Dear all...

Fear not! I have not forgotten you, or my #30 days of Thankful, I have just been poorly and so haven't updated, but I shall update in due course.

But...First things first.. I have been tagged by the lovely Jen in her blogpost as It's not all Me, Me, Me . 

This is my first ever tag.. Eeek and it is for the Liebster Award and it goes a little bit like this...

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions that the tagger set for you, plus create 11 questions for the people you tag.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. No tag backs.

Ready? Let's go!

And all these little things...about me :D (Oh Joy)

1. I was homeschooled and went to uni a year early
2. I used to cover my webcam up when I got dressed, because I was scared someone was watching.
3. I'm a vegetarian
4. I LOVE my work with people with SEN / Disabilities (but I think you already gathered that :P )
5. I am a chocolate and icecream addict...particularly like Chocolate & Praline Haagen Daaz..
6. I LOVE Costa and Starbucks ...But I can't get out of the habit of buying the same drink everytime
7. I can't stand messy hair - I once refused to leave the house 'cause I'm that sad!
8. My life is fuelled by quotes and song lyrics, guaranteed I can find some to suit any occasion
9. My worst fears: Ghosts and Spiders - although all animals pretty much scare me!
10. My car is called Ginger.
11. When driving, I frequently talk to myself and use the opportunity to have a good sing song!

Next stop - My Questions from Jen:

1) What's your biggest achievement to date?

My biggest achievement to date would have to be... The two awards I received for working with children   and young adults with disabilities. It is something that I love, and the YP mean a great deal to me - It was defo something that touched my heart.

2) What's your earliest memory?

My earliest memory would have to be...when I pretended I was asleep in my Mum's bed and then proceeded to hide under the table when I was woken up just so I didn't have to go to Ricky's (Sperm Donor - Jokes, Dad) for the day. Not that he cared.

3) New York or London?

I'm going to go for New York, I frequently visit London so I'd love a new adventure!

4) Extrovert or Introvert?
Well... According to the Introvert-Extrovert Test, I am 65% Extrovert. Whilst I love going out, I really enjoy time to myself and would go mad without it!

5) Who's your hero?
My hero is all of the children and young adults I work with, that defo teach me alot of life lessons.

6) Milk or Dark Chocolate?
It's Chocolate - Who cares! OmNomNom

7) By the sea, or in the city?
Depends on the weather... If it's lovely and hot, definitely the sea :)

8) Favourite Author
Ooh, has to be Cathy Glass - I love her true stories, they really captivate me.

9) What's your biggest inspiration in life?
My biggest inspiration would be...the kids I work with. I wouldn't have trained to be a teacher, or be doing my current conductor training if it wasn't for them - I do it so that I can help them to reach their potential and be the best version of themselves that they can be.

10) Dream Holiday
An around the world trip with some of my best friends! I'd love to do the Africa experience and go into the schools, I'd to do the whole party holiday, I'd love to ride an elephant, I really want to go to Oz ...

11) Winter or Summer?
SUMMER!! - Winter makes me poorly.

Last, but equally important ..My questions for the lovely:

I'm going to cheat a little bit as I don't have 11 people...

Big Brother, Little Sister & the Baby

I'm thinking of starting a blog

Big Blueberry Eyes

Hannah's Bubble of Lovelyness

The Site that Breathes

Such a Lucky Girl

Alice's Bucket List

1) If you had a magic snail, that could magically grant wishes - What would you name it?
2) How do you like your eggs in the morning? (..I like mine with some tea ;) )
3) What is one of your favourite quotes?
4) What is your favourite time of day/ day of the month/ month of the year?
5) What chore do you absolutely hate doing?
6) What's your favourite sound?
7) Is a picture worth a thousand words? Why?
8) If you could know the answer to any question, what would it be?
9) If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be and why?
10) If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose?
11) What movie title would sum up the story of your life?

Looking forward to seeing your posts! x

#Thankful - Day Four

#Day Four

 

 

Today I went to the A-mazing German Market in Birmingham, with a good friend.

 

 

I donned my winter woolies (Yay!) So warm and cosy...I even stuck thee 'ole thermal leggings on - Sexy I know!

First stop...Starbucks! I am thankful to be priviledged enough to live in a country that serves amazing coffee - I had a praline mocha frappe ..It was out of this world!

Then it was time for the German Market..Excitement!

 

 

Today I am Thankful for...

 

 

..Culture

 

 

..Good Food or...GOOD CHOCOLATE!!! Tehe - I had a kinder scholade crepe. Mmmmm.

 

 

 

..Getting into the Christmas Spirit

 

 

 

..Great Friends, A Good Night out, and a Nice Break from Uni work!

 

And not forgetting...

 

The Incredible Creation that is..Baileys Hot Chocolate!



#Thankful ...Day 3

 

#Day Three

 

 

 

My Thankfulness Today will base around a Writing Prompt: When I see you Smile...

(Cue **Soppy Alert** )

*Apologies for blocked out faces, it's just for safety purposes :)

When I see you smile,
I stop and stare for a while,
whenever I'm blue,
I look at you,
with that smile across your face,
it transfers to mine - and I know that I'm ready to hit life at full pace.

Just to see you grin,
spreads a smile across my chin,
If they heard you laugh,
You'd be marked ten and a half,
And even though we live apart,
you're always and forever in my heart.

You're the best nephew I could wish for,
Each day I'm Thankful more and more,
Your smile is infectious, you know it's true,
 I really would do anything anything for you,
I really would walk that extra mile,
Just to see your gorgeous smile.

A friendly look, a kindly smile, one good act and life's worthwhile,
because a smile is a curve that can set anything straight.

Everyday with a smile, is a lost say - So Smile :) And if you don't have a smile,
I'll give you one of mine.

Who's Smile are you thankful for?

 





#Thankful - Day 2

#Day Two

 

 

 

Pampering? Time for myself? Huh? What's that?!

 

 

Today I am Thankful for.... Smellies!

They are the love of my life, and these are just a few of my faves that

A)Look decent, and not half empty, and B) I managed to scramble together.

 

Now, don't get me wrong - I LOVE my job, and being busy, running around, seeing friends - but sometimes it is nice to have a relaxing Sunday, in thee ole PJs and have pamper time!

 

I'm also Thankful for...

 

 

 

Modern Technology like My Crackberry Blackberry..

that usually give me instant access to my crazy but gorgeous friends:

 

 

 

They are always there for me, 98 and ¾ percent guaranteed , and I definitely wouldn't be where I am without them now. They've been with me through thick and thin, they've been there even when I can't see them. They're not just there for me, they understand me when I don't even understand myself, they know the words they I don't say - They know the song in my heart, and they sing it back to me when I've forgotten it myself (even when I don't want to know it!).

 

They're AMAZING.

 

"Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life. They continue to believe in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself ♥ "

 

P.s. I'm also Thankful for a cheeky retweet from XFactor contestant Christopher Maloney - promoting the charity I am setting up with a friend: @BlackRobinClub

 

What are you Thankful for Today?



 





#Thankful Day One..Xx

 

#DayOne

 

 

Today I am Thankful for....

 

 

 

Cold Coffee - This stuff is INCREDIBLE ..It literally gets me through anything including piles of Uni work that needs to be sorted before the Christmas Holiday..Egh. Motivation in a bottle!

(Excuse the dirty dusty mirror..It is well loved! #NotaHighFiveMoment)

 

and...

 

 

The most AMAZING invention EVER. I treated myself to an early Christmas pressie this week, because I spent the week poorly [Insert 'Awws'] hehe, and I have to say I have spent the rest of the week absolutely in awe of my new electric blanket. See...I have the issue of having vents in my room (due to cowbody builders) which means my room is really cold - So I am enjoying my new found toasty-ness ..LOVE <3

 

And finally...

 

 

The start of Advent!

 

Not only is this important in the church because it leads back to the first coming of Christ at Bethlehem, and it looks to the future when Christ will come again...but it leads to the time when I get to head back home to my family who I haven't seen for a long time due to living away at Uni. I got a taster of that tonight when I skyped my GORGEOUS nephew - although he couldn't quite understand that I couldn't see the WHOLE room and kept going on a wander, it was amazing to see his beautiful little face again! ...I also got made dinner...which consisted of an oven-cooked mobile phone, a virtual backrub, kiss and cuddle - although it was very fair to say he was more interested in my teddy bear.

Thanks Taz.

 

(Ps. It also means I get a cheeky little holiday from uni ;) - Woop!)

 

"Be thankful for what you have and you will end up having more."

                                                                                  

                                                                                 - Oprah Winfrey

 





Don't Be Fooled By The Calendar!

365 Days - A Long Time, right? Whilst 365 days is a large number, and often portrays a long time span, those days flash before us in the blink of an eye.

Before you know it - BAM! And a year has passed, without us actually recognising our accomplishments, our memories and the things we enjoyed. Those simple day-to-day livings that fill our lives and are special to us.

Envisage the ability to recall every single day of your year, and to remember what you did, what you accomplished, who you were with and what you were thankful for…Memories that fill you with joy, and that last a lifetime. It is so easy to forget what we did yesterday, or the day before – let alone what we did an entire year ago, and to forget to be thankful for the little things instead of taking everything for granted.

So here marks the beginning of my thankful photo challenge for the month of December. Really , we are fooled by the calender because in life, there are only as many days in the year as we make use of.

Memories are a way of holding onto the things we love, the things we are, the things we never want to lose. These are my Memories.

What Memories did you make today? And What are you thankful for?

Just because you can't initially see something, Doesn't mean it isn't there.

 Look closely at this image, What do you see? Albert Einstein. Now walk a few feet away, Can you see Marilyn Monroe?

A story of two images, what do you initially see? An old couple or a Mexican playing a guitar?

How about this one? A haggered old women or a Fair lady?

The point is...Just because you can't see something it does not mean it isn't there.

You can't see the future - yet you know it will come. You can't see the air, yet you continue to breathe and you can't see you dreams, but you continue to fight for them.

- Claire London

It is similar to hidden disabilities - although you can't see them they still lie beneath.

In Today's world, people often assume that only those who have a visible or obvious disability are disabled but in actual fact people who have an obvious disability are actually in the minority.

'Hidden disability' is a catch-all phrase that simply means that a person's impairment or condition is not obviously apparent or visible (For example, M.E., Cystic Fibrosis, Hearing impairment) but just because their hidden disability is not apparent it does not mean it doesn't considerably affect their 24/7 life.

For example, with M.E. a person is likely to have periods where they are considerably better than others, where they may have a relapse. It is often easy to overlook someone with M.E. at times because it is not apparent that the person has it - however, just because you don't/can't see the symptoms, side effects or impacts it does not mean there aren't any. Equally, it does not mean that two people with the same condition are the same:

"Hidden disability is like a Marks and Spencer jumper, everyone wears it differently and it fits some better than others".

So, Just because a person doesn't go around blabbing that they have this, that or the other - doesn't mean it is not there. Often people misunderstand the person, and disbelieve the impact it has on their lives. For example, if a person with a hidden disability were to apply for funding to help them meet their needs - just because you can't see their disability, it doesn't mean that they do not deserve the help.

It is difficult because with a hidden disability people cannot see what lies beneath - they do not follow you around 24/7 (or so I hope!?) and so people are not open due to the fear of discrimination - meaning others do not always understand. Nevertheless, for the individual, support and understanding from others is fundamental.

So for Family, Friends, Colleagues and Teachers.. Don't judge a person before you've walked a mile in their shoes.

Listen. Understand. Believe.

Open Your Mind, Before You Open Your Mouth

I read this status today...

 "going to the gym at this time should be illegal especially when a man burnt entirely walks in without a nose."

At the point of reading it, I had just watched the 'Pride of Britain' Awards where Katie Piper won an award for her extraordinary courage and determination - so without thinking, I decided to challenge this thoughtless and insensitive statement.

I asked the person how they would feel if they were in the man's shoes;

The nation knows from Katie Piper's story and her two documentaries (My Beautiful Face & My Beautiful Friends) that the scars make it fearful for burns victims to go out in public. 

"It really knocked my self-esteem, it was at an all time low - I hated seeing my scarred face and covered it up with a protective mask for two years".

Her Mum, Diane, comments;

"She was terrified at first, of going out in public. It was as if she was a child, needing to be reintroduced to the world."

Katie continues;

"People were cruel. They judged me on my appearance, which made me feel like less of a person. I felt really bad so I hid away and cried. The first few times really knocked me back and I didn’t want to leave the house because I took it personally."

Whilst most of the time those people are not intentionally cruel, they’re uneducated and they’re seeing something they aren’t used to seeing because there isn’t enough awareness.

In the case of this comment, the author may have had the thought that they published - I am sure it may have provoked some thought in all of our heads (whether the same, or for me - not) because we would have been seeing something that we are not used to seeing. 

However, we need to Think.

We need to think what that Man has been through. We need to remember that he did not ask to be like this. We need to understand him and his journey before we judge.

Just because we think something in our heads, we do not need to post it on a social networking site for the whole world to see. Not only can it be hurtful, but it can also be disrespectful.

The words we say have the power to end someone's life. The expression we give them can make them bleed. The things you do or the things you don't do can really hurt people. Words kill. 

In life, people need to understand that what they write could have serious consequences for other people. I am sure everyone has looked at someone in the past, and made an opinion on them - I'm sure someone has looked at you in the past, and made an opinion about you. I can think of times where people have probably looked at me and made their opinion, but if they'd posted a thoughtless and negative comment about me on a social networking site I would have been really hurt, and it would have completely ruined me as a person - knocked my self-confidence.

In some cases, your words may lead to serious consequences. One teenager, Natasha MacBryde was found dead on a railway line hours after receiving an abusive and threatening message on the Formspring social networking website, an inquest was told.

The point is - We can think or feel something without having to tell the world world and potentially hurt someone else - we are all human, we all have feelings.

Life Lessons: 
- Do not judge a person before you've walked a mile in their shoes because you have no idea what their journey is all about. 
- Always think before you speak. You never know whose life you are affecting with your words.

World Stroke Day

Did you know that Today is World Stroke Day?


1 in 6 of us will suffer a stroke in our lifetime.

Some of you know how personal this is to me, so Please help raise Awareness by joining in with the
'Because I Care..' Campaign.

Together for Stroke.

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.

When a natural disaster - such as a flood or a fire - ravages the landscapes, it gives Mother Nature a chance to start over. She gets to build things in a new and inspired way.

 

Trees will rise up through the ground. The river may take a new course. Flowers and other vegetation may take advantage of the new canvas and sprout up in unexpected places.

 

 

Whilst life is not always positive, it never ends up in the ruins because there is always a chance to spring up from feeling down and rise once again towards the sun.

And so this is My New (or Next) Chapter...

Welcome to My New House in Birmingham where I will soon be starting my next degree in Conductive Education - in the hopes that it will mix well with my SEN teaching degree and hopefully enable my kids to stretch further than they can ever imagine.

 

Here I am surrounded by friends, and hopes of fresh positive springs.

 

 

Wish Me Luck?!

Live What You Love!

...And that I certainly have done this Summer - Lived what I love.

Ten years ago, a list of my favourite things would have included:

- Barbie Dolls

- Ice Cream

- Chocolate (..Yes, I was the fat big boned kid in the class - but everyone deserves a treat ...or two)

- Making Bracelets

- Splashing in the Pool

Just to mention a few..I'm sure at that age I could have created a list that would stretch from here to timbuktu - and back again.

But...

It wasn't until later on in life (..Okay - I'm not that old!) It wasn't until a few years later, that I realised some of the best things in life, some of the things that make me happiest are intangible and free.

From the age of 15 I worked out that some of the things that make me the happiest, and that bring out my vibrancy and enthusiasm is making others happy - and making others Smile.

So this Summer I have lived what I love;

Camp .. Friends .. and the Incredible Children I work with.

I have been fortunate enough to spend my Summer working and volunteering on Camps and Playschemes for Children with Special Needs - as well as having the honour of taking the children on holidays!

It may sound pretty corny, but I get so much out of working with children with additional needs and making them Smile. A Smile is something that you truly cannot give away, because it always comes back to you. The children I work with certainly bring out the best in me and make me glow with a Smile from ear to ear.

I enjoy helping others and am extremely passionate about helping the kids I work with to fulfill their potential and to make the most of their summer - Breaking down Barriers. Nothing is impossible, Everything is always possible - with a little bit of fun creativity ;)

"Placing one foot in front of the other, they can climb to higher lengths. Reaching beyond their own limitations, to show their inner strength. No obstacle too hard, for this warrior to overcome. They're just men on a mission, to prove that disability hasn't one."

So this summer we had a break from school, a break from the work routine: This Summer we all took part in climbing, sailing, rounders, cooking, crazy silly photo challenges and Camp's got Talent.

Everyone took part, Everyone was included, Everyone had fun - and Everyone, had the Biggest Smile Imaginable on their faces.

One of my camp's was particularly incredible - a mix of able-bodied and SEN kids but they weren't two cliques, they weren't separate groups, they weren't seen as different - They were...

FRIENDS.

What an Amazing Summer!?

Keep Smiling,

T <3



A Smile is a Curve that can set Everything Straight.

A Friendly Look, A Kindly Smile, One Good Act and Life's Worthwhile <3