Polka Spots and Freckle Dots Turns Ten!

Today, my little place on the Internet turned ten years old! 

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe I've been blogging here for a whole decade. Okay, not quite a whole decade; days and weeks have passed in between posts, especially over the last few years, but  I've blogged at least once a month since I started my blog, and I think that's an accomplishment to be proud of. There aren't many hobbies I've committed myself to for so long- probably because it's had a different purpose to most of the others.

When I created Polka Spots and Freckle Dots a decade ago, I didn't dream of making money from blogging, accumulating 'freebies', or becoming famous. I simply needed a distraction from living housebound with chronic pain, and wanted something to throw myself in to every day so that I had a reason to get up in the morning. I'd been housebound with chronic spinal pain for six months at that point, and, as you can imagine, I was frustrated, and going stir crazy. There's only so much reading and watching day time TV you can do day after day before you start losing the will to live.

I began reading body positivity and plus size fashion blogs soon after I got sick as a way to pass the time, and it was those blogs that inspired me to start sharing my own outfits online, hopeful that maybe it could also help me work towards finding some body confidence and self-acceptance. So, one late March evening in 2012, I finally swallowed my nerves, signed up to Blogger, wrote a quick introductory post, and hit publish before I could change my mind. And the rest, as they say, is history.

I never thought for a moment that I would still be blogging here an entire decade later, but I didn't think my life would turn out the way it has, either. Life is full of surprises.

Since the start, my blog has been so much more than just a hobby to me. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it's been a life line for me during ten of the most difficult years of my life. It's helped me cope with having chronic pain and illness, and the God awful symptoms that come along with it. It gave me an outlet while I came to terms with having my whole life turned upside down, and learned to get used to a new reality. It was there while I fought for diagnosis, went through scans and treatments, got diagnosed, and had frustrating or upsetting appointments with doctors and the DWP.  It's kept me occupied during countless lonely hours spent on bed rest, and given me something to throw myself in to every day; helping to keep the boredom at bay, and my brain working. It's provided me with a place to express myself and use my creativity, learn new skills, and challenge myself. It led me to some wonderful friends and readers I would never have known if it weren't for blogging, and helped me cope with the isolation and loneliness of living housebound. And for a while, it even helped me gain some body confidence, before I gained weight, and went back to square one. It's been so many things to me over the years, and I'll always be grateful for what it's done for me. I don't know how I would have got through the last ten years without it.

My blog has changed a lot during the last decade, morphing from a mostly plus-size fashion and beauty blog to an everything blog, as my health and finances declined and posing for outfit photos became too painful. I still miss blogging my outfits, but I rarely have the pennies for new clothes these days, so there's little hope of that pastime being revived any time soon.

Over the last ten years, I've written and published 1,642 blog posts- 1,643, if we count this one. That's a whole lotta posts on fashion, beauty, life, adventures, books, crafts, chronic illness, pets, and so much more. I could've churned out a lot more of them, but I've always strived for quality over quantity, and I'm proud of what I've created here. I've not always written the most interesting content, but I've always put 110% in to every blog post, and I like to think the quality of my writing and photos has improved a lot over the years. Of course, there's always been room for improvement, and as long as I'm blogging, I'll never stop working on it.

I may not have become a rich and famous influencer with a huge following, earning millions from my blog and gaining countless sponsorships, but that was never my goal. As nice as they are, likes and money aren't important to me. I've always blogged because I enjoy it, and needed a creative outlet, and would've kept blogging if I was writing for myself. I'm so grateful for the fantastic brands I've worked with and small following I do have, though, and I'm still amazed that anybody wants to read my posts and hear what I have to say. You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for your support and encouragement over the years, and all the kind comments and messages you've left for me. It means a lot.

I know I've not been the best blogger over the last few years, and have posted so sporadically- usually because I've not felt up to it or my brain fog has stolen my ability to string a sentence together- but I'm here trying almost every day. I've come to realise that I just can't create content at the same rate that I used to, no matter how hard I try. I want to keep blogging, and bring Polka Spots back to life with interesting content, and add more lifestyle posts, and reviews of the products I've used and enjoyed, but a few posts a month might be my limit now.  Either way, I'm not planning on going anywhere just yet, and while I have to put my health first, I'll do my best to keep creating whenever I feel up to it.

I've no intention of retiring Polka Spots just yet.

I don't know what the next ten years have in store for me or my blog, but here's hoping I'll still be here blogging, and finding comfort from it for many years to come.

Thanks again for supporting Polka Spots and Freckle Dots over the last decade.

Here's to the next ten years!

Want to go down memory lane with me? Here is a selection of posts from the last ten years:

The Muppets Christmas Carol Christmas Cards by Jenny Grene Illustration

Ten Years With Chronic Pain and Illness

An Accessible Birthday Trip to Whipsnade Zoo

Erstwilder Woodlands Collection

A Socially Distanced Trip to The Cotswold Wildlife Park

Erstwilder Care Bears Collection

What's in my Christmas Eve Box? 2019

Vendula London La Bicyclette de Vendula Box Bag Review*

The World in Stitches Modern Spectrum Mandala Cross Stitch

Cath Kidston Disney Alice in Wonderland Haul

My Handmade Felt Spring Flower Wreaths

How to Make Money Online By Answering Surveys

Cornish Adventures: St Michael's Mount

Cornish Adventures: St. Ives and Seal Island

Urban Decay Full Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette Review

My First Holiday With Chronic Pain

One Year With Rosie

Puppy Spam: Rosie 12-16 Weeks Old

My Quirky Brooch Collection 2016

Puppy Spam: Rosie 10-12 Weeks Old

Book Review: 642 Things to Write About Me

Once upon a Time in London

My Huge Cath Kidston Collection 2015

My Novelty Bag Collection 2015

What I Wore in 2014

Outfit: Red and Yellow Polka Dots

Zatchels Polka Dot Satchel Review

What an MRI Scan is Really Like

Outfit: Hearts and Polka Dots

Cut Make Trim Leather Barrel Bag Review*

Dressing Table Tour 2014: Make Up Storage

Zatchels Classic Satchel Review

Outfit: Coral, Turquoise, Flamingo and Pearls

The One Where it All Began

Looking Back On 2019

Hello 2020, goodbye 2019!

I can't believe another year has come and passed, and it's already time to look back on another year of my life with a mix of nostalgia and regret.  It only feels like a minute since I was reflecting on 2018. Where has the time gone?? I swear 2019 was the shortest year yet.

I wish I could say that 2019 was the best year of my life; a year full of achievements, fun experiences, milestones, wealth, health, and romance, but if I did I would be lying through my teeth. In all honesty, 2019 was a pretty boring and uneventful year for me. I achieved very little, I didn't reach any big milestones, I didn't have many fun experiences, my health was crap, and there was certainly no wealth or romance in my life during the past twelve months.

I can count on two hands with fingers to spare how many times I even left the house last year, and apart from a trip to the zoo in July, and two fun trips away in February and October to see Boyzone live again before they split, my only ventures out of the house were for medical appointments or unnoteworthy visits to the shops with my Mum or sister. That's literally it. I'm not even kidding. I'm beginning to wonder if I actually lived the last year of my life at all.

It's not that I didn't want or try to live my life to the full last year- I didn't want to do anything more- but my health had other ideas, and decided to hold me hostage for another year. Nobody came to rescue me; I'm quite disappointed. Without droning on about my health too much, basically some of my conditions degenerated further in 2019. My Fibromyalgia pains and flares were more intense; my Arthritis inflicted a lot more pain, stiffness, and swelling in all my bones and joints; my chronic spinal pain was a daily challenge; and fatigue zapped the life out of me. I also managed to do some further damage to my spine in August, thanks to my existing Degenerative Disc Disease, and knocked one of the facets in my neck out of place. I spent the last third of 2019 with intense pain in the back of my head and reduced mobility in my neck, doing daily physio stretches to try to help myself heal. I'm still not back to normal. With all these physical challenges kicking my ass, I couldn't get out and about much, and 2019 was more about getting from one day to the next than having fun, making memories, and achieving goals. C'est la vie. On the plus side, I survived my eighth year housebound with chronic pain and illness and managed to stay upbeat most of the time, so go me!

While I didn't do anything exciting or achieve anything noteworthy last year, I did find plenty of ways to keep myself occupied at home, and made some small victories. I crafted, I cross stitched, I watched movies, I listened to a lot of music, I took a bunch of photos, I spent time with my dog and my family, I kept two plants alive, I found solace online, I collected a lot of Erstwilder brooches, I spent more hours playing Animal Crossing New Leaf every day than I'd care to admit, and I rekindled my love of reading. 

I set myself the goal of reading 25 books in 2019, and totally smashed my expectations by reading 47 books by New Year's Eve, which is something I'm really proud of. I haven't read so much in a year since I was in primary school! I guess being unable to move, and too brain-fogged to blog have their advantages- it left me more time to read! I read almost every day and lapped up books like there was no tomorrow, discovered new authors and particularly fell back in love with psychological thrillers. I loved getting lost in so many new books, and I'm happy that I at least achieved something worthwhile last year. I'm hoping to read even more in 2020, but I'll talk more about that when I share my goals for the year ahead later this week.

So what else happened in 2019?

♥ I saw Boyzone live with Marie in February.

♥ I celebrated my blog's 7th birthday.

♥ I came in as a runner up in a Hobbycraft competition with one of my cross stitches.

♥ I turned 34.

♥ I spent my birthday visiting The Cotswold Wildlife Park for the millionth time.

♥ I spent a few nights in London in October seeing Boyzone live for the final time with Marie.

♥ We did some shopping in Westfield.

♥ We discovered Doughnut Time doughnuts and Crème cookies and oh my God, they were the best discoveries ever!

♥ My dog, Rosie, turned 4 and I made her pupcakes for the first time.

And that's about as exciting as my life gets these days.

Fingers crossed I can get out and about and have more experiences in 2020, because 2019 was kinda pathetic. It wasn't a bad year- I've had worse- it was just kinda dull.

I also blogged less in 2019 than any year since I began Polka Spots and Freckle Dots in 2012. It wasn't for lack of trying; I sat at my laptop almost every day and attempted to write for hours, but more often than not, the words just wouldn't come. I was so brain fogged most of the year (another wonderful side-effect of my Fibromyalgia) that I had the worst time recalling words and stringing coherent sentences together, which was not only frustrating as hell, but meant that my blog suffered for it and had to take a back seat. Sometimes it took me a fortnight to put one post together, and other times I couldn't create at all. Or when I could write, I couldn't take the photos I needed to finish a post because of the pain and injury to my neck. It wasn't the year I'd hoped for my blog, but I did still blog a little, worked with some fantastic brands, celebrated my 7th blog birthday, and managed to get back in to the swing of things in December. 

Some of my favourite posts from 2019 include:

♥ Snow Day
♥ Vendula London La Bicyclette de Vendula Box Bag Review
♥ Polka Spots and Freckle Dots Turns Seven
♥ Mal Paper Daily Goal Setter Planner Review
♥ Erstwilder Endangered Animals Brooches
♥ Turning Thirty Four and What I Got For My Birthday
♥ Erstwilder Halloween Jewellery
♥ Essie Nail Polish Advent Calendar Review
♥ Ciate Mini Mani Month Nail Polish Advent Calendar Review
♥ Christmas Bedroom Tour 2018
♥ What I Got For Christmas Last Year (2018)
♥ 50 Things To Do This Christmas If You Have a Chronic Illness
♥ IWOOT Christmas Jumpers Review
♥ My Christmas Cross Stitch Makes
♥ A Literary Christmas: An Anthology Book Review
♥ Erstwilder All Wrapped Up Christmas Brooches
♥ What's In My Christmas Eve Box 2019

I just want to say a big heart-felt "thank you" to everyone who continued to read my blog posts, follow me on social media, and leave me lovely comments and messages in 2019, even though my posting was sparse and my content not the most interesting. I can't believe that you were still  interested in reading what I had to say when I did make an appearance, and your support means the world. Thank you!

I really enjoyed blogging regularly again over Christmas and I'm hoping I can find my groove again this year, and health allowing, create more quality content on a regular basis in 2020. I'm going to try my best for you guys, but I won't make any promises in case I can't keep them, and I guess we shall see what happens. Fingers crossed for a better year!

I hope that 2020 is a bright year for all of us, filled with happiness, good health (or as good as it can be for those of us with chronic illnesses), fun times, great experiences, wonderful people, and all the things you're hoping for this year. Happy New Year, everyone! Let's make it the best one yet!

What was your greatest achievement in 2019?

Polka Spots and Freckle Dots Turns Seven

Polka Spots and Freckle Dots turned seven last week (March 25th).

Seven!

My little space on the Internet is growing up so fast. How on Earth did that happen?!

I can't believe so many years have passed since I first logged in to Blogger, created this blog, and nervously sent my first post in to the endless void of the Internet. It feels like both a life time ago and no time at all a the same time.

When I started this blog seven years ago, I created it to share my outfits and work towards self-acceptance and body positivity. I mostly blogged headless mirror shots of my outfits, manicures I was wearing, shopping hauls, and other fashion and beauty related content. My photos were atrocious; all dark, grainy, unlevel, and poorly edited, and were taken on my iPod, Blackberry, or crappy old point and shoot. I gave no thought to arranging my product photos in to pretty flatlays; I just placed the item(s) on the nearest surface and pointed the camera, regardless of what was in the background. My writing was cringe-worthy, and most of my post titles were Linkin Park, Fall Out Boy, or Panic! at the Disco lyrics. Gems like: 'I Am a Wolf Among the Sheep Gnawing at the Wool Over My Eyes', and 'I'm Boring But Overcompensate With Headlines and Flash, Flash, Flash Photography.' What did they have to do with my posts about fashion and beauty? I have no idea, but that's okay, I was cool and mysterious AF!

I didn't care about SEO- in fact, I don't think I even knew what it was back then. I didn't even promote my posts on social media- not that I'm so great at self-promotion all these years later, either! I just blogged, and did it for the fun of it.

There was no stress about creating the perfect content, with beautiful photos and articulate writing. I wrote whatever crap came in to my mind, and uploaded the first photo I snapped, without spending two hours arranging a flatlay first, and taking 250 near-identical photos to get that one perfect shot. I could throw a post together in half an hour, and I looked forward to posting every day.

I had a lovely little following of (mostly) other blogger ladies I enjoyed chatting and interacting with who made blogging a pleasure. (Some of you are still following today- although, I have no idea why you've been reading my posts and supporting me all this time! Thank you!)

I loved those days!

Sometimes I find myself missing those early days of blogging. Sure, everything was less polished and perfect, but there was something wonderful about the simplicity and relatability of it all.

Blogging has changed so much since I first started blogging, but that's not necessarily a bad thing; it's just different. Things change, people change, I've changed... and that's life. 

My blog content has changed somewhat over the years, too. The fashion and beauty posts have reduced due to having little money for new clothes and rarely having enough energy to get dressed and made up, and other topics, such as crafts, adventures, books, chronic illness, pets, and life have been added in to the mix. My posts have become less frequent because of my health, and I can't always post the content I want to, but I like to think the quality of my work has at least improved over the years. There's a lot of room for improvement, but I can be proud of myself knowing I always put 110% in to every post I create.

I may not be a famous blogger with a huge following making millions from her blog, but I'm not sure I even want to be. I'm happy with where my blog has taken me over the years. I've worked with some fantastic brands, made friends with some amazing people I would never have known otherwise, and learnt so many new skills along the way. It's kept me going through seven of the hardest years of my life, and to me, that is the greatest achievement I could ever ask for.

Right from the start, Polka Spots was a much needed distraction from the chronic back and spinal pain I had been struggling to cope with for six months, and not only helped me deal with the pain, being bed ridden, and losing the life I knew, but gave me a purpose in life I so desperately needed again. It gave me a reason to get up in the morning and something to throw myself in to every day instead of mindlessly watching daytime TV. It provided me with an outlet when I was struggling with the pain and desperately mourning my old life, and had nobody to talk to. It offered a place to vent when I'd had frustrating and soul-crushing experiences with doctors and physiotherapists who were rude and indifferent, and weren't interested in helping me. It did all that and so much more. And it's continued to help me cope with my chronic pain and chronic illnesses, and this unconventional life of being housebound ever since.

This blog has helped me through scans and treatments and diagnoses, surprising test results, and plenty of frustrating encounters with the NHS and DWP. It's been there for me when the pain has been raging and my other symptoms have been so unbearable I've struggled to cope and wished for death to escape it. It's given me comfort when I've been struggling with missing out on life and grieving the life I lost, feeling lonely and depressed, and all kinds of emotions that come with living with chronic illness that we / I don't often talk about. It's been here for me every step of the way for seven years, and for that I'm grateful. I couldn't have got through the years without the blog to help me, and I can't imagine how much harder the last seven years would have been without it to keep me going, and help me through. Starting my blog was the best decision I could've made.

I know I've been very quiet here over the last few months, but I promise I haven't given up on blogging. There is still so much I want to share. I'm just struggling with my health at the moment, and while I've tried to, I haven't been up to blogging much since Christmas. My arthritis has worsened considerably since December, causing my hands and fingers (and knees, toes, hips, and other joints) to swell and stiffen on an almost daily basis. The pain in them has been so horrendous lately, I've had difficulty using my hands for anything, including typing and taking photos, and my knees have been so bad, I've not been out of bed or downstairs in a month. I've also been inflicted with the worst episodes of brain fog and writer's block to date, making blogging even more difficult. I've been having serious difficulty thinking straight, remembering and making sense of things, and recalling words, so whenever I've tried to write, the words just haven't come. It's been stressing and frustrating the hell out of me! I can't do a lot about the brain fog, but I think I just need time to find my groove with my degenerating arthritis, and the new me, and learn to function a little more efficiently again. It always takes time to get used to big changes to your day to day health with chronic illnesses, but I know I'll get there. I always do.

I'm hopeful I'll be able to get back in to the swing of things here this spring. There are so many products I want to review and things I want to write about. I'd love to get Polka Spots back where it used to be and make it a fun and colourful place for you to visit. I want to bring back more fashion and beauty posts again, and also add more crafts, books, stationery, chronic illness, and lifestyle posts. I want to get back to the fun and excitement blogging brought to me seven years ago, and try to avoid making blogging stressful because it shouldn't be. I want blogging to be enjoyable, and not make me want to pull my hair out because I can't get my photos to look perfect or I can't think what I want to say for a post I'd planned. That stress isn't good for my health. It's time to get back to a more carefree attitude towards blogging, and a good balance between hard work and self-care.

I don't know what the next seven years have in store for my blog, but I'm not going anywhere, and I'm looking forward to finding out where they take me. I hope you guys will join me for the ride.

Thank you for all your support over the last seven years, whether you've been with me since the start, or are a new follower. I don't know why you chose to follow and stick with me, but it means the world to me and I appreciate every single one of you. Thank you so much! You guys are the best.

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Looking Back on 2018

Happy New Year, everyone!

I hope you're all having a fantastic new year so far, however you're celebrating it. Have you / are you doing anything exciting to mark it?

I just had a quiet New Year's Eve at home watching movies and eating Indian food with my little sister, and today, I'll be enjoying a turkey roast with the family again, which is something we always do on New Year's Day. I'm not fussed about New Year's, so a quiet, lazy one at home suits me just fine. I'm such an old lady! 

Fortunately, my quiet New Year's Day leaves me time to write, so for my first post of 2019, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon, and  write a summary of 2018...

I can't believe it's already time to write another one of these customary end of year posts where I look back on the last twelve months of my life with a mix of nostalgia and regret, and contemplate my life choices. It only feels like five minutes since I wrote the last one. 

2018 felt like the shortest year on record. The whole year passed so quickly for me. The days, weeks, and months seemed to blur together and zoom past, which baffles me as you'd think time would drag when you're living a Groundhog Day life at home with chronic illness. For me, it never has.

I wish I could say that 2018 was the best year of my life, and was a year filled with achievements, adventures, new experiences, and milestones, but if I did, I would be lying. In reality, 2018 was a pretty boring and uneventful year for me, and I achieved and experienced very little- at least outside the confines of my own home.

My year was once again spent housebound with chronic pain and chronic illness doing my best to keep my head above water, and get from one day to the next. If nothing else, I can at least say I achieved that, even if every day was a struggle with constant pain, fatigue, joint stiffness, and tachycardia to contend with. My health actually deteriorated in 2018, with several of my health conditions worsening as the year went on. I experienced fibro flares far more regularly and intense than ever before; the arthritis, which I've had since I was twelve, suddenly nose-dived and started bringing excruciating pain, swelling, and far more stiffness to my joints than I've ever experienced; and my tachycardia not only continued but was a daily nightmare, bringing breathlessness, chest pains, and a crushing feeling across my chest regularly, too. The tachycardia became so bad, I was rushed to A&E again one joyful night in October, but they never did get to the bottom of it. The main thing is, I didn't let it break me, I got through it all, and I'm here, still fighting.

As my health was so bad, I was rarely able to leave the house for anything other than doctor's and hospital appointments, and the only fun experiences I had out and about were two visits to my local zoo in the summer, and an overnight trip to London to see Fall Out Boy live at the O2 in March (which was amazing!). Seriously. That's it. The handful of other brief interludes I enjoyed from captivity were just occasional visits to the supermarket, shops, or coffee shops with my Mum or sister. I didn't even spent time with anyone other than my immediate family. Wow, my life is exciting! Look at me living my best life! Haha! (I can hear those tiny violins now!)

Okay, it wasn't a year where I lived my life to the full, made amazing memories, and achieved my dreams, but l made the best of every day and life was good in other ways. I read a lot of books, I did a lot of crafting, I taught myself how to make felt floral wreaths (and came in as a runner-up in a Hobbycraft competition with one of them!), I worked hard on my blog, I painted, I wrote, I tried to improve my photography, I watched some great movies, and I spent quality time with my family and my dog. I always had plenty to fill my time with, and never had enough hours in the day to do everything I wanted to do. Considering I was ill and house bound, I think I succeeded in adding plenty of life to my days and conquering those little achievements. I believe in celebrating the little things in life, and I think I still had a lot to be thankful for. Just because I didn't reach any big milestones or celebrate any big life achievements, travel the world, or meet lots of new people, it doesn't mean my year was a failure. Every little victory was worth celebrating! Sure, my life could've been better, but it also could've been a lot worse.

One thing that helped me get through yet another year of this unconventional life without being bored out of my mind and feeling like a total failure, was having this blog to throw myself in to. I honestly could not have got though the year without it. It kept me occupied every day, gave me something to wake up for in the morning and aim for every day, and provided me with a distraction from the pain. I worked extremely hard on my blog in 2018, and while I didn't see much growth, work with a lot of brands, or manage to blog every day, I think the quality of my content improved, and I'm proud of the posts I published. I like to think my photos and flatlays improved a little, too- even if I do still suck at photo editing and it left me wanting to pull my hair out almost every day. You can't have it all, right?

Some of my favourite posts from the year include:

♥ Two Years With Rosie.

♥ Vendula London Russian Doll Cross Body Bag Review.

♥ Polka Spots and Freckle Dots Turns Six.

♥ DIY Colourful Easter Crackers.

♥ Fall Out Boy Mania Tour Live at the O2 & Other London Adventures.

♥ Erstwilder Australiana Brooches.

♥ Erstwilder South American Socialites Brooches.

♥ Old English Company Stationery Haul and Reviews.

♥ How to Make Money Online By Answering Surveys.

♥ My Handmade Felt Spring Flower Wreaths.

♥ The Cotswold Wildlife Park July 2018.

♥ Erstwilder Brooch Haul.

♥ Cath Kidston Disney Alice in Wonderland Haul.

♥ The World In Stitches Modern Spectrum Mandala Cross Stitch Kit.

♥ The Cotswold Wildlife Park August 2018.

♥ The Famous Five Clothbound Hardcovers by Enid Blyton.

♥ Kimchi and Coconut Australian Animal Brooches.

♥ The Jane Austen Collection From Arcturus Books.

♥ OPI Disney The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Beauty Advent Calendar Review.

♥ Erstwilder Festive Splendour Christmas Brooches.

♥ Christmas To Color by Mary Tanana Adult Christmas Colouring Book Review.

♥ Erstwilder Kitschy Christmas Brooches.

♥ Christmas Fashion and Homeware Haul.

♥ DIY Hobbycraft Nutcracker Christmas Crackers.

♥ DIY Christmas Eve Box 2018.

♥ DIY Retro Reindeer Christmas Cross Stitch From Mid Century Maude.

♥ DIY Christmas Pudding Pom Pom Wreath.

♥ DIY Easy Christmas Hoop Art.

2018 was also the year that I gave the blog a whole new look with a Pipdig blog design. It helped me fall back in love with my blog all over again, and I still love it all these months later. It was one of the best blogging decisions I've ever made, as it not only looks so much better than my old crappy layout, but it helped rekindle my love of blogging, too! 

I loved blogging for you guys in 2018, and I just want to say a big thank you for all your support last year. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, share my posts, leave me such lovely messages, and follow me on social media! It means so much. It amazes me that anybody would want to read my blog, much less enjoy my content, so knowing you guys do makes all the time, effort, and hard work that goes in to blogging worthwhile! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You guys are amazing! I hope you'll stick around in 2019!

I don't know what 2019 will have in store for me or my blog, but I can't wait to find out where it will take me. What I can tell you is that I'm going to work hard to make Polka Spots and Freckle Dots as good as it can be, and produce more quality content that I think you'll enjoy and want to read. I'll talk more about that when I blog my goals for the year later this week, but if there's anything you'd like to see more of on the blog in 2019, do let me know in the comments!

So, 2018 is behind us, and 2019 has just begun. I hope it's an amazing year for all of us, filled with happiness, good health, great experiences, wonderful people, a little bit of wealth, and everything else you may be hoping for.

Happy New Year!

101 Christmas Instagram Story Ideas

Over the last year or so, Instagram Stories has become one of the most popular social media platforms for content creators and social media lovers alike, and it's not hard to see why. It's great for sharing little snippets from your daily life, promoting your work, and connecting with your followers on a more personal level. It's definitely my favourite channel for sharing little moments of my life with you guys.

It can be difficult to know what to share on Insta Stories, but with the festive season upon us, the possibilities are almost endless. You can post photos of your Christmas decorations, show off your present wrapping skills, make everyone hungry with your beautifully decorated Christmas cookies, share photos from your Christmas outings, and so much more. 

If you're hoping to utilise Stories more this Christmas, but are in need of some inspiration to get you started, never fear; I've compiled a list of over 101 Christmas Instagram Story ideas to give you all the ideas you need!  Y'know, 'cause I'm good like that.

Here's my 101 Christmas Instagram Story ideas:

1. Your goals for the festive season or your festive to-do-list for the day.

2. A peek at your Christmas organiser, planner, or bullet journal pages.

3. Shopping for your Christmas tree.

4. Decorating your Christmas tree / home for Christmas.

5. Your beautifully decorated Christmas tree.

6. A peek at rooms in your home decorated for Christmas.

7. The wreath on your front door.

8. Twinkling Christmas lights.

9. Your favourite Christmas decoration(s) and what they mean to you.

10. Share the scene while you're shopping for Christmas decorations.

11. Your Christmas decorations / homeware haul.

12. Local Christmas lights you love / hate.

13. Visiting a Christmas market.

14. Share a daily reveal of what's in your Advent calendar.

15. Share what Christmas movies you're watching.

16. A list of your favourite Christmas movies.

17. What festive books you're reading or festive books you love.

18. Write a mini festive book review.

19. Share a Christmas playlist or what festive songs you're enjoying.

20. List your favourite Christmas songs.

21. Take that cliche shot of your seasonal coffee or hot chocolate. (Bonus points if it's in a Christmas takeaway cup!)

22. Christmas cocktails you're enjoying.

23. Photos taken while you're baking and decorating Christmas treats.

24. Christmas food you've made or a festive recipe.

25. Festive food you're eating and enjoying.

26. A Christmas meal you're about to tuck in to.

27. Foodie gifts / hampers you've made for loved ones.

28. Shopping for Christmas craft supplies.

29. Progress photos of a Christmas craft you're working on.

30. Show off a Christmas craft you've completed.

31. Relaxing with a Christmas colouring book? Show off your colouring skills!

32. Share some festive art journaling you've done.

33. Photos of festive art you've created.

34. Links to Christmas blog posts / vlogs you've published.

35. Tired arms full of shopping bags.

36. Share Christmas bargains you've found and where from. (Gifts, decorations, food etc.)

37. Compile some Christmas gift ideas.

38. Post photos taken while you're wrapping presents.

39. Show your followers what gift wrapping supplies you're using.

40. Photos of your Christmas gift wrapping skills.

41. Presents under the tree.

42. Share a snap while you're writing your Christmas cards.

43. Reveal what festive mail you've been receiving.

44. Share what's on your Christmas list this year.

45. Post a festive make up look. (Bonus points if you add a tutorial).

46. Share some Christmas nail art or a festive manicure.

47. Your favourite festive make up or nail polish products.

48. Festive beauty products you're enjoying like Lush bath bombs or The Body Shop shower gels.

49. Christmas outfits you're wearing.

50. A photo of yourself looking glam in your party-wear.

51. A photo of yourself in a Christmas jumper.

52. A photo of yourself in your Christmas PJs.

53. A photo of yourself in a Santa hat.

54. Share a peek at your Christmas novelty bags.

55. Show off your Christmas jewellery collection.

56. Feature your favourite Christmas accessories.

57. A cosy shot of yourself relaxing in your Christmas slippers.

58. Take a snap of your Christmas bedding.

59. Enjoying a festive night in? Share the scene.

60. Having a festive pamper night? Show us how it's done.

61. Take your kids to see Santa, and share a cute photo.

62. Visit some reindeer, and post a photo of Rudolph and his friends.

63. Share snippets from any Christmas outings you take.

64. Photos from the Christmas party.

65. Document your journey as you're travelling home for Christmas- but don't take photos or videos while you're driving.

66. Wish your followers a merry Christmas.

67. Show everyone what's in your Christmas Eve box.

68. Your home ready for Christmas on Christmas Eve night.

69. Share that Christmas morning magic.

70. Unwrapping presents with your family.

71. A photo of your Christmas day outfit.

72. Cute shots of your pet dressed up for Christmas.

73. What you've bought your pet for Christmas.

74. Post a photo of your Christmas dinner.

75. Take that obligatory photo of the Christmas turkey.

76. What your Christmas dinner table looks like once it's been set for dinner on Christmas Day.

77. Show off you Christmas table favours.

78. Share your pretty Christmas place setting.

79. Take a photo of your Christmas crackers as they're being pulled over the dinner table.

80. Photos taken while playing board games with the family.

81. Be brutally honest and share any Christmas disasters (past or present).

82. Reveal what you got for Christmas.

83. Talk about the best and worst presents you received.

84. Write a chatty post about a cause you feel passionate about and where your followers can donate / help out.

85. Share info on how to help people in need, and where people can turn to if they need help this Christmas.

86. Focus on what Christmas means to you.

87. Share memories of Christmases past.

88. Know any good Christmas hacks? Share them with your followers!

89. Share your money saving tips for the festive season.

90. Post a few Christmas shopping tips.

91. Take photos or videos while you're ice skating (or enjoying hot chocolate from the sidelines)!

92. If it snows, post lots of images of the gorgeous snow draped scenery.

93. Have a snowball fight and share a video of the fray.

94. Photos of you / your family making snow angels.

95. Building a snowman? Show him off to the world!

96. Take a walk in the snow, and share photos or videos from your walk.

97. Go sledding, and share the memories.

98. Mistletoe hung from the eaves.

99. Holly and ivy.

100. Fir branches decorating the mantle or banister.

101. Festive poinsettias.

102. Buy a bag of hot chestnuts from a street vendor or roast some at home, and take a photo.

103. Your Christmas pudding / cake.

104. Make a chocolate yule log, decorate it, and show it off.

105. A plate of warm mince pies dusted with icing sugar.

106. Mulled wine.

107. Glittery tinsel strung on the tree.
108. Build a gingerbread house and share your creation.

And those are my Christmas Instagram Story Ideas.

You can interpret the prompts any way you like, post photos or videos, and even use most of the ideas for your Instagram feed and other social media accounts, too. How you use them is completely up to you!

I hope you've found this post helpful, and that it's given you a few ideas for how to make your Insta Stories extra festive this Christmas. I'll definitely be posting about many of these topics on my own Stories this December, and if you'd like to follow along. you can find me on Instagram here.

What do you enjoy posting about on your Instagram Stories?

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101+ Summer Blog Post Ideas

I think it's safe to say that summer has well and truly arrived here in the northern hemisphere. The sun is shining, the sky is an endless stroke of blue, and my home feels like the fiery furnace of hell. 

We're currently basking in a scorching 30'C heatwave here in England, and while the sunshine is glorious, I'm not loving the heat and the humidity so much. I feel soooo uncomfortable right now. I'm  seriously thinking about setting up camp in the freezer, and staying there 'til Autumn arrives.

I might not enjoy the summer heat, but there are lots of things about summer that I love, like taking holidays, trips to the beach, having barbecues and picnics, going to outdoor gigs, the long hours of daylight, and so much more. If you're a blogger, I'm sure you'll agree that one of great things about summer is having no shortage of day light for capturing all those blog photos, and also having so many fun topics to blog about. From blogging about your summer travels, to shooting fun summer outfits, creating colourful festival-friendly make up looks, and sharing delicious summer recipes, the possibilities for summer blog content are endless. Really, we're only limited by our imagination, and the adventures and experiences we have this summer. It's the time of year when we can really have fun with our blog content, and I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to creating my summer posts over the next couple of months.

If you're planning your blog's summer content and are stuck for ideas, don't worry; I've compiled a list of 130 summer blog post ideas to give you some inspiration. (I was planning to stop at 101, but I figured it might be helpful to share the other 29 I came up with, too). There are all kinds of ideas on the list from fashion and beauty to lifestyle and travel, so there's something for all kinds of different blogging niches here. Feel free to use as many of these ideas on your blog, vlog, or social media pages as you'd like, and to interpret them however you like. I hope they help you create some killer summer content!

Here are 130 things to blog about this summer...

Lifestyle
1. Your summer bucket list / goals for summer.

2. A look back on how many of your summer goals you achieved. (And how many you didn't).

3. 10 / 25 / 50 things everyone should do before the summer is through. (An essential summer bucket list).

4. A Day In The Life, summer edition- share photos of what you got up to during one summer's day.

5. Photo An Hour, summer edition- take a photo every waking hour of your day and compile them in a post.

6. A list of free or inexpensive ways to have fun this summer.

7. Fun ways to enjoy the light summer evenings.

8. How to have a great summer with chronic pain / illness.

9. Tips for keeping cool in the heat.

10. How to sleep in the heat.

11. Tips for surviving weddings if you're shy, introverted, and / or social anxious.

12. Share your summer homeware wish list.

Travel

13. Talk about your summer holiday plans; where are you going?

14. Blog about your summer holiday adventures.

15. Write about any summer day trips or adventures you take.

16. Share your travel bucket list.

17. 5 / 10 places to visit in your area this summer.

18. Best places to visit in your country this summer.

19. How to have a great holiday without going abroad.

20. Tips for saving for your holiday.

21. How to make some extra cash for your holiday.

22. How to travel on a budget.

23. How to book cheap holidays / hotels / flights.

24. Tips for booking last-minute holidays.

25. Travelling tips.

26. Tips for travelling with chronic pain / illness / disability.

27. Tips for travelling with children / pets.

28. Tips for taking an epic road trip.

29. How to have a great staycation.

30. Ideas for things to do on staycation.

31. Your summer travel essentials.

32. How to pack for a week / fortnight with just a carry-on.

33. How to effectively pack a suitcase.

34. What's in my carry-on?- Show your readers what you've packed in your carry-on bag.

35. What's in my suitcase?- Give your readers a peek at what you've packed in your suitcase.

36. The best holiday you ever had.

37. The worst holiday you ever had.

Entertainment
38. Share your summer playlist.

39. Talk about your favourite summer movies.

40. The best TV shows to binge watch this summer.

41. Your favourite summer reads.

42. Reviews of books you read over the summer.

43. Are you setting yourself a summer reading challenge? Blog about it!

44. What you're currently reading / watching / listening to.

45. A low down on this year's best summer festivals / gigs .

46. What to pack for a festival and what to leave behind.

47. Blog about a festival you go to.

Foodie
48. Share your favourite barbecue recipes.

49. Write about your favourite picnic recipes.

50. Blog some amazing summer recipes.

51. Share your favourite summer cocktail recipes.

52. How to throw the perfect barbecue.

53. How to throw the perfect picnic.

54. Write about a meal you had at a cafe or restaurant this summer.

55. Review a summer menu at a cafe or restaurant.

56. Talk about the best places to grab a bite in your area this summer.

Crafts and Hobbies

57. Share photos of any crafts you've been working on.

58. Blog some summer craft DIYs.

59/ Americans- share your 4th of July craft DIYs.

60. Share your summer photography tips.

61. What craft supplies you pack for your travels.

62. Give your readers a peek at your summer bullet journal pages.

63. Blog your summer stationery haul.

64. Put together a summery stationery wish list.

Blogging
65. A list of 50 / 101 summer blog post ideas.

66. The best summer photo props for your blog and social media photos.

67. How to stay productive in the heat.

68. Put together a summer Instagram round up of photos you've taken during the summer.

69. Share some summer Instagram 'Insta-stories' ideas.

70. Create and share some summer Insta-stories templates for your readers to use.

Body Positivity
71. Compile your body confidence tips for summer.

72. Advice on how to cope with body-shaming this summer.

73. How to deal with body-shaming people at weddings (whether you're the guest or the bride / groom).

74. How to treat fat people like humans (IE. with respect) this summer- and every day of the year.

75. How to love those summer freckles.

76. How to stay cool in the heat while staying covered up (for those who don't feel comfortable flashing the flesh).

77. How to bare your arms and legs with confidence this summer.

78. How to rock that bikini or fatkini this summer.

79. Share your anti-chafing tips and favourite anti-chafing products.

Fashion
80. Share all of those wonderful summer outfits you've been wearing.

81. Tips and ideas for beach to bar / office to beer garden outfits.

82. Wedding outfit ideas.

83. Share your summer fashion wish list.

84. Put together a summer fashion haul.

85. Blog your pre-holiday fashion haul- the clothes and accessories you bought to take on holiday.

86. Your pick of the best sundresses for summer.

87. The best beach bags for summer.

88. The best bikins / fatkinis to choose from this year.

89. The best one-piece swimsuits for all sizes.

90. This season's best summer sandals.

91. The best summer flip flops this year.

92. The best sunglasses out there this summer.

93. Talk about summer's top trends and your favourite pieces for each one.

94. How to make the summer's trends work for you if you're plus size.

95. Your favourite fruity fashion pieces.

96. Share photos of your favourite summer jewellery and accessories.

97. Do a 'What's In My Bag?' post.

98. Give your readers a peek at what's in your beach bag.

99. Show everyone what your summer handbag essentials are.

100. Compile some summer outfit inspiration (from plus size and straight size fashionistas).

Beauty
101. Share your summer beauty haul.

102. Show us your pre-holiday beauty haul- the beauty products you bought to take on holiday.

103. Put together a summer beauty wish list.

104. Reveal what's in your holiday make up bag.

105. Give everyone a peek at what's in your holiday wash bag.

106. Talk about the best sun / sea / swim hair products.

107. Write about the best cooling products for your skin this summer.

108. Give your two cents on the best SPFs out there this year.

109. Tell us about the best heat / sweat resistant make up products for summer.

110. Write about your favourite summer skincare products.

111. Talk about your favourite summer fragrances.

112. Your favourite eyeshadow palettes for summer (new or old).

113. Share your own festival make up tutorial.

114. Share some summer make up tutorials.

115. Create a summery nail art tutorial.

116. Share some summer nail art ideas / inspiration.

117. Write about the best nail polishes for summer.

118. Tips on how to do your own pedicure and get your feet ready for sandal season.

119. Talk about this summer's latest beauty releases.

120. The best travel-sized make up brush sets.

121. Share some effortless summer hair tutorials.

122. Your tips for treating sun burnt skin, and the best products to use to relieve the burn.

Pets
123. Share your knowledge of great places to visit with your dog.

124. Blog about any adventures you take with your pet(s) this summer.

125. Write tips on how to keep pets comfortable and safe in the heat.

126. Share recipes for dog ice lollies.

127. Best places to take your dog for doggie ice cream.

128. How to keep your dog / cat / pet calm during a thunderstorm or air show (if you live near an air field).

129. Dog friendly beaches to take your four-legged friends to this summer.

130. What to pack for your pet for your travels.

And those are 130 things you can blog about this summer.

I hope this post has given you a little inspiration, and helps you create some amazing summer content your readers will love.

What kind of content do you most enjoy reading on blogs during the summer months?

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Polka Spots and Freckle Dots Turns Six

I can't believe my little space on the Internet turned six yesterday!

How did that happen, and where has the time gone? It only feels like two minutes since I signed up to Blogger, created my blog with a generic blog design, and nervously posted my first blog post- an introductory post with a grainy, headless mirror-shot of myself in my favourite black polka dot dress.

When I published that first post all those years ago, I never imagined that I would still be blogging here regularly six years later. To be honest, I expected it to keep my interest for a couple of months at most, until I gradually lost interest and moved on to the next big thing like I had with past ventures like Livejournal and an old Tumblr blog. I had no long-term plans or expectations from starting a blog; I simply wanted a distraction and something to fill my time while I was on bed rest with chronic pain (or "disc injuries" as I knew them back then). 

After six months of being house bound and bed ridden from excruciating constant back pain, I was bored and going stir crazy; there's only so much reading, watching daytime TV, and surfing the net you can do day after day without losing the will to live. I had been reading plus size fashion blogs for six months after discovering the wonderful world of body positivity and fat acceptance on Tumblr soon after becoming ill, and it was through reading those blogs that I found the confidence to begin my own, and start sharing my outfits and love of fashion. Reading those fatshion blogs had gradually helped me to start accepting myself, after a lifetime of hating my body and truly believing I was an enormous, hideous fat freak nobody could ever find attractive, and I hoped that through blogging my outfits, I could work towards self-acceptance, and perhaps even show other plus size people that they could enjoy fashion, too.

If you're a relatively new reader, you might be confused by the mention of outfits, but at the beginning, Polka Spots was actually a plus size fashion blog, with a few beauty posts thrown in for good measure. I shared my outfits, fashion I was loving, fashion and beauty hauls, manicures I had created, and beauty products I had been using. Over time, as my health deteriorated further and I had less money to spend, outfits became less frequent, and it morphed in to an everything blog. I added in lifestyle posts, book reviews, travel posts, health updates, lists, crafts, day in the life posts, home, puppy posts, and more. Posts became more sporadic and less exciting for reasons out of my control, and sharing my outfits fizzled out.

Although it's been a couple of years since I last blogged the kind of content I was truly passionate about and could be proud of on a regular basis, I've continued to blog regularly for six whole years. I've never committed myself to any other hobby, interest, or project on an almost-daily basis with such dedication for this long before, and I'm proud of myself for applying myself to my blog. I'm proud of myself for all the time and effort I've sunk in to this little blog of mine, and for all I've achieved over the years.

Sure, I'm not the best blogger in the world. I'm not the best writer or the best photographer; I don't always write the most interesting posts, or post every day of the week. I don't have a large following, and I'm not a famous blogger making millions from my blog, but I appreciate my small following- every one of you, my readers, even if it doesn't appear that way when I'm slow to reply to comments and messages. I promise I'll get better at that. I always put 110% in to every post I create, and I enjoy blogging, and that's really what matters at the end of the day. 

All I wanted from this blog was a distraction from living life on bed rest with chronic pain, and I've managed to give myself that for six whole years. My blog has kept me occupied while I've been house bound and given me something to aim for and fill my time with every day. I've rarely been bored in six years because there are always posts to write, edit, and promote, flatlays to create, photographs to take, things to tweak, messages to answer, social media to engage in, and so much more. Without this blog to work on, I know these six years would have been much harder to cope with because I would've been bored out of my brain without the distraction. Having something to do every day has given me something to get up for every day, taken my mind off the constant fiery sting of chronic back pain, and provided me with an outlet through diagnosis, treatments, bad experiences with doctors and physiotherapists, and the moments I've been at my lowest. I don't even want to imagine how much harder the last six years of my life with chronic pain and chronic illness would've been without this blog to keep me going, but I'm certain the experience would have been very different and that I wouldn't be the same person I am today. Starting this blog when I did was without a doubt the best decision I could've made.

Over the last six years, I've published 1324 blog posts. That's a whole lot of posts about fashion, beauty, lifestyle, travel, chronic illness, crafts, lists, books, and more. This post makes 1325. I've worked with some wonderful brands, and created work that I am proud of. I've worked hard to improve the quality of my writing and photography, but there's a lot of room for improvement and I doubt I'll ever stop working on that. I've also gained some wonderful readers and made some lovely friends through blogging I would never have had the pleasure of 'knowing' otherwise, and I'm so grateful for that. I love being part of this fantastic community of such talented and inspiring people.

I may have been blogging here for six years now, but I have no intention of stopping just yet. I intend to keep going as long as possible. A week ago, I gave the blog a whole new look with a beautiful new Pipdig blog design, and I'm working on making Polka Spots and Freckle Dots better than ever. I want to do my best to bring better content back to the blog, with more fashion, beauty, and lifestyle posts again; more reviews of products I've been buying and enjoying, books I've been reading, manicures I've been wearing, and when I'm feeling up to it, the odd outfit post here and there. It's time to get back to blogging the way I used to... but better. At some point I'm also hoping to rebrand because I've hated my blog name for about, oh, I don't know, five years, eleven months, and it makes me cringe every time I see it, but one thing at a time...

I don't know where the future will take Polka Spots or myself as a blogger, but I genuinely look forward to finding out, and working on creating lots of new content for you guys. I hope you'll join me for the ride.

Thanks for all of your support over the last six years; it means more to me than you'll ever know.  You guys are amazing.

Here's to the next six!