SKIP Club - Doing 1 BB a Week for 2022!

Oh my, I've been trying to fit in BBs during the breaks during the Garden master course!

I made a new rag system for our toilet cloth:




I organized our closet:




I cleaned an oven (so ... much ... scrubbing)

Ashley Cottonwood wrote:。。。

For 2022, It's my personal goal to be PEP1 certified and have a good chunk of my straw BBs done in order to be PEP2 certified in 2023.

In order to reach these goals it's my New Year's resolution to do 1 BB a week! 。。。

organizational question:
WHO here can post a text response just listing names of all the BBs (at JUST straw, OR all levels).

Context
I'm doing this myself so I can post info on a blog (new for me) and I'll be organized to
1) share at any depth with people around me, and
2) set up my own BB system so I have the whole creative process focused for myself.


After a few blissful hours of getting sidetracked with instructional videos, it occurred to me that others may already have such a text file & my work can add to theirs, rather than replicate.

Anyone?

Jane Lewis wrote:
organizational question:
WHO here can post a text response just listing names of all the BBs (at JUST straw, OR all levels)

You may be interested in the BB calculator that you can purchase. I just started using it and find it super helpful since you can very easily use the excel sheet format to add things to your to-do and completed list!
It’s also a great benefit to have more than just the straw badges listed since you may be able to complete a higher badge with the lesser one at the same time.

https://permies.com/t/155396/PEP-BB-Calculator-Google-Sheets

This sounds super attainable! Im in too!

Done my week two badge bit--fixing a faucet whose handle came off!

Holy shmoley I just realized I was taking a pizza out of the oven and I didn’t take pictures AGAIN!!! UUUUGGGGGG!!!

Well, I figured I’d at least share some pictures of the finished product! It’s in cast iron too…grrr.

Hey, at least I put some foraged mushrooms on the smaller pizza and some frozen garlic scapes on the bigger one so I’m good with Skandi’s using things you grew/foraged challenge. https://permies.com/t/173235/kitchen/year-challenge#1359673

Cast iron pizza!?!?! I had no idea this was a thing! I must try this!

Also it look so yummy!

Really dumb question,  what's a BB?

Kellie Lawson wrote:Really dumb question,  what's a BB?

https://permies.com/wiki/skip-pep-bb

That thread explains in detail.

Bb stands for badge bit

What are people thinking of doing this week? I was thinking of making a small pillow if I can source some natural materials to stuff it:

https://permies.com/wiki/102584/pep-textiles/Sew-small-pillow-PEP-BB

Do you think you could use cattails as stuffing?

I was looking at trail maintenance bb. I don't have 1000 feet of established trail, but I could stand to blaze and clear some more.

But probably I'll not get to that... I might have an oddball submission for my log carving bench coming up.

It's pending approval, but I made a ginger decoction today for the Natural Medicine sand badge. I added honey and water to some of the decoction, and it tastes so good! It's rather potent on its own.
Now part of the decoction is simmering on the stove with coconut sugar for the ginger syrup BB.

Ashley Cottonwood wrote:
Do you think you could use cattails as stuffing?

I'm interested to see if it works! I've never actually seen cattails in person, but I'd like to get the established by our pond.

Jane Lewis wrote:

Ashley Cottonwood wrote:。。。
In order to reach these goals it's my New Year's resolution to do 1 BB a week! 。。。

I continue to be motivated by your focus.

and I'm responding to my own organizational question

I'm finding (slowly but hey, I'm doing it) gems of BBs.
I AM putting together a blog post of ALL BBs and links to the permies page for detail.

Meantime here's my next BBs ( found on the "Easiest BBs" page. Check it out!
https://permies.com/t/146515/Badge-Bits-BB-easiest-Apple

These 20 are my easy-peesy goals to get me going and maybe this'll help others. so ... here it is:

* Sweep the floor https://permies.com/wiki/pep-bb-nest-sand-sweepfloor
* Give urine to growies https://permies.com/wiki/113116/pep-greywater-willow-feeders/Give-Urine-Growies-PEP-BB
* Sharpen a knife https://permies.com/wiki/10/105867/pep-tool-care/Sharpen-knife-PEP-BB-tool
* Forage a cup of tea https://permies.com/wiki/111861/pep-foraging/Cup-tea-PEP-BB-foraging
* Wash the dishes by hand https://permies.com/wiki/108730/pep-nest/PEP-BB-nest-sand-dishes
* Cook grain on the stovetop https://permies.com/wiki/106007/pep-food-prep-preservation/Cook-Grain-Stove-Top-PEP
* Reuse dishpan water https://permies.com/wiki/116798/pep-greywater-willow-feeders/Water-Dishpan-Flush-Toilet-Water
* Make an insect watering station https://permies.com/wiki/108073/pep-animal-care/Bee-Insect-Watering-Station-PEP
* Clean an oily dish without soap https://permies.com/wiki/pep-bb-nest-oilydish
* Cook a stirfry https://permies.com/wiki/105912/pep-food-prep-preservation/Cook-Stir-Fry-PEP-BB
* Label the breakers on an electrical panel https://permies.com/wiki/137728/pep-electricity/PEP-BB-electricity-sand-label
* Make a brush pile https://permies.com/wiki/108150/pep-animal-care/Brush-Pile-PEP-BB-animal
* Plant 200 seeds for hummingbirds https://permies.com/wiki/108235/pep-animal-care/Plant-Seeds-Hummingbirds-PEP-BB
* Clean an area rug https://permies.com/wiki/111302/pep-bb-nest-sand-rug
* Put a new end on an extension cord https://permies.com/wiki/137726/pep-electricity/Put-extension-cord-PEP-BB
* Create a map of the area https://permies.com/wiki/101705/pep-community/map-PEP-BB-community-sand
* Create/Restock a first aid kit https://permies.com/wiki/109015/pep-homesteading/Create-Restock-Aid-Kit-PEP
* Decalcify a showerhead https://permies.com/wiki/112762/pep-plumbing-hot-water/Clean-Decalcify-Shower-Head-PEP
* Oil kitchen utensils https://permies.com/wiki/111580/pep-nest/Oil-Kitchen-Woods-PEP-BB
* Bake two loaves of bread https://permies.com/t/146515/Badge-Bits-BB-easiest-Apple

Jane Lewis wrote:
I AM putting together a blog post of ALL BBs and links to the permies page for detail.

Sometimes Permies can be difficult to navigate. If you weren't aware this page is very useful - https://permies.com/wiki/pep

It links to each Badge, and in each badge is a link to each Badge Bit.

This is the best over-arching list of BBs I have found on permies.

L. Johnson wrote:

Jane Lewis wrote:
I AM putting together a blog post of ALL BBs and links to the permies page for detail.

Sometimes Permies can be difficult to navigate. If you weren't aware this page is very useful - https://permies.com/wiki/pep

It links to each Badge, and in each badge is a link to each Badge Bit.

This is the best over-arching list of BBs I have found on permies.

That's a great resource, thanks!
Turning this into something I can follow on my calendar is my challenge.

My go-to page is This One.  The badge images at the top all take you to their associated badge page.

We tried a new bread recipe this weekend. Although it technically meets the requirements for the Bake Two Loaves of Bread BB I'm not going to submit it. So we're still on a quest to find a good, whole wheat sandwich bread recipe for home milled grain. And we'll have to make a bread recipe that we know works to submit the BB in the meantime.

I also started two oil infusions and a tincture with yarrow and calendula. I've been meaning to do this for a long time and I'm so glad to have the extra motivation from the BB. These should be ready to submit in March. Hopefully I'll have a Calendula salve ready in time for gardening season!

I got back into the swing of things while at Wheaton Labs last week for the Garden Master course. I was able to knock it all of the Rocket Sand BBs that need to be preformed during cold weather. Now I’m confident that I will be able to finish that badge even if I can only attend summer events from now on. Here of some picks from operating a J-Tube RMH and a Batchbox RMH.

What's the first rule of Skip Club again?

I think this is such a great idea, and thanks so much for starting it.  

I've done a bunch of badge bits that I never uploaded, and I have the skills for others that I haven't documented.  It would be good for me to get organized.

I also can use help finding certain bits in the giant pool of badges, for certain functions I need to get accomplished soon.  

If anyone is in the New England area, please be in touch for an extremely likely RMH build coming to a town near you in February...hopefully with Uncle Mud or at least his stunt double.

Ashley Cottonwood wrote:Also, let me know if you have more clever name than "The Skip Club"!

First rule of SKIP Club is that we wanna talk about SKIP Club! All the time!

YAY for more SKIP Clubbers ... Clubbees? Clubites?

Robin I loved your RMH photos! You captured the sideways flame so well <3

I almost forgot about Perry! Perry is my Purple PEP Platypus Pal! He'll be joining me on my next set of BBs:



I'm going to try and knock off both bake two loaves of bread & deep clean the fabric on a couch tomorrow. I challenge ya'll to find Perry in the photos!

Ashley Cottonwood wrote:Also, let me know if you have more clever name than "The Skip Club"!

I've been thinking about getting a PermaScouts thing going doing badges with my teens (my children, nieces and nephews, other local kids) One small obstacle is that they don't all read English, so I need to translate (into Spanish) was we go along.  Not because of any property to inherit but just as a handy skill building thing, I mean why reinvent the wheel--there are badges and everything.

PermaScouts is kind of how I think of it... I like the ring of that.

Apparently the original incarnations of PEP were thought of as a belt system like the martial arts. Interesting how things evolve. Also interesting to look back at ancient threads on this site.

I'm not feeling great today but I did manage to make bread:

Melissa Ferrin wrote:

Ashley Cottonwood wrote:Also, let me know if you have more clever name than "The Skip Club"!

I've been thinking about getting a PermaScouts thing going doing badges with my teens (my children, nieces and nephews, other local kids) One small obstacle is that they don't all read English, so I need to translate (into Spanish) was we go along.  Not because of any property to inherit but just as a handy skill building thing, I mean why reinvent the wheel--there are badges and everything.

Great idea!
Do keep us posted.
... and if you need a little something special any time you get stuck, tap me on the shoulder. I love holding space in process that un-sticks stuck things for folks and are good for ALL of us.

Heck, let's see if we can get a group wanting to do something like this. I'd be in. I've got English and Chinese as the languages here. I'm suddenly taking on (yesterday I said yes) a little cluster of rentals next to a "park" (all cement w/ exercise equipment embedded in cement) where our spread out community can gather (and improve).  I'm focusing on adults (think AirBnB "experiences"). Right now I'm in a days-long process getting BBs to be listed in an order I can easily work with and re-assemble them in an order that matches and expands my thinking, as well as making it more approachable for others. 2nd year Roots & Shoots scholarship college student from Tanzania in a sustainable development program here (also Jane Goodall supported). I get these random factors showing up around me all the time. I LOVE the "program-ness" of SKIP as a structure to introduce. And I'm in the position of requiring coin flow for the little cluster of spaces. Here we have the angle of "Hands-on English" as an attractor.

Wow there's a lot of action oin this tread already!  

I could use a little help, because I'm scatterbrained and don't always follow directions right, plus documenting them.  And because I had to use quail instead of chickens for my badge bit.  So if anyone is willing to look over my submission before I go to the trouble of uploading it pic by pic, plus make the badge approvers wade through it, I would love feedback.

This is for Straw badge, animal care, animal wellness check.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQAT_b9Di4uwKMYxG5Gkv-WIeI0XfwurXo2fDmgsGugb4eu3ESdHSzJsZ_rAnvGZOQspy6-yq6un9kL/pub

This link should work even if you don't have a gmail account...but I'm not %100 certain it doesn't somehow know I have a google account open somewhere on my computer and therefore let see it.  

Please and thanks, you're the best!

and if anyone can code to make an app to help, or wants to weigh in...

https://permies.com/t/173998/SkIP-App-idea-time-programmer

Hey Joshua,

Those images would not meet my requirements for that BB. The nesting boxes & feeder would both not meet my standards for cleaned.

Good attempt though. I know quail systems are meant to the animal inside their enclosure at all times. So I would expect a deeper/more substanital clean for the size of the coop.

Thanks Ashley, so how exactly would you require it to be, can you be super-specific?  I just did it the way my friend normally does.  Thanks.  

Ashley Cottonwood wrote:Hey Joshua,

Those images would not meet my requirements for that BB. The nesting boxes & feeder would both not meet my standards for cleaned.

Good attempt though. I know quail systems are meant to the animal inside their enclosure at all times. So I would expect a deeper/more substanital clean for the size of the coop.

Okay you asked for it:

That feeder is filthy. You can see all the residue and mold built up on the inside walls of the container. If you're going to use a wet feed, you need to stay on top of that. You can see wood shavings in the feeder still at the end. The whole feeder needs to be 100% cleaned out and have a good scrub.

They don't have nesting boxes. Cool. I could accept a dust bath as a substitution. But it's filthy. It needs to be completely cleaned out, scrubbed down (there is a lot of build up on the edges), and 100% new sand added.

Two BB's in one go and more planned for tomorrow! I turned an old gardening shirt into buttons and rags. I loved the shirt and I'm glad to see it put to better use than unused in my closet.

Gosh! Was a bit pressed for time this week, but managed to do an easy Nest badge to run the self-clean cycle on a washing machine




I'm hoping to get my seed saving one next week, but I need to sort out my photos. And an update from my first week--the bean poles now have plants all the way to the top (12 ft) and all the way back down! They're real champs! Getting a lot of scarlet runner beans setting, and the lauki gourds just starting to set. The bush beans and peanuts underneath seem to be enjoying a bit of shade in this hot, dry weather we've been getting blowing off of Australia.

Ashley Cottonwood wrote:What are people thinking of doing this week? I was thinking of making a small pillow if I can source some natural materials to stuff it:

https://permies.com/wiki/102584/pep-textiles/Sew-small-pillow-PEP-BB

Do you think you could use cattails as stuffing?

You definitely can! I've used cattail for stuffing before and it's great. You'll need a lot of it for a pillow, though, because it compresses pretty significantly (similar to raw cotton). You can get the fluff to come off of the cattail tops by rubbing the brown bit up and down--it's more fun making cattails explode into fluff this way than popping bubble wrap, haha.

Also, Ashley--do you think you could add a link to "what is SKIP" / "what is PEP" / "what is a badge bit" on your first post? Could help with people finding the thread later and getting confused like some of the posters above!

Robin Swindle wrote:I got back into the swing of things while at Wheaton Labs last week for the Garden Master course. I was able to knock it all of the Rocket Sand BBs that need to be preformed during cold weather. Now I’m confident that I will be able to finish that badge even if I can only attend summer events from now on. Here of some picks from operating a J-Tube RMH and a Batchbox RMH.

Those are some nice photos, Robin! Congrats on knocking out all those BBs! I think I'll have to build the rocket devices before I can get them myself, haha!

Posted my BB for Foraging straw badge of Processing a deer. I've been excited to post that for a while now. It was a good day.  However, I HAVE to get more organized and figure out how to keep track of my BBs and what I want to do. Problem for me is I'm not the most tech savvy person and pen and paper work best for me. I can't wait to get a skip book. I think that's going to work, but sad to have to wait until April. Gonna have to spend some time making a notebook. I also have to do more badges, I was slacking this past week, but we processed a lot of firewood (just not in PEP parameters).

I'm thinking of starting a thread of my homesteading/skipping/gardening/dinner making type stuff, but should I? Does that just clog up the forums and cost Permies more money? Where/in what forum would you even do that?

I think you should 100% start a homestead thread! People love following your journey and often have helpful hints.

The eBook just got released for SKIP, would that be of any help?

Thanks so much Ashley, for the encouragement and the pie!!

Here is my homestead blog if you want a reference: https://permies.com/t/161187/permaculture-projects/Ashley-Cottonwood-SKIP-Homesteading-Blog

Jennifer Pomy wrote:
I can't wait to get a skip book. I think that's going to work, but sad to have to wait until April.

If you think SKIP e-book could be of help just send me a PM, I have some extra codes for download to share. I know that is actually a tech solution since you have to read it with the epub reader app or software, but still it might be of some use...

And I second the encouragement for your own homestead thread. I love to read those, you never know when something helpfull might come up, especially from those members that live in climate and conditions similar to my own.

Submitted to oddball. https://permies.com/p/1367815

Green wood carving bench

So I'm trying to get the Nest sand badge in the next week. Today I did "Deep clean a coach or chair:



I think I can do clean an area rug and whiten whites without chlorine or bleach tomorrow. The only one left would be to grease a hinge!

I cooked quinoa in the Instant Pot for the Food Preservation BB. I've used my Instant Pot half a dozen times, and so far, I'm not impressed. I expected there to be a learning curve, but none of the foods have come out just right and it certainly hasn't made meal prep easier or faster like so many people rave about. My mom is an experienced IP user, and when I told her my problems with it, she's wondering if I received "a lemon." We're going to trade IPs soon to see if that's the issue, or if it's really operator error.