Michigan 2015!!

At the end of September 2014 I started my 3rd year of university and attended a lecture based upon trips that we could sign up for that would take place in 2015. There were trips to Denmark, France a few other places that I can't really remember... But one trip that stuck out to me was a trip to Michigan in America.

The lecture was taken by a man named Ed, who told us lots of information about what happens on the trips and mainly, the costs. Regardless of this I signed up for the trip to Michigan at the end of the lecture, however, so did 40 people.

The issue with this however, is that I later found there were only 10 spaces for the trip. After the lecture, my friend Becca and myself met Ed at his office and told him how interested we were in the trip and if he could give us any more information! 

The Facts...

• We would fly from Manchester to Chicago (8 hours) on Thursday 16th May and then to fly from Chicago across Lake Michigan to Holland (40 minutes) were we would stay in the Hope College Campus for 17 days. 
• Friday we would be taken around the campus by students.
• Monday - Thursday we would be taken to Georgetown Elementary School and have the opportunity to teach or observe the lessons!!!!
• Friday my tutor Ed will arrive and have a seminar with us about how things are going!
• Saturday is a trip to Chicago!
• Sunday we would go to a baseball game!
• Monday - Thursday we would go back to Georgetown Elementary School.
• Friday - Seminar with Ed!
• Saturday another day in Chicago!
• Sunday fly home.

All this information at the time was a lot to absorb but the main point made was about the cost as we are all students. 

What do you think about this...

17 days in America, teaching in an elementary school for 8 days, travelling to Chicago, going to baseball game, meeting so many new people and having an amazing experience, I think that £1500 is an amazing price for food, flights, accommodation, travel and everything I've just listed!!!! 

But obviously 40 people had shown interest and there were 10 places :(

So from November- December I was on placement in Childwall C.E Primary in Liverpool. This gave the 40 people that had shown interest in the trip a chance to really think about whether they would like to go. Over the Christmas break Ed had emailed everyone asking for grades from placement to be sent to him, this included observation grades and overall marks, which gave me great confidence as my observation grades consisted of 2a's and 1st! Coming back after Christmas I received an email from Ed and it stated...

Hi everyone 

I would like to meet with you initially tomorrow to look at several important issues regarding the trip.

At the moment I have 12 people interested in 10 places so I need to explain the costings to you and when payments would need to be paid to check that everyone is OK with that.

I'll then go over the dates and what happens exactly during the trip regarding the placements.

If everyone is OK with that, Sarah and I will look at lesson observations overall initially to help make the final selection.

Sarah has told me that you are free between 1.00 and 4.00 so I would like to meet at 3.30. I am doing Year 2 assessments in the afternoon from 1.00 to 3.00 and am not availible at all in the morning.

Please come to my office initially (Eden 115A last office but one on the left on the corridor past the Partnership Office) at 3.30 and we can then find a room.

really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow

Ed

12 people interested, two people to be kicked off the trip...Not a very nice situation at all.

Unfortunately Ed was rushed to hospital when we arrived at his office for the meeting which meant that it was going to be a fair while until anyone knew who was chosen for the trip. Also that Ed was having a suspected heart attack!

6 days later another exciting email...

Hi everyone

This is just to conform that it is only you that I wish to see this afternoon at 3.15 outside my office.

Please be aware that we can only unfortunately send 10 of you so I will be looking at your individual grades in detail.

See you this afternoon

best wishes

Ed

Such a nerve wracking email to receive for a trip of a life time.  

So, yesterday at 3pm my friend Becca and myself arrived outside Ed's office early to show how ultimately keen we are to go on this trip! 10 of us arrive and Ed informs us that one person has dropped out, woo! 15 minutes go by and the 11th person still hasn't arrived...(I was very happy at this moment). Ed continues on with the meeting and provide us with a sheet of paper stating all the costs and details of the trip which he zooms on through. 

10 people are sat around the table, basically the Michigan group is formed...unless there is a good reason for why the 11th person hasn't attended the meeting. Ed then informs us that he will email the 11th person asap asking whether she does wish to go on the trip or not, then emailing us with the results!

And at 9pm I received this lovely email...:)

Hi everyone

Further to our meeting this afternoon I am now delighted to be able to offer you all a definite place on this year's trip.

Could you please mail me back asap to confirm that you accept.

best wishes

Ed

I'M GOING TO MICHIGAN!

Hope College

Georgetown Elementary School

I'm so excited! This experience really will be once in a lifetime :) Now I just have to save up £1500, oh dear.

This year will be a big adventure for me.

These are three beautiful pictures I took on my way to university at 8am yesterday morning.

 Hopefully you found this interesting to read :)

Love J x

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The Next Big Thing - The Land of Soap and Glory

...And this is the box of wonderfulness I received for Christmas.

 

 Usually I'm not a fan of overloading on body creams and lotions as soap and shower gel does the job really for me. However, since this box magically arrived under my Christmas tree, my opinion has dramatically changed. The content of this box is yummy.

THE NEXT BIG THING - SOAP & GLORY™ GIFT SET INCLUDES:

HAND DREAM Super Cream 100ml
ORANGEASM Body Wash 500ml
BUTTER YOURSELF Moisture Cream 500ml
HEEL GENIUS Foot Cream 125ml
SUGAR CRUSH Body Scrub 300ml
WHIPPED CLEAN Shower Butter 250ml
THE RIGHTEOUS BUTTER Body Butter 300ml
OFF YOUR FACE 3 in 1 Daily Purifying Cloths (25 Cloths)
SEXY MOTHER PUCKER Lip Lacquer in Charm Offensive 7ml
THICK & FAST Super Volume Mascara 10ml
A Bonus drawstring bag!!

How delicious does that all sound?

This present was off my parents for Christmas so where they are sold I'm not overly sure, however here is the link to buy it online!

www.soapandglory.com/new-arrivals/the-next-big-thing-gift-set

As you can see the products inside this box are placed inside a draw string bag, which I quite handy to keep the items together and to use for something else too!

Firstly the SUGAR CRUSH™ Body Scrub, my favourite product of them all!

The smell of this Body Scrub is amazing, it's tangy, zesty and refreshing! It's a smell that I've never seen in any other product before. The tub states being 'smashed with brown sugar and sweet lime, almond oil and macadamia grains', which sounds fabulous. It's so different and beautiful that I can't type quick enough to explain it to you. This product has large granules of sugar and little grains of macadamia shells that helps with removing/scrubbing off the rough patches all over your body. The sugar dissolves as you work it into your skin and the consistency is lovely and thick. Your skin is left feeling soft, smooth and smelling delightful! 

Packaging wise, I actually like it a lot :) When using it you can feel how thick the product is and you can really smell it when it once the lid is removed! Love love love!!!

 The two pink bottles actually come with this set as I realised after loading these pictures on my laptop that the Rich & Famous Body Wash (the creamy looking one) was a separate present, oops :) Nevertheless I shall tell you what I think of them all!

The Rich & Famous Body Wash is a Soap and Glory classic. 

This stuff smells AMAZING! On the bottle it states 'raw flower honey and almond milk', doesn't that sound lovely for a body wash?

It foams up really nicely and is easy to rub straight onto your skin. The smell is not too overwhelming that it fills the whole house, but lingers on your skin nicely. If you aren't a big fan of heavily sweet smells then this isn't for you, but I strongly recommend it as it is great quality, reasonably priced and a yummy smelling body wash!

Here is the link to buy it individually...

www.soapandglory.com/bath-body-care/bath-products/bath-shower-gel/rich-foamoustm

ORANGEASM™ Body Wash

The cheeky name of this body was is rather enticing isn't it? 

If you are a fan of citrus fresh fragrances you will love this! It is a great morning wake up call and very refreshing to use. The orange smell is just enough and has become one of my favourites to use! I find product feels light on your skin and not like you're rubbing a thick paste all over your body. 

BUTTER YOURSELF™ Moisture Lotion

Now the moisture lotion... honestly I'm not crazy for the smell. Its not at all sweet and actually smells off, which is never good! Its very very thick and at first takes about 5-10 pumps before anything appears! On the bottle it describes itself as 'Shea butter, orange water juice, fig pulp extract and almond, mango and moringa oils.' Too many smells and heavy products all piled together in one and is frankly too much! Hopefully i will grow to love it, but so far not a fan. 

The packaging for these three products I find very handy in the shower, as other products I've used with a cap lid is difficult to open, especially in the shower, it's nearly impossible!

 Now for these two bad boys...

I have not actually got round to using the HEEL GENIUS™ Foot Cream because I'm not really a feet person... But I will give this a go soon! 

HAND DREAM™ Super Cream

I love the packaging on this product! It feels and looks matt rather than glossy, which is different for Soap and Glory. The hand cream itself is thick and feels so lovely on your hands, however the smell is nothing special, which is quite disappointing! 

During winter I've had quite dry hands so this product has been very handy to keep in my bag :)

WHIPPED CLEAN™ Shower Butter

I really enjoyed using this product in the shower actually, which originally i didn't think I would. The bottle describes it as 'Velvety Cocoa, Shea Butters, Grapeseed, Sweet Almond and Macadamia Nut Oils'.

Im not crazy for a nutty smell but this stuff is lovely and smells beautiful! Its very thick as the buttery name suggests, however I've only used it the once in the shower...

It seems great for a wash and go kind of morning.

In comparison to the Rich and Famous for shower use, I would suggest the other, just because it's much lighter and refreshing.

OFF YOUR FACE™ 3 in 1 Daily Purifying Cloths (25 cloths)

Not used this product yet and I'm wondering when I will... I've read reviews online which seem rather mixed. Some say they are fantastic, wipe all your makeup off and make you feel refreshed and others say they've used better and they are nothing special.

I shall use them soon and update you on my thoughts...

These two products also came in the gift set, but I forgot when taking the pictures, again, oops :)

  SEXY MOTHER PUCKER™ Lip Lacquer in Charm Offensive 7ml

I LOVE THIS LIP GLOSS.

                    It gives a great amount of colour and it is pretty long wearing for a lip gloss. It smells good too :)

I usually wear it over the top of a lipstick and the one I use is Brave my MAC. They look so lovely together or even alone! Im not a lipgloss lover as I wear lipstick almost everyday but this I have found really lovely to wear.

Its not gooey or sticky and applies really well on to your lips!

Here is the link to this lipstick if you are at all interested. 
www.maccosmetics.co.uk/
product/shaded

/168/310/Lipstick/index.tmpl 

THICK & FAST™ Super Volume Mascara 

I've tried many mascaras since applying makeup and experimenting different types but this mascara I've found to be fabulous for that fuller looking lash. It does have a lot of product when you apply it, however it separates the lashes amazingly! Big full lash effect.

Anddd finally THE RIGHTEOUS BUTTER™ Body Butter 300ml.

This stuff is the definition of a dream. 

It's creamy and smooth and the smell just makes me want to eat it and lasts forever on your skin. It has a very prominent smell and is a thick substance but works into the skin beautifully.I've found great to use after shaving your legs as it just makes them feel so silky smooth. A must! 

The only issue with this however is the size. Personally I would take this product away with me but the tub is huge and rather heavy! There is a smaller version though which would be much more practical. 

I see this was a rather long blog, but this was a review of 11 products I suppose.

I hope I've given you an insight into the content on this box and maybe you'll try some out for yourself?

My Top 3 would be...

SUGAR CRUSH™ Body Scrub 

SEXY MOTHER PUCKER™ Lip Lacquer in Charm Offensive 

THE RIGHTEOUS BUTTER™ Body Butter 

Not sure whether this blog is interesting to read or a topic I will continue to write about but I enjoy reviewing products and it's something that makes me happy :)

What body products do you like using most?

Love J x

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Placement, Christmas and Life!

FINALLY!! 

For the stupidest reason ever for the last few months I have been unable to log into blogger which has frustrated me to the high heavens. 

Anyway I'm all logged in now and ready to type away the things running around in my head.

So the last time I posted was in September, which seems to have ran away rather quickly as it is now January...oops.

So since September I have started my 3rd year at Liverpool Hope University and have completed a 7 week placement at Childwall C.E Primary School and it has been the best 7 weeks of my life for many reasons.

Firstly my adorable class <3 Class 7, Year 3, absolutely adorable children!! I love every single child in that class, uhhhhh I cannot express how much they make me smile. I just want to hug and squeeze them all...however that is obviously not aloud. 

The second reason being the school in general and the staff. This school is placed just off Tagart Avenue in Liverpool and is a 2 second walk from my university! This school made me happy, it made me realise and understand exactly WHY I want to teach, why I want to walk through those school gates every single morning and see those 30+ faces in my class, having their company and building a relationship with them all. This school allowed me to become the teacher I want to be, facing the challenges and hurdles it brings, but most importantly, how I love the person it makes me. Being a teacher makes me appreciate the small things in life, it makes me undoubtably independent, it makes me feel every emotion in one day, it makes me have to leap around the classroom in order for those 30+ little people to understand what a verb or an adjective is or how to divide factions or how The Stone Age people lived. It is what I want to be, who I want to be and exactly what I want to do with my life. 

The staff in Childwall Primary were lovely, they made Terri (my placement partner) and myself feel so welcome and comfortable throughout the placement.

Whilst on placement I moved into a flat with my friends! One of my friends moved back home whilst on placement as she has been placed in the Wirral which is closer to home and due to currently living in Formby, a commute to Childwall everyday and aiming to arrive at 8am was something very unappealing, so I moved in. Also, the thought of petrol costs was another area I did not want to think about. For 7 weeks I lived in Childwall in a flat with 4 other girls and I had a ball :) So much so that I'm actually officially moving out next year and in a 6 bedroom house off Smithdown Road in Liverpool from September - June! How exciting!!!!

Looking back I wish I'd had the confidence to move out and into halls in first year because I know i'd have enjoyed it a whole bunch. Nevertheless, I'm were I am today for a reason and I do believe that everything happens for a reason, so there! 

Whilst on placement I was observed by my Hope Placement Tutor, a very scary experience to say the least. I taught dividing factions...how interesting. However...I was graded a 1st!!!!! :D This made me rather happy and once again a feeling of satisfaction and relief as I'd put my heart and soul into planning for this lesson and it effectively made me realise that I'm actually not that bad at doing what I love, which is always a good feeling!

These two pictures were actually taken on the day of my observation (28/11/14), a date thats stuck in my mind! Being observed is a strange feeling, both emotions shown in these pictures actually. Being stressed, nervous and doubting yourself, but also excitement and confidence in your capabilities. At the end of my lesson my Hope observer took me into the staff room, made a cup of tea and went over the lesson with me, evaluating the teaching standards I needed to meet and it felt like an hour went past before I was told my result!! I was sweating like crazy, I had clammy hands and I had this roasting hot cup of tea in front of me whilst staring at this lady like HURRY AND TELL ME PLEASE! Her name was Bernie and she was absolutely lovely to have as a placement tutor and not simply because she gave me a 1st for my lesson, but also because of the feedback that she gave me which was unbelievably helpful! She's actually going to observe me again next year when I have another 4 weeks in Childwall Primary that I'm really excited for. I'm being moved from Year 3 to Year 2 though which originally I was a bit annoyed about because I've become so close to my class and now I will have to build new relationships with an entirely new group of children and understand their abilities and how they learn AND teach 60% of the week! Oh dear... I'm sure I will absolutely love it though. A new adventure, a new year group and a new class! 

These pictures below are from my classroom this year. I cannot wait to have my own classroom and organise and decorate it in my own style!

Placement finished the week before Christmas this year so you can imagine how magical it was! 31 7/8 year olds telling me their lists for Santa and how excited they are! One of the children gave me her Santa hat to wear all day because I had said my ears were cold, how sweet (it was Christmas jumper day so the hat was acceptable).

During this placement, I invited all the girls from the flat to my house. We gave our Secret Santa presents, played Taboo, listened to Christmas music and stuffed ourselves with a roast dinner and I absolutely loved it!! Becoming a bit of a tradition! 

Nothing better than having your friends around when the house is decorated all Christmassy and cosy. Love it, love it.

This Christmas for me was spending time with my family and friends, last minute online shopping, eating too much, working in The Phesant non stop (the tips this year however have been very rewarding) and generally enjoying the life I've been given. 

New Years resolutions? To take advantage of the life I've been given and what it offers me.

I live on the doorstep of the beach and the pinewoods that I rarely visit! Very silly not to make use of it.

I have eaten a little too much over previous months and living in a student accommodation and having to do your own weekly shop is not the healthiest of options, therefore eating healthily and EXERCISING is another resolution! An element of life I've never been custom to...but will become!!

Overall taking care of my body and enjoying what life offers me more often, becoming more positive about the smallest of things and not allowing aspects of life to upset me as much as they do and not to dwell over them.

Below are some pictures from this years Christmas and New Years if you fancied a little nose!

Smile, tomorrow is a new day, make the most of it! :)

 Love J x

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