First Marble moved!

It was a teeny wee boost to be able to come home and move my first marble. Doolie as they are called in my area of Scotland  Tried to get a pic of the "doolie" dropping but kept missing it. Instead caught one where the doolie is not even present! 
Slimming is going ok. I am watching far more carefully what I am doing. Which is hard as I am in the final month of my 1st year of nursing and I have a lot of computer work coming up. FOUR essays and a Biology exam in this next month. Exercise is what seems to work well for me, its just hard to fit it all in. Any-ways Its all gooooood :)

In it goes! My first half pound off

There its gone......

There it is! One down 46 to go!

Weight Loss measurement tool

I wanted to SEE how much weight I have to lose and then to SEE the results when I lose it. So starting back at Slimming world I decided it was a good time to set this up. Its been sitting about for ages to be done.

First thing was to gather all my half pound markers. In this case it was marbles once belonging to my son. 

 Then I used the two jars I had been saving for it. Both the same. I have to lose 47 half pounds to reach my desired weight. 23.5 pounds. I am recording every half pound as it comes off or goes on.

Final place for my jars. Hope I can do a blog before Christmas of them all in the half pounds lost jar!

Nursing Humour.

Following a few nursing things on Facebook and some of these I liked a lot so thought I would pop them up here to help inspire me after a bad day...........

ECDL PASSED!!!

After a year since starting it almost. Yesterday I finally passed my ECDL. ECDL describes itself as............. a  programme that is for anyone who wishes to become fully competent in the use of a computer and common applications.  Each ECDL module provides a practical programme of up-to-date skills and knowledge areas which are validated by a test.  I had to study seven separate modules then sit an assessment on each before then going on to do the examination. These modules were on the following,

• Concepts of information and Communication technology (ICT)
• Using the computer and managing files
• Word processing
• Spreadsheets
• Using Databases
• Presentation
• Web Browsing and Communication

I left it too late to do, I have had a year and waited till the year was almost up to get my finger out and complete it. Its a handy qualification to add to a CV to prove I am computer literate as it is a globally recognised information and communication technology (ICT) and digital literacy qualification. 

Today it feels like a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I have had ECDL running round in my head, knowing it had to be done, for ages now. Now its done I can focus on my HNC and nursing! I have my HNC to pass this year and have just got my interview for University through (22 March). 

Got my ECDL, next to get my HNC, then to get my Degree! 

Onwards!!!

Back out again

Well back to the land of Florence Nightingale I go! I had 2 weeks holidays, then 6 weeks back in college with a few terrible exams in this block. Maths was a killer! Have a few major research ones to do which should be good. I am back out on placement now for 6 weeks. This time I am in a residential Nursing Home for Elderly and palliative care. I hope to gain as much information as I can about Elderly care and especially about Dementia. Alzheimer's disease,  Vascular dementia, Dementia with Lewy bodies, Frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson’s.....I will be a sponge gathering all the info I can on these terrible conditions. I got my Student Nurse uniform back out the cupboard where they had been hanging all nice and covered for 8 weeks. How just to make my packed lunch!

 Wish me luck!

PS Hardly "Carry On Matron" nursing outfits thankfully! Its this tunic top and a pair of combats!

My first jog!

Today was my first ever run. I have been struggling to keep my weight under control since I returned to college. Having had a physical job before my body does not take kindly to sitting on my ( what is now a) lardy ass at college all day! Thing is trying to fit in my beloved Zumba and walks with my friends are getting harder and harder as college work piles up. I am in no way giving then up as the walk with my friends on a Thursday night is more a Psychological release! Its my weekly therapy session!  Zumba and I adore and will go to when I can but I need to up the exercise a bit to replace the physical work I did. This trainer suits me for the time aspect. It should mean I can get up and go whenever, wherever SO should fit in with my current schedule. Its just me and my phone so I should be able to go out when a time slot arrives! I am hoping to do the first 2 weeks with my husband so that should I take a bloody heart attack he can call for an Ambulance! 

 We left the house and started the first 5 minute warm up walk. By that time I was almost at the Local park when the lady told me to run. After that I was instructed to run for a minute then walk for 1.5 minutes. This past lasted 20 minutes. Then a cool down walk. Was just back at the house for it ending. Legs are a bit stiff just now but fingers crossed it gets easier!

Here are the Key Features of this app..

• You alternate between walking and running until you build strength.
• C25K™ is designed for people who are just taking up running
• C25K is an 8 week long plan.
• You workout 3 times a week, ideally with breaks between days.
• Each workout session is from 30-40 minutes long (including 5 minutes warm up and 5 minutes cool down)                                                

Thrown together soup!(Chicken, Bacon, Leek and Potato Soup)

Chicken, Bacon, Leek and Potato Soup is my newest thrown together soup! I had items in my fridge that if they were not used would be in the bin. These items were some cooked chicken and a few bits of bacon. I had a look on the internet for a recipe but these ingredients seemed to keep throwing up more a chowder style. I SO SO SO have to get back into slimming which requires me to cook. Fingers crossed this is the beginning of it.

1 x Leek
1 x Onion
1 packet of cooked chicken
3 small potatoes peeled and cubed
5 medallions of bacon
500 ml of chicken stock
300 ml of milk with a table spoon of cornflour in it.

Thrown together, leek and onion sweated down. Bacon cooked, throw in chicken and liquids then boiled and blended. Lovely on a cold winters day.

All in and sweating.....

Just before blending.

Minecraft Birthday Cake

My amazing husband decided to make our son a Mine craft cake for his birthday. After much research this is how he did it. 

STEP 1. Make a square chocolate sponge. We just used a mix that needed eggs and liquid.

STEP 2. Allow to cool.

STEP 3. Make up butter icing and colour it green for the grass. Butter icing works best if you take your butter and add to it, double the icing sugar. Add the icing sugar half at a time. 

STEP 4. Make up some Jelly and colour it blue. We made this up with just over half the liquid required to ensure it set very hard. Its not for eating, just decoration as water.

STEP 5. Take the cake and cut out one quarter.

STEP 6. Place the removed quarter on the top and secure with some Jam and cocktail sticks.

STEP 7. With the green butter icing add the grass effect 

STEP 8. Add the jelly cubes for the water

STEP 9. Finally add your figures from Mine craft  These are made by printing them off from the game, sticking them to card and folding them. This takes longer than the rest of the cake! http://minecraftpapercraft.com/

STEP 10. Enjoy your 10th Birthday Party Marcus x x x

2nd time!

Gave blood for the 2nd time today. Got a nice wee badge too as a welcome back gift!

My view for 7 minutes as my blood ran into a bag. Worth it though.

Back to it

Well back to college and back to the grind. I truly LOVE it. I do ADORE it. There has not been one second when I have regretted it.  I was given a very special piece of paper today. Its my time table for the next 3 years! It shows when I QUALIFY at the end! My first year is different to the one printed as that's what the "normal" University student nurses are following. I am doing my first year as an HNC closer to home to save so much travel. 

Books out and back to it!

Where I am the next three years! Bring on August 2015!