Passing My Theory Test and Other Adventures

So I passed my driving theory test this week! Woo-hoo. My biggest feeling afterwards was that of relief. I'd been so terrified I was going to fail. It's probably the first test I've taken since I had to drop out of school because of poor health, so I am totally out of practice. The revising was driving me crazy because I had to find time when I had enough energy to focus on the hazard perception clips! But I managed it and all that practice was worth it. Yay! And I got better than scores than most of the mock tests I've been sitting. I got 48/50 on the theory and 66/75 on the hazard perception which I'm pretty pleased with.

I also had a driving lesson on the same day which went well. I don't have a car to practise in because my parents don't drive, so I'm not getting anything other than the time I spend in lessons. My instructor had been on holiday for two weeks and whenever I have a break I'm usually a bit rusty when I get back behind the wheel. My only real hiccup this week was that we went to a really hilly part of town and did lots of hill starts, and I must have failed to fully release the handbrake about four times. Woops! But other than that I left my lesson feeling happy and confident about how the driving is going. Can't wait until I have that freedom to drive by myself!

So what else happened this week? Well I had my eyes tested which was boring, but I'm picking up my new glasses next week which is exciting. There was only a minor change in my prescription but I really needed new prescription sunglasses. My old ones don't fit right at all and are barely wearable, and with this sun making more of an appearence (typically I'm writing this and it's thunder and lightning outside, oh well!) the need was getting greater. It was buy one get one free on the glasses I wanted so as well as new sunglasses I got a regular pair as well. I literally only suit one style of frame which luckily I've learnt over the years, so now I head straight for design. When I first started wearing glasses I would spend hours trying on different styles only for none of them to suit me!

I treated myself to a few little bits this week including some YA fiction books I totally didn't need (oh dear!). But I did get some slightly more useful bits. I've been looking into doing something like pilates to build up some muscle strength so I bought myself an exercise mat. I also found a recipe book by Nadia Sawalha called Greedy Girl's Diet - that's my type of diet! Flicking through it has me really excited to try out some of the healthy recipes. Oh and my latest Graze box came! I got chilli and lime pistachios, Mississippi BBQ pistachios, natural energy nuts and herby bread basket. Yum!

Now to spend a Sunday reading and relaxing!

EscapeeBee x

It's the Weekend!

This week has been busy so I'm looking forward to a bit of downtime. My plans include curling up with a catching up on some TV and tackling that to-do list!

So what happened this week? I decided to dive back into a bit of chick-lit with an impulse book buy. I picked up a copy of Jane Costello's The Wish List because the title and blurb intrigued me. It's about a twenty-something who finds a list she and her friends wrote as teenagers about where they'd like to be in the future, and of course it doesn't quite live up to reality! I've started it already and it's just the kind of read I was looking for. In fact, I've already treated myself to another book by the same author (Girl on the Run) to read afterwards! I think the summer brings out the chick-lit lover in me. Can't wait til I can spend some time in the garden with a few books.

I've also discovered a love of Graze's black pepper pistachios, which proved to be a perfect work snack this week. I've already treated myself to a few little snack bags of pistachios for next week! Since getting my braces off a few months ago I've been trying to expand what I eat again. Nuts were off the cards for a while. I never really ate them much before I got braces but there's nothing like not being able to eat something for a while to make you want to try it!

I haven't watched much TV but I am keeping up with current series of Celebrity Masterchef. I always love the mass catering challenges the best - probably because it's usually the type of food I would actually eat when I go out! As for this series' celebrities, I find Christopher Biggins equally hilarious and annoying. He certainly livens things up!

If you have the chance, I'd highly recommend laying your hands on the latest issue of Glamour magazine, purely for the article titled "The Dos and Don'ts of Being an Actual Full-Grown Woman" by Sarah Silverman. The list of tips is honest, hilarious and inspiring and I'll definitely be taking note.

I still have some of my weekly goals to reach but I'm not worrying too much. One of my goals this week was to write in my journal. The book I got to give me prompts suggests writing in the morning which I haven't been managing. I don't get anything done in the morning other than dressing and feeding myself! And in the evenings I'm often quite tired. Hopefully this can change over the weekend when I don't have to rush out the door. I also need to crack on with my theory and hazard perception practice. It's not something you can really do when you're tired!

A bit of Lady Gaga popped up on my iPod this week and reminded me how much I love her, so I thought I'd end the post with one of my favourite Gaga songs.

Have a great weekend!

x

Weekly Goals

I thought this would be a nice post to do on a Sunday to motivate me for the rest of the week! This week will be quite a busy one but hopefully I can achieve a few of the following things over the course of the next seven days.

1. Keep writing in my new journal! I recently treated myself to a new notebook and the book "365 Journal Writing Ideas". I've kept diaries in the past that have more been a record of what I've done, and I always ran out of steam. This book provides plenty of fresh ideas for keeping a journal, from lists of things you want to do to mini short stories. I haven't been writing anything much lately so I'm dying to get pen to paper.

2. Practise theory and hazard perception tests. I'm currently learning to drive and my theory test is coming up soon. I'm pretty good at theory but suck at hazard perception so I need to put in the work!

3. Write and share three blog posts. When I started this blog I knew there would be no regular schedule and I'd only post as and when I had stuff to say, but I've been so inspired lately that I have a lot of posts in my head ready to write.

4. Finish a book. I've not got a lot of time to read at the moment but I'm nearly at the end of my current read - The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson - so it seems an achievable goal this week!

5. Take more pictures. I've realised lately that I have so few photos from this year and it's flying by. Hopefully I can snap a few adventures this week!

What are your goals for this week? Let me know in the comments!


Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Little Treats

Having a job and having money to treat myself with is still a bit of a novelty to me! I still feel slightly when I buy myself things purely because I want them and not because I need them, but it's nice that I can do it a bit more often and I'm starting to relax a little bit about what I buy myself.

One rare treat I love is a good magazine. It's a hard thing to justify to yourself because it's probably only going to end up on the recycling pile in a few weeks time! But I've always loved reading magazines, ever since the days of buying Mizz magazine as a pre-teen.

This month I've treated myself to Marie Claire and Glamour, both because they came with decent free things! I bought Marie Claire for the free nail varnish which I'll be trying out this weekend. Glamour is probably my most regular buy and this issue features Ellie Goulding who I adore. It came with a Clinique moisturiser which will definitely come in useful. I don't know if I'll bu Marie Claire again to be honest. I found it to be quite advert and picture heavy. I'm loving this issue of Glamour though. It made my hour bus commute a lot more entertaining this morning!

I also ordered another Graze box. I've been having quite a few lately because they're great for mid-morning snacks. I usually have my breakfast super early in the morning so need something around 11 to see me through to lunch! And having food pop through the door is a pretty lovely treat. Graze have also allowed you more flexbility in what you get in your box as well. I'm trying not to have too many sugary snacks so I asked for more savoury choices this time. They look good!

I've also splurged on a few books lately. Oops! But they were (mostly) non-fiction books which is a change for me. I'm going to feature some of them in future posts so I'll save that for now.

What are your little treats to yourself?

Current Favourites: Music

Okay so I'm quite happy to put my hands up and admit that my music taste really isn't that cool but I don't care. I love pop songs I can sing and dance along to. This selection has inadvertently gone a bit girl power which is no bad thing!

Lily Allen - URL Badman

Freaking love Lily Allen and her lyrics. I don't even need to explain the love behind this one. She always gets it so spot on. I've been listening to Sheezus on Spotify and this is one of the standout songs (along with Silver Spoon which is pretty high up there too). So glad it's a single!

Tove Lo - Stay High

The remix version is the one all over the radio but I much prefer the original. It's such a powerful song on its own <3

Chloe Howl - Disappointed

I stumbled across Rumour a while ago and listened to it over and over and over and now I'm doing exactly the same with Disappointed. Chloe Howl is definitely a new favourite pop girl.

Demi Lovato - Really Don't Care  

I liked this song before the video but I'm all over the video. Go Demi!

Becky G - Shower

This is my guilty pleasure, dance around the house and bob along song. It's simple, sweet and catchy and even though I probably shouldn't, I really do love it!

What songs are you loving right now? I always need music recommendations <3

Hello!

Welcome to my new blog! I'm EscapeeBee, but you can call me Sarah.

Escaping the Buzz is a little retreat for me to share my passions. Having been a book blogger for the past few years, I've come to love blogging and having a place to share my thoughts and writing. Recently I've finding less and less time to read, which means my book blog has been suffering and I've been missing out on my blogging. That's when I had the brainwave to start a blog that didn't require me to have read a book beforehand!

I've got a lot of exciting things going on in my life recently and I wanted a place to share them. I love trying out new foods and recipes, and would love a place to share my own. I'm also recovering from chronic illness so am always looking for ways to maintain my health and get back to fitness. Plus I have a sweet tooth and a weakness for baking. We all have to treat ourselves occasionally, right?!

I do love writing reviews having done it with books, but this gives me a chance to explore more reviewing avenues. TV shows, films, games, beauty products... the list is endless! 

I'll be the first to admit that fashion isn't really my thing, but I do enjoy shopping and I absolutely love a bargain. Hopefully I'll get the chance to share any bargains I come across whether it be clothes or beauty products.

I'd also like to have somewhere to share my thoughts and feelings on things in the media or current events that are grabbing my attention.

I'm hoping this blog will be a journey and I can't wait to start it!

Why not join me on Tumblr too? http://escapeebee.tumblr.com 

Sarah x