Missing that Friday feeling

One of the major advantages of having a job (aside from the regular income and sense of fulfilment etc) are the weekends. We all know how it was during the school holidays or University exam periods- days would merge and you would no longer feel that sense of excitement as Friday approached.

Being in full time employment my week is fairly structured. I am now part of the masses that curse Mondays and live for the weekend. For some reason, however, I don't really have that 'Friday feeling' today. I think this is down to my growing to-do list (which I'm still yet to write) and the number of things I need to fit in before I go to Australia in a couple of weeks.

It's surprisingly difficult to relax when you feel that any free time should be spent shopping for summer clothes, exercising or looking into surfing lessons/boat trips (apparently it's cheaper to book that kind of thing over here as opposed to waiting until you're in Oz). I appreciate that these activities don't look like such hardships however bear in mind the following details:

• I hate shopping under pressure. Casually browsing Top Shop on a Sunday morning is one thing, battling it out for the last pair of shorts in my size is quite another.
• Exercising under pressure is equally as unpleasant. There's nothing like a good run to clear your head (and make you feel a little smug if you manage to go before midday) however when you're being forced outside as a result of beach body panic (see previous post) any element of enjoyment has already been taken away.
• I am very indecisive and so booking trips/other fun stuff in a country I've never visited before is a minefield! Fingers crossed someone from STA travel can give me a schedule to follow so that I can rest assured I won't miss any 'essential' activity off my itinerary...

On the plus side, I am seeing a good friend tomorrow which always makes me smile and we'll probably have a wander through Manchester's Christmas markets which will be a calorie fest treat.

I'm now off to watch 'Bridesmaids' (or at least the first half hour before I fall asleep- this is one rock 'n' roll Friday night). This film made me so ridiculously happy the first time I saw it that I can only hope it will have a similar effect the second time around.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

PS. Whilst we're on the subject of weekends, whyyy does everyone feel the need to update their Facebook status with a declaration of "It's Friday"? I'm pretty sure the majority of the online world know the days of the week and so this kind of status really serves no purpose apart from showcasing the user's predictability and lack of imagination (however this does not apply to similar tweets as Twitter was designed for self indulgent statuses that are of no interest to anyone else).

PPS. I'm aware that, as it's approaching midnight, this blog will lose relevance pretty soon.

My Beach Body Vent

For the last few weeks I've been ranting to anyone who will listen about my fear of donning a bikini this Christmas. Just to clarify, this isn't some kind of odd festive tradition I have, I'm off to Australia with my family for a month and the ridiculously high temperatures mean that covering up just won't be an option.

Contrary to previous blog posts, I am not particularly unhappy with my size, I adore food and, until recently, I consumed on average 2 chocolate bars a day (probably shouldn't admit that...). However, like the majority of women (and a good deal of men), the build up to beach time has finally gotton to me and I've attempted to embark on a vaguely healthy eating plan in order to tackle the problem areas that will otherwise leave me hiding behind my towel on Bondi beach.

Thing is, it's pretty difficult to follow any kind of diet around the lead up to Christmas. Firstly, it's a pretty solitary activity. I mean who the hell restricts their calorific intake at the time of year when food and drink is plentiful and over indulging is often encouraged? Secondly, temptation is EVERYWHERE. I only have to walk down my road to be confronted by adverts for Christmas themed hot chocolate (yeah thanks Costa) and the cold, dark nights call for carb-heavy feasts as opposed to salads.

Anyway, back to my original point. Bikini body panic. Yes, once a year women are encouraged to diet their way to an acceptable pool-side figure, despite many being perfectly happy with their bodies throughout the rest of the year.

Now I'm all for getting in shape and making the most of what I've got however (and I know this phrase can be over-used when promoting a healthy body image) we are not meant to look like models. If we were, God would have created calorie-free ice cream and burritos which contained a magical fat burning ingrediant. As this is not the case, I can confidently say that I'm probably meant to have areas of my body which are slightly (okay very) wobbly and thighs that touch (unless I stand with my legs wide apart but that will just look odd in the holiday snaps).

I would also like to point out that wearing a bikini is not, for the majority of us, a natural state of affairs. When else do we strip down to garments the size of (if not smaller than) our underwear and carry on with our day to day business like nothing's up? Caitlin Moran makes the point that women shouldn't waste time worrying about their less than perfect physiques as we are quite simply not required to look amazing without clothes. I completely agree with this whilst I'm sat in shivering in the UK, however when we venture to warmer climates the rules seem to change.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say that we should all swap our bikinis for wetsuits, I'm merely pointing out the reason why so many women feel sheer terror at the prospect of a holiday in the sun. It's not always down to a lack of self confidence (in the right outfit we can all look fabulous), issues with food or plain narcissim; it's often just our reaction to wearing next to nothing for extended periods of time. It is an odd feeling when we spend the majority of the year layering up and being able to distract ourselves from the snugness of our clothes by our clever useage of accessories.

I've realised I always end my blog posts with some kind of 'moral', a bit J.D. from Scrubs style (kind of trying to phase that out...), however I'm not really sure where I'm actually going with this one. I'm still going to cram in as much exercise as possible before I jet off and I'll still look longingly at the hot chocolate adverts until I'm back on UK soil, safe in the knowledge that any extra pounds can stay hidden under an oversized jumper. So in that sense, I'm kind of contradicting what I've just written. I have, however, just consumed the best part of a 100g green and blacks chocolate bar so I suppose I'm letting the idea of perfection go...

The main aim of this post was to have a bit of a vent about the idea that we should suddenly shed the weight we've accumulated over the year and be beach ready in a matter of weeks. This is also an apology for boring my friends senseless with my recent calorie talk. Forgive me, I'm simply doing what society seems to expect of any woman on the run up to her holiday.

And on that note, I'm off to bulk buy bikins from ASOS in the hope that at least one will fit!

Saying 'I do' has gotten pretty pricey...

I am so easily influenced. On the bus this morning I was reading Caitlin Moran's 'How To Be a Woman' (an AMAZING book which I will definitely be posting a review on soon!) and really got onboard her views on how weddings are a surefire way to overspend on a day which can only disappoint (okay, I'm paraphrasing slightly here).

A mere hours later I interviewed a lovely wedding photographer for the PR firm I'm doing work experience at, completely jumped ship and decided I could not wait to walk down the aisle! I still think weddings can be a horrendous waste of money (why anyone would choose to spend so much money on a cake that's not even chocolate is beyond me) however when you're directed to websites like this it's hard not to want in on the action. Plus, when you can have a first dance that's as cool as this couple's was, it almost seems worth all the effort.

When I grow up I want to be...

Today I started a week's work experience at a local PR firm. Today I was also mistaken for a school leaver by one of the firm's employees. Under normal circumstances this would baffle (and amuse) me however, on this occasion, I must admit the guy had a fair point. What is a 23 year old doing using up her annual leave on something that even 16 year olds try to avoid as soon as they realise they can find work that actually pays?

For so many industries these days (namely PR and journalism) it's a given that you must be prepared to do work experience/intern/make countless cups of tea just to get a foot in the door, and even then you're not looking at making your fortune (how journalists for the glossies have such fabulous wardrobes is beyond me). Work experience seems to be a rite of passage for anyone who covets Jo Elvin's job and spends too much time dreaming of the day they could call Glamour magazine 'work'. Apart from the minor dilemma of whether or not I can afford to work for free for extended periods of time, I have no problem with this. If I want a job that badly then I'll do whatever it takes to get it (within reason...). My issue is, I'm still not sure what that dream job is. Sure I think it lies somewhere in the world of magazines/PR/writing, but that's a pretty big area to tackle and I'm fairly certain my lack of direction won't be doing me any favours when I'm competing against thousands of others who are ten times more focussed than I am. And so that is why, at the age of 23, I've found myself taking yet more annual leave in order to try a job which is completely unrelated to the one I am currently paid to do.

Whilst I may be years older than the school girl I was mistaken for today, I still feel just as confused when it comes to my career prospects. Don't get me wrong, I love where I am right now, I just find it difficult to visualise where exactly I want to be in a couple of years time. I am therefore turning to work experience in the hope that it will offer me a little insight as well as telling me how I can become half writer/half PR guru for a national glossy whilst advising students on the side. I'm joking (ish).

People say you can change career at any age and magazines are full of tales of how people nabbed their dream jobs in an unconventional manner. Inspirational as this may be, I can't help but look around and see that the people who are doing these amazingly cool jobs (which feel light years away from where I am right now) are actually quite close to my age. Apparently this is when I should be on the appropriate career path and quietly working my way to the top. When did everyone suddenly get so serious? What happened to having our twenties to figure out who we are, see the world, make mistakes, rock up to work hung over etc (or did everyone else do that during their gap yah)? I guess I shouldn't complain when there are so many graduates struggling to find paid employment, let alone a job they actually like. I'm lucky enough to have both, yet I still compare myself to the twenty year olds that seem to have an awful lot more figured out than me.

Anyway, career dilemmas aside, I'm off to watch Harry Potter. There's nothing like watching the work of Voldemort and co to put things into perspective! Harry didn't have time to ponder his life plan when he was busy trying to save the wizarding world (you know you've hit a new low when the one thing you're grateful for is the lack of dark magic in your life).

Why I work in a Students' Union

Last week I was lucky enough to be able to attend Students' Unions 2011 with work. For those of you who aren't familiar with the National Union of Students (NUS) and all they have to offer, this was a two day conference for Student Officers and Union staff members. As an advisor (wow that makes me feel grown up!) there were some really useful sessions and it was just great to be able to meet up with people in a similar role. All in all a brilliant couple of days however it wasn't the networking or the sharing of best practice which has prompted me to blog about my experience.

There were a host of impressive names who wowed us with speeches. After listening to Jeremy Gilley talking about his 'Peace One Day' project my job suddenly felt a little, well, insignificant. We also heard from Helena Kennedy, Rod Aldridge and Fiona Reynolds (whose talk on the National Trust induced a craving for drinking Pimms in a well kept garden).

I was also very excited to attend my first NUS Awards. Award ceremonies are always good. Food, wine and lots of cheering- what's not to like? We (Liverpool Guild of Students) walked away with the Technology Innovation award for our officer elections which was amazing and, despite not being involved myself, made me really proud to work for such a great organisation (I think my competitive streak also meant that losing was not an option I had fully considered until just before our name was read out!). You can find out about the rest of the award winners on the NUS website here.

At the beginning (and end) of the conference a short film was played showing the impact Students' Unions have on people's lives. I'm not usually one for cheesey montages but it really hit home and reminded me of why I do the job I do.

When there was talk of tution fees shooting up, it was Students' Unions who put their members on buses to London, enabling their voices to be heard. When a student wants to make more of their time at University it's the Union who can introduce them to an array of societies where they can meet others with similar interests. And when Universities make decisions everyday which will affect thousands of students, it's Unions who will be fighting for the best interests of these students throughout their academic journey.

When asked about work I often respond with something along the lines of "It's great but it's not forever. Magazines are my calling blah blah blah". This is fine in itself, as most of us won't fall straight into our dream job and it's important to have aims, however I shouldn't let these ambitions stop me from focussing on what's currently happening around me. And right now I'm surrounded by a great team of people, have a job that can have a very real impact on the lives of students and have access to free diet coke all day (a perk of working in close proximity to the bar). It may not be the office of a glossy magazine but, at this moment in time, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

The ugly side of vanity sizing

I am an awful shopper. It's not that I don't love clothes or enjoy putting together a new outfit, I just get fed up of not being able to find a thing to fit and there's nothing like the disappointment of yet another Top Shop number being too long to put a dampener on my day. I still don't quite get how a piece of clothing can be too big overall yet still uncomfortably snug in all of the wrong places (starting to regret that green & blacks Easter egg now...). Suffice to say I fully understand the sizing woes that shopping can bring and so when Cosmo printed an article about vanity sizing I read on with interest.

Basically, the jist of the article is that shops are appealing to our constant quest for skinniness and labelling clothes with smaller sizes. As well as being a bit ridiculous (yet an effective sales technique) it can also have negative effects on our health as it can be hard to detect a weight gain when your clothes are suggesting nothing's changed. So far so good. It's important for magazines to highlight issues beyond the latest trends and celebrity gossip and I applaud Cosmo for touching upon something many of us would rather ignore. However, like many articles, it was fairly unbalanced and not very representative of the female population as a whole (I know this wouldn't have been easy but they could have at least tried!).

The majority of us know that finding the correct clothing size is only half of the battle and that searching for an outfit to flatter your shape can be a different struggle altogether. We're all individuls and people are rarely the same size all over. The female body is too complex to simply adhere to a particular size and, when you struggle to find trousers that accommodate your hips without drowning your legs, the number written on the label suddenly becomes less relevant. Believe me, I would gladly buy something in a size bigger if it meant it fitted well. Cosmo have made an assumption that all women simply want is to be a dress size smaller when in actual fact I'm sure most of us have body parts we're perfectly happy with and would just like clothing shops to acknowledge that size isn't the only variation between different bodies.

Cosmo then goes on to criticize the fact that 'apple' shapes (those which are a little bigger around the middle) can still call themselves a size ten thanks to vanity sizing. As an 'apple' I've come to terms with the fact that all the sit ups in the world won't give me Britney's abs and so I don't appreciate being made to feel that I don't have a right to fit into a size ten (and if I can it must be down to vanity sizing because of course all size tens have flat tummies and no hips). Maybe I'm reading too much into this but I think it's a little contradictory that a magazine suddenly points the finger at one specific body shape in the very issue that is supposedly focussing on making their readers feel good about their bodies regardless of imperfections. They are correct in saying that fat around the middle is more unhealthy than fat elsewhere, however they neglect to point out that many females will struggle to shift every ounce of excess weight around this area thanks to Mother Nature and her plan to make our bodies fit for carrying a child (this seems slightly unfair when I don't even know if I want kids yet but that's a different issue altogether!).

This article also made me project some of my anger onto my favourite shops. I mean I appreciate Top Shop wanting to make size 16's feel good about fitting into a size 14 but what about those at the other end of the scale who struggle to find clothes small enough? I am by no means thin and so it really frustrates me when clothes are too big just because some idiot has decided that the only way to keep women happy is to pretend they are a size or two smaller than they actually are. Why not train sales assistants to be more complimentary, or have better lighting in the changing rooms, rather than selling us lies to make us feel skinnier? Or even better, start catering to different shapes as well as sizes because one size definitely does not fit all.

Election time, wardrobe inspiration and my countdown to race day

I don't seem to have blogged for quite a while. This is mainly because whatever I write about seems really embarrassing when I read it back to myself at a later date (yeah that doesn't really bode well for the wannabe journo in me...) however as I don't seem to have much of an audience I think I'll get over it.

The main thing on my mind lately has been running. Contrary to what earlier posts suggest, this is no longer in relation to my desire for toned legs but due to the panic I am now feeling as a result of signing up for a half marathon. Weeks of after-work jogs and Sunday afternoons spent trying to keep up with my Dad on his bike (who needs a personal trainer?!) will hopefully pay off this Sunday when I attempt the 13 mile course around Liverpool. I've given up on aiming for a specific time (although I was a lot more ambitious a couple of weeks ago) and just want to cross the finish line still smiling (I might as well enjoy it, right?).

Also in the way of news, it's student officer election time at work (feel free to skip this part if you have no interest in student politics) which is always an exciting time of year. Well I say exciting, not so much for the poor candidates who have dedicated the last couple of weeks to flyering and doing lecture shout outs in an attempt to win their fellow students' votes. Having been in this position myself a couple of years ago, I fully empathise with those running and understand the ups and downs the campaign period can bring. Sure it's fun, but when you're putting yourself out there for everyone to judge (which, let's face it, you really are) it can be pretty stressful. Especially when it's for something you want so badly. The results are announced this Friday so it looks like the week will end on quite a tense note.

During the actual voting period, Union staff members are required to man polling stations in various locations. I was in one of the libraries today which was an excellent location for a bit of outfit spotting. I think one of the reasons University libraries can be such a good source of wardrobe inspiration is because people like to make an effort with their appearance in order to distract themselves from the fact that they're about to spend their day immersed in a text book. I spied a lovely jumpsuit that would be perfect for the kind of weather we've had over the last couple of days and yesterday's stint saw me getting rather jealous of a beautiful Louis Vuitton bag (my student loan barely stretched Top Shop!). A couple of hours on a polling station and you'd easily have enough material for an outfit blog post if you're that way inclined (although judging by some people's reactions when they're asked to vote in the student elections, taking photos would probably be one step too far).

I've got Bruno Mars' 'Marry You' stuck in my head (possibly because I keep listening to it on spotify). I think this has less to do with a sudden desire to be marched down the aisle and relates more to the fact that they sang it on Glee the other week- those kids could make anything catchy!