Driving me crazy

Driving me Crazy

First driving lesson eight years late

First driving lesson

Sooo how did I manage to get myself in this situation again? The same way I put off jogging for five years- I also put off learning to drive... but try for the last eight years rather than five..

I am sure you guys are seeing a pattern by now. I am very good at avoiding things that make me nervous. I liked to think of it as self-preservation but I have realised now that I was the ostrich and my hand was firmly stuck in the sand.

This year was my year to stop avoiding and start doing. I am determined to make the most of 2015! So here I am- sweaty, butterflies in my stomach and a dry mouth waiting for the clock to tick by the final 15 minutes before my first ever driving lesson.

I don't know where my fear of driving came from but it hit me hard. Maybe it is all the effective advertisements on TV of the dangers of driving too fast etc but I suddenly lost all confidence in my ability to learn how to drive and drive safely. Did I trust my reactions if something was to suddenly go wrong?

Like jogging I know now that I just have to get out and do it. The more lessons I have the easier it will become. My friends and family have only been telling me this for nearly a decade - why it has only sunk in now I do not know!

Well the time has come - Wish me luck!

So I survived my first lesson. My instructor is such a nice man who chats away so much you hardly realise that you are driving. I guess I feel silly now that I have held on to this worry for so many years. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders now!

Is there anything you have been putting off for ages? Will you take the plunge and just go for it?

Bobby  x

Can un-sporty people become sporty?

Can un-sporty people become sporty?

A new jogging journey ahead?

Can un-sporty people become sporty? This thought came to me when I was chatting to a friend during the week. I have been talking about taking up jogging for about five years now and yet I never jogged a day in my life ... until today that is!

Jogging 

I have all the athletic clothes, the runners, weights, yoga mats, wii fit etc etc etc but I have never really exercised properly since the days of P.E, in school. 

I would consider myself as far from athletic as the north is from the south pole. The thought of any contact or team sports makes my stomach churn and the idea of rock climbing or even a bicycle ride makes me nervous. However I hear so much good things about exercise and the change it can have on your health and well being. 

I gave up alcohol since the 1st of January as a wrote about in a previous post, This made me feel like I was on a path to a new healthier self so when January came to an end I continued to remain alcohol free but also added in fizzy drinks free too. I have been taking extra care of what I am eating too by only have the occasional treat rather than lots of all the wrong things everyday! This is all great and I feel like I am on to something good -I am finally feeling more energetic after months of feeling dog tired but its just not enough, I want to be athletic and get in on benefits everyone has been raving about! But how does a lazy bookworm with a very sedentary lifestyle go from stationary to full steam ahead? 

Well I am about to find out! I went on my first ever jog today- after five years of talking I am finally doing! 

I lasted around ten minutes which was split between walking and jogging in intervals and then the skies opened and I was soaked by torrential rain! I am not taking this as an omen for my new jogging journey... 

I was shocked at how unfit I am and I'm not going to lie I was embarrassed for people to see me jog because the concept is so alien to me but as soon as I started to tell myself- no one is looking at you- they have much better things on their mind than a jogger with a big red face and panting frantically- I just got on with it. 

It was tough but so rewarding! For instance - I am definitely going to start referring to myself as a jogger now ! Only problem is will I be able to keep it up?

Any novice joggers out there with some tips or tricks? Or any veteran joggers with some wise words?

Thanks for reading! 

Bobby x 

Simple Cookies for all Occasions!

Simple Cookies for all Occasions! 

Cookies and Tea !

My boyfriend and I love making cookies and have come up with our own recipe which we find works the best for us. We love to make a batch if we have friends or family coming over.

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

Makes: around 27 medium sized cookies 

Oven Temp: 180 degrees Celsius

Cooking time: around 10 minutes

Ingredients:

250g of Plain Flour

150g of Caster Sugar (or granulated if you don't have caster)

150g of Light Brown Sugar or Muscovado Sugar

225g Butter

2tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp of bicarbonate soda 

2 medium eggs

Lots of chocolate!

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Place half melted butter, sugar (both brown and caster) and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix together

Beat eggs in a cup

Add Plain flour and bicarb soda and beaten eggs to the sugar and butter mixture 

Mix together into a dough and add which ever chocolate you like. We find dividing the batch in three at this stage works best so we can add different fillings for a bit of variety!

Pop in the oven and keep checking them until they are golden brown

Leave on wire rack to cool

Enjoy!

This time we made three different types of cookies. One batch was white chocolate, one milk chocolate and one was chocolate and caramel pieces. Yummy!

Keeping Healthy- Alcohol Free January!

Keeping Healthy- Alcohol Free January!

So I am not one for new years resolutions - as a child I used to say I would make my bed everyday ...I still struggle to make my bed twenty years later! But for some reason I got it in to my head that I wanted to give up alcohol for a while.

It was around the 10th of January and I was getting ready to go out for coffee with friends. Trying to decide whether coffee would turn in to drinks and if I should therefore dress a bit more formally I realised ..huh! I haven't had anything to drink so far in 2015! So I decided ok I am going to have a drink free January! 

I would not consider myself a heavy drinker. I would have a glass of wine or two with my boyfriend during the week and then generally go out for drinks on the weekend. 

My reasoning behind setting up this blog was to better myself so I thought I would document this part of my journey towards a better me too!  

Noticing that January is almost over I decided to search the internet to see what the benefits of giving up alcohol were and here are a few I found..

• As your liver isn't using its energy to break down alcohol it can concentrate on healing any bruises or scrapes you may have! (Fab I am so clumsy that my knees constantly have bruises on them from walking in to things so this will help!)
• Your complexion will even out- always a plus
• It helps you to avoid gaining excess tummy fat- again always a plus
• Better sleep- yippee! 

I didn't find it too challenging to give up alcohol. There were only a few times where I felt a bit left out because I wasn't drinking but I reaped the benefits when I woke up the next morning hangover free and as fresh as a daisy! 

I have noticed my skin has gotten a lot better- I have been using my clarisonic and using Clarins Facial Shaping Lipo Drain Serum so I guess its probably a combination of everything! 

So I think I will continue my drink free January into an alcohol free February! 

As always thanks so much for reading! If you enjoyed this post don't forget to follow me on google+, twitter and bloglovin' 

Love Bobby x