What a week!!

Last Monday night, I sat down to blog. I spent a good hour or two selecting the perfect photos and choosing the words that expressed exactly what I wanted to say. When I thought everything looked perfect, I hit "publish" and then went to check my shiny new post out. And there and then realised that it was an utter disaster. Lines of text were layered on top of each other making my words a garbled mess that was impossible to read and the formatting of many of my pictures was just "off". And try as I might, I couldn't get it to look right. So finally, frustrated beyond belief, I gave up, saved my post as a draft and determined to come back to it the next day. But then life took over...

Last week was long, busy and stressful and definitely one that I was glad to see the back of come Sunday night. That isn't to say there weren't any good times, there always are, but last week was definitely dominated by the negative aspects; the major one being that last Thursday a member of my drama group, who I also considered to be a friend, lost her battle against cancer. This lady was one of the bravest, strongest and most inspiring women I had ever met and whilst we weren't especially close, I still feel her loss. It was an honour to have known her and I feel privileged to have shared a stage with such an amazing lady. I know that every performance of last week's show was for her.

Yes, that's right, we also performed our annual panto last week. With performances on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights and two shows on Saturday, things were certainly busy and made all the more emotional by the events described above. So when our 'director' (I use the term lightly) decided to create a huge fuss over nothing during the interval of the Saturday matinee, which caused people to break down in tears, it was pretty much the final straw. Whilst I don't like to criticise; I have never directed anything myself after all, it seems to me that she isn't really much of a director at all. She ignores half of the work we do at rehearsals, and very rarely has a positive comment to make when she is paying attention. She doesn't take anyone else's ideas onboard when making decisions and uses her position as head of the committee as an excuse to do whatever she likes. Her bossy and highly strung nature have made what is meant to be a fun way of spending your free time a task which needs to be endured. She said she was leaving after the last show, and to be honest, I think we'll all be happier now she isn't directing anything again for a while.

But in the midst of all this sadness, negativity and weariness (I was absolutely wiped out by Sunday), there was some good. We pulled together as a group, supported each other through the hard times, the sadness and confrontations and showed that if we work together, we can make it through. As I've said before, we're more than just people with a common interest, we're friends and it's never been more evident than this past week. And I know that, because of this, our future as a group is bright and we can look ahead with optimism. Bring on the next show!

 I also managed to find some happiness in the little things last week, which always helps, and this is something I'll be talking about in an upcoming post, so what I'd like to find out from you is what are the little things that make you smile? How do you pick yourself up when you're in a bad place? Let me know, as I'd love to hear from you! Also, if I get enough responses, I might share some of them so if you don't want this to happen, just make a note of this in your comment too.

'Til next time...

Last week's Highs and Lows

Yes, I know it's Wednesday and we're nearly half way through this week already, but I'm really aiming to make my "Highs and Lows" posts a regular series again, so I'm starting as I mean to go on! Better late than never, that's my motto!

And so on to last week...there were a few seemingly small, yet meaningful highs mixed with a couple of definite lows but, most importantly, it was a positive one overall and I ended it looking forward to the week ahead :-) . So without further ado, here's what had me beaming from ear to ear or down in the dumps last week:

Highs

• Finding £60 I'd forgotten I had: I was looking for something,opened one of drawers and bam...there it was! A quick check with my mum later, and I established that it was definitely mine to keep spend. :-) Exactly what I needed in these tight financial times!

• A couple of shorter (and quieter) afternoons at work: Last week, the 5 year old boy I act as support worker for had a couple of taster sessions at the school he'll be starting in September. And as his support worker, I accompanied him. The upshot of this was a happy little boy...he loved joining in with all the activities the school had to offer and was really keen to get on well with both his new classmates and the staff working there, as well as a very happy Julie! My afternoons were pretty much stress free due to his excellent behaviour (a radical departure from some days at the nursery) and the fact that I only worked half my usual hours for the two days, but was still paid for the full afternoon each time, made them even sweeter. A definite high in my book.

• Midweek curry night and making winter plans with friends: Last Wednesday night, a few friends and I headed to our local pub for their curry night...curry with all the sides plus a free drink for a bargain price and I'm definitely in! We ate, we drank and also made tentative plans for the winter weekend away I discussed in this post. All in all, it was a lovely relaxing night, perfect for recharging our batteries midweek, and something that I hope we'll repeat sooner rather than later.

• Baking for the first time in AGES: Over the last couple of months, my weekends have been so filled with job applications and other things to get done that any plans to bake have fallen right by the wayside. But last Saturday, with no job applications imminent, I decided to get my baking head on and made 2 batches of flapjacks; one with sultanas and cherries and the other with chocolate chips. Both were delicious (if I do say so myself!) although I don't think I added quite enough liquid to the choc chip batch as they ended up harder and more crunchy than the fruit ones; they kind of reminded of Nature Valley bars. Very tasty, but not so good for your teeth!

• Spending time with the cutest class ever: Last Friday, I had a job interview and whilst I was at the school I had the opportunity to meet one of the classes. And oh my gosh, they were amongst the sweetest children I had ever met. Bright, friendly and full of fun, they had a knack of making me feel instantly at ease and I absolutely adored the time I spent with them. Plus I walked away with a number of pictures they'd made for me, which is always a reliable measure of a good day at school in my book!

• A couple of long lie ins: Whilst I don't have to get up too early for work in the week, I do have to set my alarm so I really appreciated just being able to sleep until the time nature intended last weekend. After 9:30? Don't mind if I do!

Lows

• Not getting the job: Before last Friday, I'd had 2 other job interviews this year. I was unsuccessful on both occasions, and whilst the rejection stung, I wasn't overly upset, probably because I wasn't 100% sure that the jobs or schools were right for me. Friday was different. I really wanted the job. Then I went to the school, met the children and wanted it even more. Everything just seemed to fit: the role I'd be taking on, the ethos of the school, the welcoming attitudes of everyone I met plus the fact that I thought my interview had gone reasonably well. And then I got the call (well, actually the answerphone message as I was working at the time the headteacher rang): I hadn't got it. And let me tell you, it hurt. It hurt like hell. I'd wanted it so badly and there was nothing I could do. Except cry and feel like a massive failure (which I did). And then I dusted myself down and waited for feedback (I'm still waiting now). And so the job hunting starts again...

• My grandad going into hospital: My grandad has been in and out of the hospital over the past week and a half or so. Nothing major but after 3 hospital trips in 4 days, mainly due to minor falls, they decided to keep in him for a few days whilst they worked on his mobility. He finally came out of hospital today, and fingers crossed that, with his new mobility aids and a few adjustments that have been made at his home, he won't be making a return journey any time soon :-)

And that's pretty much it! Hope you're having a good week so far...I'm already thinking of things that can go on my next highs and lows list!!

'Til next time...

Thursday Thoughts...

otherwise known as the post where I don't know what to write, so I just have a bit of a ramble! We all write those kinds of posts from time to time, right?? Well, I hope so! :-) And before I ramble any more than is truly necessary, here's a list of my thoughts from today:

• I'm so looking forward to coming out of 'quarantine' tomorrow. It'll have been 10 days since my symptoms became fully apparent and I was diagnosed with suspected mumps, and according to the information I've read, that means I'm no longer contagious!! I've been pain free for a few days, my face is pretty much back to normal and I'm raring to go :-). My plans so far include a driving lesson and a drama group rehearsal, and I may even pop into town for a Starbucks (I've not had one for ages!) and some window shopping.
• Another thing I'm looking forward to doing again is baking. I've not rustled anything up for a while now, firstly because I was busy with work, and then because I was scared of infecting the food with my mumps germs but now I'm raring to go again and already thinking about what I can make. So far I'm thinking along the lines of a buttery Madeira cake, but I'm open to suggestion. Do you have any ideas?
• And another baking related thought...I'm not quite sure how long I'm going to be able to resist buying this:

Yes, it's the Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days book which has recently been released. Now I know that I'm short of cash at the moment, and I've already got more than enough cookery books, but there's no getting through to me. To put it simply, I'm in love. In love with the beautiful photography featured on its pages. In love with some of the amazing sounding recipes that I've heard and read about. And when you add to this the fact that I've had some fabulous results from using the first book, and I know it's only going to be a matter of time. It's just a shame that it's nowhere near my birthday or Christmas!! :-(

• I've realised that I'm in need of a haircut. It might not seem like an essential especially as I only had a trim a few weeks ago, but believe me it is!! If I have to wait another 6-8 weeks, it'll be practically unmanageable :-( And there's no way I'm going to my friends' N and M's wedding in just over 3 weeks with a bird's nest on my head, it's just not happening! And breathe...! :-)
• I'm thinking of holidays and wondering if some friends and I will be able to get away for some sun, sea and sand for a few days at the end of May/beginning of June. I know I might not be in the best position financially, but I could really do with a holiday...it's been far too long.
• Yet at the same time, I've also been thinking about work. After a kind text from the headteacher at the school where I worked until just over a week ago, I've been once again reminded of what a fantastic group of people the staff were and what a happy time I had working there. I'm going to miss them all, and hope I'll be lucky enough to find another school that's as welcoming.
• I just love the nautical look (and have been rocking my own interpretation today). I think it's classic yet chic, sophisticated yet easy to put together and the colour palette is one of my favourites...I'm so glad it comes back every year :-)

And these are my Thursday thoughts. What have you been thinking about today?? Don't be shy...I'd love to hear from you!

Till next time...

Smile...it's Friday!!

Hope everyone's feeling happy today...after all, the weekend starts here!! I had a bit of an up and down start to this week, but things really settled down and I've had lots of things to smile about. Here are some of them:

• My sister Amy's fantastic exam results: she got an A, 7 Bs, 3 Cs and 2Ds, and I was so proud!! I was also smiling about my other sister K's test results: she achieved an A and 3 Bs and I'm sure she'll do really well in her exams next year.
• My Grandad feeling much better: On Monday, my grandad was admitted to hospital suffering from a bad chest infection. After visiting him on the Tuesday, my family and I were really worried as he looked so ill and didn't seem himself at all, but luckily, by Wednesday his condition had started to improve and now he's practically his old self again :-) He has got to stay in hospital a bit longer, just so the medical staff can keep an eye on him, but he'll hopefully be home early next week.
• Going to the Comedy Store with friends: I had a really good laugh and it was also a break from the norm. I think I'll definitely be going back more often in the future.
• A long conversation with a friend after they'd given me a lift home
• Finding amazing images on we heart it (yeah, that's where the one at the top is from too!!)...it's turning into my new obsession, along with Frontierville!!

And fingers crossed the smiles won't stop there, as I'm looking forward to a (3 day!!) weekend full of friends, family and fun. And I hope that everyone has a fantastic weekend ahead too, whatever you're doing. Till next time...

Highs and Lows of the Week

I've not done one of these for a while, so with that in mind, and also because it's the end of the week, I thought I'd share my highs and lows of the past 7 days. So, without further ado, here they are:

Highs

• Time spent with friends: Most of my evenings this week have been spent in the company of some of my favourite people aka my friends! Whether we've been at the cinema, at a party or just relaxing by watching DVDs and having a chat, I've had a fantastic time and I know their company is something that I really value; basically I'd be lost without them!
• Good films: Over the past week, I've watched some amazing films. There's been Toy Story 3 at the cinema (I cried...proof that I have a soul!!), Stand by Me on the big screen at Spinningfields and Spaceballs and The Goonies on DVD at my friend's house. All very different...but all great. I have a feeling that I'll be adding some more DVDs to my collection once my buying ban is up at the end of the month!!
• The fantastic weather this weekend: If you're a frequent visitor to my blog, you'll know that I've recently been bemoaning the terrible weather we've been having over the last few weeks. Well, the weather fairies must have been listening to me because the last two days have been glorious. Sunny, but not too hot...the perfect weather for sitting outside and reading my book or for going for a leisurely walk. Hopefully it'll last into next week too!!
• A fantastic driving lesson: My last driving lesson was one of those blessed ones where everything just came together. I even managed to get my bay parking right twice in a row!! Now I just need to book my test...hopefully before I have a terrible lesson and lose my confidence!!
• Stress-free shopping: On Friday, one of my closest friends and I had to go shopping to buy a present for our friend's 21st birthday. As her party was that evening, our schedule was pretty tight, and I was half expecting the trip to be fraught with tension, as we rushed from shop to shop to find the perfect gift. But no...it was one of the easiest gift shopping trips I've been on in a while. It turns out that we had similar ideas on what to get, so selecting the gifts was a breeze. And we even had time for a well deserved Starbucks before heading home!!
• The summer holidays: I'm currently half way through my summer holidays, and even though I've been moaning about the weather, I've definitely been enjoying the freedom to stay up late, without having to worry about being up early for work the next day :-)

Now I'm meant to write about my lows, but to be honest, I can't really think of any!! So I'll leave it here for today. Till next time...

Operation August: Goals List Update (Week 1)

Well, the first week of August is almost over, and I thought I'd round it off with an update on how I'm doing with my Operation August goals so far. To be honest, I haven't made as much progress as I'd have liked, but as the saying goes, "Every journey begins with a small step"... and hopefully I'll be making a few more next week. But enough beating around the bush...here's what I've achieved so far:

Senses

• Well I haven't bought any new DVDs this month (well except for "Shutter Island", which was part of my friend's birthday present), but I haven't made any progress in getting through my collection either. Hopefully, I'll watch more next week!!
• There's been no real progress towards my other goals in this category...a few half hearted efforts perhaps, but that's about as far as it's gone!

Social

• As I blogged about on Friday, I got to see Blues Brothers at Spinningfields on Thursday night, which means I'm half way towards my goal to watching two films there. Yay!!
• I met up with a good few friends last night for one of their birthdays. It was good to catch up with people I hadn't seen for at least a couple of weeks, but I still feel like I should be making more of an active effort to stay in touch with my friends, rather than waiting for events to take place.

Mind and Body

• I think I've managed to get in my required exercise this week, even though I haven't been overly active. I've taken a walk most afternoons or evenings...it's one of my favourite forms of exercise as I love the fact that I'm out in the open air.
• I sorted out one of my wardrobes on Monday in preparation for Tuesday's shopping trip, and managed to clear out quite a few things to go to charity (either to clothing collections or to a local charity shop). However, that's only the beginning of my task...I've got another cupboard and some drawers to go yet!!
• I have managed to blog everyday this week...if only just!! My aim for next week is make more time for it so that half my posts aren't just 5 minute rush jobs when I'm panicking!!

And that's pretty much it...I haven't bothered to blog about the goals in the "professional" category because I haven't made any progress towards them...fingers crossed I'll have more to report next week!! And now, all that's left for me to say is hope that you've had a good week and relaxing weekend. whatever you've been doing!! Till next time...

Half way...

through my week's holiday, and I seriously don't know where the time's going!! I may get another week off after this, as some of the local authorities don't go back until 14th June, but I don't want to put things off, just in case I don't. Anyway here's a round up of what I've been up to so far:

• Going to rehearsal and then going for a birthday curry for one of my friends in the drama group on Friday night.
• Having a rather chilled Saturday: I visited my Grandad, made a monster batch of Rocky Road with Amy (I doubled up so there was a tray for home and a tray to take to my friends' Eurovision party!), went for a walk, had a gorgeous (if sinful) takeaway, then finally made my way over to my friends' house for Eurovision fun!! We really got into the spirit of things with our scorecards and sweepstake (I picked Moldova and got nowhere!!) and had a great laugh at some of the ridiculous entries!! The only downside was the fact that the UK came last...AGAIN :-( I've got to admit that our song wasn't great, but there were far worse songs in the competition. Darn political voting!!
• Trying to find as many distractions as possible so I could avoid doing job applications on Sunday...I know they need to be done, but I just wasn't in the mood at all!! And spending the evening watching SATC2 with one of my closest girl friends...I'm not going to give anything away just in case there are those of you who still haven't seen it, but suffice it to say I much preferred the first one. If you have seen it, what did you think??
• Making up for my laziness on Sunday by spending a good few hours on a job application on Monday, and then meeting up with friends for a chat, a drink and a curry for tea :-)
• Going on another Primark shopping spree yesterday...pictures to follow shortly!!

And now we're up to today...and nothing much has happened really!! I've been struggling with a headache for much of it and time's just seemed to fly by without me not doing very much!! Fingers crossed that the rest of the week will go by a little more slowly...I've got so much still to do!! Hope you're all having a good week whatever you're up to, and till next time...

PS: I've been thinking of doing some baking posts, but I don't know if you guys would be interested in them. I don't want to be a copycat or unoriginal and I know there are loads of baking blogs out there but as I'm baking on a more regular basis it seems weird not to be posting about it! Let me know what you think!!

Highs and Lows

I've been meaning to post this all day but, despite not working today, have only just got round to it now! So very quickly, as I'm wanting to go to bed shortly, here are my "Highs" and "Lows" of last week:

Highs

• Fantastic weather: The UK got its first taste of summer last week, with glorious sunshine and temperatures in the mid to high 20s (Celsius obviously!!) and it was heavenly!! If only we could have that for 3 months every summer, it would be perfect!!
• Summer clothes: The gorgeous weather meant that I was also able to break out my summer clothing for the first time since last year...summer skirts, brightly coloured dresses, denim shorts and sandals, I didn't realise how much I'd missed you!!
• Free shopping: As you'll probably all know, I love shopping, and I love it even more when my purchases don't actually cost me anything!! A couple of months ago, I got a new mobile phone, and as a free gift I received some HMV vouchers, which I finally spent last week. I bought 4 DVDs, and they didn't cost me a penny! Then, on the same shopping trip, I decided to treat myself to an iced coffee from Starbucks which, you guessed it, was also free courtesy of some coupons they'd sent me earlier in the week! I still have a couple of their vouchers left over, so am hoping to be getting some more free coffee sometime soon!
• Another interview (and some useful feedback): I know I've already blogged about part of this point, but last week I received a letter inviting me to a job interview in a couple of weeks. Yay!! I also had an interview itself last week, and whilst I didn't get the job (boo!!), I did receive some genuinely useful feedback and advice from the school's headteacher, which I can hopefully put to good use next time around!
• Good news from the dentist: I had my first dentist's appointment in over a year last Friday, and was a bit worried about the state of my gums, as on my last visit there had been some concern that I was showing the early signs of gum disease, and I'd hardly been diligent in following the treatment programme my dentist had recommended. Luckily, this time around my gums were fine, even if another problem was discovered (more about that later!)

Lows

• An annoying sore throat: It first reared its ugly head last Wednesday, and then stuck around for Thursday too. It seemed to have disappeared by Friday, but made its presence felt again as soon as I started to sing at rehearsal on Friday night :-( Then the weekend passed with no incident, but guess what happened at Monday's rehearsal...?! Just go away and stay away please!
• The downsides of the heat: Namely, stubbing and cutting my little toe whilst wearing my gladiator sandals on Saturday, having to shave my legs practically every day to get away with the bare legged look and getting an annoying bite/heat lump on my right ankle!
• Not getting the job: It sucked. I had a mini 5 minute meltdown. Nothing else to say about that one really.
• Bad news from the dentist: I need a filling. And my teeth cleaning professionally. And neither of those things come cheap (in my opinion, anyway!)

And that's about all of them! I suppose I could have added in the "low" of someone wearing the same dress as me when I was out on Saturday, but I suppose it was qute funny looking back, and my friends all told me I looked better than she did anyway :-) Thanks guys!!

Till next time...

Highs and Lows of Last Week

So it's that time of the week again...you know, the one where I share the highs and lows of the past 7 days. It seems that this is pretty much all I've been doing lately...hope you're not getting too bored!! I'm hoping to inject a bit more variety into my posts over the next few days, but for now, you're just going to have to be content with this! ;-) :

Highs

• Another week off: Last week was the second week of my Easter holidays, and it was great to be able to get up late and wear what I wanted for the second week in a row, even if I didn't do anything very exciting with my time (find out what I was spending the majority of my time doing in my Lows!)
• Spending time with one of my favourite guys: Now, that doesn't mean any exciting dating/relationship news...I'm talking about H, my friends' 15 month old son!! Basically, H's mum and dad (my friends Nix and M) were meant to be watching another of our friends in a play on Friday night and H's nana (Nix's mum) was meant to be babysitting. But due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland, she, along with Nix's stepdad, brothers and sisters,was stuck in the Canary Islands!! So Nix sent out a distress call...and along came Auntie Julie to the rescue! I was feeling very apprehensive at first, as I'd never spent any time alone with H before, and this wasn't helped by the fact that he started crying when he saw his mum and dad driving away! But I needn't have worried, as he soon settled down and was an absolute gem for the rest of the evening. He smiled, chattered away, shared lots of his toys and drank an 8oz bottle without any fuss!! I just hope I'm as lucky when it comes to my future children!!
• An evening at the theatre:...especially when the play I'm watching features one of my friends! On Saturday night it was my turn to go and see the play that I mentioned in my previous paragraph...and it was amazing!! Gripping, emotional, darkly funny, with more than one twist thrown in for good measure...if ever "Knife Edge" appears in a theatre near you, my advice would definitely be to check it out, even if your production doesn't have my wonderful actor of a friend Nick in it!
• Kick Ass (The film and the shot)..."There's a Kick Ass shot?", I hear you ask... Well yes there is, but more about that later!! First of all, I'll talk about the film. I heard great things about it, and when Amy and I saw it on Thursday, neither of us were disappointed! I loved the humour, the music, pretty much everything about it to be honest...even if lots of the content was pretty disturbing if you stopped to think about it for too long! And I've got a new heroine in Hit Girl...oh, to have even half the attitude that she does!! ;-) And now onto the shot...after the play on Saturday, Nick, I, and a couple of other friends headed into town and our first stop was Baa Bar. As it's famous for its shots it would have been rude not to have any (!), so as soon as we arrived we headed straight to the bar and consulted the menu. And that's when I saw it...there was a Kick Ass shot (which consisted of tequila, blue curacao and something red...I think it was strawberry?!) and like the film, it was pretty damn good! My only complaint is that it wasn't the proper Kick Ass colours (green and yellow lol!) but a girl can't have everything I suppose!!

Lows

• Job applications...After last week, I'm sick of the sight of them! As I had a lot that needed to be submitted by either this Friday (23rd) or next Monday (26th), I decided that I'd try and plough through as many as possible so that I didn't have too much to do once I got back to work. And whilst I'm relieved that I managed to complete 4 of them, I can't say that it was an enjoyable task! Gone are the days where applying for a job just meant filling in an application form that took up a couple of sides of A4. Now my forms can be anywhere between 5 and 15(!) pages, and that's before I even have to contend with the personal statement! 2-3 sides of A4 where I explain what a fabulous teacher I am, and why the school should be rushing to snap me up! And even though it might save me time in the short term, I've discovered to my peril that there's no point just writing a generic statement and using it for every school...it doesn't get you anywhere!! :-( So I'm writing pretty much a new statement for every job, and hating most of it...although I must admit there's a delicious irony in saying how enthusiastic and motivated you are, when in reality you can't think of anything worse than writing yet another new statement!! Although the tedium is all worth it when I finally finish...or when I get that elusive interview :-) Fingers crossed for more coming my way soon!!
• A terrible driving lesson...Now when your driving instructor gets a new car, you might expect your first lesson in it to be a little less than perfect, right? Wrong...mine was absolutely fine. So, when it came to my second, I wasn't unduly bothered, so (according to Sod's Law) it makes perfect sense for it to have been truly awful!! I stalled so many times I lost count...including once on a roundabout, and several times when I hadn't even realised I'd stalled at all...until I came to move, that was!! I had terrible difficulty finding the gears, and kept putting the car into the wrong one, resulting in a horrible burning smell coming from the clutch!! I forgot when my handbrake was on and when it was off...need I continue?! According to my instructor, everybody has those days every once in a while, but it still didn't do much for my confidence, especially as I'm meant to be booking my practical test very soon (eeeeek!)

And there's another edition of my highs and lows. Stay tuned for a new "What's in my Wardrobe Wednesday" post tomorrow...I've got lots of ideas, so expect it to become a regular feature once again!!

How fine it is...

to not have to set your alarm for work the next day and to be able to wake up just when it suits you! I think that's one of my favourite things about the weekend, and luckily for me, I'll be able to indulge in this little pleasure all next week too, as I'll be on my half term break! :-)

It's been a lovely weekend so far...my days have been quite lazy and chilled out and last night I went to see "Les Miserables" in town with some friends. The show was fab...I'd been to see it in London years before, but I couldn't remember most of it so was seeing it with fresh eyes, just like my friends who were first timers. The acting and singing was amazing...the strength of the whole company performing together was phenomenonal, and some of the songs so catchy that they're still in my head today! For me, however, the best thing was the set design...I can't sum up how fantastic it was, my advice would just be to see it for yourself! After the show, we grabbed a few drinks and spent a couple of hours laughing, talking and generally putting the world to rights before heading home rather later than expected!

As for next week, I've already got some things pencilled in, and I'm sure I'll be making room for some more too! So far, this is what I'm planning:

• A driving lesson tomorrow...it'll be really nice driving when the roads are quiet as opposed to at rush hour as I often end up doing when I've been working

• A trip to Primark with my mum and sisters on Tuesday...the four of us haven't had a shopping expedition for quite a while and I'm looking forward to seeing what goodies Primark's got in this time around!

• Having my hair done on Wednesday...I'm having a trim and my highlights redone. Sometimes I think I'd like a complete restyle but I'm a bit scared of having something else done in case I really hate it!

• Taking a tourist trip into Manchester with Amy on Thursday...it was Amy's idea to go into Manchester and have a walk round looking at all the fantastic architecture. Despite the fact I've lived within a few miles of Manchester all my life and visit on a regular basis, I've never really taken the time to properly appreciate some of the beautiful sights it has. Expect a picture heavy post later in the week!

As for Friday and next weekend, I've no plans as yet but I'm sure I'll end up doing something with myself! Other things I want to fit in the week include general chilling (reading, watching dvds etc) and baking and there is also the small matter of my lesson observation to prepare for, as it's scheduled for the first day back after the break! And another job application to do...which I'm 50/50 about at the mo. I know it might sound really lazy, but the thought of doing any less than necessary work on my holiday makes me shudder lol!

Anyway, that's all from me for now. Hope you're all having fantastic weekends, and I'll be posting again soon...now I'm off work, I have no excuse not to lol!

Birthday Madness Part 2...Happy Birthday P!

So here I am...almost a week later than I said I'd be but I suppose it's better than not blogging at all lol! Without further ado, here for your consideration is another installment of birthdayness (if you read my last post, you'll understand why January=birthdays for me!)

And where were we?? Ahhh yes, I believe we'd just got up to Wednesday which was my little sister K's 15th birthday. So, onward to Thursday! Last Thursday was my younger brother P's 24th. Now P and I haven't always got on. When he was little, he had a lovely habit of pulling my hair and because I'd been told that I had to be gentle with him as he was younger than me, I didn't do anything back. Which meant that my mum once found me in tears with him clutching handfuls of my hair :-( OUCH! Add to that the fact that he used to take all my toys and that as we've grown up we've had more arguments than I care to remember it's clear that we've never had a perfect relationship! But then again how many siblings do?! And there have been lots of good times along with the bad. Sharing birthday parties, going to our friends' houses for tea after school or having them to ours, family holidays and days spent on the beach...even if I can't remember them all distinctly, the photos are there to prove it. And as we've grown up, I realise that he's often nicer than I give him credit for! Yes, he's got a short temper...but so have I. He can be annoying, but you could argue that that's the job of a little brother (and I know exactly how to wind him up!) Despite the annoyances, I know that he loves each and everyone of our family deeply and would do anything for them. And ,even though I might deny it, I feel the same about him (although I probably wouldn't say it to his face!). So happy belated birthday P...your big sister does really love you, even if sometimes she acts like she couldn't care less!

Birthday Madness!!

For me, January means one thing...birthdays! Between 15th and 22nd January, there are 4 birthdays in my immediate family and a friend's too...5 birthdays in a week lol! Celebrating them can be a tad expensive, but I love having so many things to celebrate...it makes an otherwise gloomy month so much nicer!! :-)

Last Friday (15th Jan), it was my Dad's birthday. I didn't get to see him until the evening, as I'd left for work before he got up, but when I got home, we had a special birthday dinner with some of his favourite foods (prawn cocktail to start, then cheese and onion quiche...yummy!!) :-) Dad is one of the most knowledgeable people I know...especially when it comes to history and he'd be one of my first choices for a "phone a friend" or a quiz mate. I like to think I get some of my brains from him :-) One thing I definitely have inherited is the football team we both support...Man City all the way! He's an old school guy in lots of ways...I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've seen him cry, but if ever I have, it's practically broken my heart. He's more than capable of looking after himself, and is fiercely protective of us all...I'd hate to think what he'd do to anyone who hurt us, but deep down he's got a soft centre, and with his family, he's really just a big softie! :-) So happy belated birthday Dad...you do more for me than I give you credit for, and I love you with all my heart :-)

On Saturday (16th Jan), as well as heading to my Grandad's to celebrate my Dad's birthday a bit more, I also shared in the celebrations for my friends' N and M's baby boy H's 1st birthday!! As I've mentioned before, H is absolutely adorable and he's become a really big part of all my friends' lives over the past year...I honestly can't imagine life without him now! So to celebrate his birthday, N and M held a tea party for us all which H loved, and where he got thoroughly spoiled! :-) One of my favourite parts of the evening was writing in his "Birthday Memory Book"...basically his mummy and daddy had decided that everyone should write a message for his birthday and they'd save the book until his 18th, when he could read all the messages and memories. So in 17 years, he'll probably read mine and wonder why I was being quite so soppy, but I honestly couldn't help it...I love the little dude so much!

Then a break for 3 days, but come today the birthdays were back in full swing with my "littlest" sister K's 15th (again I'm feeling really old!)! K is basically the girl I wanted to be in high school...pretty, slim, popular, intelligent, sporty... but I try and keep my jealousy in check lol! Seriously though, K's a great girl. She's loyal and protective of her friends, but is never afraid to stand up for what's right...if she thinks someone's out of line, she'll tell them! She has a caring streak a mile wide and is especially good with children and animals. She's a fighter, even if she doesn't need to be and her fighting spirit has served her well. She was born 8 weeks early, weighing just over 4lbs-well but tiny. My mum and dad were told that she would probably have to stay in hospital until around her due date, but she amazed everyone by being able to be discharged after only 19 days! And from then on she went from strength to strength...you would never know she'd been premature, especially as she's practically as tall as me and still growing at a rate of knots! Now she's older, she's developed a love for fashion and it's hard to tell which of us is the bigger shopaholic! So Happy Birthday K...love you lots, but just one request...stop growing!

Stay tuned tomorrow, when I'll be able to post on my brother P's birthday and then on Friday, it's the turn of possibly the best birthday of all...mine!! Despite the fact I'm starting to get depressed about my age, I still can't wait to have my special day and be able to share it with all my family and friends! I have plans for a quietish night in the pub on Friday and then a big night out in town on Saturday and am really looking forward to both!! :-)

PS: Sorry about being so bad at replying to comments lately...I do read and value every one, and am going to reply to them all very soon!

2010 Goals: One Week down, 51 to go!

So we're just over a week into the new year, and I think that I might already be off track when it comes to meeting some of my goals! Eeeek! :-( Although, in fairness, I have made a good start with some of the others and we are only a week in after all. So here's a quick summary of how I'm doing so far: (goals in bold, comments in normal type)

• Pass my driving theory and practical tests

No real progress yet, but I have got another lesson booked for tomorrow...although I'm not 100% sure if it'll take place yet because of the bad weather. I really need to book a date for my theory test ASAP...I think that'll give me the motivation I need to revise for it!

• Get a long term/permanent job, preferably as a primary school teacher

I had seen a couple of jobs I was interested in, and was intending to contact the schools in question to get application packs off them, but due to the snow this week, they've been closed so I've been unable to make any progress. Fingers crossed they'll be open on Monday so I can make contact then.

• Be a better friend

I have been in contact with J more this week, but feel I can't really take the credit for it. She's had some time off work and been staying with her parents who live 5 minutes drive away from me so it was only natural that we arranged to meet up. The real challenge will come now that she's gone back home.

• Adopt a healthier lifestyle

I'd say that I've definitely been more successful with some parts of this goal than others. Due to the fact that my mum's car's been broken down and that the bad weather conditions have affected public transport, I've definitely been doing a lot more walking lately and on days when I haven't, I've made sure I've done an exercise DVD at home. In terms of cutting down on unhealthy snacks, I'd say I've had an epic FAIL this week. I'm a boredom eater and because I've been off work all week, I've been eating, eating, eating. Hopefully, I'll get back into a proper routine once I'm back at work, and don't have time to snack as much.

• Read at least 2 books a month from start to finish

Despite the fact my bookshelves are full to bursting, I couldn't find a book that made me want to pick it up. So, no doubt due to my new found Sherlock Holmes obsession (that's a whole other post brewing!), I've ordered the complete set of Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories and am looking forward to getting stuck in when they arrive. I'm especially keen to see how the Sherlock in the books compares with how he was portrayed in the film.

• Cleanse, tone and moisturise every morning

I didn't get off to a very good start with this, partly because I've been unhappy with the way my current skincare products are working so I haven't seen much point in using them. However, a few days ago, I received the "Soap and Glory" skincare sampler set I ordered just after Christmas, so I've been using that for the last couple of days. Expect a full review in a week or two!

So that's my update! I'm not planning on doing one every week, I sense it'd get boring pretty quickly, so I think in future, I'll just aim for one or two a month instead. Hope everyone has a fab weekend and that you have good luck with your goals if you've set any for 2010! :-)

Be careful what you wish for...

Picture the scene...it's a Monday night, the day before your return to work after 2 blissfully lazy weeks off. Lacking motivation at the best of times, you're certainly not enthused about the prospect of an early get up the next morning and the distinct possibility that the classes you'll be teaching that will be excitable, to say the least. Then it starts snowing...at first only lightly but then heavier and heavier. You turn to your friend and say "Wouldn't it be great if we were off work tomorrow?", knowing full well that it's not going to happen, as only a light covering of 1-2 inches has been forecast, but thinking that it doesn't hurt to wish for it nevertheless.

Fast forward to the next morning...you look out of your window and realise that your wish might just have come true. There's a thick covering of snow everywhere, more than you've ever seen in your life and you doubt that you'll be going anywhere. You ring the school that you should be working in to find out that they're closed for the day and after trying to get through to your agency on a number of occasions, you finally make contact and are told to take the day off, "snuggle up and watch telly". Your wish has come true...you've got a snow day and you plan to enjoy every minute of it! Which of course you do!

But then fast forward to 2 days later, and you're starting to get just a little bored! You're on your 3rd snow day and have been filling your days with things you'd usually do on a school night meaning that by the time evening comes round there's nothing to do! Travelling is still problematic...the main roads have been cleared and some buses are running, but walking can be quite tricky and it's freezing outside, meaning that you're pretty much stuck inside :-( Not exactly the fun image you had in mind a couple of days earlier!!

So for me it's definitely a case of being careful what I wish for...I can't deny that things still look beautiful and I SO wanted a snow day but this is just a little too much lol! On a happy note, I'm just going to finish off with some pretty pictures to prove that Manchester really did have 8 inches of snow...we never normally have that much, so I suppose it's no wonder that there's been so much disruption!

Clouds and Silver Linings

I've been doing my "Highs and Lows of the Week" posts for quite a while now, but last week I really noticed how closely some of the highs linked with some of the lows...just like clouds and their silver linings (hence the title of this post!). So, for this week at least, my highs will be mixed in with my lows just to remind me that clouds do have their silver linings, and that we can find positives in most situations if we look hard enough!

Cloud

• I didn't get the job - As some of you will know I went for a interview last week, for a job that I think would have suited me down to the ground. After the interview, I had mixed feelings about my performance...I thought some of my answers were spot on, but that others were absolutely awful! After around 3 very stressful hours of waiting, I got a call from the headteacher telling me that unfortunately I had been unsuccessful on that occasion. Yes, I was badly disappointed but there was just a glimpse of a silver lining...

Silver Lining

• But my interview feedback was excellent - As standard, the headteacher gave me feedback and said that my interview had gone very well indeed, and that I'd only just been pipped to the post by the person they'd eventually appointed (who had a great deal of experience) and that it had been a difficult decision. This reassured me that the interview had been better than I'd percieved it and also gave me more confidence to take to other interviews in future. I know I'm nearly there...it's just a case of finding the right job for me!

Cloud

• 3 hours of stress whilst waiting to hear if I'd been successsful in my interview...as I mentioned in the previous cloud, I had 3 hours of jangling nerves and butterflies in my tummy whilst I was waiting for THAT call. I'm naturally quite impatient, so every minute was like agony. I tried to keep occupied, so I logged onto Blogger, and whilst I was browsing through my dashboard and I found my silver lining...

Silver Lining

• I'd won my first giveaway: A few weeks ago Holly from Her Southern Heart was running a week of giveaways. I left comments on her blog to enter, then forgot all about them. But there it was in black and white! I'd won a pair of beautiful earrings courtesy of Holly and Barefoot Maiden! I was so excited, especially as I couldn't remember the last time I'd won anything! So I left a very excited thank you comment on Holly's blog, sent her a very excited email and am now (im)patiently waiting for the earrings to wing their way across the pond! I'm so eager to get them, and will be sure to blog about them when they arrive!

Cloud

• I'm no dancer: It was my friend L's hen night on Saturday, so all the girls (and one guy!) headed out to a club called Copacabana in Manchester. As the name suggests, it's a Latin club and included in the package we'd booked for the evening was a 45 minute Latin dance lesson...perfect for L who's been dancing since the age of 3, but a lot more intimidating for me who has 2 left feet and a lack of natural rhythm! Our class was merengue, which was meant to be really simple to pick up and at first things weren't so bad. I picked up the basic footwork with little difficulty, but just when I was feeling pleasantly surprised...reality kicked in! I'm obviously not meant to dance with a partner, as when my friend E and I teamed up, it was murder on the dancefloor (on my part, not E's!) The instructors could see we were having difficulties, so stepped in, which made me feel even worse! I know I needed to relax and loosen up, but I get tense when I'm struggling with something, and dancing with someone unfamilar didn't help matters! Eventually, I got to a point where I could dance with an instructor, but leave me to my own devices and bam...right back to reality! But despite massacring the merengue...

Silver Lining

• I had a fantastic night, and I'm determined to master the merengue! : Although the dance lesson was a debacle...it didn't stop me from enjoying the rest of the night! We had a gorgeous tapas meal, frozen cocktails and great fun wearing our pink fluffy kitten ears and waving our fluffy wands! We even did some dancing although none of us were brave enough (or had good enough memories!) to put our new found "skills" to the test! I've also gained a new found determination to become a better dancer...there's no way I'm going to let a few steps defeat me lol!

So that was last week...hope you all had a good one, and that this week is shaping up to be fantastic too!

And another week goes by...

almost without a peep out of me! I honestly don't know where the time's gone...I did have a bit of a manic week but I was still aiming to post a couple of times! But never mind, at least I can summarise my week into one post: my highs and lows! And here they are for last week:

Highs

• Birthday fun with family and friends: Not my birthday, but over the last week I've spent quite a bit of time celebrating birthdays and had a great time doing it! Well there was just one exception...but I'll come to that later! Anyway, my friends E and D both had their birthdays last week so I spent 2 very chilled evenings in 2 different pubs sharing in their celebrations and catching up with my friends. Then on Saturday, me and my family went for a meal with my Grandad and Uncle, to celebrate my Grandad's 90th which was on Friday. The company and food were fantastic and it was really good to see my Grandad enjoying himself and looking so well...nobody can believe how old he actually is! Plus the pub/restaurant we went to organised for us to have a free bottle of sparkling wine to help mark the occasion which was very much appreciated (by me anyway!)

• Reductions at the till: Yet more shopping this week...although there was an actual purpose behind some of it (you'll find out the reason later!). I picked up a gorgeous sequinned top/dress which I love, not least because it had a 25% reduction on it. Then I went to Next at the weekend as I wanted to buy a suit(there's a big hint there!) and I had a giftcard that I needed to spend. I decided on purchases that I thought added up to the value of the card, but when I got to the till I discovered that the trousers were less than half price! So instead of spending up, I still had 12 pounds of free money left! Bargain!!

And last but definitely not least...

• Interview: Yes, you read right...I've got a job interview! It's my first interview since my last long term post finished last December and I still can't quite believe it! I was in absolute shock when I opened the envelope and read the letter, as I when I'd seen the school's address stamp on the back, I was convinced it was another rejection! But no...they are pleased to invite me for interview on Thursday, and I'm really excited (although trying not to get my hopes up too high!). The vacancy is in a Year 4 class, which is one of my favourite age groups (ages 8-9), the school has a very good reputation and it's situated in a nice area, only about 5 minutes drive or 20 minutes walk away from my house. Can you tell I want this job lol?!

Lows

• Birthday not-so fun with friends: Remember how I said that there was one exception to the great birthday celebrations my friends had...well here it is. The night didn't get off to a particularly good start... E and D had invited loads of people to town but only 5 of us ended up going out (including E and D themselves!)! Then when we got out, things seemed to be looking up...but that didn't last long! We went to a bar first, then to a club shortly after that and that was when the problems really started! Whilst E and I were having a great time...the boys (D, S and NE) didn't seem to be. D was practically falling asleep, NE was hungry and telling everyone this at every available point and S just looked miserable as sin! Needless to say, we gave up relatively early for town (about 12:30) and that was when it really kicked off. E was upset with the boys, especially S and wanted to be away from him. I was also annoyed as I hadn't wanted the night to come to an end, and so E and I decided to have a short walk to cool down. But S kept following us which made E furious! She wouldn't talk to him, so I tried telling S to leave us alone and we ended up having a big row in the street which I'm sure highly amused everyone else around us! Eventually we got into a taxi and endured a very uncomfortable ride home. Me and the boys are fine now, but E is still angry with S, and knowing their rows and how stubborn E is, this will run and run! Things really just got out of proportion and I'm trying to see the funny side, but I sense that there might not be many nights out for a while!

• Noisy classes: They get really frustrating and I nearly lost my voice one day last week! Enough said!

So there's my highs and lows! Hope you all had fantastic weeks last week and have great ones to come!

Highs and Lows of the Week

Can't believe it's Monday already...the weekend went far too quickly! But it is, which means only one thing...that it's time to share my highs and lows of last week!

Highs

• Having a 3 day week: Now I could have been negative and seen my return to work after half term as a bad thing, but I'm not going to. One of the reasons is that I only actually worked on 3 days last week. I had Monday off as the schools didn't go back till Tuesday, and although I was available for work on Friday, I just didn't get a call which meant no work and an early start to my weekend! The second reason that I quite liked work last week was that three of the four classes I worked with were absolutely lovely, and at the end of the day I left the classroom feeling good about myself which is sometimes a rarity!

• New clothes: I picked up a couple of new tops from Asda last week that I'm planning on wearing for a couple of big nights out that I've got coming up...the joint birthday bash for my friends E and D on Saturday and my friend L's hen do on the Saturday after that. No pictures yet...I'll either do them in my next wardrobe Wednesday or when I've actually worn the tops.

• Christmas Starbucks: I was so excited when I went in Starbucks on Friday and saw that the red cups were back and the Christmas food and drink ranges were in store. I just had to have a Gingerbread latte and a Cranberry and Orange muffin (both skinny...so zero guilt on my part!). And they were so good that I was forced to go back yesterday and have another latte and a Christmas Pudding cupcake. I'm already wracking my brains to think of the next time I can go back for another treat!

Lows

• Rain: As I sit and type this it's a lovely sunny day, and I can already see the beginnings of a gorgeous sunset. It's so much better than the almost endless rain we had last week which was horrible. I got soaked on the way to work and then, after getting dried out, proceeded to get drenched again on the way home. Although I used an umbrella, my coat got wet, my trousers got wet and water somehow leaked into my shoes and I ended up with wet feet. Nightmare!! I'm seriously considering buying a pair of wellies so it doesn't happen again!

• My dodgy immune system: I came down with a cold on Saturday night, which meant I was sniffling then and all day yesterday, and am rather blocked up today. I know I'm lucky that it was over quite quickly and I haven't been that ill, but I hate that annoying feeling where you're not completely well, but not really ill either. It's also my third cold since August, so I think I've already had more than my fair share!

• The X Factor: I normally love this show but I'm getting really sick of it now due to the fact that the terrible twins are getting through week after week. They can't sing, can't dance and are really annoying and I think it's really unfair that better singers are going out at their expense. And I can't believe that Simon Cowell didn't take the opportunity to get rid of them when they were in the bottom 2 last night! He's been moaning for weeks about how bad they are but failed to do anything about the situation when he had the chance! It does make me seriously consider the rumours that the show has been fixed in favour of them, and if they do get much further, I think I'm going to give up and watch Strictly Come Dancing instead!

So there's my highs and lows. How was last week for you?

Highs and Lows of the Week

I know it's a bit late...but better late than never, here are my highs and lows of last week:



Highs

• Saturday - I know it might seem a bit random to have a whole day on my "highs" list, but there it is. Saturday was an absolutely fantastic day! It was a close friend's birthday on Friday, and on Saturday we went up to Blackpool to get some lunch and see an ice show. The show was amazing...as it took place in a small arena, we were only a few rows from the front and could actually hear the sound of the blades on the ice. There were loads of great performances including those from professional pairs and solo skaters and celebrities who'd featured on the "Dancing on Ice" tv show as well as a local 10 year old who was incredible, and a team of freestyle skaters. Imagine street dance on skates, and you'll get a better idea of what they did. My favourites, though, were a pair of brothers from Italy. They were circus trained and were basically clowns on ice! I was amazed when they started juggling whilst skating and even more so when one leapfrogged the other and carried on juggling from where the first one left off! After the show, we headed back home and spent the evening watching X Factor (I was soooo happy it was big band week!) and eating takeaway.

• My friends - While I already know I've got great friends, something that happened last week really helped to confirm that for me (more about that in the "lows" section!).

• Half term - I suppose this should technically go in my next "highs and lows" post, but as the start of it was last week, it can go in this one too! Basically, the schools in my area broke up for a week's holiday last Friday, so it means that this week I'm pretty much a lady of leisure! I've been really looking forward to the break...the first half term is always the longest...and will keep everyone posted with what I get up to. I've already been shopping, and will post more details of my purchases tomorrow in my "What's-in-my-wardrobe Wednesday" post.

• Unintentionally funny TV - SuperNanny, John and Edward's vintage performance on X Factor (even although I do think they should have been out weeks ago!) and my favourite from last week... Wife Swap USA. It was the episode featuring the Heene family, who've been more recently in the news for faking the disappearance of their 7-year-old son Falcon, in a home made balloon (for a recap of that story click here) and the safety cautious Martels. I know it wasn't intended to be a comedy programme...but it made me laugh harder than I'd done for a few days! If you haven't watched it, my advice would be to check it out and pay special attention to the video the Martel children make to list the things they're frightened of. I'll never look at lava lamps the same way again!

Lows

• Spending the day in hospital: Last Wednesday, I woke very early with severe abdominal cramps that were making me nauseous and dizzy. Aunt Flo wasn't visiting, and I was especially concerned as I knew I had a cyst on my left ovary, so I decided to go to hospital to get checked out. The pain subsided after about half an hour, but it was decided that after undergoing blood tests and an examination in the accident and emergency department, I should be admitted as an in-patient so I could be observed and have a pelvic ultrasound scan either later that day or the next morning. Luckily, I was able to have the scan that day but unluckily, I was unable to eat until I had it. Which meant that I didn't have any food until after 4:00 pm and I'd been up since 6 that morning! The scan results showed that the cyst was no longer present, and as the tests I had also came back clear the doctors were happy to discharge me, and I came home to a flurry of texts, answerphone and Facebook messages off my friends (see my "Highs" list). Luckily I've had no recurrences of the pain since then, but I was definitely shook up for the next couple of days with every little twinge leaving me in a state of panic!

• My eating habits - My eating habits last week were inconsistent to say the least. From not eating anything for over 18 hours on Tuesday night through to Wednesday to snacking madly on Thursday/Friday to stuffing myself with fatty/junk food on Saturday...I just couldn't get a balance! I know being unable to eat while I was in hospital wasn't my fault, but the rest of the week definitely was!

So there we have it! That was the week that was, and these were my highs and lows.

Highs and Lows of the week!

It's been a couple of weeks since I've done one of these posts so I think it's high time that I did another one. Although this week hasn't been that eventful, there's still been things that have made my high list and others that are definitely on my lows! So, without further ado, here goes:

Highs

• Spending time with friends: although this week hasn't been one of wild nights out (more about that later!), I've still managed to see quite a lot of my friends this week. A group of us went to see Disney on Ice on Thursday (cheesy, but great fun!), I had a dvd night with a couple of my closest friends on Friday and went round to a friend's last night to watch tv. Despite the fact that some of the nights weren't particularly eventful, I've still had a good time as I've been with people that I really enjoy spending time with!

• Work: On the whole, I'm still enjoying work (although everyone has their off days now and then) and obviously, I'm also enjoying the money that comes with it. As I get paid on a weekly basis, I know I'm never that far away from a payday and it also makes it easier to manage my money! Another thing I've enjoyed about work this week is the fact that all of it was prebooked, so it made my life a whole lot easier in terms of transport (I haven't had to fight through the rush hour!) and also meant that I didn't need to spend my free time planning lesson activities, as prebooked cover generally means that the usual class teacher will have left work for the children.

• It's October: This might seem like a strange one, it's not as if October's my favourite month or anything but there's a lot about this October that I'm really looking forward to. There's three of my friends' birthdays coming up which means that there'll be three birthday celebrations (yay!) and I'm also going to a Halloween murder mystery party which I'm very excited about! October also means that I'll get my first holiday of the school year... a whole week with nothing to do which will be bliss and it's also when my drama group will start rehearsing for our next show. I haven't seen most of the group members for over a month and I'm really looking forward to spending time with everyone again!

• Cake Wrecks: I discovered this blog the other day and I absolutely LOVE IT! Nothing else to say about this one really except check it out!

Lows

• Noisy classes: Whilst I haven't had any really difficult classes this week, most of them have been really noisy. Now it's not that I expect children to work in silence all the time or anything like that, but when it gets to the point where a class can't hear the instructions I'm giving or are being so noisy that no-one can possibly be able to concentrate, then we have a problem! I've tried using agreed signals (e.g. hands up, clapping a rhythm etc) to signal that I need a class to stop and listen, rewarding the behaviours I want and simply just waiting for silence but none of these strategies seem to be fully effective! I don't want to resort to shouting over the children, so am searching for other things to try as well. Like I said, it's nothing really major but you'd be surpr. ised how much it can wear you down.

• Not going out again this weekend: Although it's true that I have enjoyed this weekend and love spending time with my friends regardless of what we do, I'm longing for a proper night out again! It's been about 4 weeks since the fantastic weekend I blogged about here, and since then the furthest I've got on a weekend is a local pub for a couple of drinks! I've also got a great new top and I'm dying for an excuse to wear it! Fingers crossed for next week!!

• Waiting for buses after work: The sooner I learn to drive the better!! One of the bus routes in my area has recently been changed, and it means that getting to one school in particular has been made a lot more awkward for me. Whilst it's not a million miles away, I don't particularly want to walk back after a long day, but my choice is either that or waiting ages to catch the elusive bus!

So there's my highs and lows for another week. Hope you've all had fabulous weeks, with lots of highs and no real lows to speak of. Till next time...!!

Highs and lows of the week

So Sunday's come around again and I can't believe there's only a few hours left of my weekend...it's gone so fast! :-( But nevertheless, here we are which means just one thing... it's time for my weekly round up! It's been a busy, and occasionally stressful week, but I've still found time for some fun, so what better place to tell all than in a list of highs and lows!

Highs

• Working...this has made me happy for three main reasons. Firstly, you'll know from this post that I'd had some problems with my work situation recently. However I'm now pleased to report that they've now been resolved and I've been able to continue working as a supply teacher without worrying I'm doing something illegal! Secondly, in this post I mentioned how nervous I was about my first day back at work since July. Luckily, things weren't half as bad as I thought they might be. There were times when managing behaviour was a bit of a struggle and I'm sure that I didn't always handle things as well as I could have done, but on the whole things went well and I feel happier about the career choice I've made. There were many times over the last two years when I questioned my abilities as a teacher and wondered whether I'd be better off doing something else altogether, but now I feel more confident that I will be able to become a good teacher. I know I'm always going to be on a learning curve and that it's early days yet, but it's nice to feel positive for a change! Finally, work=money! As I haven't worked for over 2 months, I was starting to feel slightly concerned over my financial situation. Luckily, I'm still living at home with my parents so I don't have that many financial commitments but I was worrying nevertheless. Anyway, the one day I thought I'd be working turned into 2, which then turned into 4!! So that means 4 days wages next week :-) Then add to that, the guaranteed day and a half I'll be getting the week after and things are starting to look a little more rosy in the garden! :-)

• The weather...on the whole, it's been another dry and quite sunny week. It makes me feel so much better when I look out and see the sun, and travelling to and from work is much more pleasant when I don't have to battle with an umbrella in the middle of a driving rain shower!

• Spending time with friends...even if we did just stay in watching Strictly Come Dancing (and Legally Blonde...LOVE that film!), it's always nice to see the guys and catch up with them. Oh, and I received an invitation to my friends L & G's wedding in December...it's about 11 weeks and I can't wait!

• Shopping...I went to Next Clearance today and bought 2 gorgeous tops and a pair of pumps that might just help me get over my grey high tops that I posted about here plus a birthday present for my friend J. Promise I'll do a post to show them all off in their full glory very soon! Over the weekend, I picked up some cheap Gallo rose from Netto...think I'll definitely be buying more wine from there in the future!

• Getting my first blog award...many thanks to The Girl of Make Believe for this...you've got a fantastic blog too, and I feel very special to get this :-)

• The possibility of watching a new series episode of House on Sky 3 later tonight...as the new series has been shown on Sky 1 which I don't have, I've been denied my new House fix for months now :-( But this weekend, the people at Sky have created a free weekend pass on Sky 3 which means that Sky 3's showing lots of programmes that those mere mortals of us with Freeview don't usually get the chance to watch. And one of them is House!! :-) I know it's only one episode, but hopefully it'll be enough to tide me over until the new series is released on dvd.

Lows

• Tiredness... I can't believe how tired work made me this week...I'd completely forgotten how much it takes out of me, especially at the start of term! Hopefully I'll get into a routine soon though!

• The Manchester derby result... as a Manchester City fan, I was absolutely GUTTED at the derby result today. Whilst losing 4-3 to Manchester United away from home might not sound like a terrible result (especially as they are the reigning Premier League champions who have had a reasonably good start to the season and we were missing some of our best strikers), the manner of the defeat is what really sticks in my throat. After 90 minutes we were drawing 3-3, and the referee signalled that 4 minutes of additional time would be played. After 94 minutes, we were still drawing 3-3 and the match should have been stopped then and there. But then mysteriously nothing happened. Play continued and deep into the 95th minute, Manchester United scored a late, late winner. So late that 17 seconds later the full time whistle was finally blown and with it, our hopes of a draw were dashed. While Manchester United fans might see me as just a bitter City fan, I am furious about those added 2 minutes which denied us a chance of a draw, and robbed us of our 100% start to the season. As yet, nobody has offered an explanation as to why those 2 extra minutes were added to the match, and I would certainly be interested to hear what the match officials have to say for themselves. So for now, I'll be content with my own theory...that the referee was a secret United fan! ;-)

And that was the week that was! Stay tuned next week for more exciting updates on my life ;-) , some fashion and beauty posts (including my long promised review of my Bourjois bargains), maybe some randomness and anything else that takes my fancy!