Blog 22 - Be Happy, Eat Chocolate!

Another weekend has past and another challenge has been completed! To celebrate the fact that my childhood friends and I are all turning 40 this year, we decided to go away for the weekend so rented a converted barn in Croyde, North Devon. We celebrated in style with champagne, presecco, lots of wine and stunning food. To add to the mix of alcohol consumed, even though we are all around the age of 40, we also added one of my challenges to revert to our childhood! The ‘Chocolate Challenge Competition’ which basically consisted of 5 chocolate inspired games to compete against each other.

The five rounds consisted of;

1) Using a straw only, pick up as many maltesers as possible in a minute from a bowl and place in a beaker.

2) Build the tallest single stacked Rolo tower.

3) Using a pair of chopsticks only, pick up as many smarties as possible in a minute from a bowl and place in a beaker.  

4) Stuff as many maltesers in your mouth, without chewing or swallowing any.

5) Stick as many chocolate buttons as possible to your face.

Much hilarity and profanity ensued while my eight friends and I attempted to play these games. The best straw sucking stars were Kath and Kate who managed to suck up 24 and 23 maltesers respectively! I managed to build the tallest Rolo tower with 20 rolos, Sarah managed to pick up 20 smarties with the chopsticks and I managed to stick the most chocolate buttons to my face! There was fierce competition in the malteaser mouth stuffing game with Kath beating us all hands down squeezing in 30 maltesers, Tracey was a close second with 27 stuffed in and I managed a pathetic 18!

This challenge has also been documented by video, but to save everyone else’s blushes I have edited the video to just a couple of my attempts as we all know I’ve got no dignity left! I can only apologise...

So the 20^th challenge completed, 20 more to go and it’s the Big Zipper next!!!!

Blog 21 - We must eat cake!

The eighteenth and nineteenth challenges were not really about strength, difficulty or tests of endurance, well unless you count trying to eat as many cakes as possible in an hour as an endurance challenge? 

These two challenges were about having fun and doing things that I wouldn't normally do. Although I work in a theatre and arts centre and I get to see many amazing productions that tour to Newport, I don't often get the opportunity to see theatre in London. I have wanted to see a London professional drama production for some time so I added this to my list of 40 challenges. Luckily my generous Aunt who lives in London said that she would buy me a ticket for my birthday present. We decided to see the play ‘Other Desert Cities’, which was performed in the round at the Old Vic Theatre. The experience or the play did not disappoint and we had a lovely evening. 

Two weekends later I was off to Big Ole London Town again for the next treat challenge! As my Mum was celebrating her 70^th Birthday also this year, I wanted to get her a once in a lifetime present so my Aunt and I planned and paid for an Afternoon Tea at The Ritz package for the three of us. Once again the experience d did not disappoint and the Ritz was just as glamorous and glitzy as you would expect and we were bursting with lots of yummy cakes and sandwiches by the end! 

So two more challenges completed and two very memorable and wonderful experiences with loved ones gained - perfect!

Update on the challenges, 19 completed…

• Challenge 2 – GET 40 PEOPLE TO DONATE £10 – I managed to get 40 people to donate £10 to my Just Giving Fundraising page for RSPCA Cardiff.
• Challenge 3 – RUN FOUR 10K RUNS IN 4 DAYS – I ran 40k between 2.13.14 – 5.3.14 with help from my friends. Cost £16 to enter the official St Davids Day Run.
• Challenge 4 – SWIM 40 LENGTHS – Swan 40 lengths of the 50m pool in Cardiff Bay with Lara Ramsay on 27.10.13. (Money spent £16 for goggles and entry to pool)
• Challenge 5 – RIDE 40 MILES ON BIKE – Rode 40.82 (65.7km) miles on the Taff Trail from above Pontiscill Reservoir with 11 friends.  (£125 spent on getting kitted out)
• Challenge 8 – SCORE 40 ON A DART BOARD WITH ONE DART – Got a double top on my 9^th try on 12.1.14
• Challenge 9 – 40 HOUR FAST – I completed 40 hours not eating any food and surviving on water and flavoured water only. (Sept, with Karen Daniel)
• Challenge 12 – VOLUNTEER FOR 40 HOURS - Aside from my RSPCA volunteering, 40 hours of my free time were given volunteering for NSPCC Childline Schools Service, PTA events and other fundraising events.
• Challenge 13 – GIVE UP CHOCOLATE FOR 40 DAYS – I gave up chocolate from 5 March until 17 April.  
• Challenge 16 – 40 HOUR NO SWEARING OR £1 FINE – Completed between Tuesday 5 to Wednesday 6 November 2013. (Cost me £21)
• Challenge 18 – TURN MOBILE PHONE OFF FOR 40 HOURS – I turned my phone off and had no access to facebook, twitter or emails at all for 40 hours. (Oct)
• Challenge 19 – 40 HOUR SILENCE – Completed between Midnight on Thursday 14.11.13 until 4pm on Saturday 16.11.13.
• Challenge 22 – ADOPTED A WILD ANIMAL – I adopted Jubilee an Asian Elephant through the Born Free Foundation. (Spent £30 for adoption fee).
• Challenge 23 – SEE A PLAY IN LONDON – Thanks to the generosity of my aunt who bought my ticket, I accompanied her to see Other Desert Cities at the Old Vic.
• Challenge 24 – TEA AT THE RITZ – My Mum, Aunt and I went to The Ritz on Sunday 4 May 2014 to celebrate my Mum’s 70^th Birthday.
• Challenge 25 – GIVE BLOOD – Completed on 11.10.13.
• Challenge 28 – COMMIT 12 ACTS OF KINDNESS TO RANDOM STRANGERS – Completed on 26.3.14.
• Challenge 30 – APPLY FOR A GAME SHOW – I applied to the following game shows ‘Deal or No Deal’ ‘The Chase’, ‘Bargain Hunt’ and ‘The Guess List’, but have not actually made it onto any actual shows.
• Challenge 36 – LISTEN TO ALL THE CD’S I OWN – 186 CDs were listened to from beginning to end.
• Challenge 38 – HULA HOOP FOR 40 REVOLUTIONS – Completed in Sept. (Spent £18 on buying hula hoop)