I am turning 29 next month, which means next year I’m going to have to go round all my social media and change the ‘twenty-something’ that has served me well for the last ten years to ‘thirty-something’ instead. Sigh. Effort.

It also means I feel like I should *do* something with this final period of twenty-somethingness. So why not 30 somethings, just for fun?

I will aim to update this page with how I’m doing on each thing as I go along. So you can cheer me on, or something.

EDIT: I have changed a couple of things from my original list because Life decided they were impractical. That’s all fine, I like to roll with the punches. I’ll still do 30 things in the end!

Here we go:

1. Read 30 books that are new to me:

1. Second Lives by Scott K. Andrews, 4*
2. One Italian Summer by Keris Stainton, 5*
3. Release by Patrick Ness, 5*
4. 1984 by George Orwell, 3*
5. Animal Farm by George Orwell, 3.5*
6. The Last Wild by Piers Torday, 5*
7. Kook by Chris Vick, 4.5*
8. Mama’s Boy and Other Dark Tales by Fran Friel, 2.5*
9. Power Game by Christine Feehan, 3*
10. Coping With Life After Stroke by Dr. Mareeni Raymond, 4*
11. Cogheart by Peter Bunzl, 5*
12. The Little Shop Of Happy Ever After by Jenny Colgan, 4*
13. The Hunter’s Kind by Rebecca Levene, 4*
14. Here I Stand by Amnesty International (Various Authors), 5*
15. SweetFreak by Sophie McKenzie, 3*
16. S.T.A.G.S. by M. A. Bennett, 5*
17. Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine, 5*
18. The Things We Learn When We’re Dead by Charlie Laidlaw, 4*
19. One Of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
20. The Call by Peadar Ó Guilín, 5*
21. Rivers of London: Body Work by Ben Aaranovitch, 5*
22. The House Of Doctor Dee by Peter Ackroyd, 3*
23. Life On The Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers, 4*
24. Death In The Stars by Frances Brody, 4*
25. Night Of Cake And Puppets by Laini Taylor, 5*
26. Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill, 4*
27. La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman, 5*
28. Turtles All The Way Down by John Green, 4*
29. What Does This Button Do? An Autobiography by Bruce Dickinson, 5*
30. After The Quake by Haruki Murakami, 4*

2. Watch 30 films that are new to me

1. Speed (1994), 4.5*
2. Captain America: Civil War (2016), 4*
3. Clue (1985), 4.5*
4. Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (2016), 4*
5. Below Her Mouth (2016), 2.5*
6. Wonder Woman (2017), 4*
7. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), 4*
8. Cars 3 (2017), 4*
9. Lego Batman (2017), 2*
10. Nerve (2016), 4*
11. Moana (2016), 4*
12. xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017), 3.5*
13. Baywatch (2017), 4.5*
14. Pixels (2015), 4*
15. Wind River (2017), 3*
16. Kubo & The Two Strings (2016), 3.5*
17. Rogue One (2016), 5*
18. The Last Jedi (2017), 5*
19. Jack Frost (1998), 3*
20. Shaun the Sheep (2004), 4*
21. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), 5*
22. Kingsman – The Golden Circle (2017), 4*
23. King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (2017), 4*
24. The Secret Life Of Pets (2016), 3.5*
25. Love, Simon (2018), 5*
26. Inside Out (2015), 3.5*
27. Jurassic World (2015), 5*
28. Ready Player One (2018), 4*
29. The Greatest Showman (2018), 4*

3. Acquire Scrabble and teach the kids to play it

• Scrabble acquired!
• Scrabble played!4. Fly a kite

Arthur made a kite at Beavers and we took it to the park on the next windy day and flew it together!

5. Learn To Sail

RYA Level 1 – Passed!

6. Visit 10 new-to-me National Trust/English Heritage properties/estates/sites

1. Haughmond Abbey, English Heritage
2. Acton Burnell Castle, English Heritage
3. Wenlock Edge, National Trust
4. Shugborough Estate, National Trust
5. Buildwas Abbey, English Heritage
6. Wenlock Priory, English Heritage
7. Benthall Hall, National Trust
8. Cantlop Bridge, English Heritage
9. Beeston Castle, English Heritage
10. Clun Castle, English Heritage

 

 

 

 

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7. Have/book a spa day

8. Visit Hawkestone Park and climb to the top of the tower & cross the scary bridge

9. Complete 3 hand-made cards

 

 

 

10. Make 3 new-to-me cocktails (and drink them, obviously)

11. Cycle 50 miles in total (not all at once!)

Running total: 11 miles

12. Eat out at 10 different pubs/restaurants

1. River Thai, Shrewsbury
2. Linkwood Lodge, Elgin
3. The Featherbed, Shrewsbury
4. The Royal Botanical Gardens, Edinburgh
5. The Gingerbread Man, Market Drayton
6. Foodsion, Market Drayton
7. The Black Swan, in Derbyshire somewhere I think…]
8. The Red Lion, Market Drayton
9. The Hippodrome, Market Drayton

13. Eat something I have grown myself.

14. Try a new exercise class

Clubbercize! It was awesome, I’m going again!

15. Enter a virtual race, raise money for charity & get a funky medal.

• I have signed up to do either 5k, 10k or half marathon distance either running, walking or hiking during the month of June 2017 in aid of The Stroke Association.
• On June 3rd I completed a hike around and over Brown Clee Hill that was a little over 10km. (I took Caius with me, it was fun.)
• Funky Super Mario medal received!
• Signed up for a second 10k hike in November with my Mum!
• November walk done.
• Funky Direwolf medal received!

16. Make 5 new-to-me savoury recipes

1. Shiitake Mushroom Risotto with Green Beans (and chicken nuggets to appease the kids!)
2. Sang Choi Bao Turkey 
3. Campfire Stew (forgot to take a photo!)
4. Brazilian-Style Fried Rice Cakes 
5. Butternut Squash and Chicken Pasta Bake

17. Make 5 new-to-me sweet recipes

1. Old English Jumbles 
2. Slow Cooker Brownie Cake 
3. Gruffalo Cake!
4.  Vegan Biscuits (I forgot to take a photo)

18. Swim in the sea

I swam in the sea in Malta! There were fish and super creepy… metal things on the sea floor (sea defences? I have no idea but they scared me!)

19. Be a book fairy 3 times

1. London Euston Station Platform, The Breadwinner
2. Euston Square Platform, Power Game

20. Blog every day for a month

February 2018. Every. Single. Day. DONE!

21. Complete at least one of my colouring/puzzle books from cover to cover

22. Host a dinner party

Hosted Christmas dinner for 7!!

23. Stay in 3 different hotels

1. Radisson Blu, Golden Sands, Malta
2. Comfotel Grn, Shepherds Bush Road, London
3. Leonardo Hotel, Edinburgh

24. Get my ear pierced again (I have always wanted it doing at the top on the ear that sticks out more. It stands out anyway so I may as well decorate it, right?)

25. Volunteer at an event

• Joined the committee for the local Scout group! Lots of volunteering ahead.

26. Complete a High-Ropes course

27. Knit myself something!

28. Get A Job

Started working at a Gingerbread Factory in November ’17!

29. Go to the theatre

Night At The Musicals, Theatre Severn, 25/06/2017

30. Have a birthday party!