Promotion recognitions and celebrations!

Hey everyone! I'd thought I'd start today's blog post with a shameless Sunday SELFIE! :) I have no idea where to begin with this post, but I'm aware that if you've been following my blog for a little while then you'll know my "story". If you aren't familiar and are interested in a little more detail then have a read over some of my previous posts.

So here I am with the UK's Managing Director of the company which has come to mean so very much to me over the last 8 months.

And on stage receiving my third promotion in front of a mere 5000 people!

I honestly cannot tell you what a rollercoaster my life has been in recent months. Everything has gone so fast that I'm only just starting to catch my breath.

A long story short, made a little bit shorter... I trained as a primary school teacher. My dream job since I was 11. I became a full-time primary school teacher. I struggled to stay afloat of the workload and pressures.

I didn't know it at the time but a message from an acquaintance was about to change everything. In August 2014 I signed up to a company called Forever Living Products. Did I know what I was doing? No. Was I skeptical? Yes. Was I brave enough to take a chance? Yes.

In just 2 months, as my teaching job began to make my more and more miserable, I decided my business was good enough to allow me to drop a day in teaching and go part-time. I honestly believed at this point, and I must stress, that I thought this would be my perfect solution to my problems.

But by January I had already drowned as a teacher. The workload and pressures almost killed me, quite literally. Either I had to quit the job or my mind and body would quit on me!

Sounds perhaps a bit dramatic? I agree. But it's the truth.

It's been beyond tough. But I clung to the business and it has been my saving grace. Days when I felt lower than low I would receive a call from one of my team members or I'd get a big order or something...and I'd smile. It's the only thing that kept me going. And I wanted to get to Manager with everything I had.

It's amazing to say I DID IT! Above is a picture of me with one of my best and oldest friend's, Gina. It meant the world to me that she wanted to spend a precious Saturday watching me get recognised on stage as Manager. She didn't need to but she was there without question. I've realised that support really is everything.

My team have been incredible and I could not have done it without them! It hasn't been all plain sailing. People around me have been negative and told me that it wouldn't work. You can imagine how my family reacted to me packing in teaching. Granted some of them saw what it was doing to me and were initially quite supportive but even then I've had to soldier through the 'bad press'.

Let me tell you. Leaving something I'd trained so hard for. Worked towards for 4 years of my life...a lof of which was damn well HARD work aswell...all for what? It makes me feel sick. I get that kicked in the stomach feeling even whilst writing this. But, it wasn't meant to be!

I had the BEST day getting recognised and was so proud to see so many of my team receive theirs too!... I DID IT! And I think that it just goes to show that anybody can. Despite all the dramas and personal battles behind the scenes, I came through it.






And the celebrations didn't end there...

 





As an extra treat (as if the recognitions weren't enough!) a few of us were taken out to a gorgeous Indian restaurant! Upon arrival we received a special message from 2 amazing people in the team to say another big well done along with complimentary bottles of champagne!

 

The food was lovely and we then continued the fun with cocktails in a nearby bar!

I've never had a 'pornstar martini' before but it's certainly become my new favourite! YUM :)

It was such a great way to finish off celebrating achieving an important level in the company!...Now, to unlock all of the fabulous incentives the company offer!!!


Do more of what makes you happy  <3

Happy Monday!

Many people are truly depressed by the fact it's Monday...the weekend seems so far! However I say, smile! It's only another day.

If you aren't smiling you're doing something wrong. Maybe time for a change?

This business makes me smile.

And the fact I only have 4 more Monday's like today...

If you don't like what you do, only you can do something about it and change it!

Have a great day!!!

And

SMILE!

x

A good busy week

Hey. So I guess I'll start from the top, with Monday.

My week didn't begin too well as I woke up absolutely shattered with the onset of a migraine. I returned back to bed and called in sick at work. Was definitely for the best. Children and bad heads are never a good combo!

After dinner I came round a bit and later managed to do my standard core class followed by body pump. Smashing sess!

Tuesday. Back to school. Highlight of the day was being reunited with my bed and napping! :)

Wednesday (like most days to be fair) was all about the evening. I hosted a Christmas gift party for my best customers. Was a nice night and I even got to dress up! So did my sister bless her. Check out my Christmas gift page.

Thursday...I got through the school day, as long as it seemed, and headed to a team member's house to do her a launch party for the business. Again a lovely evening!

Friday! It always makes me smile. After school I got to see my little pidge...

Also known as Brooke my niece. I love her to absolute pieces. After cuddles and as tired as I was I didn't stop and instead made the most of the evening and showed the business to someone interested in earning an extra income like myself. It went really well and she is going to be in my team! :P

Saturday. I slept in until 8am! Wow :) Caught up on Hollyoaks and cried my eyes out! I went Christmas shopping. Then did a party for another team member over Skype! Love technology. Was really fun! Then I got dolled up for a night of clubbing...

Was a great night and I'm sure I'll be finding glitter for the foreseeable hehe! :P

And today, Sunday. Supposedly the day of rest...but been quite busy! After getting in at 3am I didn't wake up until around 9am. However I felt pretty fresh. I headed straight for a Mcdonald's breakfast and then went to visit my Grandma! I then returned some products I'd borrowed to my team. About 1pm I decided to take a nap. I LOVE a good nap! Woke up, had lunch and then went with my family to see the new hunger games film. I really enjoyed it! Worth a watch I say :)

I hope next week turns out to be as good as this one! I sometimes feel like a rest but I genuinely enjoy being busy and being busy in my business always leads to good things! I just watched some fantastic training online tonight. Truly inspirational. Feeling very positive and ready for the week ahead.

Have a good one everyone!
x

Exciting times: Do more of what makes you happy!

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been away for a week or so, but I've literally been focusing on the above motto. I've been trying to strive towards making myself happier in life and taking advantage of all the good opportunities on offer. Sounds a bit deep right?...Well let me explain a little.

From the outside, over the past year or so, the people I've come across and met would probably describe me as quite a bubbly, confident and clearly happy person...And whilst I'd love to say this has always been the case, it hasn't!

I hid my sadness pretty well and quite possibly convinced my friends and even myself to some extent that I was enjoying working life. Of course work wasn't my entire life, but it was sadly a good 90% of it. A lot of work and not much play. Teaching is commonly known for it's work-life balance issues so I just accepted it.

I had a pretty rough start to teaching and my NQT year was traumatic to say the least. But it is true what they say, whoever they may be, the bad times sometimes do make you stronger. I could have quite easily chosen to give in. To quit the profession that I'd trained for for so long. My mum even thought I was going to have a break-down at one point. And I was close. But somewhere along the lines something switched inside me and I hardened up and starting seeing things more positively...things were going to get better!

And they did, sort of! I passed my NQT year anyway and that was a nice achievement. However, deep down I knew I still wasn't happy.

Little did I know a smile was just around the corner. In summer this year (2014) I was approached by a friend/acquaintance about a possible business opportunity. It was in the health and nutrition marketplace, which appealed to me immediately and the second income was also of great interest! Above is a picture of one of my business cards! Needless to say I joined the company called Forever Living Products and I haven't looked back since! If you're intrigued to find out a little bit more, I did a post a while back that you can have a read of: My new business venture or check out my website www.ellie.flp.com.

This business has been my reason for getting up in a morning with a big smile over the last couple of months and it continues to make me happy. I love being my own boss and taking charge of my business, whilst also being a part of a bigger team of people that have now become my friends.

And quite ironically the business is allowing me to become more confident with literally smiling, as the extra income is paying for me to have Invisalign braces! Something I have been wanting, FOREVER (another unintentional pun!)

But the happy just continues to get happier...

My Dad always says...if you aren't happy then moaning about it won't help. You have to go out there and change it. If you always do the same things then nothing will change or get better.

Cutting the fine details out, I went and dramatically changed my future this week and got myself a new teaching job. I received the letter for a interview on Monday at 10am, was doing the interview by 9am Tuesday and by 12:30pm that same day I was given the job! WAM, BAM, OVER THE MOON!

Start date: January 2015. Part-time Nursery teacher. 5 minutes drive from my house. Perfect.

Another motto that I swear by...It's true, you don't know how life will turn out. There will be ups and downs but there's only one person that can make things happen and change it...and that's YOU!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic week. I know I am!

:)
Smile more, it's good for you.

Tweet: @ellie1989 

I'm back!...Update!

Hi guys! Wow it's been ages since I've blogged! I do apologize.

Life has been pretty manic for me over the last month or so but in a good way! I've been having possibly the best time of my life and among all of this I actually graduated!

Yep there I am in my grad gear :P

It's funny because I actually wasn't at all fussed about the whole graduation thing, but when it came down to it I felt quite emotional. I had a whole range of emotions, happy/relieved/proud/sad and definitely nervous when it came to walking across the stage!

There I am, receiving my important handshake!

It wasn't until a day or so later that it suddenly hit me that I wouldn't be returning to university and I felt sad to not be seeing my friends in a student situation again!

Friends :)

It also hit me that September is fast approaching and I'm actually going to be a real-life primary teacher! Little bit scary!! Exciting though.

So...with a proper job looming I've been fully making the most of being a lady of leisure for one last summer!

Of course there has been a little bit of shopping...although not really any make-up purchases!!...More fitness stuff like gym clothes and protein shakes! Wild.

Great nights out and crazy nights in have been taking place pretty much every weekend...

There have been beach-less beach parties...hula hula! And 70's/80's Discos...

Sunbathing has been a heavy feature in my hard life haha!... 

And, lots of yummy food and alcoholic beverages including a Frankie & Benny's fry-up to start off a relaxing day at a local Bannatyne Spa. 

The spa day was absolutely fab. It was my friend Emily's birthday this past weekend so as a present I booked us into the Spa and we enjoyed an amazing 30 minutes Lava Shells shoulder back and neck massage. And we got to keep the slippers hehe!

Of course along with all this relaxation and partying and what not, I've also been running a tight ship when it comes to my fitness regime. Occasionally I'll be really wild and given myself Friday, Saturday and Sunday off (lol)...but generally I just have the one day off. It's how I like it!

This past weekend I took part in a spin class for charity, helping raise money for people with disabilities who perhaps aren't able to take part in such activities. It made me think how lucky I am that I do have my health and can be as active as I am!

So...I think maybe this about concludes my update. I have been away for a while so I cannot possibly put in everything I've been doing but I think you get the picture! I'm hoping to become a regular blogger again...so keep an eye out for my next post! 

How are you all? Been up to much?!

Sunday Chat #2: Interview Jitters

Hello. Hope you are all having a nice chilled Sunday! I thought I've have a little type to get out some of my nervous energy, cause quite frankly this is me...

Just to clarify this isn't me but ya know what I mean! 

So tomorrow I have a job interview and not just any job interview, but in fact my first! Yep, in all my 23 years I've never really had a proper interview. I was a waitress for a pub across the street but it was more of an informal  chat with it being my local. Then I worked in a Co-op store, during my year out, but my Dad was the area manager so again...no pressure, only for the store's manager I guess haha! I think he was nervous bless him!

As you may know or have heard...this weekend's been absolutely full of snow for the Nottingham area (and many other places I'm sure). I reckon someone forgot to pass on the message to Mother Nature that it is indeed Spring?!

Anyway...getting snowed in wasn't part of my plan. No, instead I was going to buy a nice smart interview jacket.

This didn't happen. So instead I'm left feeling rather ill prepared in terms of clothing and I'm quite possibly going to be the worst dressed there...in a long-sleeved cream blouse, black trousers and dolly shoes. Oh well. 

As far as everything else goes I guess I'm as sorted as I can be...I have my brief lesson plan, an idea of the types of interview questions I might be asked and oh yeah...calming tablets!

I am my own worst enemy when it comes to nerves. I already have butterflies circling around my belly. Of course they are quite normal and I know they are needed to some extent to perform with adrenalin blah blah...but I get the bad kind.

They've always been a big issue for me. I used to be in a lot of shows, whilst at stage school etc, but nerves got in the way of many performances. I could sing a song perfectly in my bedroom but put me in front of an audience and I'd struggle with my breathing and the notes just wouldn't come out quite right. I'd shake with nervous energy. I could barely control them.

One time I entered a singing competition. I was so nervous all day that I only managed to eat half of a tomato. When it came to performing I was riddled with nerves and they took over my voice in parts...I sounded like a sheep! Sadly the performance was recorded so I had to endure it all over again! Needless to say, I didn't win. The judges said I would have if I hadn't of been so nervous. I was gutted and disappointed in myself.

I did get better with the nerves for some time though and the more practice I got in front of others the better I learned to control them.

I'm hoping that tomorrow, if nothing else, will be good practice! :) Just wish I didn't feel this sick...already haha!

Sunday Chat #1

Hello!

I felt like writing, and figured I may do this sort of post more often...so here goes...

Today is Sunday and for me that means one thing...Sunday dinner or Sunday roast! :D Whatever you like to call it.

Indeed, I get rather excited at the thoughts of a good dinner. A plate full of a variety of vegetables, a helping of mash potato, perhaps the odd roast potato, my favourite meat (pork chop) and maybe a cheeky bit of yorkshire pudding, all covered with meat infused gravy. Yum, yum, yum! Call me biased but my dad's roasts are amazing!

Being a uni student I don't always have the luxury of eating a Sunday dinner. Sure I could probably cook-up my own rendition, but it seems like a lot of hassle when cooking for just me. And let's face it, cooking is not one of my strong points...Quite honestly I don't enjoy it and tend to avoid it as much as I can!

However, I'm still home today...after a very 'mixed bag' kind of a week...

It started with day-old sick in my hair and a much needed shower. I was still hungover from Saturday's antics. Sunday was possibly the worst day of my life, taking the horizontal position in bed for the entire day. Yep, it was disgraceful and I aim not to repeat. EVER.

Monday came to a close with a meal at Slug & Lettuce...to feed my alcohol induced hunger pangs. The Ultimate Stateside Burger was demolished along with half a Cookie Cup dessert.

o0o scary picture! Perhaps a little dramatic but...

Tuesday's are generally the bane of my life. It's a Uni day which, quite frankly, are wearing very thin on me now. I feel perhaps there is a reason most people coming up to the age of 24 are no longer pupils...I would have said are no longer in education but seen as I still will be when I get a teaching job, I'll refrain from that wording.

Apologies for the creepy images. Uni must have this affect on me 

Draining is what it was...to be in a room for 2 hours...essentially trapped. To listen to, in my opinion, often irrelevant information. Needless to say, I napped afterwards. Boy, it was a good 1.5 hour sleep! I then got sucked into having a chinese with my housemates. I was relatively good though and just had a chow mein, as opposed to my usual duck starter and chips :)

I awoke with nerves on Wednesday. It was the day of my literacy skills test. I was fairly confident but the sheer unpredictability made me uneasy. My body is literally the worst at coping with any kind of stress or upheaval! Any butterflies and my stomach is a mess, my appetite is gone and I feel sick.

Gladly, I passed the test! Yayy! And treated myself to a few bits, which I showed in this post. Sadly though, all of the adrenalin and nervousness from earlier completely took its toll on my body. I had a massive blood sugar dip (perhaps I'll do a post about my issues with this soon) and despite a rushed Gregg's cheese cob/roll and a Millie's chocolate chip cookie the damage had been done and I started to feel really poorly. A bit like a migraine kind of ill but a little more woozy...Anyway after packing my bag (to go home) in a daze, I had to lie down and awoke to my parents telling me they were outside to collect me (from my student digs).

I finally came around to feeling better a bit later. It was nice to be home and I tucked into my dad's homemade shepherd's pie. YUM.

Thursday was one of the saddest days I've had to witness. Back in Sixth Form, I was part of the school choir. We were very well received and sang all over the place, even touring in Germany and Kent. I loved singing in our concerts and I was sad to have to leave it behind when I finished in Year 12.

On Thursday the choir reformed, which would have made me very happy in different circumstances. Sadly, we reunited to sing at a very talented and loved young man's funeral. Luke was only 20 and had tragically suffered over a dozen heart-attacks, fallen into a coma and subsequently passed away. Luke was once a valued member of our choir and it seemed only right that we would give him the best send-off we could vocalize. His mum requested us and it was an absolute honour to be there. It was heart-breaking all the same.

It's funny how on occasions like those you think more clearly and assess your own life and what's important. For me I realised that my family mean everything to me and that really nothing else matters in the grand scheme of things. So when I get stressed about Uni work, applying for jobs and even get caught up in the waves of sadness that I sometimes suffer with...I need to remember what I felt in that instance.

That evening I did my much-loved exercise classes: Boot Camp and Step n Core.

Friday I awoke a little stiff from the workout but also quite excited to visit a local school. If you don't know any teachers etc...when it comes to applying for a teaching job it's obligatory to look around a school before submitting your application...Well, that's if you want your application to be considered! For me, I got that 'wow' I'd be waiting for. The school that I could imagine myself working at. It ticked all of my personal boxes and I'm hoping I'll tick some of theirs and get invited to interview. Of course I'm not stupid enough to assume I'll get it...I'm one of many...but for now I have a chance...so cross all of your fingers and toes for me!

I believe that everything happens for a reason...which is pretty hard to maintain when faced with tragedies like Thursday...but I think fate is a very powerful thing and if it's meant to be it'll happen.

So, excluding a lot more of the really painful sore muscles;  singing alone on the karaoke like a 'saddo' on a Saturday evening, in the comfort of my own home; starting The Host book; oh and, devouring a lot of biscuits dipped in tea...we are back to me having had Sunday dinner and writing this post.

How was your week?

Ellie
x