How my Dad Makes a Bento

This, people, is how my Dad makes a bento. Let's ignore the fact that I don't like mint clubs. 

It's not bad all things considered (we'll also ignore the fact that the apple crisps are not in the box.) I mean, I have a strong feeling that he was poking fun at me and my bento-ing, but ho hey. He cut my sandwiches into shapes. He was a bit annoyed when I text him to double check what he'd put on my sandwich, but he actually cut my sandwich into shapes!

And I can't complain. On the day I asked him to please make me a packed lunch, he did. With only a lot of complaining :P

Now shall we get onto some Halloween bentos that I made?

Yes, lets.

Actually, to be honest, this bento isn't much better than the one Dad gave me! I cut a tortilla into pumpkin shapes and then stacked them on top of each other, then there's Quorn cocktail sausages, dried apricots (with a jack o lantern face), an Alpro chocolate soy pudding (renamed 'Dirt Pudding') and some baby corn (who needs candy corn when you have the veggie equivalent?) It was meant to look a lot better than it actually ended up looking!

So, how did it stack up (you know, I feel like I haven't done this in ages!)

1. TIME I made this while eating my breakfast. An effective use of time that would otherwise just be used to, well... Eat breakfast! One star. 

2. LEFTOVERS From the tortilla pumpkins. Well, "The best laid plan of mice and men" and all that. Basically what I am trying to say is that I just lost that star. 

7. CUTENESS  The dried apricot has a face on it, and the tortillas are cut into shapes. I will give myself that star back, thank you very much!

8. PLANNING I made sure that we had (not candy) corn in, and I did a lot of work trying to find that cutter. (Preston seem to be having a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter shortage- I got it in Hobbycraft eventually but it isn't listed on their website!) So.... that totally counts as a star, cause I knew I wanted a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter, and I found one. 

So that ends on 2 stars for me. (Happy dance) 

And yeah... 3 bentos in one post- aren't you lucky!

So, this one is still using cocktail sausages, but that's it as far as cross over between the two boxes go! There is a mini open top sandwich (okay, it's just a piece of bread spread with cream cheese and cut into a pumpkin shape), "beetles" on a log (i.e. olives on cream cheese) and an orange that has been attacked by aSharpie, cause you know, it's Halloween and all! And then got cut in half cause it was too big to fit into my box otherwise. 

1. TIME Again, I did this box whilst I was eating breakfast. I mean, I really should be making these bentos before I go to sleep at night, but as for using my time wisely, this is currently working for me. Sometimes. But this box took about five minutes, which on the scale of things, really isn't that bad. So a green star to me! (Green seems a Halloween-y colour!)

2. LEFTOVERS Lets move on

5. BOXABILITY My Dad took one look at my lunch in the morning and declared that it would just end up a royal mess by lunchtime. He was wrong, of course! Because everything fitted so awesomely into my box, nothing moved around and so everything was precisely where I wanted it! Told you so Dad. 

7. CUTENESS I have beetles on a log (mark one) jack o lantern faces on an orange (mark two) and a jack o lantern face made out of veggie cocktail sausages on a cut out of a pumpkin. Well call it our ghostly pumpkin. And decide that oh yeah, we are so getting a star!

8. PLANNING Like the last one, I made very sure that I had everything that I wanted in so that I could make my bento in the morning (in five minutes). Good planning = a good number of stars. 

And that gives me a result of 4 stars! 

I definitely come out treat this Halloween, hope you do too! 

Nice Nails # 11: The Spooktacular Version!

Hi guys, 

I am still here, honest. I'm just doing a good impression of someone who's comatosed. Well, I'm a teenager- what do you expect? (Although my brother has an uncanny ability to start practicing his guitar the moment I put my head on the pillow. Seriously, uncanny.) And on top of being uber tired, I have a shed full (okay, but it's a considerable pile) of college work, a lot of typing and finding the write documents and just generally getting organised with my Leadership Qualification for GGUK. Then, when I have spare time, I'm trying to get the hang of balancing writing books and writing blog posts. I'm getting better at it, but we're not there yet. 

However, I'm learning better how to handle my new laptop so this is improving. 

And I've set reminders and deadlines for blogposts and chapters of my stories. 

And I spent WAY too long on the John Lewis site making a collage of the clothes that one of my characters wears. Though she is currently in a First Holy Communion dress (if in doubt, just don't ask!)

Seriously, I so want to ask Izy from Top with Cinnamon how she balanced A levels and blogging! (But she's too amazing brilliant for me to bother her with such silliness!)

But here are (Okay, so they are last years) Halloween nails (I was ill, and I didn't think that you'd want to see Halloween nails in December!)

(Although maybe you do, tell me)

I used Barry M's Gelly High Shine Nail Paint in Mango.  Cause, you know, gotta get a bit of Halloween colour in there somewhere!

The bat stickers came in a nails kit I got several years ago. It seemed to be a bit of a waste using all the bats in one go, but it's Halloween. Let's go with a bang people!

Plus, they seem a bit out of place with my normal style for the rest of year.

And my toes were glittery and black. 

So... Happy Halloween!

It's The Little Things That Matter

Ever noticed this?

Anyone can make instant hot chocolate, but it's the cream on top which shows that you went out to a coffee shop to get it. 

I had ballet shoes for years, but it was when I got ribbons on them (about 8 years in) I felt like I did ballet. 

I love watching how many page views I get- but it's the comments that make me smile.

The way Fun's We are Young reminds me of sitting on the hill at high school in a PE lesson with my friends, not doing PE.

The way that I KNOW I have written a book- but that when I open my wardrobe each morning, I see the dress that I bought the week I finished it, and it remind me again.

It's tumbling your pyjamas before you put them on so that they are all warm.

It's REAL cornflakes (the one with the rooster on the box) not the basics brand ones.

It's getting the A on your homework.

Its talking to your friends on your phone the minute you get in, even if you spent all day talking to them at school.

It's doing all your homework the night before so you can binge watch your favourite TV show.

It's the little toy in the cereal box.

Its the badge tab on my Guides uniform.

It's when you get that damn highlight of your photo, right where you don't want it to be. 

I have had my uniform top (and cap) for a while now. It shows everyone that I am proud to be a member of Girlguiding UK, and WAGGGS. It shows people that once a week I go and help out at Rainbows. It shows you that I am committed enough to invest in my uniform. It also shows you that I don't look horrendous in blue. 

I got my Promise badge shortly after. That shows you that I have pledged to uphold a certain set of values. It shows you that I promise to do my best in everything that I do. It shows you that I promise to think about my beliefs, and if that means I don't want to be Catholic any more, then that's fine. It shows that I promise serve the Queen and my Community- that I will try at all times to do what I can for those who share my world, and those who support me. It shows that I promise to help other people, even if that means I can't have what I want. 

It shows that I have promised, and when I wear it, it shows that I continue to promise Every. Single. Day. 

It shows you that I promise to keep the Guide Law. 

It shows you that I don't panic when I can't save my blog post. 

It shows you that you can trust me- because I am (trying really hard to be) honest and reliable. It shows that I try to be helpful, and to use my time and abilities wisely. It shows you that I am ready to face challenges, and to learn from experience. It shows you that I am committed to being a good friend and a sister to all guides. It shows you that I do my best to be polite and considerate. It shows you that I respect all living things as much as I can; whether they be plant, animal or human (the human one can be hard). It shows you that I try to take care of the world around me. 

But the badge tab? The badge tab shows you that I CAN DO MORE. 

It shows you that I have the ability to BE MORE. 

It shows you that Girlguiding will allow me to ACHIEVE MORE. 

That badge tab shows that I am confident that, at some point in the future, I will have more badges to go on there. 

I am going to get my Leaders Qualification. That shows that I am grown up, responsible, and trained to look after 5 to 7 year old girls, and to provide them with the Rainbow's program. That I know how to run a Rainbow's unit. 

If I get DofE- it shows that I am committed, that I have the dedication to go through with what I started. 

If I get a 5 year (or other time period) Service Badge? I have volunteered with Girlguiding actively for a long time. I didn't just do it for 6 months, or a year to get some qualification. I did it for more than that. It shows you that I love doing it. 

So that totally awesome utterly amazingly fantastical badge tab? It's a little thing- it is essentially a ribbon attached to a safety pin. But it matters- it matters because it shows that I have the potential for more. And as long as I'm in Girlguiding- and as I've been trying to explain to my Rainbows, you can be part of Girlguiding for as long as you want; and if you never want to quit, you never have to; just look at this 106 year old- there will be the opportunity for me to be more than I am now. I will always be able to do more.

And you know what? That matters. 

Even more than real cornflakes.  

In Other, Less Interesting News # 5

Sorry about the break guys. I was having some sort of post-MoFo hibernation. Plus, I don't want to post another thing until I know that I am going to post something that is actually worth posting. 

And until that day, what about a little look-see into what I've been up to?

Yeah, even I can hear the yawns you're making. Yes, dear friend, even I who can't hear African choirs when we were in the library. 

1. I have surpassed 2000 page views.

2. I have still not managed to work out how to put links for my Facebook and Instagram pages on to my blog. One day people.... One day. You can always search for me and have a peak anyway! (Ana's Rocket Ship Blog and A_R_S_15 respectively).

3. I got a new peeler. My hands are two small for Mom and Dad's peeler, so I had to get my own. Look how cool it is!

4. I have officially lost the pictures for my dinosaur bento. And it was so brilliant too!

5. I've finished treatment. Trust me- this is a good thing!

6. I've started writing my books again. I still haven't got word on my laptop (don't ask), but I've got another decent word processor so it's okay!

7. I bought Frozen on DVD!!! (I do love the Disney 2 for 1 deals!) And I have watched Frozen on DVD! I'm sorry people, but Frozen is just way more important than you guys! (Not really if you're actually my friend and not just some poor reader who has stumbled across here accidentally). I also have the Frozen songs to play on piano! (Girl happy- can't really play them yet, but girl happy).

8. I have started going to Senior Section meetings! I have been wanting to do this for like, forever! (Well, since I became to old to be a Guide any way) but it is finally happening now!

9. I can get not very far without any crutches at all. But not in front of people. That would just be inviting people to laugh at me, and we try very hard not to do that people.

10. Pretty much all my friends are now at uni. This ones a biggie. I'm kinda lonely.

11. I had noodles in a box. They were horrid. But I had noodles in a box.

12. I got an A on my first math test in a long time. But we don't ever talk about UCAS. Seriously. Not ever.

13. I have organised the Hama needs into colours. We won't talk about the ones in the jar.

14. I went on holiday. Look at the sand. And the string pictures!

15. I got to try a load of different types of Nakd bar.

16. I finally opened the sparkly coconut body butter. I brought this for prom. Over two years ago now.

17. I am all ready to get back on the bento bandwagon (cause I've noticed I've been in bento quicksand lately). Look- plan is on the calendar.  (they're the post it notes I've stuck on)

18. I made a toastie. On my own. Know I know why we have a toastie maker. 

So... Know, back to writing a decent blog post!