Candyfloss & Dreams

Category: Lifestyle

lifestyle blog posts focusing on home, lifestyle, parenting, pregnancy, family life and home and style. Home decor and working at home, working at home as a self employed freelancer and blogger. Family lifestyle blog posts including family reviews, family products and saving money as a family. Being a more eco friendly family.

The Plus Size Person’s Guide to Sustainable Period Protection
Ad – This post is in collaboration with WUKA (stands for Wake Up Kick Ass) who have a size inclusive range up to 6XL of period protection pants. I received gifted items in exchange for this post, however all opinions remain my own. You can shop online at www.wuka.co.uk

As a plus size person that wants to make eco concious changes to their life I have looked into as many options as I can for sustainable period protection and wanted to create this ‘start here’ guide to help other plus sized menstruators find comfortable period protection. I was absoutely thrilled when WUKA reached out to me to offer me a chance to review some of their period protection wear because I’ve been wanting to try period pants for a while now. I am also passionate about women in business and companies that get a kick out of breaking down stigma surrounding traditionally taboo issues such as periods.

WUKA have a great range of period protection pants available including a brand new lingerie range which is absolutely wonderful. We already feel a little rubbish when on our periods and sometimes a little bit of lingerie can make us feel better, particularly if they’re comfortable, stylish and have a bit of a pretty edge to them. The new lingerie range is also available in sizes XS – 6XL and includes a high waist, hipster brief and thong option in various flows depending on your personal preferences.

Start Here for the Plus Size Persons Guide to Sustainable Period Protection

Getting sustainable period protection or making the change to reusable period wear is honestly a fantastic solution. There is a real issue with period poverty and alongside sustainability we need to talk about the options around affordable sustainable period protection as well as considering that not everyone can afford or has the facilities to wash and clean resusable period products. As someone that frequently talks about how sustainability needs to include all class systems and consider both financial and time poverty I couldn’t continue this post without mentioning that. However, I do want to encourage any person if they have the means to swap, do to so because they are really simple swaps that will save you money (and underwear if you’ve had a particularly heavy flow!) and I would also encourage if you can donate period protection to any charities hat you opt for plastic free products.

What are my options for a Plastic Free Period?

There are currently a choice of three swaps you can make for a plastic free period depending on your flow and personal preference. However I want to bust the myth that plus size period are restricted in what they can use. More companies are making their period products size inclusive and increasing their plus size ranges as well as catering to different styles and shapes. This is all really encouraging. I am going to talk about Menstrual Cups, Cloth Pads and Period Pants sharing what I think are the cons and benefits of each.

Are Period Pants Suitable for Plus Size People?

Period Pants have come a really long way in increasing their size range and I’m happy to say that WUKA cater to a 6XL which their size guide recommends up to a size 26. They are exactly what you think, pants made for your period without the need for extra period protection such as pads and tampons. Some folks like to combine period pants with a cup or tampon for very heavy days if they aren’t feeling comfortable or they feel they need to adjust depending on their flow type or if they’re just new to period pants. Most of them are black, and have high waist or a midi brief option. The WUKA pants are black with a super soft layers of absorbable material to wick away the blood and absorb it. They are made to be breathable to limit odours and keep you feeling fresh, dry and comfortable.

Caring for Period Pants

Period Pants do not really require much extra work to keep clean and dry. After use it is recommended to give them a quick cold water rinse. WUKA suggests you can do this in the sink, shower or, if like us, you use other reusable products, a rinsing bucket. They can then be washed on a dark coloured garment wash at 30 and air dryed. It is not recommended to use fabric conditioner with reusable products as this can affect the absorbancy of them. They should then be air dried inside out ready to use for your next cycle.

Pros of Period Pants

There are a great range of options available depending on size, flow and comfort style. I personally find them comfortable to wear however I haven’t worn them with my cycle yet so I will update how I found them during my period before the end of the month. I like how they feel, they feel soft, comfortable and doesn’t feel like i’m wearing any extra protection. The WUKA pants fit me nicely and I like that there is a lingerie range on offer too. Some companies also offer a Swimwear bikini brief which allow those that don’t feel comfortable using a cup or tampon to continue finding joyous movement during their period. WUKA period pants are completely carbon neutral plus, and they have recently released their full carbon footprint analysis report which you can find here.

Cons of Period Pants

More sizes are needed to make this truly inclusive for all body shapes and sizes, particularly when considering a swimwear range which is very new at the moment. I did try searching for period protection swimwear and couldn’t find anything above a size 18. Hopefully, sizes will increase making this a fantastic option for plus sized people who want to try period pants. There are menstruators above a size 26 so I hope to see an increase in size inclusivity in the future.
Cloth Sanitary Protection or CSP – Reusable Cloth Pads

The second option is CSP or cloth pads which are probably the most size inclusive as they work exactly the same way as disposable pads do. I have personally been using cloth pads since the birth of my son, now three years and I am really glad I made the swap. I have a collection of around twenty cloth pads now ranging in size, flow type and shape. I have got mine from small businesses on Etsy and have a preference for fleece lining as they are the most comfortable for me. Like period pants cloth pads work by wicking the blood away from the skin into absorbable layers. They are cared for in the same way as period pants when rinsing, washing and drying. Some individual garment businesses use excess fabric to make CSP which is great for reducing waste.

Pros of CSP

No need for a particular size, you shop based on your flow and if you want nighttime (longer/bigger) day time and panty liners. Can fit in most underwear and does up with a popper. Very easy to clean and feels softer than a disposable pad. I haven’t needed to replace mine in three years and find the absorbancy still very good. I love that you can get funky patterns for your period protection and can support a small business.

Cons of CSP

Some menstruators don’t like the feel of a pad so it’s down to personal preference. Depending on colour and how well you rinse them they can stain. Need a good stash depending on your flow which can be a high expense at first.

Using A Menstrual Cup/Disc as a Plus Size Person

I will be completely upfront and honest here but I don’t think cups are for me. I personally never really liked tampons anyway but that is not to say that a Plus Size Person can not use a menstrual cup and I would still like to give it ago in the future particularly as I love to swim and feel my current options restrict me from this during my period. The feedback from friends has been that a cup has been ‘lifechanging’ for them and if it means we can embrace plastic free periods and give more options to my fellow period people then I’m happy! The first step is finding a cup that suits you and I recommend the website Put a Cup In It who have a fantastic quiz to help you find, potentially, your ideal cup for your flow and size. Using a menstural cup is similar to using a tampon but does require some flexibility and dexterity. There are lots of options and videos to help guide you exactly how to use your menstrual cup or disc. It should not be painful or umcomfortable to wear. A cup or disc usually lasts around 8-12 hours depending on flow, requires you to remove, rinse and replace during your cycle and should be boiled to sterilise between cycles.

Pros of a menstrual cup/disc

Great for those that like a tampon but it holds more blood so reduces the need for continous changes. Loads of different options for people of all sizes and flow types. Can be inserted with a water based lube to prevent irritation and well, it just makes it easier. Doesn’t require a lot of maintenance to keep it clean. Once you have the one that works for you, you don’t need anymore.

Cons of a cup/disc

Personally, I just can’t reach. I have a belly, short arms and limited flexibility. Being able to self insert at the moment just doesn’t work for me and I don’t think its affordable to continue buying multiple cups just to try and find the right size. However, this does not affect all plus size people it just depends on your own personal limits, arm and finger length.

Is there a ‘best’ option for sustainable period protection

Personally, no I don’t think there is a best option because it is all about what is comfortable for you, your size and flow. Find what works best for you, what appeals to you most and what you can afford. Now I have a mix of period pants and cloth pads I feel like I’m sorted. I’m glad that I don’t have to make a quick stop for emergency disposables if I feel I’m caught short – although I do track my period monthy so I usually know when I’m about to start bleeding which helps. I am all about comfort during what is usually a painful time of the month and I’ve not had a problem with leaking using plastic free period protection which has limited my stress. I am an advocate for plastic free period protection for all plus size people and I hope this guide has helped to encourage you to try resuables in time for your next cycle.
November 9, 2021
Happy 3rd Birthday Felix

I can’t quite believe I have a three year old. Doesn’t every parent say that on their child’s birthday though? Just three years ago we were on our way to hospital which would eventually lead to c-section number two for me, but with the support of Adam and my Doula Sophie and the obsetrician team at Basingstoke hospital Felix came into the world angry and purple. When we had him three years ago we didn’t expect to have to parent the way we have especially over the last 18 months of the c19 pandemic which is half his life. It’s a long time for a little person and it’s been really hard not being able to spend as much time with friends and family in his early years as we normally would have. To celebrate we brought our families together for a windy, and slightly, wet day out at the Hawk Conservancy Trust which was really nice. We had a lot of fun watching the birds flying around and spending time together.

Felix has also just moved up a group class at nursery which he started back in June. It’s been tough as he didn’t have a very consistent few months and was constantly having to take time off because of covid restrictions. However, for the last six weeks he’s settled in really well and has been having a great time at nursery. It’s been nice reading about how he’s doing even though its not been every week. One of the things we worried about most was the fact that he hadn’t had the chance to interact with many other children and we wanted to provide a way for him to do that, make friends and have some seperation from us. It’s been really good for all of us I think and has helped create a bit more of a weekly routine.

I have especially noticed a huge jump in his speech over the last month or so where he is saying words, phrases and sentances and having more of a conversation with us. Things like “Oh let me see” “Let me have a try” and “I go in the lift” are just a few that comes to mind. He fills his sentances with a lot of baby jargon and will give his toys voices and characters when playing which is really lovely to watch. He also loves to draw and colour, mostly on Procreate on my iPad but we’ve also got him his own box of colouring pencils and crayons now for him to be artistic. He doesn’t really enjoy certain textures or messy play with his hands so I’m starting to notice some sensory reluctance for him. He seems to love things like kinetic sand and playdoh but does not like sticky/slimy textures. He loves being in the water and his confidence when swimming has really improved. I want to take him much more.

We are thinking as well now he’s three to look at a physical activity he can get involved in regularly like tumble tots, gymnastics or dance classes. I wish I had found something for Evie early on like this as it would have been great for her but co-parenting with someone 100 miles away made it quite difficult with stuff on the weekends as it wouldn’t have been consistent. I don’t have that issue with Felix so it’s something I want to seriously consider looking into over the next month or so and enroll him in before we are allocated extra hours for nusery. My hope is it will give him a little more structure and routine during the week and increase his confidence, expression and find a love of movement.

Anyway, a very happy third birthday to my little man. I’m so thrilled to celebrate you.

October 4, 2021
A Family Autumn Bucket List to Celebrate Fall
It is that time of year again; my favourite time of year. I used to feel Spring was my favourite season but actually I love the cosy sink into Winter that September and October bring. It’s the time of year I feel I have the most to celebrate having two Autumnal babies, I feel the most productive and feel just generally really good. The last two years my blog has taken a bit of a backseat because of the global pandemic – I can’t pretend it hasn’t affected me both negatively and positively but I have felt a distinct lack of motivation and actually, that’s made me feel really sad. I’ve always loved writing so I am hoping I am able to tune into my potential ADHD hyperfocus and get lots of posts written and generally be productive – make this blog actually look like it’s as active as it used to be. If you’re stuck on ideas of things to do you might want to check out Experience Days who have a great range of fun family activities in Hampshire.

Why do people make bucket lists?

I think it’s a way to focus and be in the moment. I know that seems a little bit contradictory by making a list and scheduling in things you want to do but there is an ASMR worthy satisfaction at ticking something off a to do list. Also, things have been really shit for me healthwise – both mentally, and physically thanks to my dodgy eye and having had a Brain MRI which really scared me. I feel compelled to schedule that time in with my family, to do things together to make some memories, take some photos and actually enjoy part of my favourite season. I also think like I need to push myself a bit and get out of my own comfort zone. Awaiting for an ADHD assesment is going to be a long process and I’m trying to put lots of positive steps in place at the moment to help me and trying to get things scheduled in to make changes but I find it very hard. On the other hand I find this really, really frustrating because I feel like I’m getting in my own way of doing things I want to do but physically finding it so exhausting and overwhelming. This is a lot of babble, but it does help. I’ve always said getting the words out of my brain and onto paper – or onto this blog – helps me to deal with life overwhelm.

There is something so calming and peaceful about walking through the woods on an autumn day

So I wanted to make a bucket list of things I want to do during my favourite season which will be opportunities to multiask as I can create blog content, vlogs, and take lots of photos to stick in our family photo album and scrapbook. I wanted a list of things I could tick off whilst I am in waiting mode for health care appointments and therapy. I wanted to give myself something to look forward to and give us all a little reduction in screen time. And focus on my blog and get new posts written. It’s a whole thing and actually I’m really excited at having a few little day trips, photo sessions and moments of creativity to look forward to.

Our Family Autumn Bucket List
- Walks and photos in our local woods and forests collecting pinecones, conkers and autumn leaves
- Pumpkin Picking at our local Pick Your Own farm
- Celebrate Felix’s 3rd birthday with a day at the Hawk Conservancy Trust
- Doing a spooky photoshoot with Felix in the woods
- Making some food with the pumpkins we pick: I want to do stuffed mini pumpkins, pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie. I love pumpkin food, I love pumpkin spice (yes, I’ve had my seasonal PSL from Starbucks too)
- Carve a pumpkin for Halloween
- Getting Evie and Felix a Halloween costume
- Take some cosy autumanl bookish flatlays and photos for Instagram
- Take Felix to his first fireworks display (if there are any on) for Bonfire night
Felix spotted a bat sculpture on one of our forest walks

We have a couple of lovely local woodlands in Hampshire and surrounding counties so there will be plenty for us to do, the kids will get some much needed time to run around and have fun and I am sure I can get plenty of lovely photos of them. Some of it is work related but something that I can get creative with. I have wanted to do pick your own pumpkins for a while now and I think that will probably be a bit muddy but def a bit of fun. I think, picking a pumpkin, and making something with it might also encourage my very fussy toddler to eat something. I can’t quite believe we will be celebrating Felix’s third birthday either.
September 21, 2021
Was Getting a Degree Worth it?

Getting a degree as a mature student and full time working parent has been a challenge, but has it been worth it? Adam first returned to University back in 2017 where he studied an Access course at our local college. The course was one years intensive study where he was in lessons around four days a week. He had to do an independent personal project and learn new skills that he hadn’t done before including referencing, research and data collection. It was a completely new experience for him after over ten years outside of education. I think there were many moments of hardship and stress where Adam asked himself is getting a degree worth it?

The Cost of Getting A Degree

It’s expensive. There’s no way around it. Getting a university education is not cheap. However, student finance is an option and I believe you get four full time years student finance available to you. This can be used with a traditional university, a college offering foundation degrees and other institutes of Higher Education such as The Open University. In the UK the first place to apply is through the student finance website and repayment of student loans happens once you’ve finished your degree and are in paid work above a certain threshold. In other countries this works differently and some people choose to refinance their student loans. If this is applicable to you, you can discover more here.

Why Do Mature Students Return to Education

I think there are many reasons why people return to education. For Adam, he had been working in his job for a good few years and was just going nowhere. There was no room for progression and he was so desperately unhappy and feeling unfufilled. He felt he wasn’t living up to his own potential and wanted a career for himself. We wanted to expand our family and move home eventually and it just was feeling like it was impossible. I feel like I’m finally doing something I love being able to work from home and write for a living and Adam wanted something for himself. I remember our conversation about studying and we got an Open University prospectus as Adam knew he would have to continue working through any form of study.

However, after seeing a friend finish an access course and get a place at University, we talked about him actually going to a place of study. It all happened pretty quickly after that as he applied in the July and was accepted to start in September. His chosen study path was Social Sciences and he had to redo his Maths GCSE alongside college. He applied for the course fee through student finance and reduced his hours at work slightly so they wouldn’t interfere with college. It was a pretty hard year financially as during college we didn’t get any financial help, aside from the fees paid, and he had a paycut from work.

I think wanting to change career paths or enable some form of career progression is probably one of the main driving forces when deciding to return to education but sometimes it can just be something to do, having a passion for a subject and wanting to learn more or potentially something for the CV after a career break, or starting a family. For Adam, it was very much about having the qualifications to build a successful, interesting and exciting career, although he didn’t know what he wanted to do, or even full study at University.

Doing an Access to HE course is an excellent pathway for Students that enjoy Classroom Based Learning

Adam felt going into a classroom would be much easier for him rather than completely independent study as it offered some routine and structure. He had a really successful and enjoyable year on his Access to HE course in Social Sciences anr originally applied for a degree in Criminology to five Universities. A couple were local and some were a little further affield. He got conditional offers from each University and eventually decided to study at Winchester as it was the shortest, and easiest, commute via public transport.

Being a Mature Student Might not be the ‘Typical’ University Experience

Adam isn’t a big drinker, partygoer and is pretty introverted as a person so he wasn’t really interested in the social experience University can offer younger students flying the nest and striking out on their own for, probably, the first time. Adam was in his mid-twenties, worked full time, was learning to drive and became a dad during his first semester of University. His plan was to study, come home, sleep when he could and do it all again. The extra financial help really helped us top up his wages but Adam felt a lot of stress and a lot of pressure. Finally passing his driving test in his first year really made a difference for the rest of his University experience, as did when our Son slept through the night in his bed eventually. Despite all of this Adam had a positive experience whilst studying his undergraduate degree. He doesn’t feel like he missed out on anything living off campus and away from busy student social occassions. However, he wouldnt particularly recommend starting a family, starting University and changing jobs all in one month to be the way forward as it was a lot.

Has Getting a Degree Been Worth It?

Personally, I think yes. Adam achieved second class honours: upper division (a 2:1 BA degree) despite a lot of obstacles including studying through homeschooling and a global pandemic. It has not been easy but despite everything he did really, really well. Right now, it’s hard to say in terms of a career because he has decided to stay on at his current place of work whilst finishing his Masters post graduate degree. His degree in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics has built an excellent foundation for his chosen Masters programme in Reconcilliation and Peacebuilding. His hope is that this will allow for an exciting graduate career, a chance to relocate as a family and just build something to be proud of; giving us the opportunity to have a happy and fufilling family life. I know that realistically we are looking at a good few years of him building a career, working long hours but hopefully, the time we can spend together as a family, holidays we can have will make it all worth it. I think, as well, having a personal sense of achievement, especially after not doing so well at school, really helps make it all feel worth it in the long run.

September 17, 2021
Post Grad Study as a Full Time Working Dad

Adam starts his Post Graduate Masters course this week and I am, of course, very proud of everything he’s done in the last few years. It all started back in 2017 when he applied for a full time access course in Humanities and Social Science to enable him to go to University. I wanted to write more about how his degree went, how he acheived a 2:1 degree whilst working full time, becoming a new dad, learning to drive and without leaving school with hardly any GCSE’s. I’m incredibly proud of how he’s managed to get a degree during a global pandemic too.

Studying a degree as a mature student: Adam’s Experience

My partner Adam will be the first to admit school was not his strong point and despite trying, his teachers didn’t have a lot of faith in him. Going back to college to study full time alongside working a full time job and then finding out we were pregnant with Felix was a very busy time. However he did really well, finished his course in the first year and was able to apply to a local University. Oh, he was also learning to drive during this and his first year of University too. It’s safe to say we were pretty busy.

The First and Second Year of an Undergraduate Degree

He originally applied for a degree in Criminology but changed within the first week to a degree in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics. Honestly, I always thought a philosophy degree would suit Adam better because he loves listening to debate, he enjoys hearing peoples reasoning for those big questions and he did pretty well in his first year getting an overall 2:1 for his first year despite everything going on. Felix was born in a complicated way back in 2018, just weeks after he started the first semester, and he was having to commute by train which was stressful alongside starting a new job where he worked all through the night instead of just late evenings. He was very tired trying to be a new dad, study, work and learn to drive all in one go but he did it, and he did really well, particularly in that first year.

His second year started pretty smoothy back in 2019. Semester one was pretty laid back as we had made some family changes – we moved our eldest to a local school as I was having a hard time with the walk to and from post-c-section and Adam was knackered a lot of the time from work. However, he could drive and we had a family car which did really help make things a bit easier as Adam no longer had to leave hours before his lecture which allowed him a little more sleep. Then in early 2020 everything changed thanks to the covid19 pandemic and he was met with offers of extensions, some online lectures and tutorials. He was put on furlough from his hospitality job and finally had the time to study but, we also had to homeschool and its safe to say it was an equally challenging time. Living in a small flat, all of us in one room trying to work and study with the distraction of a two-year-old running about and not being allowed outside much – as well as not having a garden – meant us feeling a lot of frustration, pressure and very much on top of each other. It was hard.

Studying a degree during a pandemic hasn’t been easy but Adam is graduating officially next month

Things of course were a bit different in September, the first semester of his third year. Our eldest was back at school and Adam had a selection of lectures online at home and in person, but in smaller groups. He was still furloughed so his work wasn’t really impacting his study but I feel this weird time and not having the structure of the first year and most of his second year really affected his learning. Third years are tough, with a big dissertation to write and having to rely on your own independent learning for most of it meant having to be very proactive and Adam just wasn’t in that frame of mind. However, he managed to push through and got everything handed in which finally gave him his degree classification. I can not even begin to say just how proud I am of Adam, that he managed to do a full degree and get awarded an overall 2:1 despite a very complex learning process, being a new dad, working nights, learning to drive and a pandemic. The way he just got it done despite so many times of wanting to quit because of how exhausted he was but keeping it up anyway had me completely in awe. He isn’t finished yet and he hasn’t started a new career but he has an excellent foundation to build one now and I think his final year of study; doing his distance learning Masters degree will really help him in building a strong career, and hopefully enabling us to relocate next year.

Masters Degree Application Through UCAS

After handing in his last few assignments in May Adam considered the possibility of doing a Masters degree. He was back and fourth for a few weeks and finally applied a couple of days before the deadline. Applying for a Masters degree in the UK is a pretty straightforward process, especially if you’re returning to your University that awarded your degree. Adam applied through UCAS where he had to set up a post-grad account so he could send through his application. All he needed to know was the course, university, write a personal statement and submit a reference. Adam sent an email to a couple of his lecturers that taught him in his third year to ask for a reference, gave the name and email for UCAS to contact them and then submitted everything. It was actually done really quickly and a conditional offer came through within the next day. The condition was a degree classification of a 2:2. As soon as the results came throgh Adam sent them to the admissions team and the offer became unconditional offering him a place on his post grad masters degree in Reconcilliation and Peacebuilding. Once this was done Adam applied for a postgraduate masters loan through Student Finance. This is a one off amount designed to cover the fees of the tuition and help with some living costs. It is currently just over £11,000 and allows us to pay for our rent and tuition fees for Adams final year of study. It will be added on to his other student loans and payable back when his income exceeds £21,000 per year.

Staring a distance learning Masters Degree

Adam will be doing a distance learning Masters programme at Winchester University which is a little different than his previous years of study. This course is designed to be digital and he’s been really impressed with how quick the team of lecturers have started sharing details of the programme. There’s a facebook group for the students, he will be working on Microsoft Teams, plus the University online module pages. He has already been given his timetable which are all work friendly hours of 6-8pm three times a week. This means even with work he has plenty of time to rest, and study rather than rushing to a lecture after a full night shift. There is no commute which makes things easier and as he had to do the majority of his third year online he already knows how certain programmes work. I think it will be really good for him and whilst it is a good follow on from his degree, the change of subject will be interesting for him.

Postgraduate Masters degrees are graded slightly differently. The minimum pass mark is higher at 50% and you either Pass, Merit or Distinction overall. He has three choices for his big project which include a 15,000-20,000 word disertation paper, an internship or a community based project. I personally think the internship will be the most suitable to Adam’s learning methods and desire for a career but this does depend on how it will affect his current place of work. Hopefully it’s something he can find out about in the coming weeks and I can share more about what an Internship/Consultancy module during a post-grad masters degree actually is and means.

Pin this image

September 14, 2021