational Luxury Operator which allows our customers freedom to explore the greatest and most luxurious destinations throughout the world for incredible value for money.”

Where is your next holiday destination?