make a deliberately offensive or provocative online posting with the aim of upsetting someone or eliciting an angry response from them.
“if people are obviously trolling then I’ll delete your posts and do my best to ban you”
If you Google the word ‘’Trolling’’ that is the definition. Yes, it’s nothing new in this modern society but today I had my first ‘’unwanted’’ comment. I suppose I have been quite naive to not think that it would ever happen but it has, and it slapped me round the face like a wet fish. Hard. It wasn’t a particularly awful comment, but it really hurt when I read the words first time round, but then I thought why not make it in to something positive? Hence the hashtagged title #ILoveMyselfBecause.
I recently posted a styled outfit and wore something that I wouldn’t normally wear but felt confident enough in it to share with you how I had styled it. I state in most posts that I am a curvy girl and I don’t shy away from that, I choose to embrace that God has given me boobs, hips & a butt. Okay, so it’s not a Kimmy K butt but it still is a big one! Apparently, the ‘’troller’’ could not understand why everyone who had commented thought it looked nice and that in actual fact, it was rather unflattering. Interesting?
The only person I allow to criticise my own weight and body shape is myself. No-one else, not even my husband. I am what I am. I accept it. I don’t need to be told I look awful because quite frankly it doesn’t make an ounce of difference what anyone thinks, especially when it is someone sat on the other side of a computer who I haven’t met before. I will dress how I wish to dress this curvaceous figure despite what you think.
So this is really an open letter to anyone who wants to openly shame someone over the internet and try to make them feel worthless. I’m the kind of girl that won’t let this bother me, but, sadly a large proportion of girls would have read that comment and probably cried themself to sleep that night or even worse, harmed themselves because of the hurtful words you and other trolls say. I’m standing up for those who don’t feel that they have a voice.
In my little mind I have an idea to start a little mini campaign aptly named #ILoveMyselfBecause where we can celebrate our achievements and the things we genuinely love about myself. I’d love to see/read any blog posts that are inspired by the hashtag. In fact I will be incorporating this in to my next #HappySelves chat because I think it is important to give ourselves some self-love sometimes.
So listen up ‘’troll’’ #ILoveMyselfBecause of my curvy figure and that I’m not scared to try different styles and fashions along the way. I’m going to have fun with what God gave me. I will never be straight up & down, would I change myself? No. You’re damn right I wouldn’t!
I’d love to read your posts and hopefully if we get enough I would like to do a link share to all the lovely things we love about ourselves!
When DegustaBox asked me if I would like to try their September Edition I was very quick to reply with a resounding YES! Those who know me, will know that I love food. Probably a bit too much than I (or my waistline) would like. But, all the same food is the source of energy that keeps our body moving & mind ticking so why not enjoy the scientific side of things with culinary delights.
Those who don’t know DegustaBox is a monthly subscription box that costs only £12.99 a month and you will be bestowed with roughly 9 to 14 products to get your taste buds tingling & I have to say I was not disappointed with the wide range of September treats that dropped on to my doorstep.
I’m normally one for saving the best till last however in this case I must tell you about my favourite product that came in this lovely package.
Elizabeth Shaw’s Dark Chocolate Mints RRP £2.50
I’m a sucker for mint chocolate; so much so, I could smell what was in the box before I even opened it. These were without a doubt always going to be my favourite item. Hands down. They are the perfect mix of a slim piece of chocolate with small crunchy pieces of mint sporadically placed throughout. I not ashamed to say that Mr C & I wolfed down on these within a matter of minutes because they were just so moreish! As soon as I find these (and if you find them before me please tell me where!) I will be buying quite a few packets.
Crabbie’s Non Alcoholic RRP £1.20 | Crabbie’s Alcoholic Fruits RRP£1.50
Of course, alcoholic beverages are always going to go down a treat in our household. This new range from Crabbie’s is a welcome edition! I loved the Zesty Lemon flavour because it was just so refreshing and not overly sweet, which is what I like in my chosen ‘’sauces’’. We also had the delight of the non-alcoholic version too however, this had a hint of ginger in which was a little too strong for me but Mr C loved it & finished the whole bottle for me. I was pleasantly surprised at the cost of these drinks and expected it to be a lot more. I’ll definitely be trying the Black Cherry & Raspberry and Rhubarb alcoholic versions too.
Righteous Dressings RRP £2.19 for 3 pots or £2.49 a bottle
On my first diagnosis of these little pots of 100% natural dressing, I was drawn in the Mild English Blue Cheese & Cider dressing purely because I am an absolute cheese fiend. I stuck my tongue out in a ‘’yacky’’ sort of expression at the prospect of the Raspberry & Basil dressing. Five seconds later the tables turned and it was the complete opposite. I was surprised to find myself dipping in to the latter and eventually polishing it all off, I’m not quite sure who decided that Raspberry & Basil would go together but I commend them on their spontaneity as they have created a beautiful dressing!
Burt’s Lentil Waves RRP 69p per bag
Like I am with cheese, crisps are my ultimate vice. Don’t ever doubt that I could sit and devour a whole 24 multi pack crisps because I could. Don’t dare me. You can imagine my delight when these were included in the package too. We first tried the Thai Sweet Chilli (naturally as this is one of my favourite flavours!) and was not disappointed at all. Thai is a very fragrant taste that not everyone is acquired too, however, these crisps were warming and had deep flavours. A resounding NOM NOM all round. The Lightly Salted were actually quite tasty despite the lack of flavourings here. Funnily enough I did think they tasted mildly of prawn crackers! We are yet to try the Sour Cream & Chive but I’m sure they will go down a storm with Mr C as this is one of his chosen favourite flavours of crisps!
Jordan’s Simply Granola RRP £2.69
Now, I am not the worlds biggest Granola or Cereal fan so I sat this one out. Sorry. I let Mr C sample this one as his eyes shone with glee when he saw this came too. Sadly, I just can’t stomach eating anything first thing in the morning and specifically nothing sweet. Can you see the running theme here, I’m a total savoury whore. So, every morning (because I am such a good wife, I might add) I took a bowl of granola and a cup of tea up to my husband who devoured a bowl full every day for a week. Since this, he has now been buying granola every week. Well done Jordan’s you were certainly a hit with my husband!
Bahlsen Pick Up! RRP £1.69
As soon as I saw the Black n’ White packet I genuinely thought I was in for an Oreo experience. I wasn’t. They were tasty nevertheless, just not Oreos? These biscuits are like little sandwiches with what is essentially a block of chocolate in the middle. Nothing ground breaking here but Mr C has something new for his packed lunch!
Little Miracles Organic Energy RRP £1.59
Anything like this gives me the heebie-jeebies because I am sadly, just not in to that healthy living vibe so I was ready to pass on these. However, ever the curious part of my decided that I would crack them open and have a try and I was most definitely surprised. The Green Tea one was delicious. I think the interesting fruits in this one is what swung it for me. Sadly, the Lemongrass Tea had ginger in it so it wasn’t a winner for me. With only 90 calories in each bottle and boasting free from artificial colours, (yes, the green tea did look like wee!)flavours & sweeteners you know that you are getting a delicious yet essentially cleansing drink. For your nearest stockist head to Little Miracles.
Sadly, we just haven’t had time to try two of the products but we both can’t wait to try them.
Nestle Carnation Cooking Crème RRP £1.65
La Viejas Fabrica Seville Orange Marmalade RRP £1.59
If I come up with any delicious recipes I will be sure to share them with you.
Also, if you fancy trying a DegustaBox head over to their website and enter this special code 4784613 where you will receive a special QueenBeady discount of £3! You can also like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.
Mr C & I are definitely going to be signing up to this monthly subscription box, because let’s face it, who doesn’t like food?
Rebecca xxx
This post was C/O DegustaBox and all opinions expressed are my own.
I think I had a mini mid-twenties crisis on my blogging hiatus. I’m 25 next month, no biggie? A whole quarter of a century and halfway to fifty. You can probably hear the sound of me hitting my head against the laptop whilst you read this. In fact there is a whole wikipedia post on the matter!
Whilst I took my hiatus, I thought at the time it was a perfect opportunity to relax and not have to worry about scheduling posts and how many hits the page had. It was going to be a time to just not have to think about anything, really. Looking back on that period I realised whilst it was good for my blogging soul, that month I tortured myself with other things to replace the blogging void in my life.
Rightmove. I love looking at houses at the best of times, but this website consumed me for a whole month. Ever find yourself lusting after a house? Yeah, me too. But, instead of just looking at them on the website I decided I was going to to book two viewings, luckily, my current Husband & I (I say ‘’current’’ as I swear he wanted to kill/divorce me after receiving email after email of suggested homes we should go view!) was saved as one had just been taken off the market. We went to view the house, it was ok, I obviously went in to it with my head over heart but it was a good job the other half was there to keep me in real world & thankfully we didn’t end up with a mortgage the size of the whole universe.
My mind had been plagued with thoughts of babies. God help me?! I was obsessed with the fact we needed a bigger house for the eventualities that a brood might bring, because our little two up/two down would not cope with this. What?! I mean, Mr C & I know we don’t want to hear the tiny sound of pitter patters anytime soon, but for some reason I could not stop thinking about it. I even had a little weep when he told me that ‘’it wouldn’t be anytime soon.’’ I really had hit rock bottom.
You’re all probably groaning at my apparent meltdown because really, 25 is no age at all. I’ve bought a house, I’m married and I have a really good job that I enjoy. In fact most of you will think that I have done too much, too soon. Whilst you’re all probably right, I would not change it for the world.
I have some wonderful things in my life, that I am so grateful for! I’ve come to the conclusion that I can’t switch off and blogging is a tool that helps me keep focussed even if it is just typing a few random words every now & then. I also need to remember to live in the now and stop thinking about if’s and but’s of the future. What will be, will be. Que cera, cera!
25 is an exciting age where you can enjoy so much and live in the now!
Of course, my post ends happily because I feel like I have had an epiphany, I have so much to look forward to and I am just enjoying my little space on the world wide web too. So, if anyone else had a mid-twenties crisis in the run up to the (big) TWO FIVE, I would love to hear from you and how you dealt with it or are you going through it now? In which case, let me know so we can soldier on through this together!
If you need a little pick me up, please join me as a regular host of the #HappySelves chat over on twitter, every first Monday of the month (starting 3rd November 2014) it’s a lovely chat where we all share good vibes and I would love you to join me on this one as it will mark a week of me turning 25, I might need you
I was thrilled to bits when Beth from Beauty in Beta offered me that chance to host one of her weekly chats entitled #HealthySelves. The basis revolves around gearing everyone up to getting healthier and fitter through subtle lifestyle changes and hopefully along the way helping each other out through hints and tips, inspiration and pure ‘’egging one another on’’ to get to the results that you want to see.
I’m a firm believer that to get results you have to be in the right frame of mind, so when it came to choosing my topic for the week, #HappySelves seemed an obvious choice for me. I wanted to bring a little joy to the weekly chat (not that it doesn’t have enough joy already!) but I wanted to turn it in to a different direction and make people be happy!
It seemed quite a good choice to go with as some people declared just before the chat, the following statements:
‘’I’m not really feeling happy at the moment but I will try join in guys!’’ etc etc etc.
And by the end we had the following…
I was overwhelmed by your kind words! It was so lovely that everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves and not taking themselves too seriously. Especially when it came to my final requested of sharing a joke to win a #HappySelves care package, which the lovely Becky won! It will be winging its way to you shortly! After the chat, I felt like I had spread what essentially was my plan, to share joy & happiness with a few little quotes along the way! And by the above tweets it certainly worked. So much so, that Beth asked if I wanted to be a regular host of the chat since you had all enjoyed it so much. Of course, I was absolutely stupified that I had had that much of an impact on you all, that I really could not turn down this opportunity!
I’m so pleased that I am on board the #HappySelves team and look forward to chatting away with you. Whilst I don’t declare myself as a self proclaimed life guru, I like to think that finding happiness within yourself and enjoying the good things in life, be it small or large that is when you are healthy!
So when do I start my regular hosting duties, I hear you cry? Well that would be the 3rd November 2014 so put it in your diaries and make sure you are there! I’ll be hosting the first Monday of every month, if you have any questions you’d like me to ask then please feel free to email me queenbeady@hotmail.co.uk and I will try work them in one way or another.
I hope you are just as ‘’happy’’ as I am about being part of this fabulous, solidarity – I can’t wait to see what the future brings!
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