January Round Up

So the longest and by my opinion, the most depressing month is finally coming to an end! My January has been relatively boring, it has consisted of mainly uni work, but I thought it would be nice to summarise any favourite products, new discoveries or general highlights of the month.

- Firstly, I wanted to share a product that I didn't discover in January, however it has kept my hair in perfect condition through the winter weather. This is the Bleach hair mask. I brought this after I ombred my hair and it has kept the split ends and damage away! It originally came in the dip dye kit, but when this ran out I bought the bigger version and it is the best product I have ever used on my hair! I thought I would have to cut my dip dye out at Christmas because of the damage that comes with bleaching hair, however it has kept it in such a healthy condition that I haven't needed to have it cut. This product can be used on normal hair, and is so easy to apply. Plus, it's only £6! Definitely worth buying and highly recommended.

- Next is the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer. I have the foundation to this which I have used for many years and love, but I decided to buy the concealer and it was the best decision I ever made. It provides perfect coverage for any blemishes and uneven skin tone, plus the colour is perfect for my skin tone. It is however what I consider a pricey concealer, at £5.49 for a little tube, but it is worth it.

- A discovery I made was my visit to the Tenth Hole cafe, which I did blog about so I won't go into much detail. One thing I will say is that I will definitely be going back. It was so good for cake and a coffee that I actually dreamt about it!

- I didn't really buy much in January, purely because I got loads of clothes for Christmas and in the sales, but also there was nothing that caught my eye. I call this the in between stage, when the winter stuff is still in shops but has not been replaced with spring so there are no new trends. So I will list this as an achievement, the fact I saved a lot of money which of course I'm going to spend on spring fashion!

I think that rounds up January pretty well. Sorry for what may seem like a boring blog post but in reality, January hasn't been very eventful.

Im so excited for February as it is one of my favourite months. I've got a lot of birthdays and events coming up. I will also be visiting home which is a nice thing to do when you're at uni. There is also valentines day, which if you're like me, I have never celebrated with a partner, rather I use it as an excuse to have a night out.

Also, pancake day! I cannot wait to make so many yummy pancakes and Instagram them (yes I'm that annoying person). 

So expect more exciting blog posts next month!

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Healthy This, Healthy That!

Ok, so is it just me, or does anyone else feel bombarded to stock your cupboard with quinoa and avocados, as well as head down to the gym and instagram it at the same time?

I thought I would write a post about healthy eating and living. I don't know about anyone else but it seems to the in thing to eat healthy foods and to wear the latest gym fashion. At first I saw this as a positive thing as everyone knows that obesity can have detrimental effects to your health. I felt that this new trend would encourage other people to change their lifestyle for the better. It certainly got me thinking about how I could be healthier.

It wasn't until my whole instagram feed was made up of acai berry bowls (what even is acai?) and gym selfies that I realised it seems to have steered away from actually being healthy, to letting everyone you know about your new lifestyle change.

All the posts about the new diets, like juicing and gluten free, really need to stop focusing on losing weight quickly and focus more on the gradual decline from an unhealthy lifestyle to a healthier one. Now it's probably me, but as I study a scientific degree, I 100% do not agree with juice detoxing, and the gluten free fad is a load of rubbish. Your diet should only be gluten free if you have Coeliac disease or an intolerance i.e. it is making you symptomatic. Otherwise cutting it out of your diet is like cutting out carbohydrates, the biggest source of energy and nutrients for your body. It really is a personal choice what you do with your body, but when I feel bombarded with information that gluten is bad for you (which is completely false), that's when I get frustrated.

Another thing is that while most people can afford to eat healthily the normal way, eating all these 'in trend' foods such as quinoa and buckwheat is very expensive. I visited a whole foods specialist supermarket only to be astounded by what people are prepared to pay for this type of food!

I do get that it is a lifestyle decision. I just hate the fact that everywhere I look, people are showcasing it on social networks. Although it is unintentional, it makes me feel pressurised to do the same. Something that as a student, I neither have the money or the time to do! This type of pressure can lead to eating disorders and insecurities for many people. For now, I think I'll stick to my way which is simple. Eat a balanced diet (not cutting anything out, including sugar!) and exercising reguarly. The NHS recommends around 2 hours of physical activity a week (don't quote me on that) which sounds manageable. Simply walking to the shops, or having a little jog in the evening will do. Also, I do indulge in treats because a little bit of something yummy is not bad and will not make any difference to my weight or health.
So next time you see the latest picture of a green, non appetising smoothie, my advice is to keep scrolling and do your own thing!

Saturday Treat

I thought it would be nice to post discoveries that I have made in case anyone lives nearby and would like to check them out for themselves.

After a hungover Saturday there is only one cure and that is to eat cake! My friends and I ventured to a local cafe by the sea that we had heard good things about. The cafe is called the Tenth Hole and is located in Southsea. First impressions were good, it was oozing with cuteness. It was also very busy which means that a lot of people have discovered this amazing cafe.

I ordered a cappuccino and a cake. I went for the massive chocolate fudge cake as I needed a sugar fix and it was amazing! Best chocolate cake I have ever tasted. It was a little too big for me so eat in one go  but the best part is that you can request a box to take it home with you for later. The prices are not bad at all, once in a while this is the perfect treat. Their selection of cakes are so good. There was scones as big as your hand, giant macaroons, every kind of cheese cake, chocolate, sponge cakes and loads more.  They also do breakfast and lunch and the menu looked very good. Will definitely be making another trip there.

If you are ever in Southsea/Portsmouth and want a little treat, go to the Tenth Hole. I highly recommend it and you won't be disappointed. 

Meanwhile, enjoy this picture I took :)

http://www.thetenthhole.co.uk/

Disney HHI: It Begins!

Ok so I can finally reveal to you that I AM GOING TO SOUTH CAROLINA THIS SUMMER!!

I finally got that all important email- I have been accepted by Disney to participate in the Hilton Head Island Resort program. I have been allocated the role of Quick Service Food and Beverage.

My dates are Jun 2nd till Sept 11th- a whole 3 months and a lot longer than the normal cep program. Also, the pay is significantly higher than the cep, its around $10 accounting for any tips.

The best part about it is that I still get to go to Disney world for free! Although it isn't based in Orlando, it's a four hour drive which is less flight wise. I will be blogging through the whole 3 months so if you are interested/have been offered the program yourself, hopefully it will help. As far as I know/could find, there are hardly any blogs about this program so I am hoping to change this and help a lot of people out.
If you have any questions, I will answer them!

Disney HHI: Hilton head Island Resort, South Carolina

This is the information that Disney sent me about the program:

Summertime at the Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort has so much to offer. Enjoy the Atlantic Coast in sunny South Carolina, where you can experience local island shopping,

tempting regional dinning, and marvel at an East Coast sunrise. Immerse yours elf in this naturally beautiful landscape and enjoy stunning beaches, perfect for recreation or relaxation. You’ll also get to make magic for our Guests everyday at this Disney Vacation Club Resort, and have another unique Disney International Programs experience to add to your CV!

Interested? Here are additional program details:

 Disney will sponsor work authorization on a J1-summer work/travel visa. Students must be enrolled in a university during the time of application and be on their summer break during the scheduled program dates.

 Applicants must be fully available for the duration of the program. 

 Rate of pay will be $9.90 USD per hour, with a guaranteed 32 hours of work per week.

Participants will live in a nearby resort, approximately 2 kilometers away from Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort

 The unit will be shared by six International Cultural Exchange Program Cast Members

 The rate of housing will be $90 to $100 USD per week (payroll deducted). A $300 USD

deposit is required upon arrival at Hilton Head Island, which will be refunded, less $75 for

cleaning the apartment within 30 days of your departure.

 Transportation to and from work will be provided. 

 There is no public transportation on the island – taxis are available at your cost and

DHHIR can provide a bicycle to use during your program

 Participants will fly into Savannah Hilton Head International Airport (Airport Code SAV)

and will be provided with transportation to Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort.

 Participants will pay South Caroline State taxes.

For more information, please visit the following website: http://dvc.disney.go.com/dvc/index Then click on Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort 

For more information about Hilton Head Island visit: http://www.hiltonheadisland.org/vacation- visitors-guide/

Disney HHI: ...

Ok so by now I should've found out my fate and most people who applied this year have! I on the other hand never have a simple life, and this disney application was no different.

So they let everyone know on December 19th, at the very last minute (we're talking 20 mins before the office closed in Orlando time). Classic Disney. So there I was expecting an email, and nothing comes. They told us we would know by December 20th. As this was a Saturday, I expected to hear the following Monday when the office was open. As most people had found out that they had a place, I was quite doubtful that I had one as there was only a few of us remaining that hadn't found out.

So Monday came and the remaining people found out that unfortunately they had made it on to the waiting list. However, my inbox was still empty! At this point I thought there was no way I had a place and that I must be on the waiting list, and that my email must be on its way!

This is where things got complicated.

I received a phone call from Louise from Yummy Jobs saying that I wouldn't hear anything from Disney as I was being considered for the Hilton Head Resort in South Carolina.

They had told us about this in the interview, but there wasn't much detail and as the interview was months ago I had forgotten all about it. One of the interview questions was 'would you be interested in the South Carolina Program?' I obviously said yes, however I did not expect to actually be considered for it!

So after research on the web, I found nothing really. I emailed disney to send me information about it which I will link in this post. Anyway, this gave me the idea that I would do my own blog about it! I won't find out till late January/early February but as not many people are considered for it, it is likely you will get the job! So all that's left to say it watch this space!

Disney HHI:Face to Face Interview

Face to Face Interview

So I had my last interview on Friday 7th November at Disney HQ! It was really scary, not the actual interview part but finding the place and the pressure there was building up to it made it terrifying!

My trip to London for the interview started the day before, when I rushed home from lectures, jumped straight on the train to London Waterloo and met my sister for dinner. We went to Wahaca's in Westfield Stratford, really recommend it! So I stayed with my sister the night before as it made it easier to get to Hammersmith. The next morning, I was up at 6.30 am and on the tube by 7.15am making my way from Stratford to Hammersmith (a.k.a the other side of London basically). The tube was so busy with rush hour workers and I had to change trains, but I managed to make it to Hammersmith by 8.30! I didn't have to be at Disney till 9.15am so I was very early. I hadn't had breakfast though so I went to McDonalds and chilled there for half an hour. At 9am I made my way to the back entrance on Disney HQ. I didn't bother with the front entrance because a lot of people who had interviews earlier in the week had just been sent to the back. For anyone interested, when you come out of Hammersmith tube station it exits in the shopping centre. From here you turn right and then take the first right up a ramp and out to the bus station. If you continue to go round the corner to the right then Disney is in front of you!

Being inside Disney was really cool! The TV's play Disney channel and all around are movie posters and statues of various chracters. You get given a visitors pass and we were lead up some stairs to a waiting area, where there were loads of people for the interview. Here we signed in with yummy jobs and then waited around until we were called into a cinema/auditorium. This was so cool, the seats were plush velvet and reclinable. It's here that you have your presentation done by cast members from WDW! We had Jill, Alyssia and Reggio (can't remember if that's their exact names but pretty close!).

The presentation lasted about an hour and a quarter. Its much more detailed and the videos are ones that you've never seen before (if you haven't applied before). There is also a pop quiz where you can win pens! After the presentation, you are asked to leave the building unless your interview is straight away. Everyone chooses their interview time shortly after being accepted from the group interviews. Mine was somewhere from 12-1pm and the presentation finished at 10.45 am ish so I had around an hour till I needed to be back. I literally just walked around Hammersmith and looked in a few shops and then it was time to head back. I didn't know anyone from the facebook group purely because I didn't realise there was one till that week and also I got scared to become good friends with anyone unless I didn't get accepted as I hate telling someone that I'm unsuccessful. I prefer telling family and thats it. None of my friends even knew about it! Obviously if I was accepted then I would make friends with people who are going.

So 12pm rolled around and I was lead back up to the waiting area where they checked my passport and collected my proof of student status form. A lot of us with the same time slot were sitting on the sofas just chatting. The disney recruiters would come out of the interview rooms and call your name. There were loads of people who had turned up before me so I expected to be waiting till nearly 1 but I got called at 12.15 by Reggie/o (something like that). He lead me into another room and we had my interview! It was very short, I felt like it wasn't enough time to sell myself! The only question that he asked that I prepared for was Why do you want to work for disney? The rest of the questions were more like meeting requirements such as do you have experience with chemicals? What are your top 3 roles? Can you handle the heat/living with other people?

Once the interview was done I was free to leave. I have to say I left not knowing what the outcome would be. There are so many people who I would employ there and then and its hard to think how I am better than them/more deserving of the role. Disney told us we would know by mid December (I know... 6 week wait!!!) so here it begins...

Disney HHI

Just a quick update to say that I have made it through to the next round of interviews!! I had my interview on the Monday, and found out on the Tuesday! They do not wait around. So now I am one step closer to spending next summer in Orlando. I was really nervous and honestly didn't think I would get through purely because there was so many other good people. Next round of interviews are at Disney HQ, and these will be so much harder. I'm so nervous but trying not to think about it as I've got so much uni work due in before then. I guess my next post will be after this interview... :/

Disney HHI: A (possible) new adventure awaits...

7.15am: I'm out and on my way to the station, ready for a nerve wracking day. I have my pre screen interview with yummy jobs. This is a UK recruiter for Disney. I'm applying for their cultural exchange program, in other words, the disney summer international program. For those who don't have a clue what this is, it basically means I get to spend roughly my whole summer working and living in Walt Disney World (not literally living there). It's a unique and once in a lifetime opportunity, hence why I thought I should blog my experience. Now I'm notoriously bad at remembering anything let alone the fact I have a blog. But I'm am going to try and make the effort because ultimately I want to create a blog where I can create memories that I can look back on.

Anyway, to the point of this blog post, today is the first of the two assessments in order to get the actual job. I'm nervous, mainly because its a job I've wanted for ages, but also because I know how many other people want it as well. Somehow I have to stand out, and I struggle with that. This is a group interview, the worse kind for people who find it difficult to stand out! 

7.47am: so I'm currently standing on a packed out train heading to London Waterloo. I'm early (thankfully) which is a good thing. I'm still just as nervous though, I don't know anyone going to it and have no idea where it is being held.

14.24pm: and I've done it! Im making my way home after what seems like a ling day but wasnt too bad. Not as bad as I imagined, I will go through exactly what happened:

So the recruitment day started off with everyone meeting outside the restaurant where it was being held. I got talking to some people just to break the ice. Everyone was really friendly though and this made me feel a lot less nervous! Some people from yummy jobs came to meet us and we were lead into a small room with chairs to watch a presentation. The PowerPoint was informative but most people would have already read about the program and knew all the things they were saying. They played the official icp videos made by disney about the different aspects of the program. Very staged! After this they did a little quiz where you could win frozen lollies. The question were easy trivia questions about disney. Now for the important part. They divided us into our interview groups. Luckily it was in alphabetical order, and my surname begins with a D so therefore my interview time was at 11am. The presentation finished at 10, so me and some of the other people who had the same interview time as me went to get a coffee. By the time we had walked to costa, it was time to walk back! We waited outside the restaurant until we were called in. Once in the room we had to sit in a semi circle and go around and introduce ourselves. My actual group interview was so relaxed and more of a casual discussion than an interview. The only thing was that everyone in my group was confident and bubbly making it hard to stand out. I managed to answer every question although I don't want to over anylse my answers but I think they were alright? The interview lasted for around 30mins with around 10 questions being asked. At the end we found out that we would find out our fate by the Friday! My interview was on a Monday, so only 5 days! Crazy! We were the last day of interviews though.

And this is the part where I put this blog on pause, as all I can do now is wait! Well... Here goes!

Post Holiday Blues

Greetings fellow readers!

As promised and part of my new year resolution, every Friday I vowed to post on this blog.

It was hard to think of something to post about, think I will have to do a weekly plan in the future. For now this post is about getting back into a routine and how to deal with it. 

I've always struggled with post half term/holiday blues. They always seem to whizz by and then your faced with the dreaded first Monday back at school/uni/work. Back in secondary school I used to hate Sunday evenings where you would have to go to bed early and wake up to a (usually) dismal Monday morning. I found it hard to gain the motivation. The only good thing about it is catching up with friends/colleagues but once that part is over then the work mindset must begin!

Going back after Christmas is the worst due to January blues and the constant holiday reminders on TV. One thing that used to help me is to think about summer plans and vacations and to start looking around/booking them. Also there are quite a few deals around at this time as well.

It also helps to be organised for the first week just to it makes it easier to slip back into the usual routine. For instance, being at uni, I've planned my meals for the week as well as planning gym time around lectures. This will definitely not happen after the first week, but it makes it easier to get into the right mind set at the start of term.

Another thing I did was have a detox week. I banned all chocolate and sugar and settled for a healthy, balanced diet. I feel 100x better already after the over indulgence at Christmas and shrugged off all the sluggishness I felt over the holiday.

I came back to university last Sunday and was thrown right into the deep end! Being in second year, it is one of the toughest years coursework and exam wise. I know this term will be the worst due to all the deadlines looming, then after I will have four big fat exams to revise for. But the main thing is to remain positive, don't work too hard and to treat yourself at the end of the week. I am heading out tonight after working hard all week, so treat yourself this weekend to!

Hope this post helped!

Happy New Year

Let me start by wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

2014 flew by! As a little round up of the year I thought I would share with you my highlights of the last year, as well as what I am looking forward to in 2015 and my new years resolutions.

2014

- Finishing my first year of University with really good grades and having had an amazing first year experience. It went by way too quickly but I made friends for life and got to experience being a fresher, living in halls, partying all the time and having an excuse to be lazy for a whole year!

- Finally going on holiday with my best friend since year 7! We had been planning this ever since we were 15 and although it took us until we were 19, we finally went away together. Back when we were 15 we dreamed of going to Paris, however we had to adjust the location due to being students (and poor) so we had a great week in Turkey, and I haven't laughed so much in a long time. A lot of eventful things happened that we will always look back on!

- Saving a lot of money over summer. At the time 4 months of working in summer whilst I was off for Uni was the worst and most boring time of my life but it means I have money to travel for 2015!

- Going to Bestival! Seeing lots of my favourite acts (Sam Smith!) and meeting new friends.

2015

- Travelling! This summer I will not be spending any of it in England! As to where I'm going, not sure yet but it will definitely be happening

- Seeing my favourite artists in concert. I will finally be seeing Taylor Swift (idol), Ariana Grande, and One Direction (don't care what you think!) and I cannot wait.

Small list so far but will most definitely grow as the year goes by. As for my resolutions:

- Become Healthier: I am either too healthy (never eat) or very unhealthy. This year I hope to find and maintain the balance as well as treating myself every so often. I hope this brings me a healthier mindset as well as immune system (I suffered for recurrent tonsillitis a lot last year!)

- Grabbing more opportunties: meaning heading out of my comfort zone/trying new things. Whether its visiting new places, trying new food, going to gigs, whatever! I will try and say yes to as many things as possible.

- Regularly updating this blog: I am dedicating every friday evening to this! I will make this work

- Learn a new language: Not quite a new one as I did do GCSE French but I hope to be able to sustain a conversation at the very least.

- Finally: Spend my hard earned money from last year. Obviously not all of it, I will always have savings but this year I will treat myself to something that will make me happy :)

I hope you all have a happy and healthy 2015 and that it is full of plenty of laughter and fun moments.

Intro

This blog is something little that may or may not be read by anyone other than me. I set it up because I wanted to create something that I can access later in life and look back at a part of my life in detail. Effectively it is a place to store memories. As I was looking at my abysmal attempt at creating this blog, I realised that there was nothing about me and who I am.

Whilst looking at the big and popular blogs around, I am sceptical to share my information on the internet, as it is such a new thing that it can be dangerous and at the same time be inspiring and pioneering. I thought this post will give you an insight into me without revealing too much.

To start with the basics, obviously my name is Charlotte and I am British. I come from Kent, just below London. I love where I live and grew up as it is in between being in the english countryside, yet only half an hour's train ride away from bustling London. Growing up, I was never really into beauty, make up and fashion, certainly not the extent that most blogs are these days. I love reading about them, but I am in no position to give advice on an area where I have no clue myself!

This blog isn't a beauty blog, it isn't a travel or lifestyle blog. It's a blog that I created for me. No genre. No particular topic, just anything that I fancy blogging about.

I am currently studying at University and in second year, hence why this blog has come to a standstill. Its hard to study for a degree and update a blog at the same time! Plus I have the memory of a sieve which doesn't help.

University is amazing. Its the best decision I have made in my life so far. I went from knowing a small amount of people only in my town to having friends from up and down the country. I've noticed that I have matured a lot since coming to Uni. It's scary, as I'm becoming an adult. Soon I'll have to get a full time job and my own place. Since coming to Uni I've noticed that life goes 100x quicker than it did when I was at school. Also a scary concept!

As far as what I want to do after University... No clue! I am the sort of person who likes to be organised and have a plan for most things. However, for the first time, I don't have a plan for after Uni, and I think that it's a good thing. I have aspirations, but which route I'll take I'm unsure of.

Which brings me to this blog. Hopefully I can develop this into something that I will love, but for now, let's see where it takes us...