I just need to write this.

Hey guys,

This post is a post which I wanted to write so I would be able to look back on it in the future.

I went to the cinema today to watch The Inbetweeners 2 with Ellie! Such an amazing film and I thought that it was better than the first one. Me and Ellie then decided that we were going to get a bite to eat then go home. We were walking through town and I noticed that a man was sitting in a corner not able to breath properly. There were shop workers standing outside the shop just looking at him, not helping or anything. He did look as if he was less fortunate as he sat there in his ruined clothes and a can of beer. We hanged around for a few minutes and noticed that he was walking away not being able to breath properly. He was seriously gasping for air. A man then started shouting for him. It was his friend. He just kept walking. Being the person I am I decided to talk to his friend to see if he needed any help. I rushed off with the man to help. The man was having a serious asthma attack. He didn’t want to speak to me and he kept telling to go away because he was apparently scaring me when deep down I could see in his eyes that he was petrified. I came down to his level and spoke to him in a very calm manor. I managed to get him to calm down and come back to a normal state.  Him and his friend were very grateful  for what I done for them. They seemed to think I was a nurse until I explained to them that I am a 17 year old student who wants to help people. They couldn't believe it. They kept expressing how much of a nice person I am. I sadly found out that the man had lung cancer. The way they stood up, shook my hand and asked my name made me feel so special.I told them to take care and look after themselves. These two men were such nice people and I am so glad that I helped them. If someone looks like they need help don’t just stand there. Go and ask them if they’re okay. What if it was your daughter, son, mum or dad in that situation and no one helped. How would you feel?

Sammie 
x

'Don't let a exam result define your life.'

Hey guys!
I really thought that it was important for me to talk about exam results. Over the past few days lots of students have received their results. There will be some very happy students and some students which are very disappointed.

I really struggled with school, especially around the time of my GCSE exams and I was near to the point of not going to school any more as I hated it so much. However, I decided to keep going to prove to everyone that I could complete school and finally get out of the education system.

Its nearly a year ago that I received my GCSE results and when opening the letter I was really confident that I had received good results as I did work hard and I did try my best. However, when I opened the piece of paper I was very disappointed and I remember the day very clearly, I remember thinking why did I even bother continue going to a place which I hated so much just to get some grades. I had got my hopes up to achieve 6 B'S and 4 C's. I didn't achieve any of my target grades as I received at least a grade under each of my predicted. In the end I worked out that I achieved 6 C's and 4 D's. I came home and I cried for the whole day. I was very disappointed and I felt like I had let my parents and grandparents down. However, luckily I did get the grades to attend the sixth form which I wanted to attend. I decided to take Level 3 Health and Social Care and Level 3 Business. My predicted grades for these subjects were Merits and I seriously didn't think that I would be able to achieve this. However, I worked so hard and kept at it and I smashed my targets which meant that I ended up achieving a Distinction in Business and a Distinction*  in Health and Social Care

What I am trying to say is that you should never, ever let an exam result define your life. If you didn't get the grades you wanted, you will be upset but you should still be determined to achieve your dream job. You can do it! It may take a little longer but that little longer but it will be worth it. If a college turns you down then just take that on the shoulders. You can always apply for other colleges. Show that you are motivated and determined! Prove the colleges that turned you down wrong, show them that they should have taken you. In this day you can achieve your dream job. You just need to be motivated and work hard. GCSE's are important but if you do fail just remember that you can retake them.

YOU can do it! Just remember that 'Hard Work + Dedication + Motivation' is the equation as Dazzle explains.

Sammie
x

GOOD GRADES AND PASSED THEORY!!!

Hey guys!
In a previous blog I mentioned that I was going to be getting my BTEC Level 3 results and I was sitting my Theory driving test on Thursday! I thought I would update you by saying that I am very pleased with my college results and I passed my theory first time!

I am going to be doing a blog post in the future about me and my school life which is to give inspiration to students which think that they may have got bad grades or not have received the grades which they expected to get.

Thursday morning at 7.22 am I woke up and I checked my college e-mails and I received a message with my results! I managed to get a Distinction in Business and a Distinction* in Health and Social. I was so happy! I have never,ever got top grades and achieving these have made me so proud! I'm glad I went to college as I have proven to myself that I can achieve.

On Thursday I had also booked my driving theory test. I was so nervous that morning! My appointment was at 11.30am and I was so so scared! I had put in so much work and I knew I was well prepared but I can't deal with the pressure of exams which is why I decided to take BTEC at college. So when I got there I had to read the terms and conditions, put my bag in a locker and they had to check I had nothing on me. I sat down in my located chair and I took a deep breath. I decided to do the practice multiple choice test which I suggest everyone should do as it makes you aware of the system! I didn't think that I had done too bad in the multiple choice test. Then I had the Hazard Perception. I hate Hazard Perception with a passion. I decided to do the practice tests which again, I recommend you do as it gets you used to the system! Halfway through I seriously thought that I was screwed. I then took a deep breath and continued with the test. Finally! I had finished. I decided to leave a good review of the centre a good review as everyone that worked there was lovely. I walked out the room and I got my bags. I was then given my paper and I PASSED! I was so happy and relieved.

To celebrate I then went shopping with mum and she brought me this charm! I love it. When she gave it to me she said ' Whenever you have a bad day, just look at this charm and it'll remind you of the amazing college grades you got and passing your theory first time'. Every time I do feel sad I will make sure I look at this and I will remember I can do it!

To all the people which called me 'stupid' or don't have any faith in me then you can jog right on!

Sammie
x

I need your help!

Hey guys!

I'm planning on treating myself to a massive shop on Thursday to celebrate hopefully passing my Theory and getting good college grades! I was just wondering if any of you have any suggestions on any new products which I could try out? For example any bath products, beauty products, sprays! Literally anything as I need some inspiration on new products to try out.

What are your favourite products you own?
All help will be appreciated!
Sammie
x

I'm here to help you!

Hey guys,

Today I thought that I would write a quick blog about depression and suicide which is a very sensitive topic. I am writing this to make awareness and to hopefully save at least one persons life. As many people have heard in the news, Robin Williams sadly committed suicide and he had been battling severe depression.

It is so sad to know that this illness can take over your life and control you. It controls everything about your life! Where you go, what you do, who you see ect. The majority of the time you cannot see if a person is depressed. A depressed person can easily put on a mask to make them look like the happiest person in the world just to hide their illness and to make sure that no one notices. The person with the biggest, happiest smile could be facing the biggest demon. Keep an eye on your friends and family as if you knew how they felt you could be able to save their life. Make sure to support them and convince them to get some help as asking for help is the biggest step to battling this.

If you're suffering from depression and you haven't spoken to anyone then please do! Please speak to a friend,family member or a doctor. I know what its like not to ask for help! I suffered for 1 year without anyone noticing till the day I just broke down and my own mother had to take me  to accident and emergency as she was scared that I was going to take my own life. I know how scary it is to tell a person you love about this but please do. A problem shared is a problem halved and you will feel a massive weight lifted off your shoulders. You will also get the help and support you need to get better.

Some signs of depression are:
-Continuous sad or low mood
-Feeling hopeless or helpless
-Not getting any enjoyment out of life
- Having low self-esteem
-Lack of energy
-Disturbed sleep
-Taking part in fewer social activities and avoiding contact with friends
-Neglecting hobbies and interests.

These are only a few of the symptoms! To check out more please visit the NHS website. If you ever feel as if you need to talk to someone confidentially about this then here are some links to some amazing people:
The Sanctuary, Manchester
Rethink
Mental Health Foundation
Mental health helplines
Samaritans
I know what its like to want to end your life, to be sad and to feel hopeless. There is help and support out there. Over 1 year ago I wanted to end my life and I was so determined to do it. However, I didn't and I now want to help people who felt like me as I know what it feels like and no one should ever have to battle it.

R.I.P Robin Williams. Thoughts are with your family during this hard time.

Please feel free to comment or message me and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Sammie
x

Liebster Award!

Hey guys,

Today I was just checking my blog, looking though the stats and I noticed I had 2 comments and I was very honoured when I read them. The comments were  from 2 lovely bloggers's nominating me for the Liebster Award. These lovely bloggers are known as Katie from Emilade and Smidge Of Pretty from Smidge Of Pretty You should definitely check out their blogs! I would also like to say a massive Thank you to them both!

I haven't been a blogger for long so I didn't have a clue what an 'Liebster Award' was. After doing some research I found out that the Liebster Awards are given to bloggers from other bloggers which have 200 or less followers. Liebster is a German word for dearest, sweetest, kindest, nicest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, welcome, sweetheart. This is pretty sweet!

Right, the rules are:

• Be polite! Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog
• Answer all of the questions which you have been given
• Nominate 11 bloggers who have less than 200 followers 
• You cannot nominate the blogger which nominated you
• Provide the  nominees with 11 questions of your choice
• Inform nominees of your nomination 
• Provide nominees with a link back to your post for more information

So here goes!

Katie from Emilade

1. What's your favourite animal?
Dogs! Absolutely love dogs and I used to have a poodle called buddy until he sadly passed away due to old age.
2. Do you have any pets?
Yes! I have 3 fish and 2 rabbits called Summer and Rocky.
3. What's your favourite quote?
'When people hurt you over and over, think of them like sandpaper. They may scratch and hurt you a bit but in the end, you end up polished and they end up useless'.
4. Favourite childhood memory?
I was around the age of 10 and I was going trick or treating on Halloween. Me and all my friends waited outside for my Dad to come out. We then noticed that there was someone running at us  dressed as Freddy Krueger from an alleyway. We were all petrified so we started running down the road to get away. We then all found out that it was only dad. I still don't know how he got outside without us seeing him but lets just say it was 1-0 to him.
5. What's your biggest goal in life?
Personally, my biggest goal in life is to be happy and make my family proud!
6. What are 3 interesting facts about yourself?
This is a hard one!
-I love bubble tea
-I want to work in the mental health sector or with young offenders
-I want to work abroad for a year
7. Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?
I seriously don't have a clue! Hopefully, I will have my own home and started a family. I hope to be in a job which I love and be happy with my life.
8. Do you have any siblings?
Nope.
9. Have you read any good books lately?
I have! I have recently read a book called 'You Can't Hide' written by Tina Renton. I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is such an inspirational book.
10. Who's your celebrity crush?
John Newman!
11.Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging because I have been reading various blogs for a long time now and I thought that it looked fun so I started! I have found out that it is great fun and there are soo many new people to talk to.

Smidge Of Pretty from Smidge Of Pretty

1. What's your most embarrassing memory?
Ermm. When I fell up the stairs infront of all the 'popular' people at school.
2. Favourite film ever and why?
This has to be Somers Town directed by Shane Meadows. Shane Meadows is one of my favourite directors! This is my favourite film because it shows a very unusual friendship, love, adventure and a lot of laughs.
3. Would you rather give up forever sweets or chocolate?
Has to be sweets! I can't live without M&M's.
4. What is your pet peve and why?
When people keep asking why? after explaining something 10 times.
5. What make up item could you not live without?
Foundation!
6. Who is your idol?
Macklemore
7. What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be a Mental Health Nurse or something to do with helping young people.
8. Which beauty product would you recommend that everyone should try?
I would recommend anyone to try the Barry M eyeshadow palettes. I think that they are a great product!
9. What is your favourite smell?
The smell of strawberry sprays which actually smell like strawberrys, not that really artificial smell.   (Confusing? I know)
10. What is your most irrational fear?
Injections!
11. Last book you read?
You Can't Hide written by Tina Renton. It's also my favourite book as well!

My nominations are:
1. Beauty Trinity 13
2.Chelsie Rout
3.Kerry Louise
4.Emma
5.Claire
6.Becky
7.Vikki
8Kathryn Watson.
9.Rebecca
10.Chelsie
11.Jessica

11 Exciting Questions!:
1) What is one thing that you couldn't live without?
2) What is your favourite sweet/ chocolate?
3) Where would you like to see yourself in 10 years time?
4) If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be?
5) Whats your most proudest moment?
6) Who would you love to meet?
7) If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
8) Favourite colour?
9) Favourite make up brand?
10) Have you met any celebrity's?
11) What one thing really annoys you?

Can't wait to see all your answers! Enjoy!

Love you all and all your blogs!
Sammie
x

Driving Theory!

Hey guys!

I currently haven't been blogging as much as I wanted to due to having to revise for my driving theory test. At this moment i've been reading through various books and doing various practice tests. I'm getting there, finally! I have booked my test for Thursday 14th August and lets just say that i'm very nervous about this. I thought that I would have some time out and write a blog post about what resources i'm finding most useful so you can refer to this when you're practising for your driving theory!

The first resource which I am going to talk about is a set of dvd's which I got called ' Driving Test Deluxe Edition'. I purchased this pack last from Amazon and it has 4 dvd's which include Theory Test, Hazard Perception, Practical Driving Test and Car Maintenance. I have used the Hazard Perception and Theory Test dvd but not that often. These dvds are very good but they just aren't for me. They have lots of information on and they are very good for the price which I paid of £5.00. However, I brought these at the end of last year and they are the 2013 edition. The new 2014 version costs £14.99 which I personally wouldn't buy as I wouldn't use the dvd's enough but for someone who learns better through interactive software it would be a great purchase! On the back of the box there is also a summary of what each dvd includes.

(http://www.amazon.co.uk/Driving-Test-Deluxe-2014-Edition/dp/B00F933X8Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407586076&sr=8-1&keywords=driving+test+deluxe+2014  £14.99)

The second resource which I have is the 'Learn to Drive' books from AA. It includes a set of three books which are the Practical Test, Highway Code and Theory Test for Car Drivers. I have found the Highway Code book very helpful as it has a lot of pictures and is in a very clear format which anyone would be able to understand. Everything is explained clearly and there are a lot of tips in the book. The Theory Test book is very good as well. There are 948 practice questions which include hints and tips underneath the question to help if you are stuck on the question. I have put a picture of how the actual questions are set out in the book. I like this theory book as there is a lot of questions to practice on and I enjoy reading the hints as it allows me to learn about the question better. The last book which is in the pack is the Practical Test book. I haven't really looked at this book but from flicking though it I have noticed that it is all set out clearly and there are a lot of pictures. This book also includes a lot of tips in and it looks very helpful for when I am practising for my practical test which hopefully wont be too far away! Overall, I am very happy with these books and I love the way that they are set out so clearly also that everything is easy to read with loads of pictures. I purchased this book set for £8.99 from The Works. At that price this is a complete bargin!



(http://www.theworks.co.uk/p/transport/aa-learn-to-drive---practical-test-highway-code-and-theory-test/9780749572747 £8.99)

Another resource which I have been using and is my absolute top favourite is The Official DVSA Theory Test for Car Drivers book. This book is the best resource which I have used. I love it because it covers all topics in small, short, clear sections which makes it easy to read without getting bored. Its also clear and easy to understand which means that you can learn the information without any complicated language.


Each section has objectives of what you are going to be learning which lets you know clearly about the section and the information you are going to be reading about. It also makes the book a lot easier to reference to as you just need to look in the contents or the first page of each section to find the piece of information which you want.

All the information in the book is short and clear which allows you to know the basics without all the complicated stuff. The information comes in a variety of ways from bulletpoints, tables, diagrams and pictures. Each section also has top tips summed up in purple boxes to allow them to stand out for you to read. These top tips are worth reading as they do help as they have vital information which you will need. There are also loads of links to websites which you can check out and view videos.

Like the AA theory book, the DVSA book contains loads of  theory test questions in the sections. I prefer using this book to practice theory questions as I personally find it easier to read and I also find that this book is a more helpful. However, this book and the AA one is very similar but if you want more information on topics then this book is the one! This book is priced around £10. It depends where you are purchasing it from! However, the book is widely available and you will have no trouble trying to find it.





I have also been using practice theory tests on websites such as:
http://www.safedrivingforlife.info/official-theory-test
http://toptests.co.uk/
http://www.driving-theory-test.com/dvla-theory-test

I highly suggest that you use practice tests online from the DVLA as these tests will make you familiar with how the tests are set out when you come to doing the real one. I hope this blog helped to all future theory test candidates! If you have any questions please comment and Good Luck! Stay positive and if you do happen to fail it will be annoying but just remember you can always retake.

Wish me luck guys!

Sammie
xx

The battle of the spots!

Lets just face it, we all get spots/ boils at some point and they're a right pain! I barely got any spots during my early teens. However, as I am getting into my late teens i'm unfortunately getting more and more of them and to make it even worse they're stubborn boils. Luckily, I have some trusty products which I use to try and get rid of them as quickly as possible!

Daily, I use a Tea Tree foaming face wash which is amazing! I found this certain one when I was wandering around Poundland and I thought that I should give it ago. So I decided to try it out for a few days. I noticed that it would leave my skin smooth, soft and refreshed! It also cleanses the skin well but I would only use this on its own if I had clear skin due to it not being that 'powerful'. It comes out in a foam, you usually need 4 pumps unlike 2 which is says on the bottle and you massage it onto a wet face for a minute then you just wash it off. Its a brilliant, cheap product!

Another product which I use daily is Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Cleansing and Toning Lotion from Boots.I absolutely adore this product and it is brilliant for getting rid of spots/boils as long as you use it in the morning and before you go to bed. It really does deep cleanse the skin and a bottle of this product will last ages! It gets rid of dirt, oil and make up without drying out the skin and it helps to fight against spots causing bacteria which also helps to unblock pores. All you have to do is put some of the product onto cotton wool and wipe it over your face. Easy right? Its also only priced at £3.23! Cheap, cheerful and does the job.

http://www.boots.com/en/Boots-Tea-Tree-Witch-Hazel-Cleansing-Toning-Lotion-150ml_1213606/

Now here comes the bad boy! This is Magnesium Sulphate Paste from Boots.This is a paste which will definitely get rid of spots and boils. Its a 'drawing paste to help treat minor skin infections including boils'. I recommend this product to anyone who suffers with boils as it really does work and its my absolute favourite. It's also so easy to use. All you need to do is apply to the affected area, make sure to rub it in then just leave it but make sure to stir the paste before you use it. Make sure you stick with applying the product as it does get rid of boils! I can't remember how much this product was but I know that it wasn't too expensive. I also can't seem to find the product online but if you pop into any Boots store then they will have it!

Lets beat them spots and have clear skin!

Sammie x

FIRST BLOG!

Hey guys,

I decided that I am going to start writing a blog! I will be writing about various things, such as reviews of products and I will also write about anything which is on my mind or anything exciting which has happened recently. I will try to keep my blog up to date and I hope that you enjoy my blog! If you have any suggestions then please ask me or message me.I thought that it would be a good place to start by telling you all a little bit about myself.

I’m Sammie, i’m 17 years old and I live in Surrey,UK with my parents. I currently attend sixth form and I am studying Business and Health and Social Care. I hope to one day work with young people which have mental illnesses or work with young offenders. I would love to be able to change someones life for the better. In my free time I like to go out shopping, watch vlogs on Youtube and going travelling around London! I hope to start making my own Youtube videos soon.I am currently obsessed with bubble tea and my absolute favourite is mango and passion fruit with passion fruit popping boba. I am also obsessed with certain music artists, such as Macklemore, Lucy Spraggan and Jake Bugg.

5 Random Facts!:

1) I attend the same sixth form which Disclosure went to

2) My dad has broke various British records in Weightlifting

3) I love to take photography

4) I hate green tea

5) I love poodles

I hope you enjoyed my first ever blog! Any suggestions please let me know and I will keep you updated. Sammie x
Tumblr: http://sammiiepanton.tumblr.com/  & http://sammiesextraordinarylife.tumblr.com/
Instagram: sammiepanton