Juicing

A long time ago I watched a film called "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead".  At the time I didn't think much of it but as the weather improved I wanted to see how I could switch up my nutrition.
I looked into the whole juicing regime and I liked what I had read and seen and decided to incorporate it into my day.
I am not new to juicing, I had a juicer a while back but it was such a faff but since then they have come on tonnes and have become more user friendly.  Mr JAEG and I decided to go for a Sage juicer as the feeder tube can take whole fruit and there is less faff, the unit is easier to clean and produces great juice.
I still have to eat with the students but I can incorporate juice into my daily diet and the fact I am adding vitamins and nutrients in this way is great.  Beats the pill popping.

If you are interested in juicing Joe Cross has a great web site here.
Amazon has a huge amount of books to help get started or with recipes and if you want to try a juice or two before committing then there are a few juice bars to choose from Boost Juice shops can be found in most shopping centres in the UK and their products can be found here 

I will post a full review of the Sage soon but I would value any thoughts you have about juicing.

Persona

It was as I was standing in front of the school during an event this week when I realised that I and the adults around me were acting.  To look at us you would not realise that one was going through major problems with their home, another was dealing with major illness in their family another through severe anxiety.  We were all professional and there would be no reason the students would know what was going on in the private lives of the adults in front of them, why should they.  It got me onto thinking about the other 'sides' of us the different ways we project ourselves, both professionally and personally.
I know that I have many 'faces': dealing with the students: with colleagues; with family; with friends; when alone; when on this blog.
This is why programmes like celeb big brother always interests me as you cannot keep one mask on 24/7 it always slips and under that mask is the true person.  Some people are clever and keep the truth hidden for a while others not so good.  All in all eventually the true self is shown for some the true person isn't a great person hence why they need the different faces.
I want all the different faces I have to still reflect the true me and I also want to be the person I would want to hang about with so that if a mask slipped I was still a good person and true to myself whilst being professional.
There is nothing wrong with having different sides to yourself but if you are hiding a persona that is less savory, one that you may be ashamed of then there is something wrong and that needs to be worked on.  One thing I have learnt in the last few years that children are very watchful, they watch the adults around them closely and can spot cracks, they can tell

There is just 3 weeks to the Easter break, the weather has changed for the best and that means working on the garden and letting the sunshine into the home.
Easter always means new beginnings for me, the change of season from Winter to Spring always perks me up.  Clothes get lighter and brighter, make up becomes less matte and more glowing, the evenings are still light so more time to do things outside, food becomes fresher and there is no need to fill up on comfort food.  When the sun shines everyone is in a happier mood and everyone feels more active.
There is stress at work, Ofsted have still not come in but that's OK, I have a new person joining this week and I feel that regardless of a monitoring visit things are going well at work.  I still maintain that going into education was the right thing to do, I just need to shape how I would like things to go the next few years.

Birthday wishes

I love this time of year.  The change of season really perks me up and the mornings are getting lighter and the evenings too are getting lighter.  The sun can change how people view the world and as I type I can see the sun streaming through the window, I heard the birds tweet and I just know that winter is over.

This time of year brings many joys, Easter is soon, mothers day is sooner and at the start of April is my birthday with Mr JAEG soon after.

I have already purchased Mr JAEG's gift, I cannot wait to give it to him but I cannot say here what I have got him until after his birthday.

There is not a lot I want for my birthday, what do you get the girl who has everything, right?  I thought that until I say that you can now design your own Ray Bans.  I love my sunglasses, I have a great collection that fits in with my lifestyle but the fact that I can design my own really appeals to me.  Since logging on I have come up with 2 different designs, both very me, both different to each other and what I already had in my collection.  You can design yours here.

The other thing that is really appealing to me right now is juicing.  About 10 years ago I had purchased a juicer and I will be honest it was a complete faff to make anything.  I had to chop up the fruit into small pieces and the clean up operation after was huge and to be honest that outweighed the beauty of a freshly produced juice.  I have been researching juicers and they have come on a long way since my effort 10 years back.  The chute is larger and so there is no need to prep the fruit or veg before, and it appears that the clean up operation is much faster now making the whole juicing business more beneficial.

I think that's about it for my birthday wish list.  If you have tried juicing I would be grateful for feedback to the machine and recipes.

On a slightly related note, I am really trying to watch what I am consuming, slowly and surely I am eating less meat and I feel good on that, who knows I may become a vegetarian but at the moment I am just good with cutting down meat consumption.  The other thing I am looking at is where my food comes from, I use soya milk the lactose in normal milk used to play merry hell in my stomach but I am interested in trying raw milk as lactose is not an issue.  I am looking at farmers markets and I need to become more interested in what I am consuming and I think a key point is knowing where my food is coming from.  I want to investigate the different ways we can improve out lives, our health with food.  Again any views greatly appreciated.

Goodbye February

I am writing this in my newly built home office and I am so pleased we decided to go ahead and get sharps in to design and build.  I find this new room a haven from the world, a place to retreat should I need to take time out for the hustle and bustle.
I am much better compared to this time last year, anxiety has not disappeared, (I am not sure it ever will) but it is at a level I can manage now.  That has helped everything else get back on track and on board.  I am grateful that I have my partner and family around me and that they have made me realise that no matter what they are there for me.  I highly recommend if you are every struggling in life to find someone to speak to, whether it be the Samaritans, doctor, trusted friend or a family member.  It is easier said than done but I urge anyone who feels they are up against it to speak up, speak out and tell someone how you feel.

I cannot believe we are now in March, boy this year is really moving at a pace but I am glad we are heading towards spring (although winter was not hideous and cold just hideous and wet).  As yet Ofsted have not been into check us out and the pressure is felt, I have decided to ignore the pressure and do what I have always done and that is my job to the best I can with the tools I have.  There is no way Ofsted will see me or my team in a bad light, we are good at what we do and I lead a fantastic team.  I am making sure we are spot on without pilling on the stress and pressure others may be getting.

This new home office has a place for me to take time out, to work and to do my craft, something which has helped me keep stress and anxiety under control.  I am back to dressmaking as I can get to my sewing machine and this is a love I have always kept hidden until now.  I love dressmaking, I am still a novice but its a bit like my beauty passion, it is not hurting anyone and I love trying out new things, new methods and building a wardrobe of clothes that are unique.  Next I will be back to jewellery making too, I have the space now!

So onto what I have loved in February.

TV

• Not strictly TV but watchable all the same and that is House of Cards - Kevin Spacey is amazing in it and I have had to watch season 2 twice now.
• Eastenders - it was great to see Stacey back in the square.
• Jonathan Creek - he is back for a short season and the first episode was great.
• Silk - another BBC programme that is fantastic.
• Line of Duty - gripping.

Film

Thanks to Netflix and now Amazon Prime I have watched a fair few films this past month, the stand out ones are:

• Out of Time
• The Final Destination Films
• Iron Man (1 and 2)
• Olympus has fallen - watched last year on a flight, glad its on Netflix

Beauty

• I have loved my Sigma brushes this month.
• MAC creme blush (all shades) less drying at this time of year.
• MAC lipstick in Fanfare, a beautiful pink.
• Lush body bars, smell divine and soften the skin.
• Inglot shadows.
• My Urban Decay Naked 3 pallet
• Smashbox pallet

Eats

• Mini eggs, I love when Easter is close and I have an excuse to eat them.
• Miller and Carter restaurants, we had an amazing meal in there last week and it is now our new place to go.
• Sodastream
• Nespresso, still making great coffee.

I hope you had a wonderful February and enjoying March.

Valentines wish list

I don't have much to wish for on valentines day as I pretty much have all I need/want. However I thought I would list a few nice to haves all the same.

1. Smashbox full exposure pallet.

2. The new Viva Glam lipstick from Mac

3. The new Dior spring collection especially the eye shadows.

4. A visit to Iglot (Westfield White City).

We are now heading towards a half term break and I cannot wait. The study is being reinvented over half term and I cannot wait to see the finished room.  It is largely down to my mum that I am able to get Sharps in and have it fitted out and I am so grateful to her, words will not be able to express how grateful I am.

The weather has been dreadful in the UK, rain, high winds and storms, I really feel for those who have suffered over the weather these few months.

The poor weather meant that I have had to dig out my hats to stop my hair from getting wreaked by the storms. I am using a trilby that was purchased from Satya Twena. It is hand made in black felt with a pink ribbon trim, I would highly recommend checking them out.  As soon as I have my study back I will post a picture but my camera is packed away.

I am looking forward for season 2 of House Of Cards to come onto Netflix (14 Feb).  Kevin Spacey is amazing in this series, the programme is gripping.  The popularity of Netflix highlights to me how viewing programmes has changed over the last few years.  Netflix means that I can watch 'box sets' when I want instead of waiting for the next episode to come out on TV.  I can spend whole days if I wish to watching whole seasons of Breaking Bad or Orange is the New Black.  I can watch the films or programmes I want to from any room in the house via my Virgn Tivo boxes, computer, Ipad or Apple TV.  I like how Netflix has commissioned programmes like House of Cards and is releasing the whole season in its entirety on the same day.