I knew once the word got around that we Aussies would come around to how wonderful online shopping has been for the plus size community at large, pardon the pun.    I was so excited about this I just had to write a post about it.  Just in one hour session of GOOGLING I found 4 online stores within Australia.  They have been added to my directory and they are:

www.asiamfashion.com

www.divinegoddessfashion.com

www.aboveaveragedesigns.com

www.enchanted-emerald-forest-designs.com.au  (yet to be added to directory) but I am working on it.

They are fresh innovative and very reasonable in price which made me even more excited to go and shop there.  Girls please take a look at these new sites and let’s support our local stores as many of our business goes to overseas stores and we can change that now that we have more options here in Oz.

I think that as time goes by we will be seeing more and more online stores in Australia that sell Plus Size Fashion and Accessories which will be a huge bonus to the Australian Plus Size Community.  We have come a long way in this area and I am sure that this industry in Australia will grow at a rapid rate now.

Over the next few months I will do my upmost to add as many new stores to my directory for your shopping enjoyment. 

Photo Credit to: anonymous9000

Many of us love using the internet to Google and shop online etc.; however my personal experience has been that sometimes websites you visit SCAM people who put their trust in those websites and you will inevitably lose money.  Some of the checks you can make are listed below but are not always a guarantee that they are safe sites.

• • Check to see if there is HTTPS:// at the start of the  website
  • Contact information
  • Read the fine print
  • Check forums
  • Check Fraud websites to see if they are listed on it

The websites listed on www.big-girls-dont-cry.com have been contacted and I have purchased from most of them personally and haven’t had any problems.  If you are unsure at any time please contact me by email at katly@big-girls-dont-cry.com and tell me your concerns and I will double check those sites out.  If you are still unsure use them at your own risk or pay them the old fashioned way by money order or bank cheque.

I recently Googled a website for movies, I didn’t want to download illegally so I tried to find some site that you pay a fee and then you can legally watch these movies online.  Even after I checked this site out using the above checklist I still got scammed out of $AUD42.00.  The thing that made me most upset is that this site is now no longer in existence so there is no place I can go and contact these people.

I also had to be on hold for 30 minutes to my bank to put a stop on the card and have this replaced.  So let’s recap here: I lost money, I can’t watch these movies anymore, I wasted 1 hour all up on the phone with my bank putting a stop on my card, and as it turns out I think these scum bags will get away with it.

All I wanted to do was watch a few movies legally online and I got more then I bargained for.

For Australian Residents if you are unsure about a site please got to this Australian website that the government has set up as SCAMWATCH.

Australian readers use

http://www.scamwatch.gov.au

USA reader’s use

http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Internet_Fraud.shtml

International

http://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/legat

I couldn’t find an International site so I have used the FBI site for international as they have partners around the world which could assist you in cyber-crimes or at least point you in the right direction.

I guess the lesson for today is look into getting one of those VISA debit cards that you get in the post office which isn’t linked to your bank that you can use online.  This way if you need to purchase something online you can put money into this account at the Australia Post and you won’t be jeopardising your accounts at the bank, so if you have to lose money it won’t be your life savings.

If you have any other fraud sites that you would like to share please email me and I would be happy to post them as a follow up.

Photo credit: quitsmokingtoday2010

Most people that smoke don’t really know what the cigarettes are doing to them. All they know is that they enjoy it and find it a calming and enjoyable experience. Non-smokers on the other hand find it totally repulsive to say the least. Recently 3 weeks ago I quit smoking and it has been quite an ordeal let me tell you. The cravings at times when you smoke were like someone was plucking out my eyelashes. It was horrible to deal with.

The good news is that what I didn’t realise is that due to my weight I thought I couldn’t be active because of that, however what I discovered is that the other day I went to the shopping centre ( I haven’t been for about 1 year), I would avoid them like the plague. I simply dreaded walking around. Now what happened to me this weekend was remarkable, I decided to go and do my shopping and actually wanted to walk around – even if I was in pain doing so. When I got there and walked around I was not in pain and found that I was less out of breath than usual.

This was a miracle in my eyes as firstly I didn’t think I could ever quit the smokes but what was even more remarkable then doing that was the fact that I WALKED, it was exhilarating and made me feel like I was a part of society again and very alive. It was just great and then I started thinking what other things I could do, like walking at the park, walking on the beach with my husband (whom doesn’t ever suggest going anywhere he thinks I could not handle) would have been so proud of me and to see me doing the normal things in life and enjoying it, that would be the main thing.

So the thing is I actually owe this all to quitting, now here comes the bad news and please don’t fault me on this, just listen.

So, whilst I was at the shopping centre doing the shopping I lost my EFT card and when I was at the supermarket paying for my groceries I found that I couldn’t find my card anywhere. So I was thinking what did I do with it, what, what? As I walked into the shopping centre I stopped at the EFT machine to check my balances and what did silly me do, I’ll tell you what I did, I left my card in the machine and took the paper balance sheet.

So whilst I did walking around the shopping centre and enjoying it I was now stressed that I lost my card. I was lucky I had a credit card to pay for the groceries. The bank called my mobile and asked that I call them back. When I was in my car I was on hold for what seemed an eternity and I still didn’t get through. So I thought I will just go home and deal with it then.

When I got home I told my husband what happened and he told me immediately that the police called our house asking me to pick my card up at the police station. As it turned out someone (anonymous) dropped it off at the police station, what a lovely person that is whoever it is. No money was taken and I got my card back, I really needed to pay some bills. When I got my card back I tried using the teller machine but it rejected my request. I rang the bank again and finally got through and they unblocked my card thank God.

Now here is the bad part, I was so stressed at the thought of losing my whole monthly wage that I was shaking and in turn went and bought some cigarettes. I know I know you must be saying, but I have actually been smoking since I got home and all weekend. I realise this has just ruined all the hard work I did for those three weeks and it will be hard to try quitting again, but I think that I can do it again.

So the morel of the story is that you can do anything if you put your mind to it, and quitting smoking will give you more than just clear lungs it will give you your energy back and the will to get out of your comfort zone well that is what happened with me.  Now they say that anyone person can try to give up at least 7 times before actually giving up for good and that each time gets easier and each time you go without smoking for longer.  This is my second attempt.   Wish me luck for my next attempt.

I plan to go fishing, walking and if the weather stays warm even swiming.  You just feel relaxed and free to do what ever you like.

Try it sometime people.

Photo Credit – Family albumn

Most people take for granted that their parents and siblings will always be there, as I found out that I was to lose my both my parents and somehow being so far away from my siblings it feels like I lost them too.  It has been hard for me because we all lived together until I was 32 years old.  We did everything together – picnics, night clubbing, dinners and outings, video nights, drive ins.  Now even though I am only about 1 and a bit hours away it feels like I am in another country.

Everyone has gone on with their lives and forgotten what we all meant to each other.  I though haven’t forgotten and will always treasure our times together even if they have forgotten.  I recently got in touch with some distant family members and I received in the mail the other day 2 DVD’s with footage of my parents, us girls as children and other family members.  It was so good to see my mum and dad happy and healthy again and how they interacted with us kids.  I meant the world to me.

Maybe this year will be a year where we all connect again and realise how important we are to each other and that we are all we have left really.  I hope my siblings feel the same way as I but one can only hope.

I may or may not finish the list but it will be fun to update you as to how I am going with it.  Whether or not I succeed with it is not the point, the point is that I try to fit in a fun action packed year if I can possibly manage it.

I am merely a simple girl with simple goals but I know what ever happens this year that I will do my best and have fun along the way.

What will happen after 40?  Well who knows but that will have to be left as another post.  You may have a list of your own that you would like to share with me and my readers, I look forward to seeing your lists appear on my site.

1. Blog more
2. Complete my book
3. Spring clean the house
4. Catch up with friends and family more
5. Have a dinner party
6. Have a Tupperware party
7. Talk more with my husband
8. Plan my 40^th party
9. Sort out my family photo albums
10. Create a family photo album into a book and give my sisters a copy
11. Sort out my study once and for all
12. Finish a major project at work this year
13. Eat more vegetables
14. Fix the photo frame of the kids and then hang them up in the house
15. Call the plumber to take out the heater
16. Call a plasterer to plaster the hole the heater will leave
17. Paint at least the lounge, kitchen and dining room
18. Pay off some debt so I can buy my King Furniture couches
19. Buy a new rug
20. Call an electrician to put in a fan in my room, some extra power points, a fan in the toilet, some power outside, and a sensor light at the front.
21. Get rid of clothes in my cupboards once and for all
22. Sell my dining table
23. Buy a new dining setting
24. Exercise more
25. Paint the front door charcoal
26. Keep in contact with Lidija
27. Go camping with my husband in our new trailer
28. Give fishing another chance
29. Cook more
30. Learn to bake better
31. Do a photo shoot with Jacqui
32. Wax my eyebrows
33. Wax my legs (finally)
34. Dye my hair
35. Read my Twighlight books
36. Get out of the house more
37. Continue my word of the day in Facebook
38. Book into a day spa again
39. Tell my niece and nephews that I love them
40. Be true to myself

My list is complete; we change, grow and evolve into new people all the time.  I just hope that the next 40 years will be as interesting as the first 40 have been.

Enjoy!!

I am surprised how easy it is to eat Subway or salads and fruit.  I have really enjoyed eating this type of food.  I am also at that point again where I am sick to death of take away food.  I crave a low fat healthy home cooked meal.

Tomorrow night I am making pork cutlets, mash potato and vegies (beans, snow peas, maybe some carrots) haven’t decided yet.  I always grill my meat so I know it will be lovely and I have purchased these cutlets with most of the fat already taken off them.

My aim this week is to just buy loads of salad stuff, as well as actually use what I have in the vegie patch, got some zucchini, cucumber at the moment.  Might be ready for picking this week so will enjoy eating them.  I have also been drinking more water instead of heaps of soft drink which is a small change but a good one I think.

So anyway just thought I would share my thoughts today.

Photo credit : Katly Malgeri

It was my birthday on the 12th of Jan and I had to most wonderful day ever.  I took the day off work and booked myself into www.uniquedayspa.com.au, it was the most relaxing day of my life.   I went onto get the delux pedicure and a hydrobath with coconut milk.  I honestly can’t tell you how relaxing it was and I guess you will have now book yourself into your local Spa and pamper yourself.  The atmosphere is amazing and tranquil, and just the whole place made me feel alive and very relaxed. 

So if you think you are special like I did that day, you should try some of these places around Australia.  I am sure you will love the pamper experience as I did.

Macedon Spa – Victoria

Aqua Viva Day Spa – Victoria

Buddha Gardens Day Spa – NSW

Heaven Spa – QLD

Universal Body – SA

Savoy Baths – Tasmania Hobart

Bayview Day Spa – Perth

ENJOY!!!!

Photo credit : CCapozzi

Dear readers,

I wish you all a safe and happy Christmas and a wonderful 2011.  I hope to write more for you to keep you coming back but until then enjoy your holidays and be safe.

Love Katly @ Big Girls don’t Cry.

Photography is her passion and I thought it would be great to go around Melbourne and take pictures in our wonderful city.  I will keep you posted as to when this will happen.

This shoot will be about the re birth of BGDC and well myself.

Have a great weekend!!