Design for life…

April 4, 2024April 3, 2024 ~ somethinginthewayshemoves

Yesterday I was doing a little insta scrolling when I came across a really strange post. It’s from Michelle Ogundehin an interior designer who is on that design competition show on BBC. I followed her for pictures of pretty rooms. Thus, I was shocked by this abrupt change in content.

I have a problem with these kind of alarmist statements. Exercise is good for us. Everyone knows that. Encouraging people to try new things, enjoy moving their body, take a nice walk is great. Scaring the bejesus out of folk with you’re going to die, is not. Life is complicated. Not everyone has time, money or the physical ability to partake in the 30mins/5 times a week suggested in this post. The comments were flooded with people pointing this out. Many said the tone was all wrong & the content ableist. Michelle’s replies ranged from patronising to snarky. Then she turned off commenting. As a disabled person who has very few exercise options I tire of this exclusionary narrative. I also believe it is counter productive; fear & shame are not effective long term motivators.

On a wider point I’m throughly sick of how many unqualified people stray into the ‘health & well being’ sphere. Even in my carefully curated timelines I find it hard to escape grifters spewing pseudo science. The scope appears to be continually growing, manifestion, fad diets, alpha males, mlms, alternative cures… the list goes on. All making unsubstantiated claims & usually making buck. Ten minutes on google is all it takes to see that almost all of these people are unqualified. Some may be well meaning, most are shameless charlatans.

Curious as to what inspired this shift in content I took a look at Ogundehin’s substack. Amongst the expected design tips there are a lot of posts about ‘health’. She covers topics I honestly don’t think she is qualified to offer advice on. She does mention that she’s not a medical professional. She also confidently declares things fact that I am not certain stand up to much investigation. Her sources are suspect, her tone is off. She uses phrases like ‘food be thy medicine’ and writes overblown articles on the dangers of gluten. To me, it seems like another person who has realised there is money to be made in the wellness world.

Before I wrote this I did a little research. I wanted to check I wasn’t mistaken about her qualifications. Michelle appears very qualified for roles related to design. She has held impressive positions in editing, journalism and design. However, I can’t find any evidence of training that would make her a go to on food or health. She does mention in her substuck that she has started studying nutrition, but by her own admission is on the first module of what sounds like an introductory course. Health is a serious topic. I’m all for sharing our experiences and what worked for us. However, I truly fear the idea of people making impactful changes in their lives based on the pronouncements of unqualified people.

Please be careful out there. Dig a little a deeper before taking things you find online as fact. That includes me! I research topics before writing about them, but that does not make me an expert. I want readers to check things out for themselves. I always provide resources and caveat my opinions. In the case of anything related to your health, my advice is always consult a Dr.

If you like what I do you can support me here or on Patreon.

Watching the clothes…

January 20, 2024August 25, 2024 ~ somethinginthewayshemoves

Would you like to see some things I have been wearing lately? Excellent because that’s exactly what this blog is about. It’s all everyday fashion. I spend a lot of time with little people and in Dr’s waiting rooms; so comfort is paramount.

That doesn’t mean I don’t want to look cool. The keys to my winter 23/24 looks are layering & my Air Cloudies. I didn’t really want these boots, but they might be the best thing I have ever bought. Waterproof, fleece lined and cushioned soles. They are actually like walking on clouds. Also, you can fling them in the washing machine. Spoonie friends, you need these.

Dress – Primark T-Shirt – Delicious Monster Tea Cardigan – Curve Soul*

On the layering front, I like wearing my summer dresses with extras. Stick some tights on, tie up a t shirt & top with a cardi. You’re ready to face the Scottish winter.

This t shirt was a Xmas gift from my sister. I felt a bit teary when I opened it because it highlights how well she knows me. If you don’t want Joni Mitchell lyrics on your chest, fear not they are custom.

I love little floppy mini skirts, but since I cannot gracefully sit or bend, they would definitely result in a lot of flashing. Hence, this skort is one of my fav pieces. All the cuteness of a wee a skirt, with shorts built in to save my blushes. Tights & fluffy cardi make this winter proof. When it comes to tights, it’s always snags. They fit, they don’t fall down & I don’t ladder them on the first wear.

Skort – Simply Be T-Shirt – Curated By Girls Cardigan – ASOS Curve Tights – Snag

I’m 100% an outfit repeater. I don’t really understand the point of not being. I buy clothes that I love and feel good in. Why wouldn’t I want to repeat that experience? Most weeks involve repeats. This one was no different. I swapped my cardigan for a jumper and was good to go again.

Jumper – Curve Soul* Boots – Air Cloudies

Finally, I have today’s look. I fell in love with this jumpsuit the minute I saw it. I adore the zip and contrast stitching. I bought two sizes and even the bigger feels a tiny bit short in the body. Definitely one to size up on. If you have a longer torso, it might not be a winner.

Jumpsuit – Simply Be Tote Bag – Banksy Exhibit

I slipped on another Xmas gift today. This one is from my bestie & sums me pretty well!

* Gifted. Use Kerr25 for 25% off at Curve Soul.

And what have we done?

December 9, 2023December 12, 2023 ~ somethinginthewayshemoves

The close of 2023 is fast approaching. Like many people, year end has me in a reflective mood. I’ve read a couple of year in reviews, both personal & global. I even had a look at my own from last year. All of which left me less than cheery.

I realised it has been a year of horror for the world. A year of underwhelming achievement for me. Neither elevates my mood. Given just how brutal & cruel events have been my own struggles pale. I still can’t quite shake the societal pressure to produce.

My health has been a shit show this year. That has greatly impacted my professional output. It has in fact resulted in subpar scores across the board. My house is a mess, my social life is decimated & my very ability to stay upright has been comprised. I don’t feel like a ‘productive member of society’. I’ve had to lean on friends & family more than I like and my ‘23 goals mostly remain unattained. I haven’t been able to attend protests or pull my weight on issues that desperately matter. There hasn’t been much to feel proud of.

I’m sure I am not alone in this feeling. It’s a tough time for many people. Maybe it is ok if we’re just getting by. Worth is not measured in such narrow parameters. Not giving up has value. Engaging and caring about the world matters. It can be difficult to really believe that when bombarded by hustle culture.

I get it. Intellectually I know that human merit isn’t about hours worked or pounds made. There is though, a part of me that feels inadequate when I can’t work. I feel ashamed of the overflowing washing basket and unwashed dishes. These feelings aren’t doing me or anyone else any good. I didn’t choose to be chronically ill and I am trying my best.

All of this to say, if you’re toting up your year and feel the total wanting; think again. You got up every day and did what you could. You’ve made a difference in lots of ways that you might not even realise. Small kindnesses, commiserations & making friends laugh. Perhaps even a smile you gave to a stranger in the street. People love you. You are appreciated. You made it through whatever struggles weighed you down. I did too. Maybe that is enough.

If you enjoy my content you can support me here or on Patreon.

When there’s something strange…

November 7, 2023November 7, 2023 ~ somethinginthewayshemoves

A little later than usual, but tonight we embarked on our Halloween tradition. My sister & I have been taking the boy to GlasGlow every year since he was born. This years theme was Ghostbusters & we loved it.

Kelvingrove Park & the Botanics are pretty all year round, but with added light show they’re spectacular.

The boy flipped when he saw the stay soft mallow man & ghostbusters car, but he declared the scary pumpkins his favourite part. I was rather taken with the giant mirror ball and of course I enjoyed how flattering the wall of lights is.

This year was much easier for me as they had added way more places to sit as you walk around. They also have ‘glow passes’ that allowed disabled folk to skip queues/take shortcuts as needed. Plus they even had blue badge parking. Tip top job of making the event accessible.

My nephew likes us all to wear skeletons, so my new jumper was perfect. Worn over the comfiest playsuit with tights & cosy tartan coat.

Coat – ASOS Curve Jumper – Curve Soul Playsuit – Simply Be Tights – Snag

I suppose spooky season is now really over. Best kick my Xmas organising up a gear.

If you like what I do you can support me here or on Patreon.

You take the high road…

October 22, 2023October 22, 2023 ~ somethinginthewayshemoves

This week I took a little trip. My sister treated me for my birthday to an unexpected activity. Yes, folks, I went camping.

Well, I say camping. We had a Kingsize bed, log burner & private bathroom. It’s as close to camping as I will ever get. My sis, her boy & I headed up north to Loch Tay for a couple of nights in a fancy little dome.

The setting was beautiful. We had a lot of fun around the camp fire, visited the local beauty spots & even conquered a castle.

October in Scotland is pretty cold, layers were important. I still wanted to bring my own thing to the outdoors, I decided to give the trip a leopard theme.

Set off in my leopard print dungees with some added spooky details. Comfy, cosy & very cute.

Kept to the theme with this long sleeved, tiered dress. My trusty snag tights (also in leopard) & my fluffiest cardigan upped the warmth factor.

I always love to have uninterrupted Auntie time. Bedtimes stories & sparklers are hard to beat, but inside jokes with my wee sis comes close.

If you enjoy my writing you can support me here or on Patreon

Sweet Little Mystery…

August 21, 2023August 21, 2023 ~ somethinginthewayshemoves

Regular readers might have noticed the downturn in my long form content. There’s a very simple reason for that, chronic illness.

This year has been one thing after another. The last few months in particular have been gruelling. The problem with having chronic conditions is you often find yourself fire fighting. There are so many symptoms, it is impossible to properly deal with everything. You end up addressing the most problematic at any one time. Plus of course it can be hard to get Drs to really investigate many issues. Often they’ll just chalk up to an already diagnosed illness. Sometimes they’ll try to mitigate that symptom & others you are basically told you’ll have to live with it. I always have questions that aren’t answered. Unfortunately I run out of steam to pursue them. When you are always tired & in pain you must pick your battles.

Of course being fat complicates matters. The first response more is usually something about losing weight or questioning my diet. When I fight against that there will be what I call ‘subterfuge tests’. I’ve had more fasting bloods & cholesterol tests than anyone ever needs. After years of Drs refusing to believe anything I tell them, I find it is easier to just go for the bloods & prove myself right.

The last few months have been relentlessly hard. Pain has been consistently more severe. Digestive tract refuses to behave. I’m fainting daily. I’ve had the worst bout of insomnia of recent years, but even when my body eventually gives into the exhaustion; I awake feeling just as tired. Brain fog has punctured my old articulacy. I struggle for words in everyday conversation. I have lists & notes for every little thing. If it isn’t written down, it will never happen. My skin itches, my head hurts, alarming bunches of hair are falling out, I’m breathless, nauseous & anxious. ALL THE TIME.

I have suspected that something was going for a while. I can’t explain except to say that my body didn’t feel like it belonged to me. These ailments have been breaching my outer limits. So, I had some blood tests that revealed elevated numbers. My Gp wanted to test again a few weeks later to rule out a random blip. They came back slightly higher. A new medical mystery was born.

The high numbers are related to my liver function. There isn’t an obvious reason for my liver to be pissed off. I hardly ever drink alcohol, I don’t eat meat or dairy, no signs of diabetes. It doesn’t make much sense. Possible culprits include my missing gallbladder & bile duct complications, covid & no doubt my weight will become a factor too. I await scans & next steps.

All this to say, I am currently operating on a wing & prayer. And I’m not even religious.

If you like what I do you can support me here or on Patreon.

Cut + Run…

July 20, 2023July 19, 2023 ~ somethinginthewayshemoves

When one of the world’s most illusive artists decides to stage a retrospective in your city, you have to go. Banksy said they choose Glasgow because they were drawn to impromptu art often found in the city.

The Front of GoMA. Stone columns with triangular roof. With a Banksy banner hanging down one column.

A prime example being the cone permanently perched upon the Duke of Wellington right outside GoMA. For years Glasgow City Council tried to put a stop to the cone hat. In the end the removing & preventing was costing so much that they had to embrace the cone. The spirit of those folks who just kept climbing on up obviously appealed to Banksy as the cone appears in clever ways throughout the exhibit.

Duke of Wellington on a horse statue with a traffic cone on his head.

Background covered, let’s get down to the art. The show was even better than I hoped. Very clever staging and preventing the use of phones meant there were plenty of surprises. The art itself chimes with many of my takes on the world, so I obviously enjoyed the context. It was interesting to have look at the thoughts behind pieces I had seen before. Also very cool to see the evolution of the artist. As we all had to lock up our phones, the offer of free Polaroids was a nice touch. It’s a big tick from me.

Accessibility wise GoMA itself is good. The set up of the exhibition makes things a little trickier. The very beginning of the exhibit might feel a little tight for wheelchair users. There are also only two places you could sit throughout, which I found hard going. It’s worth calling in advance to ask for accommodations you need.

The graffiti wall as you leave the building is a fun thought. Very cool to let folk release their inner creativity.

Tickets & Info here.

If you like what I do you can support me here or on Patreon.

My head is spinning…

March 13, 2023June 29, 2023 ~ somethinginthewayshemoves

It has been a week. Sometimes this chronic illness business is depressingly predictable. Others it throws you a delightfully new problem. The past week has combined both. Lucky me.

Let’s start with the spoonie admin. Apparently because I have Pots the airline requires proof from a Dr that I am fit to fly. I am fit to fly. I flew last year with no issues. I don’t require oxygen and I can follow the safety instructions should the worst happen. None of which makes any difference to the airline people. This letter has to be signed no more than 30 days before departure. Months ago I made an appointment and explained what it was for. So, imagine my surprise when I turned up at the prearranged time only to be told that their policies have changed; my GP surgery can no longer provide this service. They suggested I contact a private clinic. Since I would dearly like to go on my long awaited holiday, I did just that. After quite a few no can dos, I found a practice who could help. Huge sigh of relief. Right up until they emailed the cost. Oh, what I would give for a body that behaves.

The week then steered into familiar territory. A night of unmanageable pain culminating in a disastrous faint. My glasses were knocked off & one lens shattered in the fall. I of course landed face first in the mess, then proceeded to repeat the passing out & smash my head. Cue a day of blood tests, butterfly stitches and feeling appalling. Oh and obviously more cancelled plans.

I tire of discovering new hurdles and stumbling over the old ones. The week ahead will be mostly conducted from the safety of home. I intend to sit still, get some writing done and try very hard not to be so much trouble. Health is wealth in more ways than one. Bronan is relying on me to keep him in the luxury he is accustomed to.

If you enjoy what I do you can support me here or on Patreon.

At least I’m trying…

February 6, 2023February 6, 2023 ~ somethinginthewayshemoves

In the latest of my body’s ridiculous tricks, I have shingles. When I’m run down I often succumb to random bonus infections. Shingles is also brought on my stress, which makes sense because January was a shit show.

I think I’ve had some lucky for once as I don’t seem to have a really severe case. The rash is painful (although not as bad as I’ve heard others describe it), but all the cold/fluey symptoms were short lived. It feels like a burn and if anything even slightly touches my skin the sensation is akin to a shock. My GP has added some pain killers to my usual lot, which are making it all manageable. They’re also making me super tired and a little spacey, which is having an effect on my creative output. I hope you’ll bear with me as I try to get back to match fitness.

ly is wearing heart shaped glasses and looking a little dazed.

My week in spooky season pictures…

October 21, 2022October 21, 2022 ~ somethinginthewayshemoves

It’s the October week holidays here. Of course that means some fun adventures & more spooky nails. It’s getting chilly out there, so I’ve been getting into the cosy looks.

I went a bit horror on the nails and tried out some chuckyish stitched wounds. I didn’t want them to be too gruesome, so nothing realistic here.

Pale white hands with stitched wound design manicure

On Wednesday we decided to introduce my nephew to a place my sis & I have loved since childhood. The Burrell Collection is an art gallery/museum in Glasgow that has recently reopened after a refurb and shake up of exhibits. The exhibits are presented in the most incredible building surrounded by woodlands, but in the middle of the city. It is one of my very favourite places and it was wonderful to see the boy enjoy it too.

Long white corridor leading to huge window looking out to forest

The revamp is great. They have maintained the heart of the collection whilst adding excellent interactive aspects. The boy loved playing the games & puzzles, all of which helped him better understand the exhibits. The cafe has a great vegan & child friendly menu. The Burrell also ticks the accessibility box. Lots of space to manoeuvre, lifts to all exhibits, loads of places to sit down when you need to rest.

White woman and child playing an interactive game

After The Burrell we checked out the also revamped swing park. Thus I needed to be both cosy and waterproof. I opted for this lovely jumper dress & light weight rain jacket; both presents from my Mum.

Fat white women with hands on her hips wearing blue jumper dress& khaki rain mac — Dress – In The Style
Rain Max – Marks & Spencer
Tights – Pretty Polly
Glasses – Where Light

I chipped my Chucky nails, necessitating a premature change. I went for some creepy trees and sparkly bats. Let’s hope I can manage not to wreck this design right away.

My nephew has recently developed a love for golf; crazy golf in particular. Today we indulged that new found passion with a trip to Paradise Golf. He loved it, claiming two hole in ones & ultimately the game. Auntie ly struggled a little, but luckily I had my perfect little man to play for me when I needed a sit down.

We had a little sushi for lunch, picked up some shark wellies & grabbed a doughnut before heading home. It’s always too hot at Xscape and I kept that in mind when choosing my outfit. I wore a bunch of old favs today including my comfy shoes & a skirt with pockets!