Laura's Rebel Journey

 Holding myself accountable with a Badge Work update to head into October. CRAFT - over three months try five activities. I'm working on this badge through August, September and October. I have completed projects in felting, weaving, origami and block printing. So many ginger cats! The block printing was a Craft Along raising money for the Cats Protection League - Craft for Cats .  It was brilliant!  I immediately went and bought some more kits from The Arty Crafty Place to make Christmas presents. I'm still working on my Desert Escape cross stitch kit , but I'm loving this as well.  Even bought myself a subscription to the Cross Stitch magazine.  When this piece is finished, I will have completed the required five Clauses.  However, I do still have candles to make, so I'll end up with six new crafts. Stitchy progress! CRITIC - over six months write a review of five things I'm working on this badge between July and December. I've written reviews for two e...

  A Midsummer Night's Dream - Scholar's Garden, St. John's College, Cambridge Cast Oberon / Theseus - Edmund Fargher Demetrius / Starveling - George Barnden Lysander / Flute - Aneurin Pritchard Bottom / Egeus - Rob Goll Quince / Philostrate - Meg MacMillan Helena / Snug - Nadia Dawber Hermia / Snout - Tessa Brockis Titania / Hippolyta - [understudy] Puck - Amy Blanchard Booking and attending this play has been counted towards the Carpe Diem Badge.  I've looked at posters for this Festival every year and wanted to go.  Attending online would still be a carpe diem too far, but luckily this time they were performing A Midsummer Night's Dream and my son is going to be studying it next year at School. I am so glad we went.  I love The Dream anyway and it's such a good entry point to Shakespeare.  Adam had a wonderful time and is already talking about making it a group trip next year with a better picnic.  He would like to see The Tempest . All the actors were...

 On July 19th I blogged about my progress with the Environmentalist Badge. Clause 1 "For a month, track how much rubbish you generate personally" ended on the 10th August, so here is a complete list of my own personal rubbish. Chupa wrapper 5 Daily cotton bud (Daily) cotton wool pad (not daily in the end) String ties from new (2nd hand) clothes 4 Love Corn packet 4 Sweet chickpea packet 3 Popcorn packet 2 Ice lolly wrapper 3 Film from bread bag (paper part recycled) Starburst wrapper 8 Film lids from fruit/veg/coleslaw pots 10 Bread roll packaging 2 Yoghurt lids 9 Washi tape packaging 2 Schär rolls bag Oatcake wrapper  Lego bags 5 Lego sticker sheet Lego Dots bag Watch wrapper Crumpet packet Hook thing off a box  Not too bad in the end, but it probably helped that I chose the Money Saver Badge as part of the Carpe Diem Challenge.  Therefore I am already actively reducing my spending at the moment.  This also ties in to the second compulsory Clause "For a second...

 The Carpe Diem badge requires the completion of two brown "Wild" badges.  I chose Camper and Codebreaker.  Lots of the Camper badge I felt I could back date as we camp so often, and I have been over the Clauses so many times. Spend at least three consecutive nights under canvas - three nights is a minimum for us! Pitch and strike a tent - The pole tent we used to have, the air beam tent we currently have, a pole ridge tent from my youth and the pop up two person tent we camp in the garden with.  I think I can safely say that one is covered! Keep your belongings safe and dry - On our first trip as a family with little children in tow, I decided we needed a "dry box" and a "wet box" after reading about family camping online.  Our clothes go in a large Really Useful Box to keep them dry and things like toothbrushes and flannels in a smaller box with other items that can get wet.  Husband thought it was a bit much, but then it rained.  Norfolk had a mon...

 I had originally planned not to post more than once a day, but sitting here with the fan on in the coldest part of the house is rather nice, so I'm going to post again. Today's post was meant to be an update on my progress with the Environmentalist Badge but turned into an Animal Lover post about my chickens.  So here is the originally planned post to keep me on track. Clauses 1 and 2 for this badge are compulsory. 1. "For a month, track how much rubbish you generate personally." It goes on to suggest that you save it in a container, 'where practical'.  No, that isn't even vaguely practical!  So I am going to keep a log. 2. "For a second month, actively reduce your waste." I started Clause 1 on Wednesday 13th July and due to finish it and start Clause 2 on Wednesday 10th August. I am firmly fixed on the 'rubbish you generate personally' section.  So, items we use as a family I am not counting.  Here's my personal litter so far: Chu...

It's hot today. It was hot yesterday.  This heatwave is interesting. 😰 This was going to be a post about the Environmentalist Badge, but instead I'm going to write about Clause 8 of Animal Lover. "If you have a pet, make a proactive change to their lifestyle to improve their current way of life." We have three chickens, Peggy, Amelia and Lavender.  Chickens don't like hot weather, their bodies can't handle sudden changes in temperature in either direction. Once the temperature reaches 32C, it's too hot for a hen.  A neighbour recorded a high of 39.8C in her back garden yesterday, so yes, we have baked chickens. I'm very scared for them at the moment, and I am most definitely counting "keeping the chickens alive" as the scary thing I've had to do this week for the Carpe Diem Badge. I have made them frozen treats, chunks of watermelon, ice pops made from sweetcorn, raspberries and cucumber.  Their run was watered frequently throughout the...

​I started working on the Carpe Diem quarterly Badge before I received the book, so some of clauses were well on their way last week. I’d seen a few posts on the Facebook group about the World Traveller, so I knew what to expect for Clause 1.  Clause 5 involves doing something that scares you every week. Well, sometimes more than one thing might scare me each week, so I am keeping a private list and I’m planning to get that up to the full twelve by the end of September, even if it isn’t a scare per week. Now that I have the book, I have decided to complete the Moneysaver Badge for Clause 2, and Camper for Clause 3. I had a bit of a debate with myself about the choice of a second ‘Wild’ badge, Stargazer and Code Breaker both appeal to me. However, Stargazing tends to be easier in the late summer to early autumn. Warm enough still to sit out, but darker earlier. So I’ve chosen Code Breaker.  As a new Rebel I haven’t had the book long enough to have put off anything or be scar...