I can remember the summer after I turned 16 being driven around my hometown and me handing in my CV’s to anywhere I could. From this moment on I have always had a job, except during term time at university.

You probably think that this is a really strange thing about me but I know that if I hadn’t been in the jobs I have then I wouldn’t have had any experience or the passion for customer service that I do.

As you may or may not know, I had a number of interviews a few weeks ago and until then I didn’t realise how much I loved having a job and the sense of pride I get from earning my own money.

The absolute relief I had when I got the phone call saying that I got the job is a feeling that I cannot begin to describe.

After only a couple of days I have seen a complete lift in my mood and I am so determined not to let anyone ruin that. You hear that? No one will ruin my mood.

This is just a part of my living in the moment and that my life is happening right now!

October

Honestly I can’t believe it’s October already. It feels like last week I turned 21! This week is going great for me already, and I’m not exaggerating at all.

It’s probably not a surprise to a lot of people but I didn’t manage to get into the last year of my degree and sure I was completely gutted at first but now that I no longer have the constant stress and worry of studying and doing a dissertation, I’ve never felt so great. I don’t particularly regret going to University because I gained so many more skills, knowledge and experience that I wouldn’t have gotten if I hadn’t gone in the first place, and in some ways that is worth so much more than a degree.

This leads on to why this week has been so great!

At the beginning of this week I got the job that I really wanted, booked my tickets for the Good Food Show and I’ve got several reviews lined up that I know all of my readers will love. I'm also going home to see my family at the end of the week, it's been 3 weeks since i've been home and for me that's almost like forever and also because of my job it's likely i won't be home 

I’ve also been baking and cooking but I haven’t go round to writing up the recipes yet. I’ve got a very busy couple of weeks writing before I start my new job!

I love hearing from you guys so I would love to hear what you guys like reading the most so I can write more posts on those topics!

Don’t worry though, there will be so much more positivity throughout my blog from now on.

A little bit of greatness

I won’t lie to you; it’s been a very stressful couple of weeks where nothing has gone to plan.

This week has picked up straight away though, I’ve got job interviews lined up, I feel more motivated to do everything and my Dad is finally home after being stuck in America for two weeks.

While I’m writing this I’m not even sure where this blog post is going…so it will probably be a random one where I’m getting my thoughts down on to paper.

Job interviews

This is one of the highlights of my week; I got up extra early on Monday morning (actually normal time for me but extra early for any normal person) and set off in to town to hand out CV’s. It felt like I was 16 again looking for a new job but with a bit more confidence! I normally just apply for jobs online but I need something ASAP so I went round the shopping centre in town handing them out to all the shops I could. I always find it positive when you get a call back within a few hours, and that’s what happened! So I’m getting my best dress on to look all professional in the next week.

Motivation

Leading on from my previous point, I got some bad news that I wouldn’t be going back to Uni to finish my degree. To say I was/am gutted would be an understatement, there was a lot I wanted to take part in to make my final year the best it could be. However, I don’t need to dwell on it and after a strong drink (I needed to calm down somehow), I picked myself back up straight away and headed off to the library to start applying for jobs.

Gym

I’ve also been going to the gym, like seriously. I signed up as soon as I could when I got back to Kingston and I’ve bee going every few days, a great improvement on not going at all. My fitness is absolutely terrible, the first time I went I got off the treadmill and thought I was going to faint, even though the workout I had just done felt great, it was maybe a little too much too quickly so I’m going to work it up a bit more slowly but I’ve seen an improvement on my fitness already. I’ve also started a gym and food diary to keep track of everything, but more of that another time.

Positivity

I think this is really important to try and stick at. If you have a positive attitude you get so much more done (yes, I am being slightly hypocritical, I don’t always have one). I find that if I go in somewhere feeling positive beforehand then it’s so much more effective than if I don’t. Even though it’s only been a couple of days, this week I’ve been much more positive and it’s gotten me so far already. Bring on the rest of the week.

Money

I’m really, really bad with money. There I said it. It’s the one thing I can’t seem to keep organised but I’m trying and I’ve even said that I’ll take on two jobs till next year just to sort it out. I’m 21, with no savings and there are people younger than me who are better with money than I am! I mean I’m actually an adult now; I should probably start acting like it with everything…

Travelling

I won’t give up on this dream at all. There are so many places I want to go and so many things I want to see and why shouldn’t I? I wanted to start my travelling this year, and maybe I still can, but right now I’m thinking about going interrailing round Europe next summer and that seems like the better option as by then I WILL have my money all sorted out, like seriously I will. Travelling is something I want to do so badly so I won’t be giving up on it so easily.

I love Autumn because…

Now the summer has ended (boo) and we’re going into Autumn. This has to be one of the better seasons for me, even if it means going back to School or University. While I was planning this blog post I came up with a whole page of reasons I like Autumn.

To start with the air gets more crisp and fresh as the cold sets in, none of this hot and muggy nonsense we’ve been having in England.

The changing colours of the trees and the crunch of leaves under your shoes, how can you not love it? Dog walks in the autumn are definitely the best! And not forgetting when it gets darker a bit earlier in the evenings…

TV…need I say more. All of my favourite TV programmes start again in the autumn, there’s just so much to watch and X Factor is basically the count down to Christmas right?

It also means it’s almost time for Thursday late night shopping too. Wandering aimlessly through shops as dusk settles and the shop lights light up the street. Walking through the markets is so much nicer than when it’s boiling hot and it’s something I’m going to make more of an effort to do.

Not forgetting the food (you knew it would come up at some point!).the hot soups, homemade stews, apples at Halloween, all kinds of pies, huge pots of chilli and yes, of course, a Sunday roast dinner! No more of all this salad business, but don’t worry I’ll be finding autumn alternatives and keep you posted!

I don’t normally treat myself to new clothes that often, I get a few staples and work around that. However recently I’ve felt the urge to look for a few new bits thi season. I’d love a chunky cardigan for when it gets colder and I need a new coat too. I can’t wait to get out my woolly chunky snoods, they are unbelievably warm and great for when you go on walks. And boots as well, always a must.

It also seems like the perfect excuse to have a bit of down time to myself. After summer being so hectic and just plain crazy, it’s time to have those cosy Sunday nights that don’t require much thought. Light up a nice smelling candle and do some writing or watch my favourite TV programmes and let everything else wait till Monday morning.

Fortunately, or unfortunately in some cases, I’m all into new starts. So, as September is in full swing, and we’re already a week in, it’s time to pack up the rest of my things and move back to Kingston ready to find a new job. I actually cannot believe it’s already a week into Septembers. It feels like only last week it was the beginning of the summer holidays.

Lastly, but by no means least and without a doubt the best bit, it means it is time to almost get ready for Christmas. And I LOVE Christmas, I mean really love it, but I will have to save that for another day or I will get too overexcited and it’s only September after all.

So for now, I will live in the moment and enjoy Autumn while it is here!

Weekly Update

It’s now been a week since I got back from being on holiday and I feel so much healthier already. Before I went on holiday and when I first got back from Greece, my work trousers were slightly (or actually a lot) tighter than when I first bought them a couple of months ago. It was one of those things that I tried to ignore but my mum commented on it so it was clear I wasn’t maintaining my weight and evidently gained some of it back.

However, even in just a week I almost need a belt to hold my trousers up and my work top isn’t as tight around my stomach now. I already feel like I’m making better decisions on the food imp buying and when I’m eating out, basically a lot of salad. I also can’t get enough of nandos spicy rice! Plus I’m still trying new food; I tried no-carb spaghetti few days ago, which was surprisingly filling and tasty. I’ve also been working quite a lot which does distract me from thinking about eating food, even though we mainly sell food and drink there!

I’m just so proud that in a week I can see that much of a difference in my work clothes! It really helps with motivation and keeping me going when sometimes I honestly want to pack it in and give up. However, I then think about my health and all the confidence issues that come with it and realize that it actually is very important to carry on for myself.

This is quite a “bits and bobs” post today, really an update of the goings on of the past week.

When I was at work on Tuesday, a lady came in while it was quiet so there’s often time for a little chat, normally about the weather or the news. Although this one took a turn towards weight loss. At the time there were a load of “lads” across the road from the shop and she said that she was often self-conscious about her weight and her looks, I was shocked she would be so open with a stranger!

It’s nice though that some people can be comfortable enough to trust me with something so personal. She then told me about how after she had her children, she gained several stone and tried every diet out there to try and shift the weight but nothing seemed to work until she got proper advice from an exercise class she started going to at Salisbury hospital.

I must say she looked good for her age considering she had had children and it was clear her confidence had boosted.

The one thing that really struck me during our conversation was that she had a similar view that I did, that some people cant help but be nasty about the ay you look. So I told her about the time that I got up the courage to go for a run but as I was running, some “lads” shouted out the window at me, not the most encouraging experience vie had. Once id finished, she was very shocked at what happened.

I think it really goes to show what the community can sometimes be like and it really is a shame that people feel like they have to stoop so low and make comments to people. I feel quite sorry for them to be honest (!) but whatever makes them feel better!

This "weekly update" has turned into a complete essay and if you've made it this far, well you're an absolute star! ⭐️ I promise there's only a little bit left to go. 

So my diet is going well as I said before, I've been eating less and drinking more water and it is starting to really show! I've also noticed that I'm not as hungry as I normally am, I haven't figured out whether it's down to stress or drinking more water to suppress my appetite or what but something is going right!

I'll leave it there till my next recipe (yes, there's another one coming soon!) or my next weekly update. 

You're all so great, much love! X

Athens - Part 3

The end of the holiday really revolved around where we were going to sit by the pool. It was quite an eventful few days doing all the sightseeing so we just wanted to relax. I definitely did anyway!

I spent the days doing some revision and writing (as per usual) as it just lets me get out what I need to, even if no one sees it.

We went back to the sky lounge restaurant that was on the rooftop of our hotel, but the highlight of that meal had to be the bread and olive tapenade...the salmon I had was overcooked and really dry, which was a shame.

We did go back to our favourite restaurants, Dionysos and Strofi, again. In Dionysos I had the chicken with bulgar and a bit of sauce and I had a cheeky chocolate soufflé too. I mean look at it!

Then in Strofi I had the exact same meal as last time! Although I did try Moussaka for the first time and it was spectacular there.

We couldn't leave without writing in their guest book

I actually continued writing on but I wrote it all before I even left the hotel to get on the plane and I was so pleased with the flight that I needed to come back and add it in. As you would have read in Athens part 1, I was convinced that all plane food was terrible and I would never have a good meal on a flight but boy was I so wrong. There were two options for our meal, either pork and potatoes or chicken tortellini, I don't eat pork so I went for the chicken option. I was convinced it would be horrible and I could just eat whatever came with it, but it was delicious (for plane food that is, I wasn't exactly thrilled by it). It came with a Greek salad and bread and my brother had the kids meal so I got to eat the fruit off of that, so really it was a pretty good meal!

I know it's really cringe and cliche but I really feel as if I've come quite far over the past week. I've realised where I've been going wrong and what I need to do to change this. Personally, that's quite an achievement as I would normally deny there was a problem whatsoever and just carry on. But as I return home, I have planned out realistically what I can and hopefully in 4 weeks I will have progress to show for it!

All your words of encouragement mean so much, so keep them coming! And I truly hope that whoever reads this is taking at least a little bit of good from it!