Interesting...maybe I am. I will have to ponder that. Thanks

I recently thought I wanted to make candle tarts for wax burners out of all natural ingredients. And I did some research and discovered that no matter how you slice it, the only way to get the scent throw I really wanted was to use fragrance oils which gives me headaches so I can't even consider that. I tried essential oils but those aren't strong enough unless you use an expensive amount of oil and even then... not as pleasing as I desire. I pretty much maxed my ability to understand the science... so I don't think I can go deeper into that to figure out chemical compounds of this, that and the other thing. I just wanted to make my house smell good. So then I thought about natural potpourri but that ends up the same thing... most boost the scent throw with fragrance oils. So...I don't know...I guess I just need to keep looking...

Really? Maybe the 3 of us need to get together and help each other.

We don't live within a reasonable time frame to any of these things...but I will ponder this some...maybe I can find something.

I just sort of addressed your thoughts... looks like sort of at the same time. I would be interested in your thoughts after you read the post I made at the same time you made this one.

Wow...I woke up this morning to 19 new posts. Thank you for each and every one. I think part of my problem... as I ponder more...is a tinge of jealousy... wishing that my family had a pool of fun and interesting ideas in which to consider for gifts and just conversation. Someone said it sounded like I was feeling left out too.... and I guess that is also right. I know I don't have to have a passion...but my sons both have passions that right now that is mostly all they think about... bowling for one and forging and knife making for the other. They do have side interests too... but those are their true passions in life... like that what they are wanting to do for their life's career type passion. My husband has a wide variety of interests... many the boys share with him... like I stated in my original post. My daughter is just recently married and we don't share the love...or even like of anything really. (She is at that funny age where her parents are still pretty useless overall)... and the boys love spending time with their dad.... much of the time. So, yeah, I guess I feel left out, like I have no real place... nothing that makes the family go... "that's cool mom!"... I just feel blah. Thanks for helping me work through this. I guess I sort of feel like I am in a funk and I don't know how to get out. Oh, I also don't have endless time either...I have a part time job at a small library mostly doing kid programming and we are involved in our small church. I didn't mention those earlier simply because I want something that is apart from those things... Thanks again for all of the ideas and thoughts...I appreciate each and every one.

I do like coffee, wine and seltzer. Not sure what sonic drinks are... but I am off to google that. You are right about dismissing my "things"....maybe because organizing just doesn't seem as interesting as pipes, grilling or craft beer. (The kids want us all to get my husband a Treager grill for his birthday and Christmas... and they can never find something as cool as that for me....and my husband says it's because I have no hobbies or any thing that I really love, so I am very hard to buy for.... And I agree).

Good advice...I will keep this in mind.

Then what do you do with what you made?

Cute rocks. Wool felting...never heard of that. Off to google it.

I dreamt of being a teacher, but ended up not like teaching in a school, but did homeschool our 3 kids from beginning to end. I don't want to teach or tutor. But the organizing thing does make me happy. And I have considered doing something with that.. just don't know how or what. We live in a small rural town.. so not many opportunities to do much of anything.

Thank you for this...I will check these all out. I really appreciate your response.

Good question. Prolife causes are important to me.

I do walk with my husband daily. Hiking if we are someplace where that is an option...I have a bike.. but not a passion.

At least I am not alone. Thanks.

The problem is I don't even know where to begin looking.

So...I am sort of frustrated...maybe sad...but I feel like I am so boring. My family all have hobbies...passions... things they like it like to do...talents... and I sort of feel like I don't. For example...my 3 kids and my husband play musical instruments and not only do I not, I don't care to either. I want to want to... and I guess it's more like I want to, but I don't want to go through the learning stage now because I know I won't catch on quickly. My kids all have strong interests...crafting and sewing, bowling and forging for examples. My husband and my boys also like scotch, craft beer, Cigars and pipes. They like sports. My husband also brews beer and the boys help with that too. My daughter sews, is fantastic with small children, and likes to hike with her husband. She is also musical. She loves her fish and collects sea horses things with the dream of some day owning a real one. And I feel like I have nothing. So when it comes time to do things with the kids, share an interest, or answering their question of what to get us for our birthday or Christmas... they find it easy to answer that for each other and their dad... but not so for much me. I just feel like the odd ball. Maybe it's just me and I need to snap out of it. I just wish I had a hobby or a passion or a talent. I have tried knitting and gardening, but that didn't seem to make me happy. I don't like to read either and cooking and baking is only out of the need to eat. We also don't live in a place where I can easily take classes or lessons...every place is about an hour from us...or further. The only thing I can think of that really makes me happy is organizing things. But that's not a hobby or a thing people can use for gift ideas. I just feel like a boring old woman... even though I am only 53 years old. How can I discover a passion or a hobby? Please help me out of my rut...or am I just hopeless? Thanks!

I never considered a fan...hmmm...

Do they make electric simmer pots....or just the tiny crockpots.? My kitchen is next to my living/dining room...however, there is just a door way not an open floor plan. But I also didn't want to keep my stove on all day...thus why I thought about the crockpot...hmmm...or don't you keep them going all day? I knew that about the reed diffusers (the turning of the reeds), but I didn't think about getting oil everywhere....ugh! I am beginning to wonder if I am just traveling down a road of disappointment.

So, I have been on a journey to figure out how to put nice smells into my home without the use of toxic candles and candle melts. My research has most recently taken me to simmering pots and 100% pure essential oil reed diffusers. I ordered some reed diffusers to try, they aren't here yet....so in the meantime I am playing around with simmering pots. As much as I want to try fall scents (cloves, cinnamon etc), I am sticking with more summery ones...like citrus and other fruits. I don't have flowers right now, but I could consider that too. But I am still not getting the strong aroma that I desire...but it very well could be that citrus is just a milder scent...and my room might be too big (I am using a small crockpot in my livingroom space). If you have any experience with these at all, will you share your wisdom? Thanks.

I want to switch over my home from store bought cleaners to homemade. There are so many recipes out there for doing this....with so many different "formulas" that "work best".....how does one know which recipe to try. I can't afford to try 4 different ones. Are there certain ingredients that are better at cleaning than others? If you went down this road....where did you start....where did you land....how did you decide? Thanks for any and all help!

it is a problem....but I am not sure what......but also there is a problem with soot coming from the wick....so there's that.

and from what I have researched the candle that made your eyes burn might not have been 100% soy....but some sort of soy blend. I read that a candle only has to be 51% soy to be called soy...the rest can be nearly anything...and most likely a paraffin...thus causing your eyes to burn. I can't say that for sure....but that would be my guess. This is why it's hard for me because you have to know your topic...know the science and then ultimately know your source....and since I am just beginning I know very little...but my knowledge is growing....which is kind nice...but frustrating all at the same time.

of course, it would be helpful to know the hobby.....it's making wax melts. There are so many different kinds of wax....and fragrance oils etc...and I want to make them as safe as I possibly can....I have been watchin you tube videos and reading blogs....and the process is fairly straight forward, but picking the right ingredients isn't so much...and might end up being a trial and error....and yet, I also know there are people would enjoy the journey to finding or mixing the best wax for example.

I am wanting to learn a new hobby and although I think I could probably figure it mostly out on my own, the trial and error time and money spent might be more than I want to deal with...but I don't know for sure. Would you pay someone to mentor you to teach you all of the tricks of the trade quickly and easily? I am not really the kind of person who needs to learn things on my own for the sake of learning along the way....I am more of a person who likes to be told exactly what I need to do first and the tweek and play later. As I am typing this, I think I already know my answer...although I would be curious to see what you all think. thanks.