A mixture of things!

First of all, an explanation... I've been pretty good at blogging every day, and yesterday shouldn't have been any exception. I settled down last night and wrote a post about what I'd done that day, the things about it that had made me happy (and one that made me not so happy :-( ) and my plans for the rest of the week. So far, so good...then I went to publish it. It was only then I discovered I'd lost my internet connection, and try as I might, I couldn't get it back :-( In the end, the only thing for it was to restart my computer. This did work, but it also meant that my post was gone :-( By this point, it was 11.00 PM, and I couldn't be bothered writing it again!

So instead, here we are on Tuesday. Today I went shopping in town (Manchester) with one of my sisters and this is what I bought:

Red cardi (I know it looks pink here, but it's much redder in real life!)

Beige belted cardi

Longline checked shirt (with free belt lol!)

Indigo skinny jeans

Black T-bar Mary Janes

Pearl and diamante bracelet set

All of these are from Primark, which is possibly my favourite shop! :-) I also got two bras from there too, which I'm not intending to post pictures of lol!

In other news, things that made me happy today included going shopping and the fact that everything looked good on, the Krispy Kreme doughnut I bought while I was out (caramel dreamcake...yum!) and still being off work! :-)

Weekend round up

It doesn't seem a minute since Friday when I was discussing my weekend plans (or more specifically my lack of them lol)! But now it's Sunday evening, so I thought I'd just write a quick summary of what I've been up to over the past couple of days.

On Friday night, one of my closest friends and I went to the cinema to watch 'The Proposal'. I'd heard mixed reviews beforehand, but I personally really enjoyed it and it was fun going out to watch a chick flick and eat Ben and Jerry's, especially as my last few cinema trips have been to see less girly films! After the film, we popped into a bar for a couple of drinks and a chat before calling it a night.

On Saturday, I didn't really do much in the day other than pop in to see one of my friends for a bit of a catch up. In the evening, a few of us went round to another friend's house and we had a mini pyjama party (I didn't change into my pjs until I got there though...i would have been too embarrassed to walk the streets in them!). I drank wine, ate lots of junk including the BEST chicken kebab I've ever tasted and watched comedy DVDs till late! It was a fantastically chilled out night, and I felt really cosy in my pjs!

Today has been another quiet day. I've sorted out my clothes drawers and managed to put a bag together to go to the charity shop, spent some quality time playing Monopoly with my mum and sisters, been for a walk and watched (Inspector) Lewis on TV...I love my murder mystery shows and think I'll post a list of my top 5 soon! In a bit, I'm going to be watching another crime programme - 'Single Handed'.

And that's about my weekend...! Hope everyone else has had as much fun as me! :-)

Stylish Saturday!

Well, at least I hope so! I know when I restarted the blog, I said there would be some posts about fashion, and I realised today that I hadn't done one yet. So I've decided to do an outfit post for today, my added motivation being that today's the first day since Wednesday when I've felt like my normal self! So without further ado, here's what I'm wearing today:

Strapless lilac checked dress: H and M (This was a real bargain in the sale a few weeks back - I got it for less than half price!)

Black leggings: Peacocks

Grey marl canvas high tops: Primark

As I write this, I'm also wearing a black boyfriend cardi, also from Primark.

You can't really see the jewellery I'm wearing, other than my black strapped watch with a diamante inset dial that I got off my family when they went on holiday a few months ago. I also have on a silver bracelet with "Pandora" style beads that I bought myself from a jewellery party and my gold diamond cluster ring that was my 21st Birthday present off my Mum and Dad.

Finally, I apologise for the poor picture quality. I had to stand on my bed and put my phone on timer to get a full length shot lol!

Cheery things! :-)

In complete contrast from yesterday, today's post is going to hopefully be a lot cheerier (and m shorter!)! Why? Well, I've decided to really make an effort with the idea of a "Gratitude List", and focus on the things I'm grateful for. It may also be down to the fact that I'm not feeling as ill today, and don't feel as sorry for myself as I did! So without further ado, here's my gratitude list for today:

1. I'm grateful that my nose isn't running half as much as it has been over the last two days!
2. I'm grateful that I'll be catching up with one of my best friends later.
3. I'm grateful that the weather was gorgeous when I was out collecting blackberries this morning.
4. I'm grateful for the free teacher resource CD I received today (and amazed at how much content was on it!).
5. I'm grateful for the interest other bloggers have shown in me and my writing!

And just to keep it real...here's one thing I'm not grateful for: the scratches I got from the thorns whilst blackberrying lol!

Finally...It's Friday! Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend...whatever you do. I have hardly any plans yet, will just have to wait and see! (and, of course report back on here after the event! :-))

Quarter-life Crisis! :-(

My name's Julie and I'm suffering from a quarter-life crisis. I've suspected it for a while, and I suppose the best thing to do is just get it down in writing so I can begin to work through it.

My first problem is the lack of a meaningful relationship in my life over the past few years. At the start of my 20s, I was engaged, living with my fiance in our own house and I thought my future was all mapped out. Now in my mid 20s, I'm a long term singleton and it feels like my dreams of marriage and babies by the time I'm 30 are getting further and further away. It also doesn't help that I feel less mature now than I did when I was in my late teens/early 20s! It's not that I don't love having the freedom to do what I want, whenever I want and the knowledge that I only have to look out for Number One, because this is a part of singledom I have really come to appreciate...but I just feel like I'm drifting somehow and that my life, although fun, and even fulfilling, at times, doesn't really have much meaning at the moment. I look at people I know (and bloggers!) who are settled and/or have children and I yearn to be in their shoes. I worry that my years on my own have made me too selfish and too picky and that there will never be anyone who meets up to the image of the man I have in my mind. Although I dislike being single, I have been this way for so long that it has become strangely comforting and I think that the man who makes me want to let go of my security blanket will have to be pretty special.

Secondly, and in a related-ish vein to the previous paragraph, is the fact that I am still living at home with my parents and siblings. I love my family dearly, although I often find myself snapping at them (especially my Mum) and being resentful when they ask me to do even minor things. I don't know if this is because I feel that I'm an adult and I should be able to live my own life without interference, but it's not right. I used to have a fantastic relationship with my Mum, and I don't want it to be ruined by my petty moaning. I know I should be grateful for the million and one things my Mum and Dad do for me...washing, ironing, cooking my meals, acting as my taxi service etc , etc, especially as I disliked housework when I lived in my own place, but I can honestly say that I normally forget how lucky I am. Due to my job situation (which will be explained in the next paragraph), I am unable to even consider moving out of home yet and this also frustrates me. I think that even if I had the slightest possibility of being able to move out in the next few years, I would feel like my life was moving in the right direction.

Third, and finally, is my job situation. Since about the age of 14, all I ever wanted to be was a primary school teacher. To be on the safe side however, I did a non teaching degree and studied for a BA in Language, Literacy and Communication, which I then followed up with post grad primary teacher training. The year I spent doing my teacher training was honestly one of the hardest, but most fulfilling, years of my life and I went through it really looking forward to the next stage in my career. Then the problems started. Despite the fact that the country is apparently crying out for teachers, it isn't crying out for female primary teachers in the North West! I qualified over 2 years ago and still haven't had a job that has lasted longer than a term and a half. My time has been spent doing a mix of day-to-day and pre-booked supply (substitute) teaching and a maternity cover (the term and a half) where I was employed by the local authority. There are some things I love about supply...the fact I don't have to stay behind for parents' evenings or staff meetings, the opportunity to go to new schools, meet new people and try new things, no evenings or weekends spent planning and preparing resources, having the freedom to say no to work if I feel ill, don't like the school/age group or simply just can't be bothered! But this isn't why I went into teaching. I entered the profession so I could become an excellent teacher, so I could build a relationship with a group of children and hopefully be able to make a difference to them, maybe even give them something that would stay with them for the rest of their lives. Supply teaching allows me none of this, and in addition, I never know how much work I am going to get over a given period of time, meaning it would be impossible for me to get a mortgage as I would be unable to say how much money I would have left at the end of it. I often walk away from classrooms feeling like I am a bad teacher and my continued job search only serves to reinforce this suspicion, leaving me demotivated and demoralised. Since I qualified, there have been two further classes of NQTs entering the job market, so there is even more competition for the few jobs that are out there. At the moment, I am not in a position to relocate to an area where there are more vacancies, so I guess it's almost a vicious circle. Phew...and breathe!

Anyway, enough of the ranting! I suppose people reading this may see me as a spoilt and self indulgent 20something with no real problems and they may well be right. But they're real enough to me, even though they are probably mere inconveniences in the grand scheme of things, and so I need to do something about them. So what am I doing? Well, firstly, I've written this down. It's nice to know I can vent in (relative) anonymity and it has helped to clear my head, even if I am feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. Secondly, I am making changes in my life, even if they are quite minor. I have joined a dating website. I'm not sure if I'm in the mood for dating right now, but it's nice to know the possibility is there. I'm taking driving lessons, and hope to pass my test by the end of the year. Not only will this give me some of the independence I crave,but it will also mean I can cast my net a little wider when job hunting as I'll be able to get to so many more places without having to rely on public transport. I'm taking opportunities to go on free professional development courses. These will obviously be personally beneficial to me, but also will hopefully also enhance my CV/application forms and give them a bit of an edge. Finally, I think I should start making a list of things I'm thankful for...which will make these problems seem less important. I'll kick off with 5 for now:

1. My fantastic family and friends - love you all!
2. My good health (even if I do have a cold at the moment)
3. My fabulous new netbook...my optimism on Monday was well founded!
4. My intelligence...I'm not being bigheaded but my brain has opened quite a few doors for me.
5. Blogging...I'm really enjoying writing, and am especially happy today as I've been approved as a member of 20something bloggers!

And that's finally it for now...definitely the longest post I've ever written, and probably the most heartfelt too!

Bargain of the day!

Like any girl, I LOVE a bargain, so I was really pleased when I saw a beauty giveaway in last week's edition of Reveal magazine. For just 2.95 P&P, you can claim a free Bourjois lipgloss (in light pink or rose) AND lipstick (in pink, rose, plum or bronze), which the magazine says would be worth 13 pounds in total. Not bad eh?!

There were a number of ways to claim the freebie. This is how to do it on the internet:

• Visited www.beautyoutletdirect.co.uk and clicked on the "Special Offers" tab.
• I then scrolled down to the "Reveal Magazine Offer", and once you click onto this you can choose the number of offers you want, and your desired colour combination.
• After this, I checked out. If you are a member of the website, you can log in, if not you can either create an account or check out as a guest. I chose the second option.
• You then need to fill in your address details on the first check out page. At the end of this page you will be asked if you have a promotion code. Type in 'RFB89' and the discount will be applied.
• Finally fill in your payment card details and you're done!

I've got to allow 14 days for delivery but I'm looking forward to seeing what the products are like, especially as I've never used Bourjois on my lips before, and I'll be sure to post a review when I receive them!

One last thing: The offer closes on 30th September, so there's still a few weeks left!

New Netbook and (practically) New Blog!

I'm sitting here typing this post on my new netbook, which I bought today. The thought of buying one has been at the back of my mind for quite a while as my old laptop has had a great deal of problems and is extremely bulky (as far as laptops go!), and today, I was in Aldi of all places, where I spotted this one. After some initial internet connection issues, it seems to be shaping up to be a great buy (fingers crossed!) and I'm loving the prospect of the freedom being wireless will give me!

Getting this netbook has also given me the final push I needed to restart this blog. I started it full of good intentions, meaning to update every day, but it soon fell by the wayside. But now the combination of being off work for the long summer holidays, plus the potential to blog anywhere means that I'm hopefully now right back on track!

So what to expect from this blog?? Well, as my blog already says, I'll be writing about absolutely everything and anything! I'll be posting about my life, and what I get up to. I love shopping and fashion, so there will be some posts related to these topics, but that's not my main focus. Although I love girlie things, it doesn't mean I don't have my serious side and that I don't have strong opinions on a range of issues. If something moves me, I'll write about it! In a nutshell, this blog is, as the title states, a collection of my "jottings" on (maybe) every topic under the sun!