September Life Update; Losing My Job

As a new season arrives and nature begins to change, I have to face the realty that my life is about to also under go a dramatic transformation. Come this time in two weeks, I will have lost my full time job on reception at the youth center. It's a blow I wasn't quite expecting, so I'm in shock and very emotional. 

I've been volunteering and working there for close to five years now as I started a few months after The Factory opened. Since then, I have worked with so many great people and good young people, I have passed on my skills and helped some children by being a friendly, trustworthy person who'd listen to them. I have learned so much, changed as a person and realised I could do so much more then I first thought. I love this place, it's become my second home and family. So, saying goodbye is going to be very hard.

I still have my other two part-time jobs, but that's only 8 hours a week and with future plans brewing, I need a full time job and a steady sum of money. I'm no longer going to find that at the youth centre. So, I'm facing a flash to the past in my re-joining of job hunting. However, unlike last time I'm in a far better position to get a new job. All my previous skills have advanced, I've gained lots of new skills and my confidence has improved. I don't quite feel hopeful about the future as my past is lingering but at least things might be different this time. 

I think what also is making it tougher is the fact they are going to replace me with volunteers which doesn't sit well with me. I don't think they've thought it through. Where are they going to find these volunteers all year round? They can't make them work long hours, so other staff will have to help out thus not getting their own jobs done. Who will train them and supervise the volunteers as only I have been doing it? Who will cover other receptionists holidays and sickness etc? Who will do all my other tasks? I can see it just falling apart so fast. However, it's not my problem! 

I love this quote below. It keeps me going when I'm feeling down and it reminds me that because it's not my problem it's not my worry. 

Sadly, my boyfriend is in the same boat. He'll be made redundant about the end of this month. So, we'll both be on the hunt for new jobs. One of my plans is for us to try and find jobs that are in the same or close by area so we can move in together. If we both get jobs close to his house, I could move in and we could see if living together really works for us. That would progress the relationship then we could look at getting a house together. But right now, just moving on and getting any kind of full time long term job is my goal, no matter where it is. Though, it's worth having a look and trying to move closer to that plan.

The hardest part of applying for jobs is all the stuff you have to physically do like writing your CV and doing cover letters. They say the best way to get an interview is to tailor them both to fit the job you are applying for and to not send out the same all the time. Which is fine, but I get tried of doing that quickly. Plus, I hate having to fill in forms! This is basically your CV that they want but they get you to expand on key parts of it and I can spend maybe 3-4 hours doing something like that. Then you have to look through all the job ads across different places and apply for ones that you know you tick all the boxes for and also some which you might not get but it's still worth applying for. 

I was told at some point that job hunting is like an actual job and it feels that way to me. I guess I should be grateful that everything is online now and it's easy to just email your CV and to type out the forms. I'd struggle if I had to hand write everything and walk around going into places to give my CV in. Though there's still no harm in that because you can get luckily. - It's not worked for me though! 

Yeah, so at the moment, I've applied for 30 jobs or there about and I've had one interview which was today. It went okay, but I'm not sure the job is suitable for me. Seemed like too much demand and pressure, which might sound odd, but I got to look after my health. I'm still waiting to hear back, so for now I'm going to look at more jobs and try and not spend any money.      

I know I'll find something eventually and I can already see how a new job would be good for me - more money, better hours, more stable. But still leaving The Factory behind is going to be tough. It made me who I am today, in a strange way and it proved that I could hold down a full time job and I'm capable of doing many different tasks. It's like there's a piece of me there now. It's just a shame they are making me move on.

At least it's going to be there still and I can go in and see everyone and maybe volunteer again if I have the time. So, that knowledge should help. I need to try harder to turn away now and think more about what I really want to do and how to get there.

I just need to stay positive.

Please check out my other blog; https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/

Images from Pixabay.  

March Life Update: The Many Faces Of a Receptionist

Hi readers,

Today I'm celebrating a month into my new full job. This means I now have four jobs! Luckily, they are all with the same company at the same place, but it's been keeping me very busy. So, briefly, last year, I started volunteering on reception at the youth centre. I just wanted to do more and gain some experience in the hope I could then get a second part-time just somewhere else. 

Then though, there was an opening for a zero-hours casual receptionist, just to cover the holidays and sickness of the four full and part-time receptionists. I totally aced the interview and started a few days later. The extra money was useful and I enjoyed actually getting paid for work I'd been doing for free before. 

In late December of last year, one of the part-time receptionists left. Her hours were Saturday evening; 6pm-10pm and I was asked to pick up her shifts, but now I'm contracted to work that shift permanently.  I felt a lot about this because it was steady money! And I didn't mind giving up my Saturdays because I don't do much anyway at the weekends now. 

Then a month ago, my new manager phoned me to say that the daytime receptionist had left and could I come in to do 9-3pm Monday to Friday? I agreed, but I only have a temp contract which finished at the end of this month. I'm hoping that this will turn permanent but nothing has been decided it.

Most people think that working on reception is like a 'cushy' job. All receptionists seem to do is sit behind a desk and answer phone calls, greet people, give directions, information and sit there looking pretty. Well, being a reception at a youth centre is different. I have what is the normal tasks of a receptionist and front of house, like the above, but I also do many admin tasks; signing in/out sheets, time sheet checking, register for visiting young people groups, date input, filing, money handling and the supplying of door key cards which we use throughout the building. 

To be honest, I don't mind taking on admin tasks because sometimes there are time periods were there's not much going on- mostly from 9-12. Plus, these are great skills and experience to have! I have a more to learn and add to my list though, but I enjoy learning new things, so it's fine. 

The other difference being front of house at the youth centre is that you have to deal with children, teenagers, disabled people and parents. Most receptionists just deal with adults and adult problems, but me I also have to deal with issues young people and parents might have which means my communication skills have to be top notch. I have to be able to handle anything; from an angry or upset parent making a compliant, to a child refusing to leave the building, or a teenager who has a disability and needs simple wordings. 

At this moment in time, I'm also training four volunteers to be receptionists! Even though it's hard to juggle that and my other tasks, I'm finding it fun. I love teaching and passing on my skills and knowledge. That's part of the reason I started volunteering at the youth centre in the first place. I'm training them how to deal with phone calls, greet visitors and use our database. 

Two of the volunteers are hair and beauty college students, who want some experience of reception as part of their course in case they need it. The third person is in uni and doing a health and social course, she has no real interested in reception or admin but is just here to get more hours for the completion of her uni placement. The fourth girl, reminds me of myself as she is claiming job seekers and looking for work. She wants a simple job to fit in around her daughter. She's taken to being a receptionist really well too.   

Being a receptionist isn't just all that though as I'm learning. You've also got to the flag of the ship. You are the first person people see and hear, you have to be professional and polite then friendly and chatty too - though not too chatty, no one wants to hear your personal issues or problems! Sticking with the normal topics helps; weather, traffic, lunch etc. I'm also a big representative of the youth centre, even though most people don't think about it when they are phoning to ask for information or coming in for a meeting, but I have to create the first impression with these people and get across my knowledge and passion for the company.

For my colleagues, it's a different face. I'm a listener, agony aunt, a reassurer and a bit of gossiper (which I probably shouldn't be!) I do enjoy a good chat, just not first thing in the morning as I'm still half asleep! I'm also getting use to people sounding off with me and just wanting someone to hear them out about a work or personal issues. Sometimes visitors do that too! Maybe it's my personality and nature, but I think other receptionists can relate to being these things too. 

For the people I train, I've to be teacher. I'm actually fine in this role and I'm not scare to admit to them that sometimes even I don't know what I'm doing! My teaching is very friendly, casual and hands on, which is how I like to learn myself really. However, this doesn't work for others, so one of my tasks is to write some clear instructions for how to use the phone and switchboard on Wednesday as a further aid. 

I also have to be learner myself as there's a lot more admin training I need. I'm currently learning how to check time sheets and find cover for staff. Tomorrow, I'm going to learn how to do the reception team route, which should be an easy task. I also need to learn how to do room bookings and such things. So, yeah it's a busy job! 

Anyway, I'm glad to be home tonight chilling and this Friday I'm off to my boyfriend's for a weekend at his as I'll get a small break then. I just need to survive the rest of the week!   

Thanks for reading and if you want to leave a comment please do, I'd love to hear from other receptionists! Also check out my other blog; https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/ Have a good week! 

Images from: https://pixabay.com a free stock photos.

March Life Update: Getting Crafty!

Hi readers,

I've been so busy over the last few weeks, so this weekend I thought I'd take the time to have a chill. One of my favorite things to do is sewing. I love making little soft toys, key rings and coin pouches. I decided as Mother's Day was yesterday in the UK, I'd make my mum some of the stuff I'd recently been looking at for making with the young people at the youth center. I had all ready made a white bunny, a pink bunny keyring and I re-did the owl coin pouch from last month. I was so not happy with how it turned out, so I made the pattern bigger and give it another shot. It turned out a lot better!

I wanted to make cute bunnies with kids for Easter, but I need something quick and simple. These 'Giving Bunnies' met all my needs and can be found here: http://www.urbanthreads.com/blog/?p=7487. They are really easy to do, so easy in fact that you might end up with a family of them before you know it! I loved adding the bows and the knitted scarfs because it just finished them off. The love heart one was originally meant to have patchwork strips on her, but it didn't turn out as I wanted, so I cut the hearts out and sewed them on.

My mum really loved her's and now I'm hoping the kids at the youth center will do too! I brought the fabric and I went with micro-fleece instead of felt because it's softer and worked out cheaper to bulk buy. I'll be cutting out the bunnies before hand because it'll be easier and the kids just have to sew them up. I won't be knitting scarfs for them all though! But they could put other things on if they wanted.

The second bunny pattern I picked is super cute and is made up as keyring. though you could always re-size the pattern if you wanted create a soft toy or a pillow. The first one I made, I used the stitches the instructions suggested, but it wasn't neat enough for me and I found it hard to keep things the same. I decided to blanket stitch the second one -I made for my mum- and that turned out so much better. Here's the link: http://www.michaelannmade.com/2012/03/little-peep-pal-diy-with-pdf-pattern.html?utm_campaign=sniply

I think for the kids I'm not going to do the strip/gusset to make them 3D, because I found it tricky and I imagine that they'd find it far too hard and just give up. So, we'll be making them flat then stuffing them to give them a little depth instead. I got pink micro-fleece and shall be cutting them out too. I wanted to get some blue for the boys or those girls who didn't want pink and I was unable to because it wasn't half price like the white and pink and I didn't want to spend a lot of money. (I can claim my money back via the resources department, but as the youth center is a charity I always feel a bit bad about claiming money back from them). I'll offer blue felt instead, I think.

I was going to make an owl coin pouch for my mum like my re-did one, but I found this one and decided it looked a lot better; http://www.dosmallthingswithlove.com/2014/10/felt-owl-coin-purse-hidden-closure.html I love the hidden button and it turned out great. I know I should have used matching thread for the eyes, but I wanted to give it that homemade look. My mum really liked this and said she was going to put £2 coins in which she likes to collect. It also matches the bag and purse I got her at Christmas. I have half fancy making one for myself, but I really don't have need of another coin purse right now! I know I friend who might like one though....

Also, here's the one I re-did! It turned out a lot better and I can actually fit money inside of it. I added some stuffing to the wings and eyes because I didn't like how flat it looked. The pattern can be found on the same website as the other one.

Lastly, I made this felt love heart with a hanger and stitched mum on it. I made these with the kids last Tuesday. I'd actually wanted to make mini no sew heart cushions, but I got the pattern size wrong and it only works with like A4 size, which would have meant using up too much felt at the youth center and then I know some of the kids can't tie knots, so I went for an easier option. We made these and put dried lavender and scented beads, which I had left over from ages ago when they made the scented pouches. The kids really seemed to like them. My mum likes her's too.

Today, I made a felt Pusheen kitty. The pattern has been on my desk since I printed out the other stuff and though I'm not a big fan of cats, it looked like another things to get the kids at the Factory to make. Though I'll have to make the pattern simpler because it is a little complicated. The guy's tutorial video is bad and after I watched it I just made Pusheen up as I would a normal 3D soft toy. I don't get why he cuts off the feet and stitches them and the belly on separately and the space he leaves for turning kitty the right way and stuffing is far too small!

So, if you're going to make this, I'd say watch the video to get understand where all the pieces go, then just make it up how you'd normally do. Here's the links: http://grnmarco.deviantart.com/art/Pusheen-The-Cat-Template-367261676
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gckh0vI-i4

Mine turned out okay. I know I didn't get the mouth right, maybe I might change that later and yeah, I did glue all the black parts on. It was so much easier then sewing due to the fact they are small. I think for the kids, I'd just get them to make it flat or with just the belly gusset. Doesn't the little tail look so cute though?

The second part of update post is that I finally got around to making two pieces of art! I'm no artist, in fact I'm super bad at drawing and art as a whole. I know I do a lot of arty stuff with the kids, but it's normally simple easy stuff. I saw these two projects on Pinterest and decided that I wanted to give them ago even if I didn't do them at the factory.

The first is this sun catcher photo frame where you use food coloring and glue to paint on the glass. I thought it looked very effective and easy for the kids to do. It can be found here: http://www.smartschoolhouse.com/diy-crafts/stained-glass-art#_a5y_p=3565407 I won't be using mine as sun catcher as I've not got any place to really put it at the moment. I just like it in the frame, it looks really pretty, though of course of the sun coming through it'd light up real nice. I also thought it'd be a great way to use up old photo frames - if anyone's got any laying around. I can image the kids getting very hands on with doing this! They love making messes!

Mine was still wet this morning and the red -maybe I used to much? - had really bled into the other colors. I only used red, yellow, orange and blue, but they seemed to have mixed together too much. I've put it on the heater to finish drying now, but I'm thinking maybe I might try again and not add red. Though then I'd have another photo frame that I couldn't really put anywhere! I'm thinking you could do this was glass paints and glitter glue too and that's probably what I'll use with the kids because my fingers are now stained red...

The next thing is my button tree! I've been talking about doing this since last September/November and yesterday, I decided it was time to make it. Unfortunately, the image I'd picked to copy, I can't find anywhere! It was a purple and pink dripping together background with the tree in the center. I had to use this one instead http://craftsbyamanda.com/vibrant-button-tree-on-canvas-a-giveaway, but of course I didn't make mine look like that because it seemed to take on a life of it's own...

I'm okay with how it turned out, but I wish I'd made the tree trunk smaller and got more branches and leaves/buttons at the top. I'm sure it'll look fine on my wall though, which is what I wanted it for. As a DIY art piece it was cheap to make. I got the canvas for £3 as it was on sale, the paint was £1 a bottle, I used four bottles as I added some black glitter paint on top and I used some for the paint before to make the Halloween/Christmas jars. The buttons I paid £4 for 200 grams off Amazon and I've LOT left over! So, it was about £11 all together and it took me about 3 hours to make including paint drying time. The buttons need over night to dry, of course. I might look at making another one or I've seen like four canvas together to make the four seasons and I really like the look of that. I need more wall space first though!

So that's everything I've been up to, but I got one last thing to share for today. A few weekends back now, I saw this knitting pattern for a whale in one of my mum's knitting magazines and I just fell in love with him and had to have him. We got the wool really cheap and he only took a weekend to make up. I love him so much and use him as a body pillow. He's like 3 foot long and takes up a quarter of my single bed! I swear I've been sleeping better with him too. He's got a snugly underside and the top of him is getting softer the more I rest my head on him. This photo doesn't really show how huge he is, but he's taking up two seats on the corner sofa and that was the only place I could find to put him for the photo!

Currently, my mum is knitting me a sparkly purple triceratops. I was hoping she'd be finished in time to write and show today, but mum didn't want to mess up the last of the horns and sewing her together, so I'll have to wait. Though that's okay because I've got a felt stegosaurus to make. I really wanted to make a felt triceratops but couldn't find any free patterns and the cheapest ones to download still seemed expensive to me when I could have a go at making my own. As it turned out, mum got the knitted pattern for free and I decided I liked it so much that it'd do instead.

So that's all for now. Thanks for reading. Next week is meant to be a book review, but I only just finished The End Of Days, so I'm not sure what'll pick up to read tonight. In the mean time please check out my other blog, where a write a short story everyday.

Links:

For the patterns;
http://www.urbanthreads.com/blog/?p=7487
http://www.michaelannmade.com/2012/03/little-peep-pal-diy-with-pdf-pattern.html?utm_campaign=sniply
http://www.dosmallthingswithlove.com/2014/10/felt-owl-coin-purse-hidden-closure.html
 http://grnmarco.deviantart.com/art/Pusheen-The-Cat-Template-367261676
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gckh0vI-i4
http://www.smartschoolhouse.com/diy-crafts/stained-glass-art#_a5y_p=3565407
http://craftsbyamanda.com/vibrant-button-tree-on-canvas-a-giveaway/

Me on Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/hails9/
My other blog, The Story Files: https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/

Photos:
All my own.

Time To Talk About Mental Health Day

Hi readers, 

I'm doing an extra post this week because today is mental health awareness day and as someone who's suffered through a lot of mental health problems, I thought I'd take sometime to write about it. 

I've had three lots of depression; one which was undiagnosed when was I fifteen -because everyone just thought I was unhappy at school, but on reflection and knowing what I now know it was clearly depression. One for a brief time when I left uni before returning to do my masters - I was upset that I had to close the door on what had been a great three years of my life and I wasn't sure what to do next. And my finally one which was about three/four years back now, when I couldn't get a job and I just wanted to give up on everything. 

That most recent one was longer and more serious then the other two. I had to have pills and counselling. It all came about because after graduating I spent two years trying to get a job. The first year I told myself was like a gap year because I so needed the break and I did get stuff done and I was okay. 

The second year though the job center and my parents were on my back a lot. I must have applied for 200 odd jobs that year and got hardly any interviews. I didn't want to do anything, everyone was putting me down, so why not agree with them? I begin to beat myself up over how worthless and bad I must be. I told myself that there must be something wrong with me. All my friends had jobs and were moving on with their lives and I was just stuck in the gutter. What was the point?

The job center told me I was depressed and I needed to see my doctor. I did and found out I was dangerously depressed and suicidal. It came as a shock to me because I'd not realized how bad my mental health was. I think that it happens to a lot of people, but they just decided to get on with it and keep it hidden. It's a hard topic to talk about and other people who've not had mental health problems can't always understand how and why people who are affect behave the way they do. 

I've always been very talkative and I found that talking to my family and friends as well as the counselling did help. I started doing a lot more volunteering and found that I was getting into all the crafts and sewing at the youth center. I started to sew at home and discovered a liking for it. It became a hobby and it helped a lot of my depression. It give me something to focus on and do, which meant I wasn't thinking about stuff all the time and I had something of a purpose, because I'd then teach the kids how to do it. Then of course, I got a job and things have been pretty stable. 

Well, until last month when I broke up with my boyfriend. I've been boarding on being depressed again. Some of the signs have been there; lack of motivation, being stressed, ill, feeling uninspired and putting myself down that I won't fall in love again. I decided that I just couldn't go backwards and I didn't want to get so depressed again, that's why at the start of February, I picked up the list of stuff I'd wrote down I needed to do at the start of the new year and began thinking and doing some of them. I still have moments - I guess it's going to take some time to get myself right again- but for now I'm doing okay.  

    

My mum directed me to the Time To Change organisation because she thought it'd be good for me to run an activity on mental health with the 8-12 year olds I work with. I know that sounds a little young, but research is showing that a lot of young people are suffering with mental health problems. So, I thought it'd be cool to get the kids to make these folded claw things -that's what I call them! and talk about stuff with them. 

I think that depression, anxiety and stress - both which I've also had bouts of- are the top mental health issues. I think it has something to do with the societies and lifestyles we now all have. But there's also other mental health problems like phobias, grief and panic. A lot of this just goes undiagnosed because people won't go see doctors or talk to people about it because they are embarrassed. Today is the day to change that. And I know it's hard because you don't want people to be mean or misunderstand you etc, but actually the first step of admitting you might have a problem will make you feel better and of course once the ball is rolling it's a lot easier!  

Finally, I wanted to share this image below about stressing less. There's lots of things you can do when you're feeling stressed or having other mental health problems. Reaching out to people and getting the help and support you need is important and I think remembering these 10 points can also be useful. 

So, I hope that whatever you're doing to do is good and that you've found reading this inspiring enough to either make that first step or help others. Until Monday. Thanks for reading and please check out my other blog; https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/

Images from: 

http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/timetotalkday-resources

http://www.dailynewsservice.co.uk/mental-health-misconceptions/

http://historiasdeariadne.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/os-piores-12-habitos-para-nossa-saude.html

Volunteering with the Factory Youth Zone

Hey, I thought I'd switch from writing my Les Mis post to doing this one because I can get it out faster. Also because this is becoming important to me as well.

I started doing voluntry work at my nearest youth centre at the end of Nov/beginning of Dec. I saw a banner calling for volunteers on the side of the building and thought it might be a good opportunity for me. Not only to break up my struggle to find a job-which is still going down hill-but also for me to learn some new skills and maybe pass on my love for books and writing. Well, that hasn't happened it! But the skills have and there'll be more on that later. First though what really drew me to the The Factory and volunteering? The answer lays in the fact that I didn't fancy any more time at the Charity shop. Yeah, I know I was doing a good thing there and I was in a comfit zone with it, but I just got bored of doing the same things and tried of the people, who could sometimes be unfriendly. I wanted a complete change of environment and to be doing something new that would actually make me want to do it. I've always been good with kids and thought that it would be another great thing on my CV.

That saying; you won't know until you try, comes into mind. I guess because I was so unsure when I applied and went for an interview that I was the kind of person they were looking for. Most people they take on my age are either doing a related course and need the experience or have completed the course and either have a paid job or are gaining more experience. So it was odd I guess for someone coming out of a masters to want to volunteer at a job they had no qualifications or experience doing. I think it was my skills that I could bring to the centre though and my eagerness to try my hand at something different that saw me through. I did well in the training too and manged to take everything on board. There was a lot about the law and safe guarding children, as well as looking for signs of neglect etc. There was other stuff like how to deal with different and difficult situations that can happen. I took it all in and found it an easy day. I then choice to do Mondays and Tuesdays afternoons and work with the 8-12 year olds coming after school.

The factory itself has only been open a year or two now. It's purpose is a designed space for all young people aged 8-21 to have fun, gain new skills, make new friends and be able to talk to someone about any issues. The building is divided into a number of areas across two floors and has; a gym, a rec hall, a craft area, a music room, a dancing/performing arts space, a climbing wall, a football field, a sports hall with things like netball, trampolining and other indoor sports and cafe/chill out area. They run different time slots for age groups as well so that people can make the best use of the time and activities on offer. There's normally so many different activities running too, mostly these are sports or music, but the arts and crafts have a number of things running and there is also tables to play boardgames on.

My first afternoon though was a little scary, though nothing bad as the first day at school. I was unsure what to do or who to speak too, so it took me a few to speak to a guy in a blue t-shirt about what I should do. I was then meet by the senior/leader youth worker and I got put on the crafts table. I love getting creative and making stuff. Though I've to admit that since starting I've not done as much sewing in my life! That day does seem a blur now and I can remember what it was we were making. It changes every day or every week, though normally it has to do with sewing and creating things. I get a chance to make my own thing and let my creativity out, but mostly I focus on helping the kids and passing on my skills to them. Which is what it should always be about.

I'm still helping out on the craft table now and I'm pleased to say that I've taught a few kids to sew and helped many other things create things. So far I've also helped to make a xmas banner and xmas gifts. I've made these items for my self; a xmas hat, a xmas socking, a xmas card, a badge for my jacket and a poster about all the things I want to do this year. I'm currently helped two boys make superhero costumes for their secret club and I've been helping other kids with similar projects to the things I've made. I've also played a few games of badminton, table tennis and boardgames. I've gained a number of skills, like in teaching and leadership and looking after kids and being more in control and patient. Things that only come when in the world of work. These skills are pretty transferable to other things though and I'm hoping that they will aid me.

So, I am really loving my time at the Factory. I need to think about setting up a writing club though and also seeing if there's a chance they can help me get into paid work as that would be much better for me. All my to do list and now I can get back to the Les Mis review too!

You can check out the Factory here;

http://www.thefactoryyz.org/