Taffy Mail October Box*

When the lovely folks at Taffy Mail offered to send me their October box to review I couldn't resist! Taffy Mail is a monthly subscription for American sweets and treats, with prices starting at £7.49 a month. It can contain sweets, crisps, pretzels, a soft drink, and depending the box it can also include 'premium' items including more expensive treats like larger boxes of oeros, or even American cereal! It's such a fun idea and would make a great gift for someone for something totally different. With Christmas coming I'll be keeping this in mind for sure. I was sent the 'Extra' box which contains up to 20 items and at least one soda and gathered some of my favourites up to try them out with me.

Let's start with the savoury goodies. Andy Capp's Hot Fries, TGI Friday's Loaded Potato chips and Herr's Deep Dish Pizza flavored cheese curls. The deep dish pizza curls went down an absolute storm, they really tasted strongly of pizza, with very obvious cheese, garlic and paprika flavours, on a wotsit-type texture crisp. My husband said the hot fries were incredibly spicy (I'm a spice wimp so I fed them to him) and we're saving the potato skins for the weekend.

The mallo cup was a particular stand out for me. It was like a peanut butter cup filled with marshmallow fluff, and vegetarian to boot! So delicious. The laffy taffy have corny jokes on them and were a favourite for one of my faves who tried them. The burger wasn't veggie so I gave it to a friend to try who said it was amazing and tasted of cherry and lime and all fruity yummy flavours.

Why on earth do we not have spooky shaped treats like the twix and snickers in the UK?! Spooky shape chocolate needs to be a thing please. The Air Heads bar was a really chewy grape flavoured bar that was probably one of our least favourites. The Blow Pop was a super sour apple flavour, tangy!

Candy corn is one of those things that fascinate me because America seems to love them but they are completely non-existent in the UK, so I was excited to try them. Because the bag was so big, I took these to the pub and fed them to a bunch of our friends to see what everyone thought. They were not at all what I expected! Sort of a very sugary fudge, a pleasant surprise, nearly everyone enjoyed them. The Skor bar was delicious, really crunchy and tasty toffee. The Boogers weren't veggie but everyone who wasn't veggie enjoyed them.

Peeps are another treat I've heard of because of American TV, but was unable to try myself because they aren't vegetarian unfortunately. No one I fed them to was particularly a fan unfortunately but it was fun to watch people try them! The Sour Patch Kids tricksters however were veggie which is unusual for a jelly type sweet so I had to try them. They are my husband's absolute faves and he was so excited to eat them. We weren't a fan of the M&Ms but a friend thought they were absolute delicious and wolfed them down!

And lastly, the soda. I've heard of Pibb but never tried it, and I was intrigued to give it a go. American soda can be so unlike anything we have in the UK. It almost tasted like a spicy slightly flat Dr Pepper!

It was honestly so much fun trying all these different sweets and treats, I would totally buy this again!

Much love,

Kitty xxx

*while I was gifted these items in no way does this affect my opinions which are entirely my own.

28 Things I've Learned in my 28 Years

Today I turn 29! I'm not massively into my own birthday, I much prefer celebrating other peoples and giving gifts, but I do enjoy getting to see my family and loved ones. For something different this year I thought I'd share 28 things I've learnt in the last year, some daft, some not so, but all new to me. So, here goes....

1) I really, really love BBQ sauce. Specifically Red's Unholy BBQ sauce. For some reasons I was convinced that I didn't like BBQ sauce but ended up trying a little bit at some point, and I fell in love. It is soooo good. Red's Unholy BBQ sauce is also vegan, so extra awesome points to them! Gimme it in pasta sauce, with fries, on pizza, with onion rings and cheese, mmmmmm.

2) There are some (not many still) but some retailers who do actually size women's shoe styles in a size 10. This year is going to be all about shoes!

3) That I still think peppers are the grossest thing ever, and I definitely won't ever not hate them. Their skin feels like flesh to me, they creep me out so bad.

4) That I can blog 3 times a week, every week, and not just because I'm forcing myself to write and shoving filler on my blog. I've really worked on my blog this year and am really proud of how far it's come. My aim is to carry on in the same vein for the next year too.

5) That Twitter is my favourite social media platform. I'm on it every day and I love it. I've met so many inspiring people because of it and learnt so much about myself and how to love myself because of the people on it. It's made me more focused and more political. You can follow me @kittyrambles

6) To embrace my height more! I've always swayed away from heels, at 5ft 11 I always felt self conscious in them. I'm probably going to write a whole blog about wearing heels and being tall.

7) That I cannot help but either think that something is just 'ok', or become completely besotted with it. I always end up super obsessed with my interests and get so into them. I never just like things a little bit! I still play PokemonGO every day...

8) That how much I fancy Freddy Flintoff is actually quite inappropriate. I am quite inappropriate.

9) That I cry at everything, and that's ok. I'm a hyper emotional person and I feel other people's feelings so much. I cried for half an hour the other day watching How To Train Your Dragon 2, and I am banned from watching any kind of programmes about vets.

10) That buying good, comfortable pants is an absolute must, and I really have to do better at this. Wearing bad pants all day is not OK!

11) That having my photo taken by someone else really isn't that traumatic, and that I can love photos of myself, even ones I haven't taken. My blog has forced me to be photographed by people other than myself, and it's been liberating.

12) That pink or colourful hair feels much more me than my natural hair colour. I feel so much more confident with my brightly coloured ombre hair!

13) That I really suck at wrapping gifts. It generally ends up looking like I've done it with my eyes closed and my hands behind my back.

14) That I have to have really hardcore cases on my phone, or I will smash the screen. No pretty cases for me, only the mega bulky ones to protect them from my clumsiness. Two screens this year. FFS.

15) To stop saying sorry so much. I used to apologise for everything, from a genuine mistake to the weather not being what someone wanted. I apologised for everything, whether in my control or not. This is a direct result of the relationship I was in before I met my husband, and something I need to continue to work on. Things that aren't in my control are not my fault, and I don't have to say sorry.

16) That there are never enough purple lipsticks. I need every shade ever.

17) That as pretty and cool looking as they are, square plates and bowls are a pain in the arse and do not fit in a dishwasher properly. Stick to round ones if you want them to fit!

18) Also, never ever buy scatter-back sofas. They will never look as good as the day you got them, and you will spend your life fluffing pillows and trying to make them look good again. I regret buying scatter-backs so much.

19) That while we have successfully trained Ashen out of his fear of jumping (yes really), his fear of the tight rope at the local park knows no bounds.

Ashen, the clearly terrible rottweiler who is very concerned whenever his human's feet leave the ground.

20) That when I talk to any and all animals I do a ridiculous voice that I don't even know I'm doing. I only know I'm doing it because my youngest step son now also does the same voice when he talks to animals... oops.

21) I will never get tired of spicy chips with cheese and garlic mayo. Nom.

22) And that I will never understand why Stu thinks cheese on chips is basically sacrilege. It's awesome!

23) That I am officially an adult because getting a new kitchen is the most exciting thing that's happened in ages!

24) That getting a new kitchen is also really stressful but will be so so worth it to be rid of our seventies nightmare that is literally held together with sellotape.

25) That maybe 40 succulents or cacti might be about the limit when it comes to our house. Because all the window sills are kind of full and maybe I should calm it down a little bit. Obsessed.

26) That cognitive behavioural therapy can be completely life changing. It was for me! I went from panic attacks whenever I was going to a social situation, or just avoiding them whatsoever, to feeling brave enough to walk into a pub on my own (providing that I know people who are already in it!). It's been incredible and I am so grateful that I found a therapist who 'got' me and helped me so much.

27) That 3 cats is the perfect amount of cats.

28) That sometimes life really does work out how you dream of it.

Because I got that beautiful long haired man, and I got the giant rescue puppy dog Ashen. I'm so lucky.

Happy birthday me!

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

Dreaming of Bags : Models Own Win

Hen Do OOTD & The Comfy Duck Review

What do you wear to a hen do? I've been to a couple, mostly years ago, and these days a hen do can consist of drinking aaaall of the cocktails, or go karting, or crafting, or a European adventure, or, as was the case for the one I attended recently, afternoon tea!

Dress - Polly Grace Katrina*

Sandals - Evans

Handbag - Gift, unknown

Flower hair piece - Roses and Clementines

What could be better for afternoon tea than a cute pin up dress? I absolutely adore the print on this dress, it's like an explosion of blossom. It always gets complimented, it is really comfy, and it fits so well. The fabric is really light which is always a good thing! I twisted my hair over to one side and used my hair to hide the back of the bun crown so it looked like a slide. I felt so girly and cute.

We went to The Comfy Duck at The Oaklands. It was a very reasonable £15 a head which included a glass of prosecco (which I donated to my Mum as I don't drink).

The food was served in these adorable wooden trays, we had sandwiches, plum bread, huge blocks of amazing mature cheddar, and scones with clotted cream and different jams. I usually find clotted cream too thick and sweet, but this was so light and delicious.

I'm not a fan of plum bread, but the cheese. Oh the cheese. I love cheese, and this was lovely tangy mature cheddar, in incredibly thick and generous slices.

As I am vegetarian, rather than eat from the box of sandwiches, I was given my own chopping board with cheese sandwiches with watercress in a mix of brown and white bread. They were so fresh and yummy. The other sandwiches including prawn, ham and mustard, chicken and more. My Mum loved them! She's not much of a bread person, but she ate about 10 slices quite happily which says it all!

It was a lovely day, I love the chance to get dressed up and celebrate with a friend, and with yummy food thrown in it was such a treat! I'd never eaten at The Comfy Duck before but I will certainly look at going back.

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

ps. Don't forget, you can get 20% off at Polly Grace with my code kitty20

*this dress was gifted to me for review purposes. In no way does this affect my opinion on it, which is entirely my own.

#WeAreTheThey

You may have noticed that this week, being plus size has been in the news rather a lot. It was suggested on Loose Women by Jamelia that women below a size 6, and above a size 20, should not be able to shop in normal high street stores, but instead in specialist stores, because allowing us fashionable clothing glorifies obesity. The thing that I personally found most disheartening, was her constant referral to women above a size 20 and below a size 6 as 'they'. As though we are some faceless terrifying other.

The incredible Debz started a wonderful movement in response to this on twitter using the hashtag #WeAreTheThey. Debz aimed to allow us all to show that we aren't some monstrous faceless other, we are just regular people who happen to enjoy fashion! It was so inspiring to be a part of this hashtag, seeing all of the other beautiful women posting to it and the positive message. There was no hate, just love being shared which is incredible. We as a plus size community answered hate with love and it was amazing.

As luck would have it, I was due to have a photoshoot with the ever so fabulous Mary Burgers again days after this all occurred, and we wanted to shoot something in response to this. Both of us are plus size ladies with an intense love of all things fashion, it seemed perfectly timed.

One of the things we wanted to respond to was the idea that simply by existing while fat, and enjoying fashion, we are glorifying obesity. It's just a ridiculous suggestion. We are cute and love clothes, so why wouldn't we dress how we want? You cannot look at someone and know how healthy they are, and either way, it is none of your concern!

You cannot tell how someone eats by looking at them. You cannot tell how someone looks after themselves by looking at them. Your concern trolling for our health is unwelcome and just plain rude. 

So the obvious thing to do was have Mary eats hot dogs and doughnuts and glorify obesity, because apparently that is what we do by simply existing! 

Yummy yummy vegetarian hot dogs with lashings of ketchup.

Forcing someone who exists outside of your beauty ideals to dress in a way you don't consider to be fashionable is a bizarre idea. Shaming us, and making us feel bad about ourselves encourages unhealthy food behaviours, is damaging to mental health and will not magically force anyone to lose weight.

Lush doughnuts! Sugary, jammy goodness. 

A cake doughnut, a doughnut that is a cake, amaze!

Since I started blogging, I have become so much more confident and happy in myself. I have gone from someone who wore a 'uniform' of a black skirt with a plain top with sleeves with full length leggings, to someone who will at least try on anything and has embraced different colours and styles I never thought I would wear. 

We should be celebrating and supporting each other, not tearing each other down. I would rather know that I am at least really trying to be a good person, than focusing on trying to look a certain way. 

So here we are, 'glorifying obesity'. We aren't going anywhere. We are cute, pretty, beautiful, handsome, bad ass, ass kicking, sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, daughters, sons, trans, queer, gay, fat, thin, chubby, feminine, masculine, tall, petite, disabled, colourful, unusual, fashionable, wonderful human beings, don't hate us for simply being ourselves.

Much love,

Kitty xxxxxx

ps. Mary is the most ridiculous mega babe right?

Little Miss Delicious

I have known Maxine Ashleigh, the wonderful lady behind Little Miss Delicious, for a very long time. Before Little Miss Delicious even existed. It has been so awesome to see her start a company and watch it grow tremendously! LMD is all handmade, homebaked food based cuteness, from jewellery, to bags, mirrors and adorable hair bows. If you like pinup kitsch, LMD is SO the company for you.

My love of pizza and pizza themed goodies is relentless. Get the jewellery from the fast food section on LMD and the jumper here.

First off, the jumper. Oh my glob this might be the softest jumper I have ever worn, the inside is just lush! Even my cat Patches adore it, when I wear it she insists on snuggling me.

See? Patches seal of approval.

Now the jewellery. In the above picture I'm wearing the normal Pizza Necklace, the Valentine's Day Pizza Necklace, the Pizza Ring, and a custom all Pizza Charm Bracelet. I also have the Pizza wearings in but you can't see those. For me, the necklaces are a little short, so I wear a necklace extender with them, but I am a chunky monkey. I've owned these for a few years now, and the glaze is perfect, no marks or damage at all, Maxine really pours her heart into making sure her jewellery is the best she possibly can, and it really shows.

Now, my favourite time of year with LMD is Halloween. I just adore creepy cute and Maxine does it so well. How cute is that eyeball necklace? I've worn it to death and it is still perfect. I have a matching eyeball bracelet too, but I slammed my wrist in the car door and broke it :( so I will be aiming to get another this Halloween!

I also have this Zombie cardigan from the Halloween range, it's nice and light, so I like wearing it in spring and autumn. It's stayed really soft after a lot of washes (I'm a clumsy eater, what can I say!). The applique has also stayed perfectly too. This is not currently available.

And another Halloween goodie, the vampire cupcake, super cute! A twist on the regular cupcake necklaces that LMD carried, this has cute fangs and the red/black colours. This is only available at Halloween, but I am sure Maxine could be convinced to custom something similar at any time of year!

Maxine is a personal hero of mine. She suffers from a chronic illness and still manages to run her own business and kick ass full time. She is genuinely lovely, as is her company!

Love,

Kitty xxxxx