It's the littlest things...

Ten little things that make life that little bit better....


1. Laughing so hard that your stomach hurts and you can hardly breathe


2. Sunshine!!


3. A big hug after a long day


4. The delicious smell of home-cooked food


5. Hearing a song that reminds you of good times and makes you smile


6. Spending quality time with the people that you love


7. Catching up with old friend (and making new ones!)


8. Flowers-in a garden, in a vase, wherever! 


9. Helping someone else, without thinking about what you can get out of it


10. Making a difference, no matter how small


and just for luck...


11. Smiling, just because... :) 

You've got a friend!

As I've gotten older, I have found that the best friends I have aren't necessarily the ones that I see the most often. In fact, some of my best friends are the ones that live miles away. I may not see them as often as I would like to but that doesn't mean we are any less close.


When you are at school, the friends that you sit by in class and see every lunchtime are the ones that you become close to, and if you change classes it is easy to drift apart. The true measure of friendship is not the amount of time you spend with some one-you can see somebody all day long at university or work and they can become merely an acquaintance-someone to talk to when there's no one else. 


As with most things it is quality not quantity that counts. True friends, you may not see for months at a time, but you know that when you finally do meet, everything will be as it was before. There won't be any awkward silences or moments when no one knows what to say, everything clicks into place and it is as if no time had gone past since you were last together. 


These are the friendships that will last a life time and the ones that are really worth hanging onto. The friends that will be there for you no matter what and who are always at the end of the phone, even if they are no longer at the end of your street! 


So thank you to my friends, you know who you are. You mean the world!! xxx

Love - 'A wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart' (Anon)

Valentine’s is behind us for another year (thank goodness!!) but this year it got me thinking.

I personally do not participate in Valentine’s Day. I made a decision not to when I was younger and have always stuck to it whether single or in a relationship. I decided that it was nothing more than a Hallmark celebration to fill the hole left by Christmas and to generate revenue for card and gift companies. Restaurants and hotels charge extra for their usual services and the cost of flowers goes through the roof.  To be blunt, if you need a designated day to show someone you love, them then maybe not everything is as rosy as it seems?

I would prefer to mark other occasions such as the anniversary of your first date or something more personal. But that’s just me, and I understand that for other people Valentine’s is a big deal.

I do admit to tiny pangs of jealousy when I see pictures of friends beautiful flowers and hear about romantic weekends away, who wouldn’t? And it certainly made me reconsider the romance within my own relationship.

Every couple goes through that ‘honeymoon period’ when you have just got together and you are on your best behaviour. Each one of you is trying to impress and you can’t get enough of each other. Passion is high and everything is exciting and new.

After a while the first flushes of love (or more like lust!!) die down and you learn about the other person for who they truly are, and this is what really makes a relationship. When you can completely be yourself and you’re not afraid of your other half seeing you with your pyjamas on, no make-up, a bloated belly full of choccies, and legs that are in dire need of a shave....!!

Now that we have lived together for a while we are well and truly into the comfort zone. When we were long distance, Friday night was pre-weekend prep night: hair wash, long soak in the bath with a face mask, shave legs, moisturise, paint nails...Now, it’s more likely to be slobbing out in front of the TV with my hair in the kind of scrunchie you wore in year five at school and Tinkerbell PJs!

I also used to leave little notes of affection around the house if it was my turn to visit or post one if it he’d been up to me. It is the little things that show you care, not extravagant displays of affection.  I realise I haven’t made as much effort as I used to recently, and its these little things that you have to work at as time goes by. 

Valentine’s Day may be just a Hallmark holiday, but this year, its had one good purpose...to remind me what a good thing I've got. xxx

What happened when I met the Prime Minister...

So last week I was fortunate enough to visit number 10 Downing Street to meet David Cameron and Theresa May. We met at the Company office and made our way down to Westminster as a group where after going through security we were shown in through the famous door of number ten for refreshments while we waited for the politicians to arrive.

After some handshakes and pictures outside, we were led upstairs for the discussions to begin.We had a selection of questions that we had put together before the meeting to put to them about crime, transport and women’s safety after dark which opened up into a discussion around the topic.

I personally felt that they were both very quick to refer us back to local council level with most of the topics that we brought up. They kept saying that not everything could be managed from central London and that they couldn’t tell local councils how to designate the money in their individual budgets. However, I personally would like to see the government give local councils more or stricter guidelines about how they spend their budgets with regards to crime, transport and safety measures.

They also kept referring back to the new crime maps. The crime maps are an online reference where you can look up crime statistics for your local area and compare it to other. Whilst this could be a useful tool if you are planning on moving house I find that they are in general more of an point of interest than serving any real benefit. I actually became more worried about being out and about in my local area after seeing the levels of crime reported. I think it is also important to remember that statistics can only show us the crime that we know about which relies on proper reporting and documenting of crimes, which sadly doesn’t always happen.

I think between us we raised some valid issues that I hope the prime minister and home secretary will take on board. They were certainly welcoming and seemed to support what we were trying to do. We can only hope that words will become actions and we will see some results to make the streets safer not just for women but for everyone in out communities. 


You can read the full report of our visit in the April edition of company magazine, out next month.
xxx

It's not everyday you go to number 10!

Last week I was lucky enough to be one of 12 young women chosen to talk to the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary as part of Company Magazine’s Get Home Safely Campaign. I was there representing the Shoreditch Sisters W.I. to put the views and ideas of the group to the government.

In the UK many young women feel vulnerable if they are out after dark, particularly if they are on their own, and most are cautious about how they get home at night. However, after a cocktail or three, inhibitions can take a back seat.

When you’re drunk, cold and tired the emphasis is all on getting home as quickly as possible, and when you’re on a budget safety may not be the first thing that comes to mind. We all know someone who after a night out has thought that the ten minute walk home alone is better than waiting for a taxi, or jumped in an unlicensed cab to save a few pounds. When your feet hurt from heels and you’re starting to wish you’d worn that jacket after all, taking shortcuts can seem like a good idea, but many of us are putting ourselves in danger.

These are the issues we wanted to take to the government. 

At the Shoreditch Sisters we would like to see more transport options available for young women in London to get home after nights out- All of us could relate to at least one time when we had turned down an invitation to go out because we were worried about how we would get home. We would like to see a more frequent night bus service with clearer route maps and better lighting and CCTV at bus stops. We would also like to see the tube network open later at the weekends amongst other things.

With all the debt and cuts being made at the moment we realise that these are huge demands, but when young women’s safety is at risk we think it is worth it...did the politicians?? You'll have to read my next instalment to find out! xxx

Feeling under the weather :(

Sometimes, no matter how old you are, there’s nothing quite like being looked after by your mum.

My recent lack of blogging had been because I have been a rather poorly girl. I picked up a very nasty virus that meant i could not keep any food down for a week and left me feeling far from my usual self. I am still not better but I am on the way and feeling well enough to get back to my computer.

When you’re feeling under the weather the last thing you want to do is spend long days by yourself with nobody to make you a cup of tea and bring you water and paracetamol, and with my fiancé working such long hours, this was exactly the situation I found myself in. So, after a couple days of feeling ill with no improvement, I got myself on a train back to my parents’ house to get some well deserved TLC from my mum. And what can I say-Mum has been brilliant, helping me up and around the house when I’ve been feeling too weak to get about by myself, bringing me drinks and medicine in the middle of the night and coming to the doctors with me.

I can’t wait to feel back to normal again now, as the luxury of being looked after like a child is starting to wear off, and duvet days aren’t quite as fun when you don’t have a choice! After a week of lying in bed in my pyjamas watching daytime tele, the novelty has definitely worn off and I’m desperate to get up and dressed in my normal clothes and get out and about again!!

Fingers crossed I’ll be back to normal again soon. And thanks mum xxx 

Who are you calling four eyes?

Today, by a person who shall remain nameless, in a place that will remain unknown, I was a victim of discrimination. Why? Because I was wearing glasses.


The details of how and why are unimportant, but what really struck a chord with me was how stupid it was.


Glasses are nothing more than framed glass, usually in fashionable colours or designs, that aid sight.  They do not make you more or less intelligent, they do not render you incapable of carrying out a task, and they do not transform faces from beautiful to ugly, well presented to scruffy.


So why do so many people feel that if a person wears glasses they have the right to call them four eyes or say that they look stupid? Would you criticise a deaf man's hearing aid? That sad answer to that is probably yes the more i think about. The type of people who judge others in this way are just mindless individuals, insulting others to make themselves feel more important. They are not worth the tears.


So, Glasses look hot, and I intend to wear mine more often! Xxx

What is this morning thing you speak of?

I am most definitely not a morning person. Fact. Despite my early night, getting up this morning was less than pleasurable.


Trying to look presentable enough for work is really hard when your half asleep! Especially when your eyes won't open wide enough to put your contact lenses in....(i have resorted to wearing glasses)
I think it could be a long day! Xxx

The post-party low down

After a shaky start with several people dropping out at the last minute, the party was a success! And my flat isn't completely ruined either thanks to a serious clean up effort by everyone this morning! 


The drinking started early, with the first round kicking off at around 4 in the afternoon when the first people arrived, and I finally rolled into bed very sozzled at around 4.30 this morning! A whole twelve hours of drinking!


I started the night on cocktails (sex on the beach!!), moved onto wine, and as the night drew on, swapped to water! Luckily, I escaped a hangover!


My skin feels dreadful though and I am so thirsty! Definitely giving the drinking a rest for a while now! Detox and pamper is on the agenda for the coming week. As well as lots of beauty sleep! I have work at the ungodly hour of 7am tomorrow which I am not looking forward to, as no one could ever describe me as a morning person! 


When I finally dragged myself up this morning I made everyone who had survived the night a fry up and then once everyone has gone, spent a lovely afternoon in the kitchen baking. I made bread, strawberry jam, butterfly buns, a victoria sandwich and some leek and potato soup! Quite a busy days cooking!


Sweet dreams, and thank you to everyone who came last night and made it such fun xxx

'Put the kettle on!'

Whilst nights out are always great, sometimes there's nothing quite like a night in. Don't get me wrong, I am excited for tomorrow nights party, and with 24 hours still to go I have already plucked my eyebrows and exfoliated whilst fretting what to wear! 


I love that anticipation for big nights! All the getting ready-music blaring, clothes all over the place while you work out which shoes go with your outfit, and decided how to have your hair-straight? Curly? Up? Down? Hairband or not? In fact, sometimes the getting ready can be the best bit!!! 


Tonight though, I have had a lovely night in whilst my fiancé is at work (poor thing!) 


A friend came round for dinner and we made yummy fajitas and watched a girlie film on the sofa-Julie and Julia; quite possibly my perfect film-it's about love, cooking and blogging! I loved it! After my friend left I ran a hot and very bubbly bath and had a long soak with a face mask on and a cup of tea in hand. 


I am now sat in bed, and after a quick scan of facebook and a check of the emails, I am about to settle down under the duvet with a book and....you guessed it...another cup of tea! Perfect!


I'm off to put the kettle on again!


Night night xxx

Do, Re, get 'Mi' out of here! ;)

It has been pointed out to me today that my spelling has been less than perfect lately, and I apologise for this. In my (very poor) defence, I am going to put it down to typos as I have been posting very quickly in moments before college, before bed, and whilst on trains!

I am currently waiting to go in for my singing assessment, and hiding out in the library and reading Eat, Pray, Love (I'll let you know what I think!), away from all the people frantically practicing their songs. That sort of thing never really helps and always makes me more nervous. If you don't already know your song, I think its possibly too late!

I am getting very exciting about all the upcoming events that will be happening with the Shoreditch sisters, starting with a trip to downing street next week, and our next meeting on the 22nd Feb. I am also looking forward to next week because it is 'reading week'. why they decided to give us this the week after our work was due in I do not know, but I'm not complaining. It means a trip to Plymouth to visit family and friends which is never a bad thing!

As I mentioned, I gave yoga a try for the first time this week, and it was not what I expected. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be but I actually really enjoyed it, and found that all that breathing in and out had the relaxing affect my dad always told me it would have. Note to self; always listen to ones father!!

Now, for some singing. Wish me luck!
xxx

Dear Hovis, I'm sorry...it's over!

In class yesterday, a discussion came up about cutting down on carbohydrates to lose weight. Some people say you shouldn't eat carbs at all, some say not in the evenings, and some say thats a load of rubbish and you should eat a balance of all food groups! I'm inclined to go with the latter, but this may be less to do with my knowledge of nutrition and more to do with my love of carbs!!


I love carbs, potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread are some of my favourite foods! I cannot even begin to imagine ho boring a life without carbs would be. Now while I'm not suggesting that binging on large amounts of mashed potato or chips every night is brilliant for you-carbs give you energy, and they also taste bloody good. 


Without carbs we wouldn't have risotto (delicious with mushrooms and a white wine sauce!) We wouldn't have pasta bake, we wouldn't have paella, we wouldn't have leeky pie topped with mash, and spaghetti bolognese would just be...bolognese. Where's the fun in that? 


I am currently tucking into a delicious slice of home-made bread with peanut butter, which is definitely one of my favourite breakfasts. But believe me, once you've tried home made bread the shop variety just doesn't taste the same. So be warned, if you don't want to be put off your hovis, don't try this at home!!! xx






Simple Baguette Recipe (makes 4)


ingredients:
1 teaspoon active dry yeast                              400-500ml warm water
550g unsifted strong white flour                        2 teaspoons salt
1 egg beaten and mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water


1. in a small bowl dissolve yeast in 100ml water. set aside for 10mins
2.combine flour and salt. add yeast mix, stir in remaining 300ml water, a bit at a time. mix until sticky enough to knead (you may need more water)
3.Knead for approx 10mins until dough is sticky but smooth
4. put sough in a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (approx 1 hour)
5. punch down dough and divide into piece. roll each piece into a ball and then pull out into a baguette shape. Transfer to a slightly greased baking sheet and let rise until nearly doubled in size
6.brush with egg-water  mix and score diagonally across with a sharp knife
7. pour 500ml of hot water into a pan and place in preheated over (230/gas mark 8) bake the baguettes for approx 15mins, before lowering the temperature to 200(gas mark 6) and bake for a further 10mins.
8. cool on a rack before slicing

9. ENJOY! Time-consuming but so worth it!

On your marks, get set...

Finally, my dissertation is finished and has been handed in! Hurray! The feeling of relief is overwhelming. But I have been left feeling like there is something I need to be doing. After months of research, writing and hard work towards my dissertation, I feel a little lost without it! I had been counting down to relaxing after the hand in but the anticipated relief just didn't materialise! 


I have decided to fill all this spare time I now have to start a new fitness regime. With graduation looming ever closer there has never been a better time to get in shape. The pressure of trying to get a job in this fiercely competitive industry means that you can never be too fit, as this can only help my dance technique. 


To kick start this new regime, I have bought some trainers! This is the first time since I left school and therefore did not have compulsory P.E. lessons that I have owned a pair of proper trainers. The closest I have come is a pair of converse pumps! I am hoping that seeing my shiny new trainers on the floor will be enough of a guilt trip to give me the motivation to actually put them on and do some exercise! 


So far, so good! Today I went swimming after college and took a walk on my break. I am hoping to swim and/or run a few times a week from now on. We shall see how it goes....for now, I'm off to try out some yoga!! xxx

Lovely lazy days!

I am having one of those lovely lazy days today! i had a huge list of things to do but after doing a few of the mundane tasks I had set myself I decided I could not be bothered, that I deserved a day off, and that I would do it tomorrow! So I have sat watching rubbish television all day. Mainly cookery shows! I started off with This Morning and learnt how to make my own healthy version of all my favourite Chinese takeaway dishes, so i will be trying that out next week! Then I moved onto Living TV and watched a range of cookery and lifestyle programmes whilst enjoying a toasted muffin and a nice cup of tea! 


After that it was time for the opticians so I reluctantly changed out of my pyjamas and left the house, getting some chores done on the way back (household shopping. returning library books etc). Since then I have had several long chats on the phone with my mum and lazed around watching Come Dine With Me (my favourite reality show!). Its now starting to get dark and the flat looks like a bomb has hit it with cups and plates all over the place, but I have put tomorrow aside as a cleaning day! 


I plan to have a proper spring clean in preparation for next weeks house party (anti-valentines mixed with hurray my dissertations been handed in!). I want to have the place lovely and fresh and clean for my guests! 


Its rare that I let myself have a lazy day so I have definitely made the most of it today! Lovely! It's definitely something I plan to do more often this year! :) xxx

I must be mad...

Last night I went out in Farringdon for leaving drinks for a friend who worked for ActionAid, a charity that I regularly volunteer for. She has been offered a fantastic new job with Festival Republic and it really won't be the same without her but I wish her all the best in her new job and hope she keeps in touch!

I will still be continuing to raise awareness and funds for ActionAid and have a few things in the pipeline for the coming months. On the 20th March, along with some other brave (mad!) friends, I will be jumping out of a plane and freefalling for 10,000 feet before hopefully remembering to open my parachute!! I am petrified and trying not to think of it as the day looms ever closer!! I think the worst thing for me will be sitting in the plane and waiting for my turn. I really want to go first so that I don't have to watch the others, as I think that will scare me beyond belief and put me off, and I am determined to do it. I think it will be a fantastic, once in a lifetime experience.

I am aiming to raise £500 for ActionAid in sponsorship for my jump and anybody who would like to sponsor me can visit my fund-raising page and donate online or contact me direct to donate the old fashioned way.

I am also planning to raise funds in a more traditional way by having a cake sale over the coming weeks. Baking successes and disasters to come! xxx

Sunshine through my window, That's what you are....

Today is the first day so far this year that I have woken up to sunshine streaming through my window, one of the simplest pleasures in the world. There is nothing like a bit of sunshine to put you in a good mood! 
I have an audition today, it's for Godspell, our end of year musical so I am a little nervous but generally optimistic (thank you to the sun for this brilliant mood!). Then after the audition I am meeting an old friend for a few drinks and a catch up! Lovely! 


The sun has got me really looking forward to the summer now! Summer is my all-time favourite season. I love the heat, waking up to sunshine, trips to the beach, long walks, lazy days in the park, outdoor swimming, summer holidays, and of course Festival Season! 


Unfortunately I wont be able to go to Glastonbury this year (I am gutted!) as I am in a show (it will be worth it!). So I have bought a ticket for Bestival instead. I am quite excited to be trying out a new festival, and also I have never been to the Isle of Wight before so that will be nice too. I am also hoping to go to Reading again. It just wouldn't be August without trekking down to a field in the middle of a reading industrial estate to camp in the mud without showering for a few days. Its one of the highlights of my year! 


Roll on the summer!!!! xxx

Teacups and Tapshoes but definitely no tears!!

In my first post I mentioned that I had recently had a Tap dance assessment and expressed my disappointment at the way the assessment had gone. Well it turns out that I shouldn't have worried! As I found out yesterday that I passed with a First :) so as you can imagine I was thrilled with that, especially since I thought it had gone so badly. And so to quote chuck berry 'it goes to show you never can tell'. 


This fantastic news was the perfect pick-me-up after a rubbish few days darkened by constant headaches. (which I went and got checked out today and it turns out that it is due to an eye problem so fingers crossed that will all be sorted out soon too!) And was also a huge confidence boost for me too.


All you can ever do is try your best and I'm slowly learning that I can't control everything all the time. So if I have given something my all there is very little point in me sitting going over and over what happened and fretting over the outcome. You can't change what has been and gone you can only learn for next time!

Here comes the bride, all fat and wide...!

So after many weeks of debate I have picked a wedding venue! When I told my parents and my future in-laws you could sense the relief that I had finally stopped being so fussy and picked somewhere! 


The thing is, I just didn't see the rush before. The church was already booked and for me that was the main priority. As long as I could get married in the church of my dreams, the reception was just one big party. I wanted to make sure that the price was cheap enough to be able to invite all of my friends to the evening, I didn't want to have to leave anyone out! I was also looking for somewhere that wouldn't damned my originality and where we could show a bit of our personality. Some venues laid out three mernus for you to choose from with no flexibility and the wedding rooms were pre-decorated with generic designs. I want my wedding to be a bit more bespoke than that, and have lots of ideas for getting crafty and inventive and decorating the room myself. I have asked a friend to draw up designs for my dress, another friend has kindly agreed to be in charge of the wedding video and yet another fantastic friend has said they would love to do the photos. Then I have some amazingly talented friends who I am planning to ask to provide the entertainment. 


So with all this going on it was important to me that we picked the right place, somewhere that we both agreed on which suited both of our extremes in tastes (he likes the uber-modern, I love vintage). So the place that I have chosen is absolutely perfect to me, and I hope all of our guests will agree on the day! Now that its all arranged I am suddenly really excited and wish I was getting married This year instead of next. There's still a lot of planning to be done though so its derfinitely for the best that we are waiting! But still....roll on 2012!!