Jump to content

Menu

Recommended Posts

Posted

I don't like to read or garden.  I don't play an instrument.  I cook and bake mostly just because I have to.  I have very little free time because I have a part time job, have responsibilities in my church, still homeschooling one kid, take care of the household chores etc....but I want to find something I can start doing so that when my husband retires (in a few years) and we move from our current location, I have a hobby to keep me busy and give me purpose. 

I would like to have my pictures in a digital scrapbook, but I don't think I would enjoy that enough to call it a hobby...it would still be a chore. 

What are your hobbies?  Maybe something will inspire me. :) thanks. 

  • Like 1
Posted

I like digital scrapbooking and used to be pretty good at it but I don't do enough of it. I also used to do a lot of photography but now my kids are older and aren't willing subjects. 🙂

I'm really enjoying kayaking this summer. I'd like to try stand up paddleboarding. 

I used to run quite a bit and am getting back into that. Over the winter, I did a lot of indoor cycling using the Peloton app. I also try to do some strength training but that's more because I know it's good for me. I don't particularly love it. 

 

Posted (edited)

I hike, rock climb, kayak. Write and perform poetry,  sing in choir. Play the guitar, do some song writing. I manage a hiking website and Facebook page, do nature photography. 

Edited by regentrude
  • Like 2
Posted (edited)

Reading and photography as hobbies.

Reading is obvious. For the photography, I learned all the ins and outs of my DSLR and I love it. But a person can have just as much fun with photography with a cell phone camera if they like.  There are endless videos/articles about how to take nice pictures. And there are lots of “30-day challenges” where you take a picture a day for 30 days and they give you a new topic every day, so that you have something to take pictures of.

Going out to the movies as an activity.  Pre-covid I went every week and had seen about 150 movies pretty much in a row—once a week for a bit over 3 years.

In fact, I just went back to the movies for the first time today (I’m fully vaccinated) and remembered how much I love it. I enjoy going alone. I’m going to take this activity back up.

 

Edited by Garga
  • Like 4
Posted

My hobbies are cross-stitching, reading, sewing, knitting and crocheting---trying to learn on YouTube.    I've always been interested in drawing and painting and took them up with instructions from YouTube.  I'm not very good..but it's fun to be creative.

I say try a bunch of different things out...you'll never know what you will enjoy until you try.  

  • Like 2
Posted

Horses, dogs, helping my favorite animal rescues, healthy eating, houseplants, growing microgreens and mushrooms, true crime/criminal profiling stuff, watching hockey, reading & researching - to name a few.

  • Like 1
Posted

When I retire I plan to train seeing eye dogs and cuddle NICU babies.

Hobbies are jewelry making, learning Koine, reading. I'm not good at anything like writing or music or not falling down, so I do what I love.

  • Like 3
Posted

Do you want a hobby that produces something, like quilting, woodworking, or painting, or a hobby that doesn't produce something?

Do you want a hobby that focuses on keeping your mind active, like crosswords or learning a foreign language, or one that's more chill, like spinning or jogging?

Do you want a hobby that keeps you physically active?

Do you want a hobby that involves other people in a group, such as taking a class, or having a weekly board game meetup, or volunteering for park clean-up days, or something that's more one-on-one like a chess club or go club, or something that's mostly solo?

Do you want a hobby that makes you feel good about helping others, or is that not a prime motivation?

  • Like 17
Posted

Thrifting and garage sale-ing! Good for the earth, good for the people and organizations from whom I buy, good for our budget! Plus, it's a never-ending treasure hunt. Love it.

  • Like 6
Posted

Knitting, Reading, Synthesizing information, choral singing, volunteer board work, aspirational weaving, hiking, writing, trying new recipes.

If I had more time I would actually weave, and I’d take classes in the flora and fauna of California.  I might take up ceramics, and I’d probably get a Cricut and use it a lot.

One helpful exercise is to imagine/remember yourself at each year of your life.  What all did you enjoy then?  What did you hope to do when you were older?  Once you have that list you might find some forgotten pleasures that appeal to you again. That is how I got back into choral singing.

  • Like 2
Posted
15 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

Do you want a hobby that produces something, like quilting, woodworking, or painting, or a hobby that doesn't produce something?

Do you want a hobby that focuses on keeping your mind active, like crosswords or learning a foreign language, or one that's more chill, like spinning or jogging?

Do you want a hobby that keeps you physically active?

Do you want a hobby that involves other people in a group, such as taking a class, or having a weekly board game meetup, or volunteering for park clean-up days, or something that's more one-on-one like a chess club or go club, or something that's mostly solo?

Do you want a hobby that makes you feel good about helping others, or is that not a prime motivation?

These are great questions!

Posted
22 minutes ago, MercyA said:

Thrifting and garage sale-ing! Good for the earth, good for the people and organizations from whom I buy, good for our budget! Plus, it's a never-ending treasure hunt. Love it.

Oh yeah, forgot this!

  • Like 1
Posted

Does trading memes from various fandoms with my teen count?  Lol. 

 

Ok, I enjoy knitting, sewing occasionally, trying new recipes sometimes, reading sometimes, and volunteering for a nonprofit that is related to a health interest of mine. I'd love to be a NICU cuddler, but those roles have lengthy waiting lists.

 

If you don't like to read, maybe audio books?  I have not always been a big audio books person, but sometimes listening to something slows it down enough so I don't gloss over the dialogue. 

 

I'd love to garden, but that requires more time spent in the sun than I want. 

Posted

I hike. I scrapbook (paper). I art journal and watercolor (starting a new summer watercolor class tomorrow). I play board games. I read. I volunteer. 

Sometimes I save an audiobook or podcast I particularly enjoy and only let my self listen to it while hiking. 

Posted

Now that I have finished homeschooling, I have the mental energy to study a foreign language I took in high school many years ago. That has been way more fun than I expected since there's so much available on YouTube. 

I lift weights, hike, walk, and swim. 

I listen to lots of recorded books from the audible app and from the library app. 

I started birdwatching during the pandemic, and that led me to drawing birds. I'm not artistic, but drawing is a skill that can be learned to some degree. Once again, YouTube tutorials are a key part of this. 

I have been teaching myself piano.

I volunteer with a local youth music education program. No music skill required; I just wrangle kids and paperwork. 

 

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

My father calls me a scholar. I study as a hobby. I have textbooks in all sorts of topics, and I read widely in political science and sociology topics. I also listen to podcasts in history, economics, and investigative reporting. At the beginning of the year, I added learning a foreign language. I basically learn all the time -- during my early mornings and late nights, while doing chores, while exercising, basically anytime I can squeeze it in. I find it calming and joyful.

The one thing I don't do that surprises people is read fiction or even narrative nonfiction. Can't stand it.

Edited by lewelma
Posted

Reading, mainly about food and regenerative agriculture at the moment, but that's only because the next Murderbot book hasn't come into the library yet. 😪

I'm transforming my nature strip into an insect habitat. Some of the plants are natives, some were from the discount rack at the nursery. I also nicked some farm escapees from beside the road. I do care about the lack of insects and feeding my daughter's bees, but I also like tormenting my neighbours by being rebelliously unsuburban looking. This is a country town, for goodness sakes. Why must mown to the dirt lawns prevail? !!

Just finished a painting this afternoon. The fact that I am dysgraphic and have a lousy visual memory is no reason not to paint the stories I have in my head. I sell some occasionally in the form of greeting cards.

I also really love opening tabs with recipes I hardly ever get around to cooking.

Posted

Learning Italian and playing Wordfeud and other online brain type games.

Reading Charlotte Mason style.  As in have a stack of books from a variety of genres and read a little from each.  Poetry, science, history, fiction.

Chickens.  They are more the kids hobby than mine but still take a chunk of time.  
 

Back when I still had a functioning brain and time for creativity I embroidered and wrote poetry.  It’s years since I’ve done much writing but I feel that eventually I will come back to that after children.  I think I have more to write about now also and it will be less angsty hopefully.

I play tennis and table tennis with my kids when I get time.   In July and August I walk and take photos of the wildflowers and try to identify them.  
 

I listen to podcasts and watch Netflix or abc iview.  

Posted
13 hours ago, katilac said:

When you do have free time, what non-hobby things do you enjoy?

WOW.....you guys are great.  I asked the question, then I had to leave for the evening...and this morning.....BAMM.....what a great list of posts to read. 

I do like jigsaw puzzles.  But, I really don't have a lot of free time...until night time, then I am too tired to do anything but watch TV.  I guess, someday I dream of having the money and the creativity to get my house ultra organized.  I love boxes, containers and bins.  

Posted

I read, listen to books on audible, cook, clean and organize. Right now I am painting each of the walls of my bedroom a different beach color house. The rest of the house will also need to be painted, but it will be a little more subdued. I attend church, see about parents and inlaws. My Pinterest board is alive and well. I have been reworking my flower garden and plan to add more to it-just planted sunflower seeds last week. I got my teaching degree at age 54 and I love teaching my first graders. Some of my at home time is consumed with schooly stuff. I am working on losing weight, and when the weather is cooler, I hope to get back into walking. It's just too hot and humid right now. Dh and I love browsing in bookstores. I enjoy shopping alone at flea markets and other stores. I'm not a girlfriend shopper. Even Dh and I will split up when we shop. 

 

I hope you find something you enjoy doing!!

  • Like 1
Posted
12 hours ago, Tanaqui said:

Do you want a hobby that produces something, like quilting, woodworking, or painting, or a hobby that doesn't produce something?

Do you want a hobby that focuses on keeping your mind active, like crosswords or learning a foreign language, or one that's more chill, like spinning or jogging?

Do you want a hobby that keeps you physically active?

Do you want a hobby that involves other people in a group, such as taking a class, or having a weekly board game meetup, or volunteering for park clean-up days, or something that's more one-on-one like a chess club or go club, or something that's mostly solo?

Do you want a hobby that makes you feel good about helping others, or is that not a prime motivation?

these are great questions....let me see if I can answer them...

I don't think I would like producing something (because then I would have to figure out what to do with that something)...and I am also trying to simplifiy my life. 

I think this is where my jigsaw puzzles come into play....I would rather do that than crossword puzzles,

As far as physically active..yes and no....I have sore shoulders and back, so anything that would put a strain on that is a no...but my husband and I do like to walk and bike on occasion...so we do hope to keep those up.  And we do camp...so there is that, I guess, huh?

Oh, a weekly board game group would be awesome...since my hubby isn't big into games.  I am a small group social person...I don't want to be alone. 

I love making others feel good...doing something for others would be awesome!  I would help others organize home or office spaces. 

these were good questions...thanks....that really helped me think a bit.  If the answers give anybody more ideas, I am open.  

Oh, I currently live in a fairly rural area, but we will be moving to a bigger city eventually...to help my husband's aging parents.  Yes, I know that will take my time too...but I will need to find some time for me as well. 

Thanks for your help. 

 

Posted

Photography and cross-stitch :-).  Some day, when I have some spare time, it will also be scrapbooking (either hard copy or digitally).  And...getting all the old family pics scanned, etc.

 

Posted

I love this thread.
A spin-off of the photography (for me) has been scanning & organizing all of our photos.
I used our flat-bed scanner & love being able to retrieve old photos for homemade Father's Day cards, etc.
Huge, slow project.

Both sets of parents moving to assisted living, so there is on-going need to help them . . . and scan THEIR photos.

By default, cleaning & organizing our house, which was semi-neglected during the 25 years of raising kids.

I've expanded my volunteering at the library, and hopefully at church, community kitchen, etc. in the future.

  • Like 2
Posted

Whatever you choose, consider taking a class with other people who enjoy that thing. You’re family should be able to cope without you for a whole hour and it’s rejuvenating and inspiring to meet people who share an interest. Being with like-minded or creative people really adds an extra dimension to my interests that I’m not getting on lockdown. 
 

I like to read, garden, hike, dance, listen to podcasts, build with wood, and have tea with friends. 

  • Like 2
Posted

I have very little time/energy as well, my schedule looks a lot like yours 😄 there are lots of things I'd like to do, but in reality the main thing I do is to listen to podcasts. Mostly politics, with some science, history, philosophy, and religion depending on what kind of day it is. I like to listen to them while doing my work, which often involves grunt work like uploading bunches of files to my online course website.

I go through periods when I binge Korean dramas. 2020 was a fantastic year for K-dramas, but 2021 hasn't produced any that have hooked me so far. Probably a ripple effect from the lockdowns.

We used to enjoy board games as a family, but once the kids got their devices, board games dried up. Recently DH and I have been getting back into them as a couple activity. There's a campaign game called Near and Far that is super fun and (I think) could even be played solo. Zombicide can be played by 1-6 players. Where we used to live, there was a game store that hosted a Zombicide campaign league. DH and I also used to rock climb, but now that we've moved, the nearest gym is an hour away (and longer in typical traffic).

I also read and (sort of) garden. Used to quilt and knit. Used to play violin. Used to do calligraphy. Used to sing - want to get back into it, but haven't found a group that suits me. Church/Bible study stuff, I don't know if that counts as a hobby but I do enjoy it and it feels like leisure to me.

If we had the kind of jobs that offered paid leave, I think we'd enjoy traveling. But so far, we haven't figured out long-term budgeting to take a week off once in a while.

Posted (edited)

Exercise in some form (the particulars change here and there). 

Reading- I go in spurts of non-fic and fic.

Just started doing scrabble and other word games on my phone here and there.

I like doing projects around the house sometimes but that requires extra money and lots of energy. WE did so many projects last year I'e not been up to much this year. 

eta: We would love to travel as a hobby but time and money. Time is sparse with dh in college and working and we've had a ton of expenses. I hope we can travel more once he finishes school.

 

Edited by Soror
Posted
1 hour ago, egao_gakari said:

I have very little time/energy as well, my schedule looks a lot like yours 😄 there are lots of things I'd like to do, but in reality the main thing I do is to listen to podcasts. Mostly politics, with some science, history, philosophy, and religion depending on what kind of day it is. I like to listen to them while doing my work, which often involves grunt work like uploading bunches of files to my online course website.

I go through periods when I binge Korean dramas. 2020 was a fantastic year for K-dramas, but 2021 hasn't produced any that have hooked me so far. Probably a ripple effect from the lockdowns.

We used to enjoy board games as a family, but once the kids got their devices, board games dried up. Recently DH and I have been getting back into them as a couple activity. There's a campaign game called Near and Far that is super fun and (I think) could even be played solo. Zombicide can be played by 1-6 players. Where we used to live, there was a game store that hosted a Zombicide campaign league. DH and I also used to rock climb, but now that we've moved, the nearest gym is an hour away (and longer in typical traffic).

I also read and (sort of) garden. Used to quilt and knit. Used to play violin. Used to do calligraphy. Used to sing - want to get back into it, but haven't found a group that suits me. Church/Bible study stuff, I don't know if that counts as a hobby but I do enjoy it and it feels like leisure to me.

If we had the kind of jobs that offered paid leave, I think we'd enjoy traveling. But so far, we haven't figured out long-term budgeting to take a week off once in a while.

Why do Korean dramas interest you? I need some new shows to binge on.... and what streaming source do you find them?

I should also investigate other solo games.  Thanks for that idea. 

Posted
2 hours ago, kfeusse said:

I have sore shoulders and back, so anything that would put a strain on that is a no

You might look into water aerobics at the Y, Silver Sneakers classes, pilates (they have a kind that is gentle where you lie on this slidy thing), etc. The Y is a very social place, so you might find going there and meeting up with friends to chat, even if just to walk, is a pleasant hobby. :smile:  

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Posted (edited)
10 hours ago, PeterPan said:

Apparently mine is caring for an aging parent. 

You may not need to invent something to eat your time. It may just happen, sigh.

This.  Corresponding sigh.

But if I ever find time again, I am a fool for painting old furniture.  I’d like to branch out beyond chalk paint and distressing yard sale finds to more faux finishing.  In fact, there is a ($$$$$) faux finisher in our area who is sought after by big renovation companies.  If I had no other obligations and had time, I’d be begging for an apprentice type position, just to learn from him. 

 

Edited by Spryte
  • Like 1
Posted

Tending my roses - this is a daily project from spring until mid-fall

cross-stitch and embroidery - I enjoy it but run out of people to give things too.  I also have done a lot of mask making in the past year, but don't need to do that so much anymore.  I would like to take up quilting but it scares me.

baking, looking at recipes - I love to bake and cook, but I really like looking at old cookbooks, quirky cookbooks, and recipe websites.

writing - I am working off and on on a novel.  I decided if I was going to make my boys do a novel last year, I should give it a shot.

reading - mostly at night before bed.

photography - this is a DH and me thing, it makes for some fun dates.  We have done night sky, waterfalls, flowers,...

gaming - mostly computer (PC), but also DnD, RPGs, board games, etc. 

wasting time on social media - much too much time on this.

finding projects around the house for DH - in the last month he has made a beautiful planter (3 hexagons together) for tomatoes, and is almost done with a planter with arch for my vertical pumpkins.  He does the cutting and building, and making my visions reality.  I do the sealing of wood and coming up with the ideas.

letting dog in and out of the house - this is a daily task that surprisingly takes up a lot of time, though I doubt it really counts as a hobby

Posted
21 hours ago, kfeusse said:

Why do Korean dramas interest you? I need some new shows to binge on.... and what streaming source do you find them?

Oh boy you asked the question... 😛  Netflix has a bunch. Almost all of them are limited series, just one season of either 8 or 16 episodes, so they won't devour your life like if you decided to watch Supernatural from the beginning or something 😄 They span all kinds of genres, but the main plot is almost always romantic in nature. Recent-ish ones I've liked include...

  • Descendants of the Sun (a doctor and a military special ops guy on a humanitarian mission)
  • It's Okay to Not Be Okay (a psychiatric nurse who cares for his special-needs adult brother gets wrapped up in the messy life of his brother's favorite author, who has glorious fashion)
  • Mister Sunshine (c. 1900, a man born into the slave caste who had escaped to America as a child returns to Korea as a military attaché to the American consulate)
  • Crash Landing on You (South Korean heiress crash-lands in North Korea)
  • Startup (two sisters who were separated when their parents divorced meet again as adults competing at a startup incubator)
  • My Love From the Star (alien has been hanging out on Earth for 400 years waiting for his ship to come back)
  • 100 Days My Prince (historical comedy/drama about a prince who gets amnesia and winds up married to a village girl...who also has a secret)
  • One Spring Night (family drama, centered on a librarian who falls for a single dad, but various episodes are devoted to the troubles of different family members/friends)

I tried to limit this list to shows I've seen on Netflix, but Viki.com is a streaming service for Asian dramas that has an enormous selection if you binge all the ones on Netflix and want more 😉 

  • Like 2
Posted
6 minutes ago, egao_gakari said:

Oh boy you asked the question... 😛  Netflix has a bunch. Almost all of them are limited series, just one season of either 8 or 16 episodes, so they won't devour your life like if you decided to watch Supernatural from the beginning or something 😄 They span all kinds of genres, but the main plot is almost always romantic in nature. Recent-ish ones I've liked include...

  • Descendants of the Sun (a doctor and a military special ops guy on a humanitarian mission)
  • It's Okay to Not Be Okay (a psychiatric nurse who cares for his special-needs adult brother gets wrapped up in the messy life of his brother's favorite author, who has glorious fashion)
  • Mister Sunshine (c. 1900, a man born into the slave caste who had escaped to America as a child returns to Korea as a military attaché to the American consulate)
  • Crash Landing on You (South Korean heiress crash-lands in North Korea)
  • Startup (two sisters who were separated when their parents divorced meet again as adults competing at a startup incubator)
  • My Love From the Star (alien has been hanging out on Earth for 400 years waiting for his ship to come back)
  • 100 Days My Prince (historical comedy/drama about a prince who gets amnesia and winds up married to a village girl...who also has a secret)
  • One Spring Night (family drama, centered on a librarian who falls for a single dad, but various episodes are devoted to the troubles of different family members/friends)

I tried to limit this list to shows I've seen on Netflix, but Viki.com is a streaming service for Asian dramas that has an enormous selection if you binge all the ones on Netflix and want more 😉 

we don't have netflix.  We do have prime and hulu....guess I could see if any are those.  thanks. 

Posted
31 minutes ago, kfeusse said:

we don't have netflix.  We do have prime and hulu....guess I could see if any are those.  thanks. 

I think Prime and Hulu each have a few... if you search "Korean" in their search functions they will probably come up. I mostly use Netflix and Viki, though, so I don't know any titles off the top of my head for Prime and Hulu. Viki has a number of them that are free to watch (with ad breaks), including Descendants of the Sun from my list above.

Posted

I finally (last summer) acquired backyard chickens, and they are both endlessly entertaining and productive--their eggs are amazing. They require a modest amount of daily attention, but not a ton. Mine free-range my fenced backyard, which makes them way more entertaining because they come to the side door and watch us eat dinner every night. When we retire to somewhere with more space than my suburban backyard, I may acquire more critters, but I haven't figured out anything that is both entertaining and productive. Milk goats maybe? I'd have to make cheese, though, since I don't like milk. Hmmm. . ..

  • Like 1
Posted
On 6/21/2021 at 10:12 AM, kfeusse said:

Why do Korean dramas interest you?

I just realized I misread your question - I thought you wrote "Which Korean dramas interest you?" heh. I like k-dramas because they are (generally) lighthearted and escapist! They aren't usually trying to make any kind of social commentary or even to "make you think," they are just fun entertainment. I do also enjoy film and tv that make me think, but sometimes I just want to check out and watch pretty people fall in love with each other 😉 Also, they are usually not too explicit with regard to violence or, ahem, tea, so I don't feel uncomfortable watching them in the living room!

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...