Routine post

I've been thinking about routines a lot lately, maybe because the last few years as a sub I haven't had a routine and now suddenly I do. Or maybe because it's leaving cert time again and in the weeks coming up to the exams I had myself time tabled to the hilt! 

Odd that as a nation we all become obsessed with remembering our leaving cert but we don't every may when we sat our college exams and final exams! Or even our graduations from college! But that's just a random musing today! 

I often wonder if we actually need the routines we set ourselves. So often we hear ourselves complain about being stuck in a rut, a routine rut! Where we crave something new, something different, a break from the norm. We often go off and book holidays to combat this, impulse buy something huge-a car a house or in the cases of the less well off a new dress that we know we don't have anywhere to wear it to! 

Is that the only way to avoid the boredom of the same ole same ole?

Or do we need to break loose from the humdrum and do something wild? Spontaneous? Plan a wild party and invite everyone you know? Run off on a get away weekend with that special someone? A spa day to ease the routine tension?

Or is it enough to simply book a night off at home get a DVD or good book, refuse to cook and treat yourself to a take away and let the routine stresses drift away as you immerse yourself in a story that isn't yours and slap up meal you didn't slave over all night? 

Do we all need these nights every few weeks to let it all out and relax? 

Do we need to escape the routine? The humdrum? The norm? 

Or is the routine a secret comfort to us? Do we really it in order to feel safe and secure? Knowing what we're going to do every day can be a huge comfort, no surprises and nothing unexpected. Much like the Hobbit who never did anything unexpected ever! (Yes that is a Bilbo Baggins reference and yes I read the book as a child well before the film cane out this year!) Bilbo was more then happy with his life, in the hobbit hole under the hill, in fact going on an adventure scared him silly, aren't we all a little like that? Don't we all love that comfort feeling? Young (and slightly older) children have their comfort blankets or teddies that they can't sleep without, in some way aren't we the same? We need that comfort, the routine and the normal lives we lead. 

That said Bilbo did run off to meet the dwarves and Gandalf

"I'm going on an adventure" 

Updates galore!

Ok so the big big big news Is How I Learn is pretty much finished and can be sent to publishers next week! Cannot wait! As soon as I know when it'll be ready ill let you know and we can plan the launch! Exciting stuff! 

On a less education related note! I went to my first ever boxing lesson tonight and loved it! I started watching boxing when I first met Gav, in fact it was Bernard Dunnes world title that I first experienced and loved it! So over 4 years later and I finally went myself! Loved having the gloves on and cannot wait to go back! 

Tomorrow night, Friday 10th is the annual #ictedu conference in thurles! You shouldn't miss that! Cesimeet Friday night and full day of ict learning on Saturday?? Perfection! 

So go! Yes go! 

How I Learn: the book cover

Cover by Rachael Cooke the most brilliant and talented artist!

In aid of Barnardos Ireland

How I Learn, update

It's time to start thinking about the How I Learn launch. Such a huge step for me and the book. But one I feel I can't and shouldn't do alone. After all this is a crowd sourced book and as such I think the launch should be a crowd decision too. So I'm asking for your suggestions and ideas. In can be anywhere, any location, any venue. There is no suggestion too small, too big or too silly. I just want your ideas, this is our book, our work and should be our party/launch to celebrate it. You can email me suggestion or you can leave them in the comments below. We should all be involved to celebrate the great work we've done to raise money for Barnardos!!

And I promise you I will share the cover as soon as the @HowILearn twitter account has 100 followers, not a huge number considering how many of us were involved so get following!!

Wise words today? FOLLOW FOLLOW FOLLOW SUGGEST SUGGEST SUGGEST

Shave or Dye: The Results Show

Here I am, lots of pics of my Shave or Dye efforts, Pink To Make The Boys Wink!! Have a look at the photos and see if I did right! I want to say a huge big thanks to Sabrina of Kopper Hair in Glanmire in Cork for doing my hair and making me look and feel fab all over!! Her hard work has def paid off, everyone has been complimenting my hair and I feel great! If you want to see the other wonderful work that Sabrina does check out her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/kopperhair.glanmire and check out all the fab pics she posts!! Or better yet, visit Kopper and your hair done her number is 021-4820692

Meanwhile you can still sponsor me here http://bit.ly/WPALi4 I've raised €920 so far but I'd love to reach the €1000 mark so dig deep guys and dolls and pull out your Kopper (see what I did there!!) and sponsor me a few euros! Even the price of a cuppa makes a huge difference to The Irish Cancer Society! If you still need convincing then read my post about Shave or Dye here http://bit.ly/XlzuR2 and see why I decided to do Shave or Dye this year!