Tita Gidge Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 I need one. I recently went from F/T to P/T work outside of the home, and now I have free time that I'm wasting away on the internet. Time to get more productive. But not too productive ;) What are your hobbies? I need inspiration. Time, money, and childcare are not issues - the only issue might be that I travel for work, so bonus points if it's something I can bring with me in some way, shape, or form (but not mandatory). I'm not creative, but I'm a great mimic. I'm athletic and currently play in an adult soccer league. I'm feeling a void that I'm not sure how to fill. I was going to write the next, great American novel ... but, well, everytime I sat at Starbucks to compose it I always got sidetracked by the other patrons and ended up just gossiping and arguing local politics instead. So that's a no-go LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Society for creative anachronism. Though sitting in Starbucks arguing politics sounds like a hobby of sorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnemosyne Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 I spend a lot of time studying and using economics, finance, nutrition/health, linguistics, and business, so that's where most my hobbies come from (investing, starting a business, etc). I enjoy reading and trying to prove myself wrong. I like sports (primarily martial arts and parkour), but I haven't been able to do them for a while. Looking forward to it again once this little one is born. I love working out, as well as studying languages and discussing all sorts of things with people that speak said languages. I enjoy programming and design - designing websites, making games, etc - though I'm not very good at it, IMO, and don't spend that much time on it. I also am interested in caligraphy and penmanship, but haven't gotten that far with it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender's green Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I recently took up crochet, but it's not quiiiite enough for me, so once my skill level is a little higher I'll start making Irish lace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I like to read, rollerskate, bike, do yoga/other exercise, and cook. I also just (like this last Monday) started playing the cello again. I am looking forwards to starting lessons for that but in the meantime even practicing on my own is great fun. Not very portable but there are smaller instruments to learn! Occasionally I dabble with crochet and knitting. I now limit my volunteer board work to 1 single organization at a time and keep other volunteer work to a minimum. Presently I am working on a steering committee to launch a new non-profit partnership creating mentoring and educational opportunities for those being released from prison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Nothing I fill my time with is really a hobby in the traditional sense, but here's how I spend my extra time: I sit on the board of a local autism nonprofit. As part of that role, I also volunteer quite a bit. I facilitate two support group meetings a month (and will possibly add a third over the summer), manage the events calendar, write the monthly newsletter, and return calls/emails that come in to our organization from parents and autistic adults looking for information and support. That takes up quite a bit of my time each week, but it's very rewarding. I'm doing some (unpaid) business consulting for a friend. She and her mom have a thriving business that they want to take to the next level, along with adding a nonprofit arm. Because they're so deep in day to day operation of the business, they don't have much time to write up their strategy and business plan. So I'm helping them with that. It's allowing me to draw heavily on my business background, while learning more about nonprofits. I like keeping that part of my brain engaged (that's been a void for me since leaving the business world to homeschool), so it's a win-win. I read voraciously about topics that interest me: Autism/Asperger's, neuroscience, psychology, and nutrition for the most part. I try to make time each week for a get-together with my girlfriends (usually breakfast or dinner at a restaurant). I've recently started training for a 5K, using the Couch to 5K program. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I'm learning to play piano. I've always wanted to, we have a piano. I bought some adult piano books. I did tell 1dd she's allowed to tell me one thing that she thinks I should work on. I used to do needlework/needlepoint/crochet. gardening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I weave. I learned to weave when my last homeschooled child started his senior year and I put the youngest 2 in school. I love it. It can be expensive depending on what kind of loom you want. But it's a great hobby for me because I can easily walk away from it for a few days (or weeks even!), and not be totally lost when I come back to the same project. I have no other fiber arts experience - except I used to sew a little bit about 25yrs ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Hobbies...I love stained glass. It's not very portable, so you'll need to keep looking for a travel friendly hobby. I'm a passionate gardener--it's really more of an addiction, so beware. Other....photography, quilting, refinishing furniture, crochet, or other needlework, hiking, dog or horse training.... I have friends who love to scrapbook or make handmade cards. That's somewhat portable. Watercolors...or other media for art. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Does eating baked goods my ds makes count? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 artisan bread baking French/German/Austrian/Italian pastry gardening (landscaping, building with stone, perennials/trees/kitchen garden) mosaics board games (European mostly) new language (German mostly, but I have some Russian stuff on-shelf) new instrument (although the guitar is just sitting in the corner, blah) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Hobbies...I love stained glass. . Not to derail, but how cool! How did you get started? Is it super expensive? Do you make for yourself or make to sell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn121 Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I machine quilt. I taught myself how with pinterest and youtube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganCupcake Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Reading and listening to audio books. It is an obsession. I also knit. Things I don't have time/energy for right now: learning to play the guitar, photography, sewing, canning and food preserving, gardening . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Digital Scrapbooking (if only I had time...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter's Moon Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I volunteer at the local research hospital in the Safety Dept. I mostly file paperwork and set up spreadsheets, but on occasion I accompany them to a chemical spill clean up in the main hospital. Not much of a hobby, but I enjoy it enough to spend 1 day/week doing it. I read in topics that interest me. Mostly religion/theology, different genetic topics, and diseases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 My hobbies are reading, blogging, and photography. Especially blogging about photography. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I knit and crochet (though I'm not as good at crochet) and read fiction. I also listen to audiobooks--love to do this while also knitting or crocheting. I had learned only the knit stitch when I was a kid, then in college my roommate taught me purl, but I never actually knit anything. I got back into knitting around 8 years ago but it didn't really take off for me until about 4 years ago when I was determined to knit myself a pair of socks. Now I'm always knitting. And reading, which has been a hobby since I was little. Other hobbies of people I know: NYT crosswords, gardening, horseback riding, running, machine embroidery, sewing Good luck finding something you'll enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Baking and decorating cakes and specialty sugar cookies. I love putting together flavor combinations and figuring out what kind of icing & decorations to use. It's truly edible art. Also enjoy square foot gardening in raised beds and learning how to prune trees & bushes. I do a lot of composting and like to research soil composition to try and get the best compost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Besides eating desserts my ds makes (he made an awesome strawberry shortcake this morning), I like to: Read Exercise Those two hobbies keep me sane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Reading knitting (usually for Project Linus) Needlepoint (but make sure I never completely finish them) baking (not a great plan when you are trying to lose weight) swimming scrapbooking and hopefully in the near future learning how to sew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Reading, sewing, volunteering (right now - Boy Scouts), veggie gardening, sailing I didn't learn to sew until I was in my mid 30's - but now I'm making my own clothes. I also make baby and X-Mas gifts and whatever we need for our sailboat. I just started a veggie garden for the first time 2 months ago. It's been quite a learning experience, lol. Also - we plan to sell our house and buy a 42 ft catamaran after the kids are off to college and sail the world. I have a list a mile long of what I need to learn before we leave. For example, celestial navigation, regular navigation, conversational Spanish and French, wilderness first aid, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Not to derail, but how cool! How did you get started? Is it super expensive? Do you make for yourself or make to sell? There's a small stained glass shop in my city...we (dh and I) took a beginner class, then another class, and maybe one more. After that, we invested in our own equipment--cutters, a grinder, etc., so we could play at home. I think we spent $350 for all the stuff--it's been a few years so I don't recall exactly. Like quilters, we love our 'stash' of glass...on vacation we like to find other glass shops and buy pretty glass. We find a lot of free patterns online. Everything I've done is for us, except a few small pieces I gave as gifts. We want to take carpet out of our bonus room and put down solid laminate floors to make a glass studio. I have dreams of bigger pieces and grabbing more hours to be creative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoot Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Animals are my "hobby." It is what takes up all of my extra time. I read many fiction, non-fiction, and professional books about animals. I volunteer occasionally at a small local zoo. And, of course, there is the care, keeping, socialization, and enrichment of my own brood at home. The only part of animal care and keeping I am not involved in is breeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Digital scrapbooking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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