I found out about this challenge at some point during 2025, and decided to take part. As of the 27th December 2025, I've read 66 Audiobooks. I will have probably finished 70 by the end of 2025.
For 2026 I am aiming to read 75 Audiobooks, which is the Over-achiever level for the 2026 Audiobook Challenge from the Caffeinated Reviewer.
Follow my progress on The StoryGraph.
Today I have officially finished the Writer Badge for the Rebel Badge Book. I've been working on my website and blog for this badge for 6 months.
For the first month or so I tried different blog and website creation platforms including WordPress, Google Sites, and Blogger. Finally I decided on Wix - which is what I've used to create this site - because I was please with the free version and tools available.
This website is an ongoing project and there are things I still need to add, and things I need to change.
I've discovered that I can only have 100 static pages, I've used 50 already, so I need to change some of the static pages to blog posts, and I have lots of craft projects, Rebel badge work, allotment things etc that I want to write about.
I'm proud of my progress so far.
Today I attended a soap making workshop at the Bedminster Community Hub. The workshop was run by a lovely person called Josie, she provided all of the equipment and demonstrated what we needed to do.
We used melt and pour soap base, essential oils, and mica to make our soaps in silicone moulds.
Deciding which mould, fragrance and colours to use. I chose a flower shaped mould, lavender and sandalwood essential oils with purple, blue and gold for my first batch, which were "tie-dye" soaps. The second batch was a layered soap, for this I chose lavender and orange essential oils with light purple and blue layers.
Measuring out and melting the melt and pour soap base. Josie had already worked out how much soap base was needed for each mould, we added the weight she directed to a microwaveable jug and heated it for 30-50 seconds (until fully melted) in the microwave.
We added colour and fragrance to the melted soap base.
With the "tie-dye" soaps, we sprinkled a little mica power (I used blue and gold) into the bottom of the mould, sprayed it with rubbing alcohol, then poured the coloured (purple) and fragranced (lavender and sandalwood) soap base into the mould. Afterwards we sprayed the surface of the freshly poured soap with rubbing alcohol to remove any bubbles from the surface.
I didn't make a swirl soap, but to do this you need 2 jugs of the soap base each with half the weight you need. Add different colours to each jug. Then pour both jugs into the mould at the same time moving the jugs slowly as you pour.
With the layered soaps, you melt half the soap base you need first, add colour (purple) and fragrance (lavender and orange) to it, then pour it into the mould. Spray with rubbing alcohol to prevent bubbles, then wait for it to partially set. Once the first layer has set so that it is firm to touch, but not completely set, spray again with more rubbing alcohol. Then prepare the second layer of soap base (blue with lavender and orange), and carefully pour it onto the first layer.
Leave the soap to set either at room temperature or in the fridge. Once the soap has set you can remove it from the moulds.
