Right....things that I've noticed

1) weighing out portions
Reading the back of packets and finding out what the real size of a serving is has stopped me over eating and also means my food is lasting longer! Sounds simple but it goes further than that; by eating the recommended portion sizes it stops you from over eating, which means you don't stretch your stomach making you feel hungrier later!

I've chosen not to prepare my lunches at the same time as I do my meals as I know that i'd just eat my lunch... I have no self control!

2) Splashing out a little has mad ALL the difference!!! Pesto for 98p, cream cheese for 50p and it sounds silly but cake mix for 22p have been the highlights of the past week. With basic staples that had absolutely NO flavour....[wall-papper paste I'm sure has more gastronomic appeal than cous-cous I'm SURE] but hey ... slap a bit of pesto in and you're away!

3) The whole week I've been craving sugar! That's where the cake mix coupled with the marmalade came into play! 22p basics cake mix would have been awful and dry....very dry! I had wanted to but Lemon curd so I could do a makeshift lemon drizzle cake but neither supermarket had any. which is why I ended up with marmalade. I boiled some down and added it to the mix along with one of my eggs and the rest of the orange-jam-syrup concoction was poured over the cake once it was done! I WAS SO HAPPY! Was it the best cake I'd ever eaten? NO Did I care? NO! I had cake! I was happy!

4) It is REALLY hard to eat healthily on a budget! Cheap food is not healthy! I could have bought 20 sausages for a pound apparently...NO THANKS! Pizza's for 40p! chicken nuggets for who even cares! I don't want it! I want fruit and veg! I walked past the market and there was a stall with the most beautiful apples! I think I may have to indulge this week on some fresh fruit and veg but then there s the risk of it going off! Right now it's a risk I'm willing to take!

5) Something else I've noticed is that there is pretty much NO VARIATION in my meals! I saved up some of the more 'exciting' foods till the weekend so I had something to look forward to! The joke was on me! It got to Saturday and my stomach  had shrunk! I made myself a breakfast of two fish fingers, an egg, half a tin of beans and two slices of toast......I ate.......most of the beans, half the egg, a fish finger and one slice of toast...I WAS STUFFED! I ate the rest for lunch I wasn't going to waste it!

6) I do not drink anywhere near enough water! The first few days I had a constant headache and often contemplated just going to bed so I didn't have to think about food!

6.5) I snack ALL THE TIME! I recognised all of the times during the day when usually I'd have had a biscuit or a tomato or an apple or some sushi...I don't snack on normal things...which is probably why I nearly jumped a five year old with a pear the other day!

7) Alot of people at some point in the life have lived on less than a pound a day! My favourite stories coming from students that have lived of chopped tomatoes and toast...and I thought I had it bad!

8) Some of my friends are not the kind of people you really want to be around when doing this challenge. Having bananas waved in your face or dominoes pizza just being left beside you....NOT FUN!

9)It is worth it! On so many levels that I couldn't have comprehended before I started it is SO worth it. I have had loads of interesting conversations and had so much support not only for this but also my Global Poverty Ambassador venture for this year!

Ok So this is the second year I have taken up the live below the line challenge; last year I didn't document it and up until this point I hadn't documented this years challenge either....so here I go. This year I am taking up the challenge as a Global Poverty Ambassador, but for Restless Development.

The Challenge (if you choose you accept it) Is to live below the extreme poverty line (country specific) for 5 days. In the UK that means £5 for 5 days food and drink, thats breakfast lunch and dinner....33p per meal. My goal is to raise £365 which is the equivalent of living a year below the line.

When I tell most people what I'm doing the question they all ask is why; I'm doing this for the same reason that I present the 1.4 billion reasons presentation, to give a glimpse into the lives of 1.4 billion people who have no choice but to live below the line everyday- and who have to make £1 cover a lot more than food and drink.

My shopping list for this week is as follows
loaf of bread - 47p
pasta - 30p
cous cous - 68p
pesto - 98p
cream cheese w/ garlic and herbs - 50p
pasta sauce - 39p
fish fingers - 60p
frozen mixed veg - 75p
instant mash - 20p
marmalade - 22p
gravy granules - 20p
6 eggs - £1
tin of beans - 27p
sponge mix - 22p 

the grand total of £6.78 leaving 22 pence to treat myself during the week WHOOP!

Ok today wasn't the most memorable day in my 23 years of living...

Breakfast - toast and marmalade
Lunch - 2 toast pizzas (surprisingly tasty)
Dinner - mixed veg and cous cous with a little bit of pesto......absolutely no flavour what so ever 

Tomorrow will be interesting to say the least! Over the past week I've had a constant headache that I'm going to put down to dehydration and a lack of sugar. My favourite meal last week (although it wasn't planned) was my left over chilli with pasta ...yes, it sounds vile but hey, small mercies!

Lets see how this goes!

If you'd like to sponsor me you can HERE
You can find out more about live below the line HERE
Find out more about Restless Development the charity I'm doing it for HERE

As Summer somehow managed to consume another few months and I fail at striking the balance with too much to write and no where near enough and the time restraints that come with both of these options. Eurgh rather than even pretending like I'm going to complain let me get it out there......I had one of the most amazing Summers EVER! I was pulled in every direction possible and although at times I may have moaned or thought that I'd taken too much on.. I wouldn't have it any other way.....I can say that in hindsight but at the time I may have ...and most likely did feel VERY differently! I don't even know at what point my Summer of no sleep started but it must have been after my birthday ...this year I turned 23...I couldn't tell you what I did for it but I'm sure I did something pretty low key this year and loved it. Near the end of june started my first "wave" with my job for Summer 2011 A Senior Mentor with The Challenge. I could wax lyrical for a paragraph or ten about the experiences I had, people I met and fear I overcame but I'm sure most people have heard enough about that from me chewing their ears off. let me just say if you have a spare three or four weeks next summer and enjoy working with young people then GET INVOLVED! Rock- climbing, abseiling, raft building, sailing, ghyl scrambling, caving, two day hike, camping on top of mountains in stone huts....I kid thee not!

After the joy that was Summer came a trip to Spain for all of Autumn with my dad because work was making me wish ill things to nice people!.....(saying i was in Spain for all of Autumn does not mean I was there for three months. I live in england and therefor my favourite season.....lasted all of November and then it was Winter) Spain was .....better than being at work! We'll leave that there.

Winter - work, no time, German market, London for New Years and a new love of exercise! all in all it's been ok it's now 2010 ...... I started writing this blog post in 2011 but didnt finish it. I make no resolve to post on here more often because I know that I wont; I do promise however that I wont forget to come back every once in a while!

I'd like to live here

(mainly mission bay, mission district, south market...maybe the noe valley...not like I've thought about it much)

maybe here



donations welcome

images from HERE

1) The tags for the post below read Found, Future, Job! I only just realised but it must have been an omen as this Summer I will indeed be working for THE CHALLENGE! I honestly don't think anyone can fully comprehend how excited I am! On top of that I still have the possibility of maybe doing two sessions of wither the challenge or two sessions of EFY ......or I might just do one of each; either way this Summer is going to be HECTIC! add into the mix that I'm on the committee to organise a conference for up to 800 people between 18 and 30 and Im starting to question what on Earth I was thinking!

2) I turn 23 in less than a month! I cannot decide on a pie party, a pimp that snack party or a panther party....or if in all fairness I just want to go and get food with people that I love.....the last one is kind of winning!

3) Yesterday I had SUCH a lovely day! One of my best friends sisters has been living roughly twenty minutes WALK away from where I live during her first year of university, now that the school year is coming to a close I actually met up with her and spent some time just chatting! We went to the farm.....(where I take everyone) and then we went to Manton's....(where I take everyone else) it was so fun and we've vowed to do it again! (I didn't take any pictures as the whole time at the farm we were being harassed by crazy dogs and terrorised by greedy geese! just a normal day down at the farm!)

4) Scotty and Aaron are coming down on Thursday! from Scotland! Ahhhh I actually can't wait...although I haven't got a clue what we're going to do!

5) A charity that I volunteered with when I was at school emailed me the other day about an informal interview for a role I'd applied for! OH HAPPY DAY [let us also not forget that this charity share an office with THE CHALLENGE....I don't know why I insist on always typing it in CAPITALS] so Dharshna is chatting away and asks me if I have any questions..... I tell her no...as I've done it before...she tells me I don't need to come in on Thursday and she'll just send me a CRB form in the post! I LOVE MY LIFE!!!!!

I have changed and I think to a degree for the worse!

Elements of my character that I was so happy to have held on to, and had not been tainted by modern society have slowly and subtly been worn away by others and their cynicism

I've been a bad friend of late. I've been wrapped up in small menial things and I haven't been there for the people who mean the most to me!

Slapped wrist...all is back to normal!

I'm ridiculosly grateful for earmuffs right now! I have been for the past week but right now even more than before!!!

If I hadn't purchased the best earmuffs in earmuff history I'd probably consider growing an afro!...I'm actually being serious! There's two things I dislike severly about winter...cold ears and cold feet! This Winter I only have to worry about one of those...and it's not my ears.

Christianity is founded on the greatest of all miracles, the resurrection of our Lord. If that be admitted, other miracles cease to be improbable. They were intended to be a proof to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. Many of them were also parabolic and instructive, teaching by means of symbols such divine truths as the result of sin and the cure of sin; the value of faith; the curse of impurity; and the law of love. Miracles were and are a response to faith, and its best encouragement. They were never wrought without prayer, felt need, and faith.


It is important to notice the different names by which miracles are described. They are called signs, as being visible tokens of an invisible power; they are powers or mighty works, because they are the acts of One who is almighty; they are simply works, or the natural results of the Messiah’s presence among men; they are wonders, marvels, because of the effect produced on those who saw them.

Miracles happen daily. Through humble means are great works brought to pass!

I am humbled!

*before more people ask...no this is not a quote from Mariah Carey!!!! it's from the bible dictionary!...Mariah wishes*

It's Summer again...well it's now nearing the end of said season, and as always I've been carried away with everything.  So much has happened there's no point trying to have a catch up because I'd forget most of the things that have happened.

Notable things that come to mind
- degree finished
- EFY - success
- Back in Birmingham
- Best friend married off
- Eagerly awaiting Talisa's bump to be born

and today .... I move into a hilariously cute cottage with two lovely ladies!

The cottage has no internet right now so I could say that I intend to update this blog regularly but I can't promise anything.

Yes I've been listening to the specials but also I'm not looking on this period or transitional phase as the end of an era as that's just too depressing! In the past fortnight I have graduated from university, lived through and been MoH at my best friends wedding, moved back to Birmingham and left everything that I have known for the past three years behind me! In all fairness i can't lie I felt like moving back to Birmingham was just me regressing and going backwards, I'd lived away from home and now I was going back; reverting to the 19 year old that left! Each situation is only as you perceive it! If I look on this time in a negative light then it will be a negative experience.

This was nearly the boat that I found myself in ... but if there's one thing I'm not it's a pessimist...debate that as you will!

However sometimes we need to move backwards so we can move forwards. A slight diversion may seem nothing at the start but as time progresses you end up far away from your end goal. I know that right now I am meant to be in Birmingham even if there is a part of me that wants to be in Manchester, it's not where I am supposed to be it's just where I am comfortable and that is not the same thing.

As I apply for any job I can find and actually think on what I would like to do I realise that I probably should have done a degree in Social Work. In reality I just want  job where I'm working with people and I'm serving in some capacity; volunteer development? yes please! Youth work? thank you kindly! Social worker? Why! however did you know!... Alas!...jobs in these fields right now seem few and few between so I'll take what I can get!

My blog is turning into bogs that I dislike....just a collection of things that I've found on the internet!
RECTIFIED!...well it'll still include random things I've found on the intraweb butI'm back to writing!

lack of attention being paid to the blog....and I can't even think of a reason. I have all of the time in the world! I've been dedicating more time to my written journal! I love that book taking a couple of minutes out here and there is such a small ask but when read back all together it is so powerful! I should write in it more than I do!

I have been thinking about the passing of time recently and the joys of pasts present and possible futures! I guess it's a normal thing to think about after you graduate! This isn't just a summer for me.....this is life! Lectures don't start in September, this is my life! job hunting, cake baking, letter writing! As the sun sets n yet another chapter of my life all I can do as I look back is be greatful! Outcomes may not be what we expect when we first start a journey but we must enjoy the journey all the same! The outcome although maybe not what we desire is most likely what we need or deserve; appreciate it because unlike your wants this result is yours! claim it!

Thing get you down, we are tried at all times and in all things even when things are going well complacency to me is one of the scariest things! I hope I don't get complacent  in any area of my life; I will always try to renew, refresh and improve. Past conquests are just there to show you what you could achieve at that moment in time, learn from it and move forward, achieve more! We all have an infinite potential only limited by ourselves I refuse to limit myself!

I am grateful for all of my trials and hardships in my past, I don't regret my choices, I don't hold grudges, I learn from my experiences and move on strengthened from the episode. All is well! in the grand scheme of things this is but a short time! The past is the past, it has been and has been dealt with it does not bare reference for my future; nothing there is big enough that it holds weight on my future decisions. Every day is a new start, everyday I choose to improve!

So...

I'm in Reading! The reason I'm here is for BC training but as I have no real purpose right now I get to stay for a couple of days with Nicola at Ruths house! [It's been the best!]

Today was BC training which was fun! Most of the counsellors knew each other pretty much apart from two and they seem ace any how! I'm really looking forward to it al ready! WE'll se how it goes! I will eventually catch up with life at some point but until then....

I wanted to be a wallpaper designer! (at least it's not something weird like a slug *cough*)

Someone out there must have that job and I wanted it to be me. I longed to walk into someones house and be able to say they've got my work on their walls!

In the last week I have found two websites with the most AMAZING...and equally overpriced wallpaper EVER! and so seven years on, as my degree comes to a close I think that maybe I'll see if I can crack out an art foundation and become a wallpaper designer! First step is to find all of my old art work and also to start drawing again!

I think from this you can tell how my revision is going!

I have a whole book of letters written To whom they may concern!

Some are to actual people some to groups, some to people I don't even know but have just seen either on the street, in the library or in a shop, some to people still around, some to people passed on. I read through some of them the other day and it just made me smile hence why I started to share them...I will post a few more...or maybe many more; depending on how my mood takes me.

My parents are my best friends even when we don't get on or they start on their overly repetitive stories all I can do is laugh at them and with them, recently more so with them especially as I'm noticing all of the similar characteristic that we share. Dads aspirations for me that I just dismiss because it's Dad...now as we spend more time together are more in line with what I would actually like to do, rather than what he would like to tell people I do!

I am ready for university to be finished but that is definitely not where my education will finish. I have books to read, languages to learn, places to visit, people to meet, food to taste and a whole host of other opportunities that will be placed in my path! With new experiences come new acquaintances, moving away from what I have known for the past three years will also mean inevitably loosing touch with people who are present in my life right now. That process has already started to happen as my revision causes me to become a recluse my associations with people are not as strong as they once were and I know that this is my fault but I guess eventually it will make it easier for me to slip away come July; maybe then I'll be bothered about keeping in touch!

Ok things I have realised of late...

1) I am not competitive apart from when it comes to one-on-one sports like air hockey.... my competitive spirit died with the end of house hockey, netball , rounders and so in in Y11. I really do just enjoy the taking part.

2)  I despise people who lie, are lazy, unwilling to serve, are selfish, single-minded, childish and overdramatic amongst many other things, Im working at this and I don't hold it against them, but everytime that aspect of them is manifested I imagine hitting them with a fish! no really then I laugh and all is good!

3) Prude? ...erm yes a little.

4) I love sausages...like really!...favourite meal - sausages and mash, second, toad in the hole, third sausage casserole...no lie!

5) I love it when I'm proven wrong! I'm usually proven right.

6) Board games are the best.

7) It really does sadden me that people don't actually "write" anymore.

8) I don't judge things on appearances because appearances fade and are also quite often fake, but I like it when things look pretty.

9) I enjoy cooking more than I enjoy eating and that's saying a lot.

10) I love developing new skills, since deciding I was going to teach myself how to crochet no ball of yarn has been safe! I'm taking my sign language back up when I go back to Birmingham and I want to learn Spanish! Any thoughts as to what else I should try my hand at are more than welcome. I enjoy a challenge.

This week I've had a few intense conversations that i have totally loved! All adding in some way to give my life some sort of direction! Last night I had one while chewing on a polystyrene cup for about half an hour. I've got a lot to think about and I know that I've already spoken to two of the probable three people that read this blog about my up coming decisions, thank you for listening and for your advice!

I'm an observer;....I observe! I think it's why I quite like Social Anthropology! I get to sit and watch or read and then continue to sit and think. In class we study different cultures, lost tribes, "new" civilisations and the things that set them apart from us; cultural differences, different thought processes whatever else the lecturer decides. I love it. 

The past few weekends have come with many a realisation for me. I've learnt a bit, I've realised a lot, and I've come to accept a fair few things that I guess I always knew. This weekend really topped it off, I had my patriarchal blessing which was more than I could ever have imagined! Dumb-struck doesn't even come close to how I was feeling afterwards. I'd been scared about what might be said in it for the past three years; now I have it, I realise it's full of things I'd already known, knew were important and had been striving to do. It contained some things other people had said to me and I'd been unwilling to accept, but they were right all along; now I look back it seems quite apparent! The same evening I attended a CES broadcast which felt like I was sat in a room with Elder Rasband on my own...needless to say this weekend has been rather intense but I wouldn't change it for the world!

 I have a work to do, I always thought I did, now I know I do.