26 for 2026

DundeeDoll

I am collecting thoughts already for next year - we sang a lovely song 'like a rainbow' and I am thinking 27 rainbow-themed challenges would be fun.

Dakota_Rose

Hi everyone.

It’s taken me a while to find the time and energy to get through my tenth read of 2026 but I finally finished it tonight. I must’ve enjoyed the last quarter of the novel as I’ve been hooked tonight and stayed up late (for me) to read to the end. It’s The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett and is a story about a wartime code that’s entwined with a children’s book. This is cleverly linked to an ex-criminal’s re-telling of his past and pays tribute to the saying ‘never judge a book by its cover’. It was written as a series of audio files and was really engaging if not a bit frustrating in places as you felt that you were missing something. Anyhow, it was very engaging but a difficult one to score. I’ve gone 9/10.

26 books for 2026

1.You Are Here (easy read) 9/10

2. The Seven Murders of Evelyn Hardcastle (time-travelling murder mystery) 9.5/10

3. Love Untold (ending made a middling read worthwhile) 8/10

4. Way Back (engaging easy read with a farm theme and a few typos) 8.5/10

5. The Cuckoo’s Calling (first of the Strike detective novels) 8.5/10

6. Yellowface (‘too awful to look away’ page-turner) 10/10

7. A Thousand Splendid Suns (emotive, heavy but worthwhile read) 10/10

8. Before the coffee gets cold (Japanese coffee-shop time-travelling scenarios) 8/10

9. Us Three (screenplay-style friendship story) 9/10

10. The Twyford Code (a puzzle within a puzzle) 9/10

thechubbyunicorn

@DundeeDoll sounds like a fun weekend!

Week 21 update…

1. Watch 26 movies I’ve never seen before - The Devil Wears Prada 2 

2. Complete 26 different crafts - Diamond art

6. Post 2026 photos to Instagram - 72

7. Buy 26 gift cards for Christmas spending - Tesco

16. Save £2026 - £12.45

17. Walk 2026 miles - 29.2 miles 

20. Make 26 donations - Donated to Lewis hillwalk 

21. Try 26 new restaurants / cafes - The Ramble Inn, Antrim 

22. Tick 26 things off my bucket list - See The Giant’s Causeway

The weather is set to be beautiful this week which always makes me feel a bit more motivated. I'm going to make it my mission to work towards 17 things this week (the most I have done so far is 16 in a week). Sometimes I need an extra wee challenge to keep things entertaining.

❤️

Dakota_Rose

And I’m back with a quick turnaround for book 11. A sure sign that I’m off work! I’m steadily working my way through my recent charity shop book haul.

‘The Shock of the Fall’ was a really readable story and enjoyable. I’d give it 8/10. I’m not sure why not higher, although I did have a sense of Déjà vu reading it - perhaps it’s my second read of it, or maybe I’ve trialled a sample chapter on my kindle at some point. Other than that, it was perhaps too like others I’ve read in the past. 

26 books for 2026

1.You Are Here (easy read) 9/10

2. The Seven Murders of Evelyn Hardcastle (time-travelling murder mystery) 9.5/10

3. Love Untold (ending made a middling read worthwhile) 8/10

4. Way Back (engaging easy read with a farm theme and a few typos) 8.5/10

5. The Cuckoo’s Calling (first of the Strike detective novels) 8.5/10

6. Yellowface (‘too awful to look away’ page-turner) 10/10

7. A Thousand Splendid Suns (emotive, heavy but worthwhile read) 10/10

8. Before the coffee gets cold (Japanese coffee-shop time-travelling scenarios) 8/10

9. Us Three (screenplay-style friendship story) 9/10

10. The Twyford Code (a puzzle within a puzzle) 9/10

11. The Shock of the Fall (first person narrative with flashbacks - includes childhood trauma told sensitively and with humour woven throughout) 8/10

thechubbyunicorn

Week 22 update…Another quick week. I only worked towards 9 goals this week. I've had a fun week though so that's all that matters.

2. Complete 26 different crafts - Pottery painting 

6. Post 2026 photos to Instagram - 41 

7. Buy 26 gift cards for Christmas spending - Amazon 

8. Watch 26 documentaries - The Vanishing Cyclist  

13. 26 days of 26k steps - 34,541

16. Save £2026 - £12.32

17. Walk 2026 miles - 35.8miles  

21. Try 26 new restaurants / cafes - Sands, A Place by the Sea - Aberdour 

26. Send 26 cards / gifts to others - Flowers for a colleague

❤️

thechubbyunicorn

May Update…

Currently on track with 8 goals. I've still not read a single book but I do have hopes for this one. I'm going to have to change the '26 parkruns' one though. With the number of weeks I have available to do it and the number of weeks I'll be at work it's not really feasible any more. I'm going to keep it in as a bonus number 27 just to see how I do. At this point in the year I have hope I can complete the whole challenge so I don't want this one getting in the way of making that happen. So number 15 is now going to be 'walk along 26 different beaches'. I've been a couple already this year so will add them in now

1. Watch 26 movies I’ve never seen before - 12/26
2. Complete 26 different crafts - 6/26
3. 26 different physical activities - 8/26
4. 26 selfcare experiences to look and feel better - 5/26 
5. Be able to run for 26 minutes - 2/26
6. Post 2026 photos to Instagram - 1198/2026 
7. Buy 26 gift cards for Christmas spending - 24/26 
8. Watch 26 documentaries - 7/26
9. Tick 26 things off my master to do list - 6/26 
10. Lose 26lbs - 1.5/26
11. Try 26 new recipes - 7/26 
12. Listen to 26 audiobooks - 11/26 
13. 26 days of 26k steps - 9/26
14. Read 26 books - 0/26
15. Walk along 26 different beaches - 2/26
16. Save £2026 - £844.02/£2026 
17. Walk 2026 miles - 658.1/2026 
18. Create 26 (positive!) habits - 2/26 
19. Complete 26 walks from the book ‘Lanarkshire Walks’ - 7/26 
20.  Make 26 donations - 12/26
21. Try 26 new restaurants / cafes - 28/26 
22. Tick 26 things off my bucket list - 8/26
23. Save 26 of each coin / note (£1 to £20) - 13/£1, 16/£2, 14/£5, 9/£10, 10/£20
24. Complete 26 garden projects - 1/26
25. Explore 26 new villages / towns / cities - 6/26
26. Send 26 cards / gifts to others - 15/26
27. Complete parkrun 26 times - 1/26 

❤️

suzeesu2000

My update for 1st June

I can't seem to crack the magic formula for the finances. Should manage to stay within my shopping target this month though. Everyone is doing really well, Great to reach targets but even better is that we are all TRYING.

Have a great day all, stay safe xx

DundeeDoll

@Dakota_Rose I may well add Yellowface to my A-Z book list :-) I am just back from an amazing week in the Netherlands - 2 days at the Dordrecht steam festival with DD1, DD2, their respective partners and GBF (we share a twin room which is excellent for the finances). Went to the Van Gogh exhibition (my V for self-care) and added another couple of artists, so artists going very well. You'll note I'm still way behind with the knots, but saw some very nice displays of knots on one of the steam boats so feel reinspired. Later today I'm off to the library where the lovely librarian has reserved 4 books starting with X for me. And now, back to lots of emails (410 unread) so will shut my office door, pick another pop group and listen to an album. By the end of June I aim to be up to at least 13 on all the alphabets except the workout programmes as am way behind there. I have a friend's ordination so that'll be my O for Christianity :-)

20 A-Zs
01: 20 Artists
02: 4 Knots
03: 6 Workout programmes
04: 8 Pop groups - 1 album listened to
05: 9 Classical composers - 1 piano piece learned
06: 15 Books read
07: 13 Protein food
08: 11 Poem
09: 15 Fruit or veg
10: 10 Soups made
11: 13 Self-care
12: 16 Films watched
13: 13 TV programmes
14: 21 Street art
15: 11 Christianity
16: 12 Teas
17: 12 Radio 4 programmes
18: 12 Colours
19: 12 Places
20: 7 Whiskies
26 times across year
21: 10 Litter picks
22: 15 >20K steps per day
23: 8 Trips to the library
24: 12 Evensongs on Radio 3
20 * 26 times per month
25: 50 /240 declutters
26: 88 /240 Piano practice

Ms_Potato_Head

Hi 26ers, hope you are all well. Here is my May month end update:

Things to do/achieve:
1. Catch up with all old friends in person - 7/8
2 . Visit 26 new places in the UK - 5/26 - Troubador Theatre, London
3. Get teeth whitened - got just over £100 saved so far but am trying out the bicarb
4. Couch to 5k
✅️ 5. Have £2600 in the emergency fund: £2600/£2600
✅️ 6. Get roof repairs done and paid off
7. Go on 26 walks - 2/26
8. Finish 2 unfinished craft projects
9. Read 26 books - 6/26 (just finished Us Three by Ruth Jones)
10. Go to church 26 times - 3/26
11. Sit final 2 exams - 1/2
12. 26 mediterranean diet recipes 4/26
13. Full house declutter - 109 items gone so far this year
✅️ 14. Sort the front garden so I can get my car on the drive!
15. Make a will
16. Max out health cash plan - £400/approx £1300 allowances (another acupuncture session in May)

Habits to implement:
17. A journal entry a day - think I might be there but will give it another month to be sure
18. Drink 1.5 litres of water a day - 1000ml
19. Regular bed time
20. Daily active relaxation
✅️ 21. Read a Bible chapter a day
✅️ 22. Daily vitamins
23. Washing up. Every. Single. Day.
✅️ 24. Monthly mortgage overpayments.
✅️ 25. No more than 2 cups of coffee a day
26. 1.5 hours of exercise per week- started a few minutes each morning just to get the habit going

MPHx

thechubbyunicorn

I haven't been feeling well for the last week and it really shows here is last week's update. I can't wait to feel a bit better and get back to the things I enjoy doing.

Week 23 update

4. 26 selfcare experiences to look and feel better - Got matched up for foundation that actually suits me 

6. Post 2026 photos to Instagram - 10 

7. Buy 26 gift cards for Christmas spending - Next 

15. Walk along 26 different beaches - Croy Shore Beach 

16. Save £2026 - £132.93

17. Walk 2026 miles - 24.9miles

23. Save 26 of each coin / note (£1 to £20) - 1x£1, 1x£20

26. Send 26 cards / gifts to others -Colleague going on maternity leave - massage & baby basket / flowers for friend

❤️