Ooops! Day 17

I really am rubbish at this whole blogging every day thing so I am really sorry, just getting that out of the way first. It's been a pretty hectic week with just a lot of small things going on, nothing major. I've had my usual sixth form, seeing my dad and Rob and doing homework but as it's coming up to Christmas there is just so much extra to do like wrapping presents and writing/sending cards to everyone. It's a lame excuse but I honestly haven't had much free time at all recently oooh and I had a massive tidy and clear out of my room which took for ever!!! 

Anyway back to the writing challenge.. day 17: "what was the first thing you noticed today when you woke up?"

Now... it's currently half 4 in the afternoon and I can't even remember what I was doing an hour ago so this is tough to remember. I'm pretty sure it was how cold it was! Don't get me wrong, I love winter and it is my favourite time of the year but I cannot stand getting out of bed on a cold winters morning knowing that I have to be at school in under an hours time. It's already too hard to get out of bed, but when it is absolutely freezing it makes the job 1000 times harder. 

This prompt doesn't really give much scope to expand on anything so I will just give you a mini university update too.. 

Ok, so I applied to 5 universities and got interviews for all of them (whoop whoop). The first 4 interviews I went to were Cumbria, Chester, Manchester Metropolitan and Edge Hill and luckily I got offered places at all four. They were nothing like I imagined them to be and everyone there was so nice and made me feel relaxed. Then this time last week I was supposed to have an interview for Liverpool John Moores but I declined it before I even went. I wasn't going to spend money travelling there and back and have a whole day of interviews for a university I knew I definitely didn't want to go to. So now it is time to finalise the two universities that I am securing places at - this is the scary bit. Knowing that a choice that I make now affects my next 3 years is just bizarre. The whole of my life and education so far has been to enable me to get to university and it is now just around the corner. I am so nervous yet so excited at the same time!!

I put my first choice as The University Of Cumbria and my Insurance choice (in case things don't go according to plan) is Manchester Metropolitan. I would be over the moon to study at either of these places as they will both allow be to become a Primary School Teacher and that my dream is getting closer and closer.

Fingers crossed for the exams in the summer (and that I will actually blog for the next few days until my writing challenge is complete)

Adios amigos 

It's nearly Christmas!!

Just two more weeks!! 

Yesterday I watched Elf and it has got me completely wrapped up in Christmas spirit and I now cannot wait for my favourite time of the year. The run up to Christmas is always the best - the Christmas markets, the pretty lights, spending time with family and eating turkey yum!

Last weekend me, my mum and sister all put up the Christmas decorations, lit our advent candle and started preparation for the big day ahead of us. Digging out all the Christmas decorations whilst singing at the top of my voice to all the Christmas classics with my little sister is what symbolises the start of Christmas for myself. It's weird how each family has their own little traditions regarding Christmas. My sister never ever puts the lights on the Christmas tree, that has always been my job and it always will be or else there will be trouble. 

Just one or two Christmassy photos from around my house.. 

Baubles on the tree <3

Santa guards the presents well! 

And the tree is up!! 

Is everyone else in the Christmas spirit yet or is the gloomy rain and school putting a dampener on everything at the moment?

Day 10 - Are you holding a grudge?

Firstly, apologies for not doing the Day 10 writing challenge, I was a bit caught up yesterday with the gym, tidying my room (eww) and seeing the wonderful Rob! But here we go, day 11...

Are you holding a grudge?

The simple answer to this is I think is no.

I have held many grudges in my life before and found that they always drain my mood and dwelling on the issues just makes me feel worse. To be perfectly honest, I don't think holding a grudge gets you anywhere in life. Yes there are experiences in life that I have not enjoyed too well and people will always say or do stuff that gets you down but you have to just move on and let it go. I think since my dad left I have realised that there are much bigger problems going on in the world than someone insulting you and getting you down. I totally understand why some people hold grudges, especially those people who like to bottle everything up and not tell other people but sometimes you have to try and find the positives in the negative situations.

- On another note, I watched Frozen for the first time ever last week and WOW I just cannot get the songs out of my head and have watched it since. I have to thank Beth and Jess for introducing me to this wonderful film and at least now I know what the heck you are going on about when you suddenly burst into random song. How cute is Olaf?! Any of you guys want to get me a pet snowman for Christmas?!

Day 9 - What are you passionate about?

For as long as I can remember I have loved music, whether listening to it or playing it.

When it comes to listening to music I like pretty much anything, except for all the metal and "noise" which has no rhythm to it. Whether it's the current artists in the charts like Olly Murs or Taylor Swift or those that not many people have heard of from a country background.. Blake Shelton, Hunter Hayes, Brad Paisley etc. Country music is something that I am passionate about especially however sad that is to admit. The way that the artists write their songs is just beautiful and the sound of the acoustic guitar is just magical. I find that a lot of the current songs in the charts sound similar and all they seem to talk about is drink, drugs and sex - not exactly what you want your younger brother or sister to be listening to all the time.

As for playing instruments, from the young age of 6 I started learning the keyboard and then this progressed onto learning the piano where I eventually (due to my mum nagging me time and time again) managed to gain my Grade 5. I also learnt the recorder for a short amount of time but never really got the hang of it. But my deepest musical passion is the saxophone. I started playing aged 11 and fell in love instantly. The jazzy brassy sound the saxophone makes is just beautiful and it captured my heart. I learnt up to age 16 and finally quit after achieving my Grade 7 to concentrate of my school work and A Levels. The saxophone was different to the piano. My mum used to have nag me every single day to practice the piano but when it came to the saxophone I would jump at the chance to play and could keep playing for hours and hours until my mouth went numb.

Playing the saxophone has led me to the most amazing times of my life.. how many people can say that they played the saxophone on the main concert stage of DisneyLand Paris? ... I can! How many people can say they have played the saxophone in France, Austria, Germany and Holland? ... I can! 

The palace in Austria I played the saxophone at 

Playing the sax in Holland - How short was my hair?! :O

So yeah, I am pretty damn passionate about music and always will be. Not a day goes by where I don't listen to some form of music or another and who knows maybe I will rekindle my love for my saxophone sometime soon. 

Day 8 - What relationship did you nurture today?

What relationship did you nurture today? (warning, most personal blog yet)

Today I nurtured a relationship with my Mum and have done for the past few weeks/months now one step at a time.

To be honest I have never really been that close to my mum, I have always been a Daddy's girl. But last February all that changed. My Dad decided to walk out on me, my mum and my sister for somebody else and it totally crushed my heart. Within the space of about 10 seconds my whole entire world turned upside down and it killed me. Things haven't been the same since, I don't smile as much, laugh as much and I find it harder to trust people.

It had always been me and my dad, and my mum and my sister. When my dad left I felt alone for a very long time. My mum and sister had this wonderful relationship and I felt like I didn't belong one bit. It's taken a lot to nurture the relationship with my mum and I feel slowly but surely it's getting there. The relationship is nowhere near as good as the relationship was between me and dad but it never will be. My dad meant the absolute world to and I wish I could turn back time and try to stop him going because I miss him so so much. The one good thing that has come about from it is now me and mum do get on, we do have lots of conversations which we didn't have before - it was pretty much just yelling and arguing with each other.

It is weird how much life changes in just a short period of time and that those who you always thought would be there for you can just vanish.

People say it will get easier.. it's been pretty much 10 months now and it hasn't got one bit easier at all. I still cry about it about once a week. Whenever anyone even mention my dad my mood drops drastically and I feel my eyes starting to well up.  I still wake up each morning wishing everything was just a dream, I still get nightmares about my dad telling me he was leaving and I wake up with tears running down my face.

Sometimes I want to talk to somebody about it all but then as soon as I start talking I just clam up and words won't come out of mouth. I wish there was a way to end all the pain around it all and just go back to how I was before.

Sorry this was such a depressing post, I just needed to ramble about it sorry

Molly

Day 7 - what do you wish your job was

Apologies for missing a few days out, I've been really busy recently and also a bit ill too :( but back to the writing challenge and what I wish my job was.

My ultimate career as many people know is to become a primary school teacher and I cannot wait for the day that that dream becomes a reality. This dream is getting closer and closer and knowing that if all goes well I will be studying Primary Education in September makes me so giddy. I cannot wait for what the future holds for me.

However, if we are talking weekend and part-time jobs then working at Primark isn't actually that bad. The hours I work (just 4 on a Saturday) means that I get pretty much all the weekend free yet still earning that little bit of extra money to get me through the month. If I was able to completely pick my own weekend job I would be a waitress at a cute little cafe I think. I've always loved the idea of waitressing but not been a fan of the usual hours in the evening and having late nights which would be stop from going to friends parties and meals out with Rob etc. so waitressing in a cafe would be perfect for me!

What about you guys? If you could pick your ideal job what would it be? 

Day 3 - first person I saw today

Wow, I hadn't realised just how hard this writing challenge would be and I am only up to day 3! Remembering that I actually have to blog even when I have nothing inparticular to write about is a bit of a weird feeling as It's not something I am used to and at the moment I have a massive case of writers block.

Day 3 writing challenge - "who was the first person you saw today?" 

Now today's prompt doesn't really lead me into being able to give a massive description and reason behind it. But the first people I saw were my mum and sister simultaneously. I don't usual see either of them before I go to college as they leave the house much earlier than I do. However, today they both decided to have a loud conversation outside my door whilst I was still sleeping so I very politely (ok maybe not so politely!) told them to shut up, move and let me sleep.. They did thank goodness. Now I don't know about you guys, but when I am awake before anyone else in the house (a very rare occasion I must admit) i try my very best to keep noise to the absolute minimum but obviously my mum and sister just decided to scream the house down at an unearthly hour!! Does this happen to other people to or is it just me?

Apart from family the first person I saw was a builder at my house who had come to repair the roof as some tiles fell off in previous stormy weather just above my room and it's letting all the cold in. Thankfully it's getting repaired just in time for the freezing cold temperatures otherwise I'd have frozen to death before Christmas.

My interview was absolutely nothing to have been worried about yesterday, everything went smoothly and fingers crossed the interviewers liked me and decide to offer me a place :)

Challenge Day 2

Today's prompt is "I really wish..."

At the moment I really wish interviews for university were easier. For those of you who know me, you will know that I am applying to study Primary Education at university next year but to be able to do this I need to go to interviews at each uni, I have 3 interviews done and completed and have got two more to go.
I have an interview tomorrow for Edge Hill and although I have had three already, I am still scared stiff!

Before my first interview I thought I would literally be in a room with one interviewer who would ask me questions about why I wanted to teach and that would be it and I could go back home. How wrong could I have been?

Each interview has made me do a presentation in front of a group of other candidates stating problems in education or a resources I could use in the classroom. If I wasn't scared enough of an interview, having to stand up in front of a group of people and talk was just horrendous. Luckily though, looking at feedback from interviewers my nerves haven't shown and from the 3 interviews I have had I have been given 3 offers for places on next years course.

For my interview tomorrow I need to bring in a children's book and give a 5 minute talk about how I could use it in a lesson as well 3 tests (in English, Maths and Science) as well as a one to one interview. The whole process should take about 3 hours so it is much shorter than previous ones I have been to that have lasted me all day.

So wish me luck, I think this is the toughest university to get into out of the ones that I have applied to! I will let you know how it all goes.
Got my fingers crossed!

Moll xx

31 day blogging challenge

This has been something that I have been wondering whether to do or not for a while now and the motivation to start has come from the beautiful Lily Kate France at www.jolihouse.com (check her blog out it is amazing and I read it pretty much every day and have done for a while!!) and it's to do a writing challenge where you have set things to talk about each day. Some will be done in detail and others just quick posts. This one I believe Lily found on Pinterest so here goes:

Day 1:  "Who is your best friend?"

I have the most amazing group of friends in the whole wide world and they are all special to me but there are two that stand out drastically and they are my boyfriend Robert Danson and bestie Jessica Gillibrand.
They both mean the absolute world to me and I cannot imagine life without them. There have been there through the good and the bad, the ups and the downs and I love them both to bits and all the memories they have given me xxx

"If you live to be 100 I hope to live to 100 minus 1 day so I never have to live without you"- 

Winnie The Pooh

Best weekend

So this weekend has been one of the best by far and I have so many people to thank for it. 

Friday night was the end of mock exams and was also one of my best friends 18th birthday party which was insanely good! What looked like a really rough venue from outside was transformed into a lovely space inside with lights and balloons with an awesome DJ getting people on the dance floor and generally having a good time. It was great to celebrate Beth's birthday with all my favourite people and enjoying the food and drink with everyone. 

And then Saturday night was spent at Wesham Road Runners' presentation evening at the Clifton Arms Hotel in Lytham to celebrate all the hard work and dedication that the runners put in each and every week. It was a lovely evening with a 3 course meal (I had soup, chicken and apple   crumble) and then an evening of dancing to follow. Everyone was dressed up really smartly and looked lovely. I absolutely loved my outfit so thank you to Robs mum for getting it me :D I'm also so so proud of Rob for the trophies he won at the event, he's done brill! 

And then Sunday was mine and Robs annual big Christmas shop getting all the bits and pieces ready for Chrimbo so we headed to Liverpool One for the day and shopped till we dropped and then collapsed in Pizza Express for tea.

All in all in was a fantastic weekend but now I am ready to sleep for a week! 

Mock Exam Stress

Tomorrow is the start of mock week and although I have done so much revision for it (well definitely compared to last year) I can't help but think that these exams are putting too much pressure on students and are not worth it. But I think that mock exams have so much benefit and put people in the right frame of mind for education. 

This time of the year is the start of the wind down to Christmas and having a mock week just before hand means that students pull their finger out and get back on top of their work when they may have been slowly sliding downhill concentration-wise. 

Mock exams give you the chance before your real exams to gather all your revision techniques and make sure that they work for you and you remember the information you need. If your techniques don't work then you have enough time before your real exams to make amendments and sort yourself out properly so you can achieve the best grades possible. 

The one main thing that I find beneficial of mock exams is the feedback that you get back from your teachers. In usual homework and assignments you may get a mark or a grade and if you're lucky then a line or two on how to improve. But with mocks it is different, teachers put more time and effort into marking your work and give you proper feedback on how to boost up your grades and how to progress and keep on the right track. 

So to all those who have mock weeks either before or after Christmas, just remember that they are useful and if you put in all the work now then it puts you in a much better position for the real examinations in the summer and try not to stress too much. Good Luck! xx

10 Questions - Disney style

I dedicate this post to two of the most beautiful girlies ever, Jess and Beth who love absolutely everything Disney related! I need your opinions on my answers gals! 

1) Favourite character

Now this one is easy for me and it has to be Donald Duck. He always such a cheeky smile and my favourite teddy is a massive Donald Duck as he's been my favourite since I was about 5 years old and he always will be. 

2) Favourite prince

Although it isn't one of my top films I think that Alladin is my favourite prince as he is clever and seems like a very genuine good hearted person.(Can't believe I am actually doing a post on fictional characters as if they were real, never mind ey?!) Plus you have to admit he is pretty good looking - as far as animated people go anyway! 

3)Favourite princess

Cinderella - I love the idea that the most neglected girl ends up with the handsome prince. It gives us all so much hope doesn't it?!

4) Saddest Death

No doubt that this comes from the Lion King. Mufasa's death is just unbearable and I don't think I will ever be able to get over it. 

5) Best Pixar

Finding Nemo is brill! I love love love love Finding Nemo and aged 18 I even have a Nemo t-shirt that is probably my favourite top ever!! 

6) Makes you cry

I think that goes side by side with my saddest death so it would have to be The Lion King and when Mufasa dies in it :'( 

7) Brings the best memories

I remember when my little cousin was about 4 years old and I was babysitting him and we ended up watching The Jungle Book on repeat at least 3 times and every single time he smiled his gorgeous little smile and watched with intent. 

8)  Favourite song

This will forever be Go The Distance from Hercules. Since I got the a Disney CD from a young age I have loved and  loved this song regardless of the fact that I have never actually watched this film. 

9) Favourite villain

I think the step-mother in Snow White is my favourite - don't know her actual name, as a young kid she really used to freak me out and at panto I used to hide behind my hands when she came on. The "Bring back her heart in this box" used to scare me, but now I find her rather entertaining - like who chooses poisoning an apple as a way to kill someone?! 

10) Favourite quote

Now this one comes from the man himself, Mr Walt Disney: "If you can dream it you can do it. Remember that this whole thing started with a dream and a mouse". It makes me wonder that just one man's dream has brought so much happiness to millions of children around the entire world and that it just started off as one little wish. If that isn't inspiring then I don't know what is! 

What is your favourite Disney film/moment?!

Leave your comments if you like, feedback is much appreciated 

xx

Everyday we should remember..

Last Tuesday, 11/11 as many of you know was Remembrance Day, where as a nation we take just a couple of minutes to pause and remember those who gave their entire life for our country and for our lives especially in the first world war.

Just two minutes a year is spent to remember those fallen heroes who went through so much to make Britain a safer and better place. Their endless bravery and courage deserves so much more recognition that it actually generates. It is their bravery that gave us the gift of freedom and we really need to appreciate this more than just a brief period each year.  

Over 16 million soldiers died in just WW1 alone and these heroes left families and loved ones to help the country. So I challenge you all to just remember those who have given their life to make the country a much better place for more than just 2 minutes a year!

"They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we shall remember them"

Why I love this time of year

We've just had Halloween and Bonfire night and now I believe it is officially the countdown to Christmas and my favourite time of the year

I though I would give you a list of my top few Christmassy and Wintery favourites!!

1) Snuggling up and having duvet days in a onesie and a toasty hot chocolate - there is nothing more comforting lounging around without a care in the world in front of an open fire whilst it pouring down outside keeping all warm and dry.

Onesie time!!

2) Christmas lights and fireworks - I don't know if it is just me but I find fireworks and lights pretty magical and Bonfire night is one of my favourite nights of the year by far.

3) Family re-unions - I always thought my family was really close but then it dawned on my recently that I really only see them around Christmas and we exchange gifts and eat a LOAD of food! Since we've all got older we don't see each other as much as I'd like and I always count down the days till I get to see my lovely cousins and uncles/aunties.

4) Christmas songs - It is only the 10th November and already I am holding back playing Christmas songs. They just instantly brighten my day and put me in a much happier mood

5) Giving and receiving presents - Now I think that everybody likes to get presents but I also really enjoy the satisfaction of giving a loved one a gift too. The look on someone's face when they love something that you put so much effort into finding is just so worthwhile.

6) THE FOOD!! I don't know why turkey is only really popular during the Christmas period, I love turkey so much and always eat so much I feel like I am about to pop.

7) My boyfriend has loads of time off work - Now this definitely does make me happy. Usually when I have time off sixth form like in summer then Rob still has to work but in Christmas he takes more time off and I get to spend more time with him and it makes me happy happy happy :D

Christmas with Rob

8) Christmas films - Watching all my childhood favourite films brings back so many happy memories from when Christmas was so so special and I still believed that Santa and the reindeer ate the mince pies, carrots and beer that we left out for them. Elf has to be the best film to ever exist and I watch it ever single year!!

Ban Photoshop

53% of 13 year old girls are unhappy with their bodies a survey found, and when aged 17 this number increases by over 20%. The majority of these girls compare themselves to pictures they see of celebrities and models that they see in magazines and they want to be skinnier just like them.

I do understand that magazines use Photoshop and airbrushing to make their products - mainly clothing - look more appealing in the hope that more people will purchase them but surely there are much more negatives surrounding Photoshop than there are benefits?

Photoshop and airbrushing leave teenagers with an unrealistic idea about what the "perfect body" should look like and this can lead to them feeling ugly and worthless and can lead to things much more severe such as depression and eating disorders. Trying to obtain the "perfect body" is never going to happen as the photos of models in the magazines are not real and have been edited by the latest computer software.

If you look at Cara Delevingne, one of the leading ladies in the modelling industry, it is clear to see the problem. At a height of 1.76 metres and weighing just 51kg this leaves her with a BMI of just 16.4 putting her at the lowest side of the spectrum and classified as severely underweight. This is NOT healthy and girls aspiring to look like these models do not realise the drastic effects that being this underweight can give you. Being this underweight damages your health, immune system and bones as well as giving you a lack of energy and in the future may lead to fertility problems.

Cara Delevingne

More magazines should start to follow "Seventeen" who as a magazines aimed at female teenagers have taken the "no Photoshop pledge" to stop giving the idea to young teenagers that being thin is the most important thing. They should instead use real life celebrities with more curves such as Holly Willoughby, Beyonce, Adele and Jennifer Lawrence to show that personality, intelligence and talent is much more important than how thin you are and the way you look.  

Holly Willoughby at a much healthier weight 

Education systems need to realise....

After such a lovely week off for half term it was finally back to sixth form me today and I realised that none of the subjects that I take are actually going to help me in my later life and career.

I take psychology, business studies and religious education and none of these will help me to become a primary school teacher.

Why cant more places of education offer more vocational subjects? And why are BTECS seen as less academic than A Levels? 

More vocational subjects should be made available to students and they shouldnt be pressurised into taking more subjects than are deemed necessary for their course. If you want to be for example a fashion designer then surely textiles is the main subject you need to focus on and you shouldnt need additional subjects which are irrelevant to achieve your dream ambition.

Aged 16 you should start to be able to make your own decisions about which subjects you want to take and which you dont and I think the educational system needs to realise this.

Rant over.

Recent purchases

Within the last week I have been to London and also been shopping in my hometown Preston and decided I would share some of things that I have bought recently..
The first is a new iPad Mini case, my old was was starting to wear out and look a bit scruffy. This lovely sparkly one was from Topshop and has much more protection to the screen than my older one. Remember Topshop offer student discount for those still in education.

Topshop tablet cover

I have a mini-obsession with anything cute and cuddly so I couldn't resist this teddy bear from Harrods when shopping in London. How cute is he?!

Harrods's teddy

It is officially November and that means that it is nearly Christmas time so thought I would get in the spirit by buying this jumper to get me in the Christmassy mood, and for only £12 from Primark it was a real bargain!! Also from Primark I bought some plain long sleeve tops (just £2.50 each) that can easily be layered as we head into the coldest months of the year and also some bobbles (50 for one pound) so I can start to be a little more adventurous with my hairstyles - something I have wanted to try for a while.

Jumper and tops from Primark

Also to keep me warm I purchased a knitted cardigan from New Look. I love oversized jumpers and cardigans so bought this one 2 sizes above my usual size for that comfy and relaxed feel.And finally, for those who know me well, you will know I absolutely love Jack Wills and I especially love their leggings so when in London I just couldn't resist these either! I LOVE THEM!!

New Look cardigan
Jack Wills leggings

Two blogs in one day.. I must be ill - LONDON TIME

On Tuesday I arrived back from one of the most amazing short breaks ever and it was in my all time favourite place which of course has to be the one and only LONDON!!! :D
London has always been special to me, it is a place filled with happy memories from my childhood and to be able to share this place with Rob was just fantastic. We stayed for three nights, one at my cousins and then two in a hotel.

Day 1 - This was spent at my cousin Lucy's flat and we just had a pizza and nibbles night catching up and watching the X Factor which was just perfect after a long day of working and travelling.
Day 2 - Today we went to the Tower Of London with my cousin to look at the all the ceramic poppies which had been planted to remember those who died in the First World War - one poppy per person in the English colony to have died. It's hard to imagine that all those people died fighting for their country and seeing all the poppies there just put it into perspective.

Day 3 - This has to be my favourite day of the whole trip. We started it off with a walk around Westminster looking at the House Of Parliament and all the sights in that area and then went on the London Eye. Rob had booked a Champagne Experience even though neither of us actually like champagne (oopsy). But we had such a fantastic time, the fact we had the champagne experience meant we had Priority Tickets and didn't have to queue to get our tickets. We went on such a sunny, clear day which meant that we had the best views!!
In the evening we went out for a pizza and then headed to the theatre to watch Mamma Mia and it was Rob's first theatre experience and thank goodness he liked it or he would have killed me :P Mamma Mia is such a feel good performance and it was just fantastic

Day 4 - Our final day was very relaxing. We started off with a breakfast at Starbucks and then we took the tube to Harrods. This shop is absolutely manage and even though we seemed to be there for ages we didn't even manage to get around even half of the shop! Imagine being able to go into that shop, not have to look at any of the prices and being able to buy anything that caught your eye - a girl can dream can't she! We then wandered around the market at Covent Garden and then caught the train back home to rainy Preston :(

Thank you for all the memories London, we will be back again shortly!

Celebration Time

So, as a few of you reading my blog may know, my dream career is to be a Primary School Teacher. My applications have all been put in place and now it's time for the universities to decide whether they like me or not.. it's a nail biting couple of months ahead I think.
But there has been some good news, two of the unis that I have applied to - Cumbria and Liverpool John Moores have already invited me to an interview. My first one is coming up a week today and I am so so scared about it, but I have my fingers crossed and I keep researching ways to be more prepared - the joys of the internet and modern technology ey?
Today I got one step closer to achieving my dream. To be able to start your Initial Teacher Training course you must first past two exams, one in Literacy and one in Numeracy. Today I took both of these tests and passed both :D
 I am so relieved that they are over and I do not need to resit either of them, it now takes the pressure off me for a bit!
So yeah... if any of you are wanting kids in the future, then who knows, I may be teaching them at Primary School :P

Keeping it short for now,
Goodbye!!

Holiday Blues

So, this time 3 months ago I was in Salou with the most amazing boyfriend in the whole wide drinking cocktails and enjoying our first holiday abroad together and right now I have holiday blues.
I miss the lie ins, the sun, the food, the company, the pool, the drinks. I MISS EVERYTHING!!!

It was the first time that I had been on holiday without my parents and it was the best holiday I have had. Being able to avoid all the places that the older generation typically like made it the most enjoyable company and whereas my usual holidays are packed full of different activities and visits, it was lovely to just sun bathe and relax by the pool.

And to cure my holiday blues I have been looking through all my photos and thought I would share a couple with you...

Enjoying the pool on the first day

Our first night in Salou at the hotel's cocktail bar

Smiles all around

I <3 this guy

I miss Salou so bad :(

What to do with £1000

My school have just introduced a scholarship scheme where you can achieve amounts of £250, £500 or £1000 for your effort and attainment in school and it got me thinking what I would realistically spend that money on if I achieved the maximum amount of £1000!

1) Clothes, clothes and a few more clothes - £100
A girl can honestly never have too many clothes, I can say that a a huge proportion of the £1000 would definitely go on clothing, mainly skirts and dresses as I am getting more and more into the girly side of fashion rather than just jeans and a tshirt like I used to

2) Michael Kors watch - £200
I think this watch is absolutely perfect and I have wanted it for so long. I am absolutely useless at saving money and to be able to just go out and buy this watch would make me so happy!

3) Holiday - £250
I have already booked a holiday to Malta for next year and started saving up but if given £1000 I would be able to afford the remaining £150 needed to pay this money off. I would also put some more money aside to take my boyfriend for a lovely weekend away and spoil him rotten like he does with me

4) Treat my mum and sister - £100
My mum does so so much for me without even thinking twice and if I won this money then I would love to either take me, her and sister out for a huge posh meal or take her for a spa day or something to just say a little thank you for everything she does for me.

5) Give to charity - £100
I know in the scheme of things, £100 does not do a lot but to be able to know that I have made a difference to the community would be such a valuable achievement. I would split this money between Fox Street Community Centre (a local charity to myself) and also to Cancer Research as the work they do is just extraordinary and it has helped many people close to my heart.

6) Save for university - £200
I'd keep this money aside for when I start university so I can get the relevant textbooks and also if there are any university trips that would benefit me then I would use it to help pay for those too.

7) Have a big night in with friends - £50
My friends mean so much to me and I love them so much so to be able to get them all together without them having to worry about costs etc. would be great and we'd all have such a good laugh.

So there you have it... lets just hope I get the money ey? :P A girl can dream!

Out in town!

I have recently started going out around town at night seen as all my friends are finally starting to turn 18 and are now allowed into all the clubs and I have to say every time that I have been out it has met up to it's expectations.
I don't know what I was initially expected, probably a load of really really drunk people all trying to hook up with each other and the occasional fight going on, but it was honestly so much better. I went with two of my best friends Charlotte and Beth and we had a fantastic time. Yes we had lots to drink but because none of us drank to excess we all had a great time and didn't have the emotional drink, throwing up, or anything that else that tends to happen when you drink more than you can handle.
I also met up with my boyfriend in town that night who had also been into town with his friends and seeing his drunk dancing was rather amusing - plus he tried to convince me that he was sober when walking home and consequently fell off the pavement!!!
At the start of the night I had my hair in a half up, half down style to keep my hair out of my face but for some unknown reason my bobble ended up coming up and I don't remember how so ended up having my hair down and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be with all the dancing and getting hot and sweaty!

As for my outfit I didn't really know what to wear, I didn't know the club we were going to so didn't know if everyone tended to dress up really nicely or went quite casual. I played it safe with a playsuit - I also feel more confident in a playsuit when dancing as opposed to a dress. This one is from H&M, was a real bargain and was perfect for a night filled with dancing. I also took a denim shirt from Primark to keep me warm in the taxi on the way home, but during the night I just tied it around my waist out of my way. For shoes I just wore navy blue canvas trainers, I have never got the hang of heels and didn't want to risk wearing them as it would have been highly likely that I would have fallen flat on my face within 2 minutes, let alone without having any alcohol.
I'm on the far right in the picture!

Overall it was a fantastic night and I cannot wait for the next time I go out with all my friends! 

Liverpool John Moore University Open Day

It's got to that time of my life where I need to start thinking what to do for the rest of my life, whether I want to go to uni or not, and if so what course and which uni.

I already know that I want to be a Primary School teacher and therefore I need to do a Primary Education degree so now the only question is - out of all the hundreds of uni which do the course, which is right for me?

To help make my decision easier I visited Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) which is right in the centre of one of the nicest cities ever. The city had such a vibrant feel to it, you were right in the middle of everything and the students helping there were so nice and helpful, always free to give advice. LJMU will definitely be in my top 5 that I apply for in October!

These are my 5 top tips when choosing the uni:

1. Go to the open days - the university may look good online or in the prospectus but you can't get a feel for the uni without actually going to visit, ask yourself "can I see myself living and studying here for the next 3 years?"
2. When making your 5 top choices on UCAS, go for one ambitious choice (if you want), 3 reasonable choices, and one safe option. For example, if you're expected to get 3 B's at the end of the year, then maybe apply for one asking AAB, 3 asking for BBB and one safe one asking for BCC. Then fingers crossed whatever your grades there is still somewhere for you. 
3. Look at how many of the students are in further study or in employment in that area, this gives you an idea of how well the students are doing and therefore how good the course is. For example, if only 63% are in education or employment after finishing the course at one uni, and another is 95%, it is much more probable that the latter university is better. 
4. The location is really important. Do you want to be near home? Or would you prefer to be miles away at the other end of the country?! Also, do you want to be right in the middle of a big city - Kings College Uni London, Manchester Metropolitan, Liverpool University, Aston Uni Birmingham. Or would you prefer somewhere much quieter such as Durham, Warwik, St Andrews? This varies person to person so don't just go somewhere just because someone else has recommended it. What they love you may hate. 
5. And finally, don't worry!! If when you get to uni you know it's not right then transferring is usually no problem and won't affect you that much at all. 

Have any questions or want advice then just comment below :) 

xx

Top 10 things in my life

Ok, so this is a countdown of the things in my life that I love the most:

At number 10:
School - However sad this seems, I genuinely love school. Having previously been in a school that I hated and I hardly got on with anyone there, the one I go to now is such a fresh of breath of fresh air and I have never been in a place where I actually find learning fun and I actually (sometimes) look forward to the lessons. I bet I have totally gone down in your estimations now :P

At number 9:
Patterned leggings - I have to admit when it comes to leggings I am a bit snobish. I'd much rather pay for a brand that I know the leggings are not going to be see-through and show everything. So all the printed leggings I own are from Jack Wills and it is my favourite shop in the world. Leggings are a must for me because they are so comfy and can easily jazz up a plain and simple outfit quickly with minimal effort.

At number 8:

My childhood teddies - Without a doubt if my house was on fire and I only had a couple of minutes to go and save something from my home then I would head straight to my teddy bears. At 18 years old I still line all my teddies up down the side of bed in height order, they all just hold different memories and I cannot imagine me ever getting rid of them. 

At number 7:

Going out - I love to socialise with my friends whether this is going for a coffee, cocktail, watching a movie or just meeting up with each other. For those that live anywhere near me (Preston, Lancashire, England) I highly recommend going to 'Kuckoo', it is the best place to get cocktails and the music that they play there is just amazing. If you're stuck for which drink to go for, then I recommend 'Rainbow Road', not only does it come with glowsticks in it which is pretty damn cool but it is so so so nice with such a fruity taste. Here is me with one.. 

At number 6:

My phone or iPad - I have put these two together as for me they are both the same as I just use them to contact people through various forms of social media. 

ps: follow my twitter here: https://twitter.com/Lifeasateen96   

I recently deactivated my facebook as I realised there was too much bitchiness happening on it and it just seemed to be full of messages from all the pages that I liked about 5 years ago and I rarely saw anything useful on there that was any interest to me. Everyone that I want to talk to I have on other forms of social media and I also have their number so I just found it irrelevant to have anymoe. 

At number 5: 

Onesies - Whoever invented these, I salute you! Not only are they fantastic for fancy dress parties but they are the comfiest things in the world. The only downside is when you are desperate for the loo and then you have to get practically naked. I currently own 4 onesies: a plain blue one, a tiger, a gorilla and a reindeer. I suggest the best place for you to get one is Primark, they are really cheap and last for ages. (Obviously not being biased - I work at Primark). Check out these Santa and reindeer ones :D 

At number 4:

Nandos - For me, this one does not need explaining. Nandos is just heaven. I know there are critics who say "its just chicken" or "it's too expensive". But number 1 - I LOVE CHICKEN. And number 2 - THE CHICKEN IS WORTH IT! I go quite regularly to nandos and have never deviated from what I order: I have a half chicken, at a medium spice with chips and garlic bread. I really should be more adventurous as there are many things I know I would like on the menu but now it is like a tradition that I order the above. 

At number 3: 

My bed - I think that this would be high up for most people on their list. I find it so hard sleeping at a bed anywhere else, whether at a friends or in a hotel. Nothing will ever compare to my bed and whenever I am away for a night or two, the first thing I do when I get back is just lie in bed. In fact, I think I spend most of my time in bed, I am in bed now writing this as well. My mattress has just the right amount of bounce in it too and is perfect for jumping on - although I still get told off for this :( 

At number 2:

Music - Whether playing music or listening to it, music has been a part of my life since I was tiny. At nursery my favourite songs were 5, 6, 7, 8 by Steps and Barbie Girl by Aqua. I used to sing Barbie Girl all the time and everywhere, I'm sure I must have said the lyrics all wrong as I am sure my parents wouldn't have allowed me to sing the correct lyrics aged 3. Right now though, my favourite artists are Loveable Rogues (have you checked out my review for them yet?), Olly Murs, Cheryl Cole and Ella Henderson - her song 'Ghost' is fantastic. Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA8AfQaUnXM

I also play both the piano and the saxophone to a Grade 7 standard. Out of the two of them my saxophone is my favourite and it has allowed me to play in concerts around Europe including Germany, Holland, Austria and DisneyLand Paris. 

And finally.. at number 1

It has to be my friends/family/boyfriend - They mean everything to me. My family mean the world to me, and not just my mum, dad and sister but my cousins too or are more like brothers and sisters to me. We are all such a close unit and stick with each other through everything. My friends are also always there for me and I couldn't wish for any better friends at all. And my boyfriend, Rob, is just fantastic and my world, I honestly do not know what I would do without him. 

Monthly favourites - June

Ok, so I have decided that on the first day of each month I am going to highlight my three or four favourite items of the previous month and give mini reviews on them and why they have been important.

So to start off this month, I have Avon Skin So Soft. Now this stuff is fantastic! It's a dry oil that I use as a moisturizer and as a substitute for after sun. As it is an oil is can get quite slimey but the job it does is just fantastic. It instantly soothes the skin and when applied onto sunburn gives instant relief for the burning sensation. Another bonus is it contains something (no idea what) that acts as an insect repellent to keep all the bites away. Would recommend to anyone!

Secondly, I have my Dorothy Perkins sandal jellies for just £13 and they are the comfiest shoes I think I own. They are perfect for short walks, going out and just as everyday shoes too. At a reasonably low price they are so worth the money and I think an essential - there are many different colours to chose from if you don't like the mint colour.

And finally, Uncle Ben's Mexican rice. I have to admit, I am not the world's biggest rice fan but when I saw these pouches of rice on offer I thought I would try the plain rice and go for something different - the Mexican. And after trying it for the first time, I think I have been converted. The mix of spice is just right and it is neither too bland nor too spicy. This can be teamed with many things, whether with a curry or as a side to fajitas, I did the latter and it was possibly the best meal I have ever cooked for myself.

Review of 'The Loveable Rogues' EP

Ok, so for those that know me well, you will know that one of my favourite bands of all time is The Loveable Rogues. Some may not have a clue who they are but for others the name may found familiar to those who watched Britain's Got Talent back in 2012. Right from their first audition of 'Lovesick' I was hooked (below)

I have seen them twice live; once supporting Olly Murs in concert, and thanks to my boyfriend for getting me tickets for Christmas, again when they did a small headline tour this year - I saw them in March. They are honestly fantastic live and there was such a great atmosphere around where you could get really close as they only performed in small venues. 

So we have Sonny, Te and Eddie (left to right) who are all so so talented and if I say so myself sexy as heck! Having listened to their songs Lovesick, What a Night and Talking Monkeys when their new EP came out I HAD to purchase it and it is one of the best albums that I have ever bought. Their EP includes 4 songs which you have to check out now:

• Honest
• Would I lie to you?
• Say you love me (live version)
• The Only One Who Knows (live and ft. Tich)

You can check out their youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/LoveableRogues

Leave any feedback or comments about them!! 

As always check out Sarah's blog: http://tinkertaylor-x-wonders-why.blogspot.co.uk/ she's a beauty

Why have I started to blog?

Ok, so I have just finished my AS exams at school - for those wanting to know, the subjects that I have taken are business, psychology, religious studies and product design. And I have realised that for what seems like ages, I have a lot of spare time on my hands and instead of just lying in bed watching films all day I have decided to make use of my time and start to blog.

And I owe the urge to start blogging to a girl who went to my high school, her name is Sarah and she is fab!! You can check out her blog TinkerTaylorx here:  http://tinkertaylor-x.blogspot.co.uk/ and her YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/TinkerTaylorx 

Here we are together in Austria .....

So yeah, after reading her blog for the past couple of months and watching her first ever video, I was inspired so here's to the future....