A Walk in the Woods

For me, one of my all time favourite places on the planet has to be Center Parcs, Elveden Forest. Nothing too glamorous to most people, but to me holds a very special place in my heart. Center Parcs became a frequent place for myself and my family to go together when I was younger, so visiting now at the age of 25 still gives me all the sentimental feels!

From coaxing squirrels in through the living room door with digestive biscuits, to running around the woodlands, spotting deer amongst the bushes, watching the ducks stroll past your lodge door, to that feeling of pure excitement as we splashed our way towards the water-rapids. The perfect place to be a big kid. For me, these memories and feelings are the valuable things we need to hold onto in life and look back on. I really treasure these times spent with my family and hope that we can go back together one day!

I re-visited recently with a group of friends as well as my boyfriend, Bruno and twin sister, Katherine. Kat and I were like 2 little kids again pulling into the car-park, grinning from ear-to-ear whilst taking in our familiar surroundings. We were excited for those who hadn't been there before to experience it and all of it's woodland glory! The charming trees greeting us with arrays of green, light shimmering through their leaves, their branches full of the chatter of birds and squirrels hopping amongst the pine cones. As I saw it through the eyes of my younger self is how I will always see it; it will forever be a magical place to me! What better way to spend a summer weekend with friends or family?!

We had the most perfect weather during our 3-day-stay, the ultimate bbq weather every evening, hot mid-day sun during kayaking & swimming, and beautiful golden light in the evenings. I took the opportunity to get a few photos in the woods of the pretty flowers and greenery, as well as a few of one of my favourite outfits for the summer.

(Choker from Primark)

The intricate detailing and the deep, dreamy blue of this playsuit from Boohoo really caught my eye! With a holiday to Koz in September, a brief trip to Rome for a Wedding, friends BBQs & a festival coming up for me this year, I have found myself on the lookout for those perfect, simple-to-throw-on outfits which are not only comfy to wear but also so simple to dress up or down for every occasion. This playsuit was perfect for one of the warm evenings in the back garden of our lodge, surrounded by friends, eating BBQ food, playing drinking games and chatting into the late hours. And for only £18, you can't go wrong with that.

A quick tip/suggestion for bustier ladies when ordering from BooHoo or Missguided; I have found that I have had more luck ordering a size bigger in playsuits & dresses than I would in jeans & tops. This playsuit is a size 14, I am generally a size 10/12 in tops & jeans however I find a size larger allows a much better fit around the bust. I have found in the past that ordering size 12's, especially in clothing that have a wrap-style front, have been very revealing (even if it doesn't look that way on the model on site) and there never seems to be enough fabric to cater for the boobies! I simply used a small safety pin to pin the front together incase of any gaping.

I feel it's so important to not see the size of the label as a label of yourself; buy clothing in sizes based on how you want that item to fit your body, not what that number may represent to you. It's absolutely okay to purchase items of clothing in various sizes - from my past experience working in retail, I too often heard ladies talk about avoiding trying on a larger size because they were embarrassed it wasn't their 'usual' size.You don't need to stick to one number within your wardrobe, there are no rules! The number on that label does not define you and should never limit your style.

Don't be afraid or miss out on clothing you love simply because you feel embarrassed by the thought of the label having a higher number on it. All clothing sizes vary from brand to brand! Buy clothing that fits your body how YOU want it to!