Challenge 20# - Make Me Smile

This is probably one of my most important challenges. A friend is going through a tough time and I am trying very hard to keep her smiling. I started to send her motivational quotes and she challenged me to find a new one every day for 30 days that will make her smile.

It's lovely to have another reason for a challenge and to feel it might instantly make a difference. I will post a montage of the best ones here when we're done. I hope it makes someone else smile too :)

If you know of any great quotes please send them my way!

Number 1:

Remember you can support this or any other challenge by donating at www.justgiving.com/30before30sense

Challenge 19# - Watch the mirrors!

"Rachel I challenge you to get a car in your garage". Easy, I've only got a mazda 2, I'll clear everything into the garden and drive it in. "Therefore it would have to be cleared out to the point where it can permanently fit". Ah...

So on the surface easy peasy, take me maybe 2 hours. But the garage is rammed full of boxes, theres a dryer in there, there's even my desk and all my school stuff. Plus this will involve admitting to my husband that I stuffed the chest freezer we don't use full of school files to hide how much I brought home from my old job.

This came about from us mentioning in passing we had never seen a garage with a car in it, that everyone just uses them for storage. Note to self when you are engaged in charity challenges never mention anything in passing. So this becomes less a challenge of getting my small car in (though I'm starting to think that might be tough with an empty garage) and more a challenge of tidying.

I am the world's messiest person. I remember where things are based on where I last put them. Plus I hoard. More than I realize.

So this is the garage in its current state. I have technically until May to change that!

Remember you can support this or any other challenge by donating at www.justgiving.com/30before30sense

Challenge 18# - Sewing!

I'm sure there are wonderfully domesticated nearly 30 wives out there. Who cook, clean, bake and sew. If you know me or have previously read this blog you'll know I'm not one of them!

So when my friend from sign language Charlotte challenged me to sew her a skirt for the festive season I was apprehensive. For her. She's the one who has to wear it! I did textiles at school (a good 15 years ago) but I'm ashamed to say I pratted about with my friends quite a bit and it wasn't a great success. I haven't sewn since, I don't even own a needle and thread.

There is the added problem that as you can see from the photo below Charlotte is super stylish! So wish me (and Charlotte) luck on this one. Maybe I'll find a hidden talent, hopefully it will at least stay up.

Remember to support this or any other challenge donate at www.justgiving.com/30before30sense

Challenge 17# - Picture Round

For this challenge I have to remember to stay quite secretive. Every year since I can remember there has been a quiz on Boxing Day in the village where I grew up. It is run by a good friend Allan Stone and despite trying to blag answers from Allan every year we have never been successful. We have tried everything from taking a cordless phone to the pub (pre mobile times) to having mixed age teams in the hope we would win but to no avail.

The hardest round for me has always been the picture round. They are often current celebrities but pictures of them years ago and Allan always photocopies the images over and over until they are almost unrecognizable. This year he has challenged me to help out with the quiz and to set the picture round. It's very exciting for me to be behind the scenes of the quiz and nice to not be trying to win this year!

So I've got my thinking cap on now and I'm trying to create something challenging but possible. If you frequent the quiz there will be no help from me either - I'm sticking to Allan's rules!

Remember you can support this or any other challenge by donating at www.justgiving.com/30before30sense

Challenge 16# - Charity Fashion Show!

Now on paper this one is a lot of fun. An ex colleague (the lovely Maureen Cooper) offered to run a fashion show for my charity and challenged me to help. I was very happy as it seemed such an easy and fun one to do. However I've since moved jobs so it's much further away and more of a challenge to get people involved in. Therefore it's one of the ones I'm more nervous about as I so want it to be a success!

We need at least 80 people for it to go ahead, so if you are willing and able to come please do! It's £5 entrance including refreshment and all the money goes to the charity. The company that come sell massively discounted highstreet clothes (great timing in the run up to Christmas).

It's on the 7th November at 7pm at Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School (in between Chesterfield and Sheffield).

To support this challenge please contact me about tickets! rachbuckley30@gmail.com

Completed Challenge 15# - Aye Aye Captain!

This one was brilliant fun. We were originally supposed to go on the 12th October but the weather was absolutely atrocious. I woke the morning of the 26th and it didn't look much better. However as we got there the sun started to poke it's head out and although there was the odd shower there was a good wind and it was beautiful.

About 16 years ago I had been sailing on the big boat so I tried desperately to remember the terms. When we began I was still pondering which was starboard or port so I decided just to start afresh. Thankfully Rod was a fantastic teacher and very patient with me. Suddenly it was "ready about", "leo", "boom", "jib" and port and starboard were the least of my worries. It was very physical and Rod sometimes had to yank my rope after me as I just wasn't strong enough. The biggest thing to get used was having to hang outside the boat to keep it level. It just didn't feel natural and I was first convinced that I would just topple out.

Rod assured me we wouldn't capsize but then told my sister that was providing the ropes didn't snap which they sometimes did! I was all for just having ago and not worrying too much about race placement. But sailing is a competitive sport and so I soon learned you absolutely aim to win. Ours were pursuit races where everyone has a set start time based on the handicap on the boat. We were one of the last to start so it was exhilarating playing catchup constantly.

My family came to watch and after a nail biting 68 minutes we came second! It was so unexpected to me I was thrilled. The wind had changed for the 2nd race and despite our best efforts we couldn't improve on it and came third. However for a rookie I think bronze and silver is pretty impressive. I want to thank Rod and everyone at Ogston Sailing Club for making me feel so welcome. It was very different from the big boat (distinct lack of gin and tonics and a hell of a lot more bruises) but what an amazing experience.

There's also a short video here of us pipping to second! Remember if you want to support this or any other challenge please donate at www.justgiving.com/30before30sense

Complete Challenge #14 - Quiz Time

This completion is bittersweet for me. I was very pleased to get 16 correct out of 20 on my quiz but it does mean one of my best friends has now jetted off on her travels! The quiz was tough as it was a mixture of questions on the airbus A380 (for which I had done a lot of revision) and random ones about her trip. She largely dropped these into conversations with other people throughout the evening; so I had to be constantly alert.

Thanks for the challenge Ali, I promise not to call you a geek again at least until you are back. Have a wonderful trip!

Remember you can support this or any other challenge through www.justgiving.com/30before30sense

Challenge 15# - Aye Aye Captain!

Well this is another scary one! A long standing family friend Rod has challenged me to learn to crew and then race a sailboat on a local reservoir. I was lucky enough to go on their yacht once as a teenager. However this involved sunbathing, watching the dolphins swim by, and the occasional attempt to look useful! Rod suggested we go during October as from November the 'wet suit rule comes in'. I would be quite happy to wear a wet suit but Rod assures me I probably won't fall in. I'm wondering whether I could get away with wearing one under my clothes and he wouldn't notice I'm a wuss!

So weather dependent we'll be going on the 12th or the 26th and I'm lucky enough to trust my captain!

Challenge 14# - Quiz Time

It is true; karma really does exist. After years of taking the mick out of one my best friends for her geeky interest in planes she has turned the tables on me. The challenge is for me to learn all about the Airbus 380 and she will give me a £1 for every question I get right in a quiz she has devised. To add something to the mix she will also throw in some questions about the 7 month trip she is about to embark on.


 Just in case any of that seems too easy I will have to glean the information about her trip whilst out for dinner with a big group of our friends. Noisy restaurants when hearing impaired are not the easiest places so I will have to try and get the best seat and not
drink anything that might impair my memory!

 Thanks Ali!




Remember you can donate to support this or any other challenge at www.justgiving.com/30before30sense