alifrew

 Just a very quick one to say Merry Christmas to all those who have been and will be celebrating this occasion. Peace and happiness to all x

  Ok, the school year is FINALLY over and it's Christmas and badging until the end of the year! Nothing more and nothing less! I have so many badges that just need a little bit to finish them off and a couple of additional things I can do to get some more points. I have one more badge order that I want to do at the beginning of January and then I am imposing a ban until I have earned all the badges I have started but not finished, or bought and not got round to starting yet. The only other badges I am allowing myself to start are ones linked to the quarterly challenges. I need to get a move on with my quilt as well. Very few badges have actually been sewn on as it's a pain to change the bobbin all the time and I want the thread to match the colour of the badge. It's going to be a very busy and mismatched quilt but I'm ok with that! Goals for next year are to complete a few patches with the aim of becoming an ultimate rebel at some point. I'm also going to take part ...

Badge work has been very slow this month as I am absolutely wrecked!! School is still in progress and we have another two days until we break up. Hoping I make it...  I've managed a few clauses of the winter challenge and a couple of bonus cup points. I am trying to drive the idea out of my head that December is about to finish. It isn't! The end of term isn't the end of the month! I'm really hoping that a couple of good sleeps will give me a bit more energy and I'll be able to crack on and finish a few badges that need one more bit doing and get a few more points. I need 18 this month so still have a fair few to go! I put in an order with one of my favourite scrapbooking companies for some paper that I thought would make a brilliant scrapbook for my fictional detectives and that turned up today so I'm looking forward to getting stuck into that. The supplies are beautiful so it should be great fun. I am very excited about setting up my new reading journal for ne...

Well, last weekend was my first ever rebelfest and it was absolutely amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed every single session and joined in with as much as I possibly could. There were a few things that I didn't take part in but still watched the sessions. All of the talks were really interesting and it was lovely to join chat groups and meet a few new people too. I put in an order with the badge store to guarantee my place in the cup next year and am very happy to have been able to get another Bader badge so I'm ready for another year. I've also volunteered to run some of the book club sessions so I think that will help me with the new Rebel community badge due out next year. There are a few more badges that I'm interested in as well and I'm giving myself a tough slog for next year with the 1000 hours outside, as I don't think that will be an easy one to go for... I bought the 75 cup point badge and also decided I'd go for the 100 point badge as well after finish...

It's been a bit of a poor month in terms of points this month. The craft fair pretty much took over and I just haven't had the time. I know that this happens; I'm just a bit gutted that I haven't got more done. I still have my poster to do for the science badge, which is tonight's job, and I'm hoping to finish a couple of other badges that just need a teeny bit finishing off. Can't see it all happening tonight though, and it definitely won't if I sit waffling here instead of cracking on... 

I have thoroughly enjoyed completing my random acts of kindness for November points. I have been playing the world rice game, having seen it in the group and earned a good few bowls of rice. I like to support a local rescue who boarded my rabbits when we went away on holiday once (and I ended up adopting another one from them!) so sent a donation of food, toys and treats to them. I went out tonight to leave a book for someone to find and on the way home, saw a big pile of dog mess on the pavement. It was not of a consistency to have been picked up in a bag so I made a couple of trips out with a kettle full of water to wash it down into the gutter and leave a clear pavement. Four acts of kindness for the rebels! I've also started my science fair badge this evening with a chromatography experiment using giant skittles. I haven't made my poster yet but will do tomorrow. I had a big badgemin session this evening as I feel like the craft market has completely taken over this month a...

 I have finally made a bit of a start on this by reading 'I am Malala'. It's taken me a while to get started on this one but what an interesting book. I borrowed it from the library at school as I have a few children in my class who I think would get a lot out of reading it and I've noticed that if they see me read a book, they will ask a few questions about it then ask to borrow it when I'm finished. They will have to wait a while though as my husband has borrowed it...

 I finished watching Bodies this evening as part of TV critic. I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite getting fairly frustrated in the beginning as I didn't feel like I was getting to grips with it quickly enough. It had been recommended by several people at work so I'd started to watch it with my husband and we found it very interesting in the first couple of episodes but expected things to be made a bit clearer far earlier than they were. It held our interest though. I loved the way it was split across different time frames and, in particular, the way the characters all met up in the end. The acting was fantastic and I found myself exclaiming out loud a couple of times which I only ever do if I am completely caught up in something. Poor Detective Whiteman... Overall, I thought it was a great idea, very well-executed. The only thing that might have been done better was the casting of the young actor who played Elias. The actor they cast was a brilliant actor but looked nothing even ...

I'm still a bit slack on the bonus points and Science Fair badge this month thanks to my craft fair prep but I've been doing fairly well with self-care. I was given a v particular and detailed mouthcare routine by my dentist to help reduce possible side-effects on my teeth of a medical condition. I've been for a check up today and have made an enormous difference already by following the routine stringently every day. I'm really pleased as it hasn't been easy. I've also been following my skincare routine fairly well daily and making very good use of all my tropic goodies. My skin is looking and feeling lovely. I now need to remember the additional weekly things regularly! I've not done so well with the night time improvements because I get too carried away with the book I am reading, but I also feel that I am doing very well improving my reading habits and branching out thanks to my reading challenges, and you can't win em all... I think things will impr...

 It's been a quiet weekend on the badging front. I'm so busy trying to get ready for this craft fair that everything else is going out of the window really. Two more weeks then I can try to get more done. Do need to sort out something sciencey to do and sort my bonus points though. I can finish My Collection this month when I've displayed all my books somewhere. I'll have been doing this blog for six months as well so that will be my writer badge too. I need to finish builder and detective and have joined buddy groups for historian  and rebel historian and not done even vaguely enough work on either of those. I've been doing well with a few other badges that are just on the go in the background. Critic and TV Critic are progressing nicely. Foodie is one I didn't intend to do but seem to have begun anyway, as is baker. I'm trying to get these finished before starting any others, except the monthly and quarterly ones as I've subscribed to those, therefore ...

 Another lovely evening chatting with fellow Baders. It's always nice to chat Rebel stuff with people who totally get it, but also a good feeling to have done some badge work this evening. I feel like it's taking a bit of a back seat at the moment as I am making things for a craft fair at the end of the month and it's not leaving me with a lot of spare time. I'm still doing little bits, like watching certain programs and doing the self-care and my collection stuff, but will need to devote a good chunk of time to it if I'm hoping to get any points at all this month... Which, of course, I am!!!

 It's been a bit of a quiet time as far as badges go due to an approaching craft fair that I am busy preparing for. I did finish the Halloween badge and I got the bonus points for Bader with a Viking long ship and some pretzels but I've been fairly quiet other than that. I need to try to finish off a couple of badges this month and make some progress on the ones I've begun but am still a long way off finishing. I finished Farmer this month by making my own butter and I used the pretzels I'd made to meet the bread clause. I think that was my only merit badge in October. I am in a couple of rebel groups for some badges and need to move on with those as part of the 2nd birthday badge. I have done a bit towards each of the badges but not enough really. Hopefully December will see a bit more progress. The Science Fair badge will be exciting and I'm looking forward to whatever experiment I choose to do. The random acts of kindness is a beautiful idea and I can't wait ...

 I've finally downloaded the badge tracker from the Facebook group and spent a very pleasant few hours this afternoon filling it in. It should hopefully help me see where I am up to a bit more easily than having to flip through an A3-sized book every time. I will continue to use my book but I'm hoping to sort some badgemin this week whilst I am off work and make sure I get some badges finished this month. I've not got any bonus cup points yet so that needs sorting and I am part-way through many badges that just need finishing.  I'm in several groups for rebel buddy and I haven't done much on either of those badges. One is Rebel History, one is Detective and one is Historian. I'm reading a book about the wives of Henry VIII at the moment and it feels like it is taking me a long time to get through it. Hopefully now I have some time off, I can get it finished and use some of his wives as the inspiration for a clause or two. I'm using Taylor and Rose for my fic...

Spent a lovely evening chatting with fellow Baders about our current badge work and progress towards the Halloween badge and the birthday badge. That's one part of one of the birthday badge clauses completed as you need to do two rebel meet ups. I should have done a fair few by the end of the quarter as there will be three rebel reader meets by then.  I'm doing the virtual rebel fest and I'm still toying with the idea of getting a ticket for the Stockport meet up. I'll join any other Bader meets as well, and I'm assuming there will be a few.  I've been  a bit slack with badge work this month so far and my reading has also taken a massive dip. I'm spending way too much time on my phone so need to have a word with myself and pick it up. I've also started watching Schitt's Creek, which is partly badge work as it's for TV critic, but it is stopping me from getting on with other stuff. Work has been pretty tiring but I have a week off now so need to m...

I think I may have solved the mystery of the missing childhood badges!! I was messaging my sister this evening and she mentioned that she had a pile of old Brownie and swimming badges from when we were kids. I am pretty sure that this is the bag I have been looking for!! I highly doubt that there are two of them in existence. I remember speaking to her about them after Mum gave them to me as I thought she might like to show them to her boys (my nephews). I must have taken them up to hers to show her and left them there. She is going to dig them out for me. I have also found my hexagon quilt template and made a start on cutting out some themed hexagonal fabric for the badges I have earned so far. I'm so excited about making this quilt, especially now the thought of some of those old Brownie and swimming badges seems like more of a possibility. I've got a few fun patches to go on there as well and am constantly on the lookout for any relevant ones. Feel like I used to see them ev...

Not managed to find my hexagon template or my brownie and swimming badges yet but have made a purchase of a few other badges and put some fabric through the wash that will  be the backs of my hexagons so feel like a small start has been made. If I'm honest, I've not done a great deal of looking. I did intend to this weekend but it didn't happen. I did sleep a lot though, and that's self- care!! I started watching Schitt's Creek last night, which will be something to review for my TV critic badge. Need a real push on the historian and rebel historian badges as I'm in groups for both of those and I'm not doing much towards either of them. Need to fix that over the next week or so. I've done a bit more on the detective badge which is another I'm in a group for and I'm hoping to do a bit of research this evening to take that even further. Might have a bit of a researchy evening for all three badges and make myself feel like I'm doing something. A...

 It's been a busy few days at work so I feel like badge stuff has taken a bit of a back seat this last week or so. My new badge order turned up, which was  very exciting and has really spurred me on to make a start on my quilt. I have a hexagon quilting template and would like to make individual hexagons with a mix of different fabrics, linked to whatever badge is sewn on them. I want to mix it up a bit as well so it is more of a life quilt and not just a rebel quilt, so I need to pull the house apart to see if I can find my old brownie and swimming badges. My mum gave them to me years ago when she found them in a drawer and I can't remember if I've put them somewhere random or thought that I would never have a use for them and put them in the bin. Desperately hoping I haven't but fear that may be the case as I had them in one place for ages and they now aren't there but I have no idea where I might have put them. The search will be a good excuse to have a tidy up a...

 I claimed the gardener badge in September, as I am a regular grower of fruit and vegetables and had already prepped a lot of seeds before discovering rebels in April. I grow a variety of different tomatoes from seed, always trying a few new ones every year. I like to experiment with  a range of different cucumbers and courgettes as well. I ended up losing a lot of seed starts due to unexpected surgery right at the heart of the planting season, but managed to pull enough together to be able to grow a decent amount.  At some point, I intend to document each of the badges I have earned and the specific work that I did for them as part of this blog. I'm hoping to claim the writer's badge next month as I started this blog in April, therefore it will have been six months. I'm not really counting April as I don't feel I did a huge amount that month due to being very new to Rebels, so I'm not planning to claim until the end of October. I'd like to ramp it up a bit for ...

Managed 24 points last month so very happy with that one. I've spent a bit of time this weekend updating my badge book and getting thoughts in order for October. I have a whiteboard in my dining room that I used to use when I was teaching from home during lockdown if I needed to demonstrate anything. It became a Badge Board yesterday and contains a long list of things I'd like to get done this month to tick off some clauses. I'm currently working on quite a few badges and need to put some serious time into those this month. I'll have a week off work so need to put that to good use. I'm hoping the weather will improve a bit as I'd like to get some more geocaching in before winter hits properly. I've really enjoyed what I've done so far but don't feel like I've got into it enough yet. I am due to finish a couple of badges next month that have been long term ones. I discovered Rebels in April but part way through so a few of the badges I started the...

I think it's been another good month, points-wise. I've not totalled them up yet as I haven't filled in my form, but I feel like I've done quite well. I got all the bonus points for September as I completed all of the challenges. The sausage dog cake proved particularly challenging!! A baker, I am not!! I completed Go Wild, which involved completing three wild badges. I already claimed one last month but finished the other two in September so will  be claiming those. I also finished Craft 1, Gardener and Animal Lover from the merit badge section so have those to claim too. Scrapheap Challenge was a great one and has definitely been one of my favourites. I was working on the first birthday badge as I couldn't do Life Less Ordinary. I only joined rebels in April and by the time I had worked out how everything worked, the badges had already sold out. I was also a bit limited through April and May after surgery so would not have been able to do many new things for the f...

 Finally finished my animal lover badge. I just needed to get the final clause of researching an endangered animal done and I've finally finished the junk journal I recorded it in! Very happy! The next few badges look like fun and I'm excited to get started. Just need to finish off September. Still not done the cake and feel like  I need a different Charly Made Me Do It photo. I've ordered another pile of badges too. Can't help myself!

I've done 4/5 craft projects for craft 1 and have been struggling over the final one. I have a couple of craft kits that I could use that match the brief but when I've started them, they've looked really rubbish and I can't see an actual final product coming out of them. Then my lovely friend had a baby so I'm making a quilt for her, which I had always intended to do. Had another look at the criteria and quilting is right there!! Hoping to see her at the weekend so I should be all set to finish the badge by then. Just need to get it done now. Still have my endangered animal book to finish to claim animal lover and haven't made my scrapheap challenge product yet so looking forward to getting those done. It's going to be a busy few days. Also need to bake a sausage dog cake. I think that work are having a Macmillan coffee morning next week so I'll have to get my bake on this weekend and see if I can make a decent start on the baker badge. I don't usual...

 September has been a bit of a slow month so far as the back-to-school carnage is still taking precedent. I feel like I'm getting to grips with things a bit more now though and finding a bit more time to spend on badges. I've been so tired in the evenings that I've not had the energy to do much. I'm getting into more of a routine of stupidly early mornings now though. I took part in the Bader team chat on Facebook last night and thoroughly enjoyed being able to talk about badges for a bit with other people who are working on badges. People at work find the whole thing very entertaining and are always asking what badges I'm working on and what crazy things I've been up to in the quest for points, but they don't really get it. I'm still battling my way through Madly Deeply for Rebel Readers book club this month but I'm really finding it hard to get into. It was clearly written with the intention of never being read, therefore isn't very engaging. I...

 Well, you can tell school season has started again!! I was staying on top of this blog pretty well and getting a lot of badge work done. I've been so busy since term started that blogging has taken a back seat and badge work definitely hasn't stopped but it has slowed down a bit. I'm still plugging away at the Go Wild badge. I'm struggling for a few clauses on the Nature Lover badge so need to have a really good think this weekend about how I am going to finish the badge. I'm doing ok with palaeontologist and have made a dinosaur reading cushion this evening. That's another clause ticked off and a Christmas present made, so all good there. Need to get that one finished by the end of the month as part of Go Wild so this weekend will be a good chance to get stuck in to trying to finish that one. I've been watching a brilliant program on the National Geographic channel called The Secrets of Elephants. It's part of the Nature Lover badge but I'm going t...

I'm on with my September bonus, with points awarded for the 40th picture already. I'm not sure about the cake one. Might swerve that as I don't eat cake and don't have a lot of baking supplies. However, do I use it for the baker's badge? I made my father-in-law a birthday cake a couple of weeks ago and there will be a Macmillan coffee morning taking place at work soon so I could get a few things ticked off there. Decisions, decisions... I have an old duvet cover that I'd quite like to sew into a few useful items to use around the house. I'm also going to look into reducing waste as much as possible, although we do already make quite an effort to do this. I need to be more focused when shopping as I feel like I bring home more packaging than is ideal. I do reuse or recycle it, but I could certainly reduce it. I need to be more organised with my shopping and cooking, especially now that I am back at work. I am far too inclined to eat toast or cereal because I...

I posted my all-day breakfast waffle picture on the Facebook group earlier this month and then was so busy trying to get super scavenger that the other monthly bonus points kind of skipped my attention. Fortunately I've sorted myself before the end of the month and took my courgette photo this morning and did a bit of charity shop trawling this afternoon to pick myself up an outfit. I've bought something from every charity shop in my town but didn't manage 8 as we don't have that many and I won't be near any others before the end of the month, I don't think. I've not put my outfit on for a photo yet and I've not posted my courgette photo so that needs doing tomorrow. I've been researching a few clauses and getting on with a bit more badging so quite happy with my progress this month. It'll be my last good push for a while as the beginning of the new school year is always a tiring one. Need to keep pushing my outside time for the Go Wild badge, wh...

 I've been putting quite a bit of time into researching some clauses to try to get a few more things ticked off before I go back to work. I'm aiming for one a day but sometimes it ends up being a bit more. I was researching a range of ciphers for the codebreaking badge yesterday and had to give up because one completely stumped me and I just didn't understand it at all. I've had another go today using different websites and I still don't get it. I've also got my husband to have a look so I've had to call it a day on that one. I've done all the others and found it really interesting to learn about them though. I'm really hoping to finish a few badges before the end of the month as I'd like to ramp up my points as much as possible. Bader aren't doing too well in the cup so anything helps! I did a big badge order this week and my 25 point badge has turned up. I'm on 20 points so far and have earned 5 this month for Super Scavenger so I'v...

 I've been researching the three Mesozoic eras this morning as part of  research for the palaeontology badge. It was very interesting too! I've never been massively interested in dinosaurs, but always thought I should look into it a bit. As a primary school teacher, I come across a lot of children who are very passionate about this topic and I like to be able to have interesting discussions with them about things that interest them. Maybe this year I might actually be able to do so!! I've also been to a fabric shop today and picked up some dinosaur fabric so have some sewing to do!! I've also now completed two virtual escape rooms which will count towards codebreaker, bought a courgette as my home-grown ones are ridiculously small and not at all ready to be picked. Now need to place it somewhere ridiculous!! I also picked up another charity shop item to add to my outfit. Need to get a move on with that...

I've finally done it!! I managed to pass the Super Scavenger badge! I'm so chuffed with myself. And hubby really, as he has been the taker of photos and chauffeur to random places to find the items and get the photos taken. I have just ordered my badge, along with a few others as I'm always too excited to order just the one!! I've started work on a few other badges and earned one that I haven't even bought yet, so that's been an exciting order, which I can't wait to receive! I've not done a huge amount of work towards the August challenges yet as SS took over, so need to get on with those before the end of the month. That will be this week's focus, I think, along with a couple more clauses to finish off a badge or two that are very nearly done now. I've got some research to do as well on quite a few badges that I've been thinking about for a while and just haven't done yet. Might make a point of fitting in as much this week as I can. As s...

I've spent the last few days in London on a little trip with my husband and managed to fit in lots of badge activities whilst not really trying to. On our way down, we stopped off to see my in-laws and it's nearly my father-in-law's birthday, so I made him a birthday cake to drop off whilst we were there. That's one more clause ticked off for the birthday badge that I'm doing from last year as I joined Rebels too late to get the Life Less Ordinary badge. We went to the Royal Observatory which helps with the stargazer badge. We also visited the planetarium. I'll be doing reviews for critic as well. The Natural History Museum was perfect for the palaeontology badge as well as giving me dinosaurs in eggs for the super scavenger badge. I had already put a model of a dinosaur in an egg at home but took an extra picture anyway. I was very excited to visit the Spitalfields City Farm as well, which works towards Animal Lover. It was a really well set up and managed farm...

 This scavenger hunt is proving to be quite tricky!! I've had my post returned twice now as the photos aren't exact enough to meet super scavenger requirements. I'm in two minds as to whether to continue chasing it or not. I have really enjoyed everything  I have done to get this far and I don't want to spoil it by pushing it too far. It has been so much fun but with me not driving, I've either had to walk, use public transport or ask my long-suffering husband to drive me. A lot of the things I don't have access to, and don't have children so am not likely to be in a place where I would see them. There is now a limit on how many photos you can take in shops and I don't own some of the other things so it would cost me to buy them and I don't feel like that's a good use of my money. So I'm really undecided about continuing to fight for the super scavenger or just be happy with what I achieved. If it wasn't throwing it down with rain and if ...

I actually think I might have done it! I think I have collected enough photographic evidence to at least put them forward for the super scavenger badge. I've just logged in to my account to get the order number for my scavenger badge order and all the photos I can possibly get are taken. I now just have to hope that none of them are refused for not being enough to meet the clause... We went on a slightly bonkers trip yesterday evening to get the final photos last night and ended up watching a live band rather unexpectedly.  Might just be the beginning of the music lover badge.

I've been out again, hunting down more items for the scavenger hunt. I'm doing fairly well but completely stumped on a few. I'm definitely closer to the Super Scavenger badge but I still don't think I'll get there. I haven't half had a few funny looks whilst I've been taking photos of myself in several dodgy situations. I'm off on a trip out tomorrow to try to finish up. I've started to keep a new diary for the diarist badge as the last one didn't work out too well. I'm not good at keeping a regular diary so I've bought one with prompts in it to see if that helps. I've also got a plain office-type diary to keep a note of what badge work I've done each day. I always think I haven't done anything when I pretty much do something every day so I thought this might help me stay on top of my progress. I also know it will really annoy me to not have anything to write it in, so it will keep me motivated, especially when I go back to wo...

 The eagerly-awaited scavenger hunt has been released!! I really wanted to try for the super scavenger hunt badge but I doubt I'll manage it, looking at the list. I'll give it a go but I'm not going to hold out too much hope. Really proud of my 12 points for July. I feel like that's quite a good effort for my third month of being a rebel. I completed reader and scrapbooker, did all three activities for the July bonuses and attended a virtual meet up with the rebel readers. I also did BKS so that made a great points total for this month.  Rebel plans for this week include trying to collect as many things on the scavenger hunt list as possible, clearing out my wardrobe for a charity donation and trying to finish craft 1. I have one more craft to do and a scarf to finish. I'm pretty close with the scarf so that should be do-able. I need to put some time into some of the research sections of the badges I am working on. Now is the perfect time to get stuck in, whilst I a...

I joined in with The Rebel Readers online book discussion for the first time today and had a great time. I joined the group as soon as I heard about it in the Facebook group and have read all the books but haven't managed to join any of the online meet ups until today. I had a thoroughly lovely time discussing the book and am looking forward to the next one already. My soap-making kit arrived today so I'm looking forward to having a go at that soon. I'm making good progress with my quilt too and have finished sewing all of the quilt blocks today. I 'm currently trimming them down then need to bind them together to finish the top. After I've quilted it, I'm going to have a go at using a self-binding method and a baby blanket as the backing. Slightly nervous but very excited to see how it turns out... I've done a fair bit of knitting over the last week and have nearly finished the scarf I started as part of the craft badge. I need to see my friend soon to glaz...

 I took my houseplant for a walk last night! Yep, I went to the beach on the north-west coast where some of the filming for Andor was done and took 5 photos of the plant at various filming locations. Also ticked off a few more BKS clauses by making the houseplant a sandcastle, going on a swing and a slide and having a picnic of favourite childhood foods. In other news, my Advanced Reader badge has started as I have chosen a challenge - to read 75 books from my TBR list. I have a bookcase in the house which is FULL of books that I have bought or borrowed (mostly bought) and not read yet. Some of them I have even bought twice and not read, as I discovered when I did a big book clear-out at Christmas to make space for new purchases. This isn't an ok situation, so I need to make a big dint in this as I know I will continue to buy more. I'm not banning myself from buying more books as I recently bought an e-reader and don't have a huge pile of books on it yet, and I also take pa...

Well, the summer holidays have started and the weather so far has been pretty rubbish. It's given me some time to do some badge work, which is great, but is also limiting outdoor time which is stopping me from getting on with a few things, annoyingly! I made my dinosaur fossils and absolutely love them. I want to try to replicate something similar with the children at school next year so need to to come up with an idea where they can make their own. They'd love it. I still need to paint mine but it's a clause well on its way to being ticked off. I've also put a fair bit of time into my scarf and it's now more than halfway through. That's a great one for Craft 1. I had thought about doing calligraphy with this as part of the diarist badge and do a gratitude diary but I've been rubbish at keeping up with it regularly. I need to work out a way of doing this well... Instead of calligraphy, I'm going to do quilting and have made a start on a baby quilt for a ...

I'm starting the palaeontology badge this week and have been doing a bit of research into how to make my own fossils because this sounds very exciting. I've been getting prepped to do a lot of badge work over the next six weeks and I think the fossils will be the first one. Plaster of Paris has arrived, as have my dinosaur toys and I picked up some modelling clay on the way home. The weather forecast doesn't look great for the weekend so I think badge work will win!! Although perhaps not Big Kid Summer... I went to watch Six! The Musical last week so I'm going to review that for the critic badge and try to organise a few more things to watch/listen to so I can get working on that in earnest. I've finished the reader badge, strictly speaking, but I'm in the middle of a book and want that to count towards it so I'm not officially finishing until tomorrow then I'll claim it. I've done everything else and started in April, so just need to document all my...

Work has been pretty bonkers recently so haven't done as much badging as I would like to have done. I've only got one week left before a big holiday though, so should get plenty of time to get stuck into a load of badge work whilst I am off. I'll be finishing my reading badge tomorrow, which marks three months since I discovered rebel badges. I started the reading badge the day I read about it in the book as I had unplanned surgery the day after my first book turned up, so was a bit limited in movement. Reading fit the bill perfectly though. I'm very slowly working my way through Big Kids Summer. I tried rum and raisin ice cream today. I know it's not a particularly exciting choice but it was the only one the ice cream van had that I had never tried. Really didn't like it!! Won't be having that again. Raisins in ice cream? No. Just no! Determined to try something more pleasant before the end of the month.  I had to pop into town today so I bought some water ...

 Final day in June today so will be finishing off my brain games badge (I hope) so I can claim it for this month. I've also done the rebel health check badge, which is my first monthly badge, and I have a point to claim for a June bonus so I'm fairly pleased with this month's progress.  I've downloaded the July bonus points picture and will be making a start on the Big Kid activities over the weekend as well as making a start on the quarterly challenge. I've been trying to do the birthday challenge but I'll end up overlapping at this rate as I didn't start it until May, then bought into the subscription so will be taking part in all of the quarterly challenges from now on. Might need a rethink...

 Very excited about the release of the big kid summer badge requirements today!! Will definitely be having a lot of fun doing that!! I'm a bit sad that there are quite a few things I won't be able to do because of my back as a fair few of them are quite physical. However,  I'm also massively grateful that there are so many more things I will be able to do that I wouldn't have been able to do a few months ago. So I will do what I can and enjoy them immensely. Chris will be away for a few days in July so will have to see which ones I can do whilst he is away. Wonder who might like to come for a sleepover.....

 Well, going back to work for the first time since the operation hasn't half slowed down my badge work! I'm still plodding on through them but it's definitely less than I was doing before. I'm not even reading much and that is not like me at all. I don't think the hot weather is helping, but it's time I got myself a bit more sorted... I am working on the June monthly badge of health check. I need to phone the doctors and the dentist tomorrow to get some appointments booked in.  I've subscribed to the quarterly challenge so am looking forward to trying to stay on top of those. We are also looking at where to go on holidays and days out over the summer and I am going to tie in as many as possible to badges so that will be fun. Bletchley Park is a definite so I need to do a bit more research to see what else I can fit in. The craft badge started off well and I need to keep on top of that so I have it finished within three months. I do wish I hadn't started ...

 I'm quite happy with my Rebel progress throughout this month. I have had quite a bit of free time to work on badges due to being signed off work. However, due to the operation, I am a bit limited on some of the things I can do and this is likely to remain the case for a while yet. I have managed to do quite a bit of work towards my reader badge and will continue to do so over the next 6 weeks. I'll move straight on to Advanced Reader after that and need to find a good challenge that will last 6 months... I've had a great time exploring some new crafts this month and have now done pottery, knitting and printing. I haven't completed my knitting project yet but I'm making good progress. I've also come up with a fab idea for my advanced crafting badge but need to do the other two first. I've signed up for the 30 day wildlife watch which will help towards the nature lovers badge and takes place throughout the month of June. I've ordered the badge as well so ...

 I am so excited about tomorrow. A friend of mine is a potter and I'm going to spend the day with her working on some pottery. That'll be a great start to one of the craft badges. Can't remember which though... I spent a bit of time dong some badgemin today and recorded some of the progress I have made in my big book. Came to the realisation that I am spending a huge amount of time thinking about the badges but not actually getting on with things and recording them enough. Need to do something about that! Reader and Scrapbooker are coming along well. Need to put a bit more time in with the bees before the end of May for my Rebel with a Cause badge.  I also need to go round and take photos of what I have done so far to give myself a bit more of a feeling of satisfaction. That can be Wednesday's job...

 More progress has been made towards my Rebel with a Cause badge. I have gathered the equipment to make a bee bath, bought some more seeds to plant for pollinators and also have an insect house to put up, although they are only useful to one type of bee. They'll help other insects though, so that's good. Weather doesn't look great today but the forecast for the weekend is good so I should be able to sort some things out over the weekend. Still reading lots so making good progress with my reading badge. I've ordered two books about bees, which will help with both badges, so that's good. They should arrive today. Scrapbook is progressing nicely and I've ordered a tilted board to put on my table, so I should be able to work for longer periods of time without my back starting to hurt, which will be good.  I've also made a birthday card for my brother-in-law so will count that towards the birthday badge. I'll sing Happy Birthday to him in Latin as I have been...

 I am being completely useless at keeping up with this blog, although I think it's because I haven't done a huge amount of badge work over the last week or so therefore haven't had much to update. I'm still reading plenty towards my Reading badge. Need to include some non-fiction books as I'm an avid fiction reader and this is pretty much what I default to. I only really read non-fiction when I need to learn about something and tend to go for the internet, rather than a book. I'm on the lookout for a challenge to start when I finish reader and can move on to advanced reader... I've made a really good start on a scrapbook, which will earn me the scrapbooker badge. It's all organised and laid out. I just need to actually make the pages now - the bit that takes the longest!! I've been doing quite a bit out in the garden while the weather has been nice, which is helping with quite a few different badges. I'm concentrating on making it a nice environm...

 I've spent a lot of this weekend in the garden so I've made some good progress on a couple of badges. I am feeling a noticeable ache in my back so need to be a bit more careful and remind myself I had spinal surgery three weeks ago and not push it too far! I've taken and uploaded my shed selfie, earning my first points for TeamBader in the May Challenge. I've kept up with my gratitude journal and my calligraphy practice. If the weather holds tomorrow, I can get a few more things done outside to help the bees for my Rebel with a Cause badge. I did see a couple of bees in the garden today, which was lovely. I've also sent daily photos to my two rebel buddies of daily outfits, so I'm feeling happy with the small levels of badge progress that I'm making.  I'm also doing well with the reading badge. I'm reading loads at the moment whilst I am off work and needing to rest a bit. I reviewed Paul O'Grady's Countrylife this morning, which was part of...

 I've done loads of admin towards my badges today and I'm feeling very organised!! I've got a large notebook and labelled a double-page spread with each badge as I start working on it. Any photos I've taken linked to projects will be stuck in there, along with any writing or notes needed. I have also listed which badges I am going to work on to try to gain each of the patches. I'm two days into my gratitude journal for the diarist badge, and I'm also working on calligraphy for the craft part one badge so I'm writing a quote each day in calligraphy to practise my lettering. It's not great at the moment but hopefully I'll see it improve as time goes on. I've been working in a hand lettering practice book and watching some youtube videos to help me. I've been through my craft supplies and have a kit ready to start a scrapbook of a holiday we went on to France last summer so that will work for my scrapbookers badge. Really excited about getting s...

 Just discovered that the app doesn't publish on my blog, just saves it as a draft. Not overly helpful... I'll just have to make sure I log in on the laptop regularly. I'm making some good progress on a few badges and I've started a couple more that I wasn't planning on starting at the moment, so that's great. I'm trying to gain as many points for Bader as I can, so am making the most of being off work and doing whatever I can at the moment. I've ordered a few more things to help me with different badges so I'm pleased with how everything is going. Progress since my last post: - bought two lavender plants to pop in the garden for the Rebel with a Cause badge - ordered a straw hat to make a buttoned hat for the May bonus - ordered a diamond art kit for the craft badge - found my hand lettering practice book and calligraphy pens for the craft badge - started the buddy badge with two other rebels, working towards photographer and my style - read a coupl...

It’s been a  bit of a tricky week to make much progress as I’ve had to go to my parents as I can’t be alone after the surgery yet, so haven’t been able to do a huge amount.  However, since my last post, I have made a start on a few things: - bought a cactus and an orchid to work on the indoor gardener badge - started to hand sew a rabbit as part of the designer badge and potentially part of the builder badge as well because it is part of a kit but I don’t know if I will be able to use it for that or not yet… - arranged a pottery day with a friend of mine who does her own pottery as part of the craft badge - started a journal to record progress - ordered some wool to knit Christmas presents for two special people - ordered the rebel with a cause badge and a load of stickers to start my rebel journal  I’m hoping this bank holiday weekend at home will give me a good chance to make a good chunk of progress on getting some photos taken and a couple more things set up ☺️

 Hi, I'm Ali and I've recently discovered the Rebel Badge Book and Facebook group. I am very excited to become a rebel and start working on badges. One of the first ones I am going to start working towards is the Writer's badge from Book 1. This blog will be my writing project for Writer, and potentially Advanced Writer. I am notoriously rubbish at regularly updating social media. This blog is an old one that I started years ago to record the crafts I made. I've just deleted all the old content to update it to record my Rebel progress and the last post on it was in 2015! Here's hoping I'll be a bit more successful this time!