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...

 I hadn't really intended to start the Craft badge so quickly, but Hawthorn Handmade have these gorgeous felt brooches and a cross stitch kit featuring a cactus .  So I was rather torn between needing to save money for the Money Saver (and other Clauses), but also make presents. Anyway, I bought them, and I may also have bought a weaving starter kit at the same time. 😬 I figure that these starter kits will give me the skills I need to be able to make presents for the Conscious Consumer.  You can't give gifts of gorgeous felted brooches if you don't have the skill set to produce the thing in the first place. I decided to give weaving a try first. I love it!  Obviously, it's going to need a bit of work, but it's really enjoyable.  They give you instructions on how to add the warp (the white string bits) to the frame, supply some wefts (that's the woolly bits) and explain some of the stitches.  There's a pattern included if you want to follow a pattern, but...

 Keeping myself on track, here is a list of what I need to work on during September. ACTIVIST Clause 7 - study one example of how art was used to communicate a message and create cultural change. Make a scrapbook or similar about your findings . I'm not certain where to start with this, especially as making a scrapbook seems rather excessive.  Perhaps I'll make a blog post about it instead, that will save paper and printer ink! CONSCIOUS CONSUMER Clause 1 - Actively aim to buy as little as possible . September is the last month for this Clause and I am expecting it to be easier once the children are back at school and ice creams are no longer an essential sanity-saving purchase. (Overlap with Money Saver) Clause 2 - Buy only second hand clothes . This is month three of six.  I've done alright so far with two hand-me-down long sleeved tops ready for the autumn and a long skirt from Mind that I can wear in the autumn. Clause 5 - Learn to fix items that you would otherwise t...

 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...

​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...