Getting That Degree

It has taken me a while to write this post because I have been too busy enjoying my freedom!

After five years I have finally handed in my final piece and will be graduating later this year which I am thrilled about!

It has been a long old slog to get here but it has been so worth it. I will now be the proud owner of a degree in English Literature, something that I always wanted to achieve. What is even better about it all is that I did it all for fun and have no plans to use it in anything, I just wanted it for me!

Open University have been so great and I would highly recommend looking at using them if you want to get a degree part time. I have come out of it with no debt and with some government help I have actually only paid around £1000 for my degree over the course of five years which is such a good deal.

Yes it does take a long time and yes you do have to put the work in but if you want to keep working and study too it is ideal and has a workload that is manageable. It should have actually taken me six years, but I managed to get two done in one year so if you time it right you could get it done sooner too.

Now I just need to figure out what to do with all my spare time!

C x

New York Food Feature

Another New York installment on my YouTube channel, this time eating all of the food! We really did go to town!

Click the picture to link through!

Good News!

I took a little look back through my old blog the other day and it was packed full of little posts with me just chatting which I don't seem to do anymore. This is a little chatty post though as I have news to share!

After 14 months of working in a temporary position at my job they have finally offered me a permanent place here! Which is all I ever wanted really! To have found a job where I don't mind coming in every day, I don't mind the hour 20 commute and I get on with my boss is just incredible and I wanted to hang on to that with both hands.

Now I finally feel like I can relax and not worry every few months if they will be able to keep me on. I have made some really great relationships here as well and to not have seen these people every day just would have been awful.

I will now be an Operations Assistant, helping to look after the day to day running of the school and all the behind the scenes bits that keep it running. This will enable me to learn about Estates, HR, Lettings, Catering, Health & Safety and will add a huge string to my bow.

Things are looking very sunshiney for me indeed!

C x

Recipe - Party Ring Biscuits

Sunday biscuit time! Recipe makes a whole heap of biscuits with a crunch, and who doesn't love pink icing! Perfect for making and keeping in a jar to sneak one every time you walk past.

Click on picture to link through:

C x

Recipe - Coconut Ice

Sticky, pink and coconuty, this sweet treat is perfect for keeping in the fridge and sneaking a piece or two every time. So simple to make and it only requires three ingredients and some chilling time!

Let's get started:

Ingredients

250g condensed milk
250g icing sugar
250g unsweetened desiccated coconut
couple of drops of pink food colouring

Method to the Madness

Mix the condensed milk, icing sugar and coconut in a bowl

Until you get a dough...

Separate out into two equal balls and press one lump into a square 20cm tin lined with greased cling film

Add a few drops of pink food colouring

And layer on top of the white mixture, using the back of a spoon to smooth out the top

Leave in the fridge to set, preferably overnight. Once set cut into bite-sized chunks and marvel in it's pretty pinkness!

 

Enjoy!

C x

Isle of Wight

As I am sure most of you know I work at a school in the Operations side of things, so although I have contact with the pupils most days they are slightly removed from my every day role. Last week however I was offered a chance to go on a school trip to the Isle of Wight.

I haven't been on a school trip since I was in secondary school so coming up a good fifteen years, so I jumped at the chance to go on an activities holiday and run around like a big kid!

I have no idea what I was thinking! The difference between being a child on a school trip and being the adult responsible for those children is a whole different matter. I have so much respect for all teachers for having to look after children on a daily basis because it is just exhausting!

You have to be switched on 24/7, as the welfare and safety of the kids is the most important thing. I mean it was just a constant soundtrack of 'Miss Hewitt, Miss Hewitt, Miss Hewitt'. 'Miss Hewitt, how does this work?' 'Miss Hewitt, when is lunch?' 'Miss Hewitt, what time is it?' I fell asleep every night to the white noise of this.

Do you know what though it was really worth it. I now have 11 new best friends, and a whole experience that I wouldn't have dreamed of.

On arrival to our cabins we got straight into the activities, which I continued to take part in over the 3 days we were there.

We went hunting on the beach for crabs and tried to rock climb.....

I took part in the Cat Walk, what felt like a death defying tightrope trip, at some height. My smile here is not genuine....

This one is because I came back down to earth....

I drew the line at the trapeze though, and although I attempted abseiling I just couldn't convince myself that throwing myself backwards over a 35ft drop was a good idea, so I had to climb back down the stairs. You really are fearless when you are younger, but it soon disappears!

The weather was glorious, which was such a relief as the forecast had said rain all week and it's always much nicer outside when you don't end up soggy!

I honestly had the best time despite the fact I was dead on my feet by the end of the week and I love that I had the opportunity to go.

C x