Rebel Badge Club: Brain Games

Brain Games was the Wellness badge I chose to complete for my Kickstart 2024 quarterly challenge. It was definitely out of my comfort zone, as I didn’t already play any games like this: in my free time I generally prefer to read or craft. Still, I enjoyed doing something different for a few weeks..

A copy of Murdle by G. T. Karber

To gain the badge I had to spend at least two hours a week playing brain games, for a period of at least eight weeks. I also had to try at least five different types of games. I completed the Murdle puzzle book, several Sudokus, a jigsaw and The Transport for London Puzzle Book, which contained many different kinds of puzzle including crosswords, word searches, logic puzzles and trivia.

A part-completed jigsaw showing the London Underground Map

I also had to play at least one game with someone else. I visited jigsawpuzzles.io and played some puzzles with others, which made me feel quite competitive!

I do find puzzles like this quite difficult and can get frustrated when I can’t work out the answers. However I have realised that I do find jigsaws quite relaxing, and might try and do more of them! I will definitely be getting the Murdle sequel too, as I found the first book to be a lot of fun.

Date completed: 29 February 2024

Rebel Badge Club: You’ve Got Rebel Mail

February Challenge 2024

The February challenge has ended up being one of my favourite ever monthly badges. To claim the badge, you only have to complete three items on the grid, but I definitely want to complete the whole thing this year.

The ones I chose for the badge were:

A letter designed to make a difference. I signed up to the charity From Me To You which distributes handwritten letters to cancer patients.

A postcard celebrating an incredible woman for IWD. Some of us in Rosa Patrol got together to send around a postcard of Rosa Parks.

A homemade postcard to a fellow Rebel. I painted a watercolour flower design on a postcard to send out.

A selection of post

Since the badge I have also completed the following clauses:

Something in a handmade envelope. I drew Rebel badges on some paper and made an envelope to give out some stickers at the Big Rebel Meet Up in Reading.

A postcard to a child who does not live with you. I responded to a request by a US rebel for postcards for her Scout troop.

A ‘Palentines’ card to a friend. I sent a Palentine’s card to my oldest childhood friend.

Rebel Badge Club: Gamer

I got Gamer as one of the badges in my Badge Roulette. My brother was particularly pleased at this as he is a keen gamer, and immediately offered to help me with it. I was happy to accept!

I used to enjoy gaming when I was a child. My brother and I had an original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), which we got second hand from an older cousin, as well as a Sega Mega Drive II which we played on quite a lot. I have fond memories of playing Micro Machines with my brother and our neighbours. However, as I got older, other hobbies and interests took over, and I spent very little time playing games (with a couple of honourable exceptions like the Worms and Spyro the Dragon franchises).

Doing this badge did help me to recapture some of the fun I had with games in my youth, although it also – particularly the book I chose to read – reminded me of a key reason I don’t play games much these days. An often-cited strength of video games is that it allows you choice and agency to make decisions that affect the progress of the game, but I don’t want that! If a character dies in a book, or something upsetting happens, at least I know it’s not my fault. I couldn’t handle the guilt if something I did caused a character to suffer or die – even though they aren’t real!

Play a game from the 1980s or 1990s.

I played Resident Evil (1996) for the PlayStation. It was quite frightening especially when the zombies started coming at me!

Visit a gaming museum or exhibition.

I visited Power Up, a permanent gaming exhibition at the Science Museum in London. There was a timeline of gaming consoles with examples from different eras, as well as sections for single-player, multi-player, virtual reality and arcade games. My brother and I played on Micro Machines 2 (a game we both enjoyed as children), and I had a go on Sonic the Hedgehog, one of the Zelda games, Super Smash Bros. and Street Fighter.

Watch a film based on a computer game.

I watched Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), which was fairly enjoyable, if not amazing. I’m not entirely convinced by Jim Carrey’s interpretation of Dr Robotnik!

Read or listen to a book about computer games.

I read Lost in a Good Game by Pete Etchells, which I found really interesting.

paperback copy of Lost In A Good Game by Pete Etchells

Research inclusivity and accessibility developments in the gaming space.

I found these articles particularly interesting:

Game accessibility: how gaming is improving inclusivity

Diversity in esports: The initiatives making esports more inclusive

Beyond Words: Accessibility and Inclusive Gaming

Make a timeline of gaming consoles.

I tried to include most of the key consoles in my timeline.

Research charities which support people through gaming.

AbleGamers work with individuals, developers and engineers to give disabled people the same opportunities when it comes to gaming as everyone else. The charity “creates opportunities that enable play in order to combat social isolation, foster inclusive communities, and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.” SpecialEffect is a similar charity, with a focus on developing features including eye-gaze technology to improve accessibility. TheRockinR is a small charity that provides interactive gaming carts for use by children and young people in hospital.

Choose a game, and complete it, including any side quests or explorations.

After reading about it online, I chose to complete Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery (2023), consisting of Frog Detective: The Haunted Island (2018), Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard (2019) and Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County (2022). The games are super adorable with sweet graphics, and are perfect for beginners.

Screenshot from Frog Detective showing Frog Detective on the phone

Play at least three new games from three different genres. At least one of the games should be multiplayer.

I played the following three games: The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (2015), PowerWash Simulator (2021) and Streets of Rage 4 (2020), all on the PlayStation 4. The Witcher had beautiful graphics but I found it quite difficult. PowerWash Simulator was quite relaxing! Streets of Rage had a real retro feel and my brother and I actually managed to complete it.

Date completed: 26 February 2024

Rebel Badge Club: Living My Best Life

Living My Best Life is the monthly badge for January 2024 and I think it’s one of my favourites so far. It’s all about looking forward and planning for what’s ahead. I had great fun making all these lists.

Make a list of 24 new things to do or try in 2024. Make a start on the list this month.

  1. Try a new variety of wine
  2. Try a new variety of gin
  3. Try a new cocktail
  4. Visit a new restaurant
  5. Visit a new destination abroad
  6. Read a book by a new author
  7. Visit a new place in the UK
  8. Stitch a new cross stitch pattern
  9. Complete a new crochet project
  10. Visit a new museum or art gallery
  11. See a new play
  12. Visit a new exhibition
  13. Try a new craft
  14. Learn to play a new instrument
  15. Try a new sport or activity
  16. Take part in a new Hidden London tour
  17. Watch a new TV show
  18. Make a new dress
  19. Plant a new flower
  20. Find a new geocache
  21. Play a new video game
  22. See a new band or singer live
  23. Design a new cross stitch pattern
  24. Make a new dessert

Make a vision board or collage of your ideal ‘best life’.

vision board

Make a gratitude list of the parts of your life which bring you happiness.

  • My family and friends
  • The city I live in
  • Being able to travel
  • The job I’m comfortable in
  • Rebel Badge Club
  • Going to exhibitions, museums and the theatre
  • Reading
  • Crafting

Have a screen free day. Use the time to do something you’ve struggled to find time for.

I tried having a screen-free day but it didn’t go quite as planned. I mostly managed to avoid mindless scrolling, and got several screen-free things done including writing a letter to my friend, walking, finishing a book and doing some embroidery. However I still needed to use a screen for my daily YouTube yoga session, and I certainly wasn’t going to lose my Duolingo streak.

I think I mostly kept to the spirit of the clause – something like yoga can hardly be classed as ‘screen time’ even though I was following an online class. However I found myself getting more stressed as I had to keep reminding myself that I was supposed to be having a screen-free day and not to look at my phone!

Make at least three New Year’s resolutions which you can’t break if you have an off day.

Work on maintaining my mental health.

Move more: running, walking, swimming, skating, miscellaneous.

Keep in touch with friends and family.

Take some time to reflect on the following areas of your life. Where could you make positive changes this year? Plan some changes to your year based on the results.

Diet: Cook and eat good quality, nutritious food
Fitness: Improve my upper body fitness
Work: Improve my wider knowledge of learning tech
Free time: Stop mindless scrolling
Home: Declutter regularly
Family: Spend more time with family
Friends: Keep in regular contact with friends
Learning: Start studying the Classical Civilisation A Level

Choose at least one of the Rebel Annual Badges to work on this year.

I’ve actually decided to work on all of the badges this year – I’m a bit of a completionist! 52 Books In A Year won’t be a problem as I don’t think I’ve read fewer than 100 books a year since I became an adult. The Big Rebel Adventure will definitely be a challenge – I know I wouldn’t be able to manage the 3 Peaks Challenge in June but I would like to join the group for the Surrey Three Peaks in March – I think that will be doable for me.

More Time Outside is something I would like to aim for – hopefully I can manage the full 1000 hours. I’ve been doing lots of walks outdoors, plus a bit of geocaching, and I’m sure the Rebel Summer Camp in August will help! I haven’t firmed up my plans for Rebel With A Cause yet but I’ve been thinking about volunteering my time for environmental causes (which should also help with More Time Outside).

Rebel Badge Club: Board Games

I’ve been working on my Board Games badge for almost a year now: I began it at the Bromsgrove meet up last February, and worked on it throughout the year at various meet ups. I’m not usually a fan of board games, unless they’re the party-game type with simple rules. I can’t really be bothered with complicated rules and complex games. However, I did enjoy the badge.

Learn about at least ten different categories of board game, and play at least one game from each category.

David Parlett’s Oxford History of Board Games (1999) defines four primary categories: race games (where the goal is to be the first to move all one’s pieces to the final destination), space games (in which the object is to arrange the pieces into some special configuration), chase games (asymmetrical games, where players start the game with different sets of pieces and objectives) and displace games (where the main objective is the capture of the opponents’ pieces).

Further research led me to a wider list of categories, from which I selected the below. I played at least one game from each category over the course of the year.

Abstract strategy games: These games have a minimal narrative theme, outcomes determined by player choice, and all players have perfect information about them. New York Zoo

Card games: These games use cards as their sole or central component. Kittens in a Blender

Cooperative games: Games in which players work together to achieve a common goal, rather than competing against each other. Players win the game by reaching a pre-determined objective, or lose the game by not reaching this objective before the game is ended. Forbidden Desert

Dexterity games: These games rely on players’ coordination and physical reflexes as an important factor in overall success. Rhino Hero

Fantasy games: These are games with a fantastical setting, such as Middle Earth or Discworld. Escape from Atlantis

Party games: These games are perfect for parties, with quick setup and simple rules. They are played quickly, can accommodate large groups of people, and encourage social interaction. Geistes Blitz

Race games: In race games the object is to be the first to move all your pieces to the end of a track. The earliest board games are race games: implements and representations date back to at least the 3rd millennium BC in Egypt, Iraq, and Iran. Race games often use dice to decide game options and how far to move pieces. Shark Chase

Single-player puzzle games: These are games designed for one player to work alone to achieve the game objective. Solitaire

Train games: These games represent the construction and operation of railways. Ticket to Ride

Word games: These games are designed to test ability with language or to explore its properties. Word Round

Hold a games night with friends, family or your local Rebellion.

I attended a board games afternoon at the Southbank Centre with the London Rebellion, and we played Kittens in a Blender, Forbidden Desert and Bug Bash.

Create and build your own board game.

I created a game called South!, inspired by Antarctica. The aim of the game is to be the first to reach the South Pole. I did have fun creating this game – particularly the game cards with different scenarios.

A board game board with a drawing of Antarctica

Play a board game created this year.

I asked for a fun game for Christmas called ‘Obey the Clay’, inspired by Aardman animations. I pretty much forced my family to play it on Christmas Day and it was silly, but highly amusing!

Obey the Clay game

Play a board game popular in the decade in which you were born.

At a board games café in Croydon, with the London Rebellion, I played Survive: Escape from Atlantis, originally released in 1982.

Play a giant version of a board game.

I visited Monopoly Lifesized with a friend when she was down in London, and had a great time.

The Monopoly Lifesized board

Visit a board games café and play at least three games you’ve never played before.

At Ludoquist in Croydon, as well as Survive I also played P for Pizza, Geistes Blitz, and New York Zoo.

Play a digital version of a board game.

I played the digital version of Paperback Vol. 2.

Date completed: 17 January 2024

Rebel Badge Club: My People

Page from the Rebel Badge Book showing the My People badge

Though I’ve been working on the My People badge for the last three months, I finally completed it on 1 January – a positive way to start the new year.

I was actually a bit nervous about doing this badge, because I don’t tend to see other people very often. I’m single. I live in London, and my family and some of my closest friends live in the north east. I work from home. Most of my friends in London have children and partners, so I only tend to see them once a month at most. I’m actually fine with that, but thought the people tracker would be quite sparse as a result.

As it turned out, I was able to fill in more than I thought – my volunteering and roller skate classes meant that I was more social than I usually am. The rest of this badge was quite personal, so I won’t share much on here, but I’m happy I put the effort in.

Date completed: 1 January 2024

Rebel Badge Club: Kickstart 2024 (Quarterly badge 1, 2024)

I always look forward to the first quarterly badge of 2024 as it helps me think about the upcoming year and how I want it to go. The Kickstart 2024 badge looks great and I think I’m really going to enjoy working on this one.

To complete this badge, I need to do the following:

  • Complete either My Goals or Good Habits: I’ve already completed both of these, so that’s one clause complete.
  • Complete a badge from the Wellness section: I’ve chosen Brain Games.
  • Complete a badge from the Grown Up section: I’ve chosen Coder.
  • Start a badge which takes longer than 3 months to complete: I’ve chosen Advanced Adulting.

I will link to my posts on the above badges once I’ve completed them.

I also need to do the following:

  • Write a list of at least 12 goals or targets for 2024.
  • Choose at least 4 of the goals, and work towards them over the next three months. Share your progress.

My twelve chosen goals are below:

  1. Complete the Race to the South Pole challenge
  2. Sign up for the Classical Civilisation A level
  3. Complete my Silver Maverick
  4. Start my Gold Maverick
  5. Walk the London Capital Ring
  6. Have a holiday abroad
  7. Have a glamping break
  8. Watch all of the BBC Shakespeare films
  9. Find a good foundation
  10. Sort & tag all my books on LibraryThing
  11. Complete a savings challenge
  12. Complete my existing cross stitch projects before buying more

Rebel Badge Club: Florist

Florist is the last badge I completed during 2023, but I’ve actually been working on it for most of the year. I began in February with a bouquet workshop at Lush on Oxford Street, had letterbox flowers delivered throughout the year, attended an ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) workshop, and took part in another workshop at Lush, this time to create a pumpkin posy pot. Finally, I ordered a selection of festive flowers for my family to enjoy at Christmas.

Create a florist’s toolkit and learn how to use each item properly

I obtained some floral tape, pruning shears, mini snippers and florist wire. Other items available include pins and water picks, but I decided against these – though I am tempted to get a kenzan (flower frog) in the future after my ikebana workshop!

Learn about the seven main principles of floristry

There are many online resources, but I found this article particularly helpful.

The seven main principles are:

  1. Balance
  2. Scale
  3. Proportion
  4. Dominance/Emphasis
  5. Rhythm
  6. Contrast
  7. Harmony

Learn how to use floral foam and tape to hold arrangements in place

I watched several YouTube videos about how to use floral foam and tape, including the correct way to soak floral foam and the best ways to use tape. I decided against buying any floral foam to use myself as my research suggested it is really bad for the environment.

What substances can you add to water to preserve flowers longer?

Sugar, white vinegar, aspirin and bleach all help with flower preservation.

Learn which shapes of vase best suit which shapes of bloom

There are so many different shapes and styles of vase that it can be quite confusing! According to my research, long-stemmed flowers can be used in several vases but are best suited to column vases. Flare vases are perfect for more complicated arrangements including both foliage and flowers. Urn vases are ideal for tulips, while bubble vases are ideal for flowers that have been cut clean off the stems. Cylinder vases work best for tall flowers which need some control, while square vases are great for flowers with heavy blooms.

Explore and experiment with different shapes of flower arrangement

I made different kinds of arrangements in vases I picked up on Vinted and in charity shops ( after realising that I didn’t actually own any!). It was interesting to try and decide which vase to use for each collection of flowers.

Spend at least three months practising floral arrangements

I spent about a year on this altogether, spreading out my flower purchases as they are not the cheapest to buy. Overall I made 12 arrangements.

Experiment with a wide range of different blooms, including wild flowers

I used many different kinds of flower over the course of the year, according to what was seasonal. My favourites were my brightly-coloured pumpkin pot and the beautiful red Christmas selection.

Keep a record of all the different arrangements you make during the course of this badge

I took photos of all my arrangements, and displayed them in a collage at the end of the year.

Florist collage

Date completed: 24 December 2023

Rebel Badge Club: Winter Challenge

I was looking forward to the Winter Challenge, mainly because the badge is a penguin! I had to complete six of the clauses to claim the badge, and of course I did the three penguin-related ones, among others.

Make a winter wreath.

I ran out of time to get anything except the wreath base for the Rebel Fest wreath-making session, so I improvised with some ribbons and brooches.

A ribbon-covered wreath decorated with Christmas brooches

Cook your favourite comfort food and share the recipe with the group.

Cacio e pepe (‘cheese and pepper’) is a fairly recent addition to my (admittedly limited) cooking repertoire. I visited Rome in April with my mam and we ate this there; she went looking for the recipe when we got back.

The below is suitable for vegetarians, but you can add anything you want to this base recipe.

Ingredients

  • 225g long pasta (spaghetti, linguine or similar)
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp ground black pepper
  • 100g freshly grated hard cheese (pecorino is traditional but I use whatever supermarket hard cheese is marked as vegetarian!)

Recipe

Cook the pasta in a pan of salted boiling water until ‘al dente’ (with a bit of a bite), about 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Prepare the sauce: while the pasta is cooking melt the butter and oil in a shallow saucepan. Add the pepper and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add about half a cup of the hot (but not boiling) pasta water and stir vigorously to combine, creating a creamy sauce.

Combine the pasta and sauce: turn the heat to low and add the hot pasta to the saucepan. Stir in the cheese and stir well to combine, about 1 minute. Add 2-3 tbsp of the pasta water and mix until the preferred consistency is reached. Serve immediately, garnished with extra pepper and cheese, & fresh parsley (optional).

bowl of cacio e pepe

Watch a film or documentary about penguins.

I watched Mr Forbush and the Penguins, a 70s film about a womanising student whose experience studying penguins in the Antarctic changes him profoundly. Some of the film was definitely of its time, but the scenes with the penguins themselves were great.

dvd cover of Mr Forbush and The Penguins

Learn about initiatives to keep the homeless warm in your area. Do something proactive to help your local homeless community.

I donated to a local homeless project.

Learn about at least three different types of penguins. Display your knowledge in a medium of your own choice.

I made a presentation about a few different types of penguin, with help from my cuddly penguins!

Make a penguin

I made this beaded keyring and pendant from a kit I got from Etsy.

beaded penguin pendant and keyring

Rebel Badge Club: My Roots

My family tree

I’ve been working on this badge all year, and I’m really pleased I’ve completed it. I won’t say I’ve completed my family tree research, as that’s something that can never really end, but I’ve made a lot of progress this year.

I should admit that all the work on the right side of the tree is thanks to my mam, who has been researching her family for years. I started researching my dad’s side back in the early 2000s and I built on that research this year. Technology has definitely moved on in the last couple of decades!

To complete the badge, I bought a huge family tree document and have added all of my direct ancestors to it – at least, everyone who fits! I plan to show it to my family over Christmas – whether they want to see it or not. *Cue evil laugh*

Date completed: 22 December 2023