[binkybear]

Originally Posted by 4everwaiting

collecting /redoing antique furniture (wood not fabric) !

Me too! I'm addicted to enamel top furniture, like the old hoosier cabinets...love 'em That and odd one of a kind wooden chairs. I've redone quite a few of those. I love a well done mismatch look in decorating, nothing in my house is a "set" of anykind...well only the couch set in the basement/family room but that's about the only "modern" stuff in our house! The older stuff is indestructible, it's so well made. It's incredibly kid friendly, you just can't really mess it up and if you do ding it up it only adds to the character of the piece. Kids can't mess up reclaimed barn wood coffee tables...if it hung on the side of a barn for 100 years nothing can hurt it

[lovemy2boys]

Originally Posted by binkybear

Kids can't mess up reclaimed barn wood coffee tables...if it hung on the side of a barn for 100 years nothing can hurt it

I don't know...they never met the likes of my boys!

Seriously though - I love one of a kind furniture...

I have some gorgeous tables of my Great Grandparents...but I have them away because I'm afraid to have them near my kids...haha

They're not purposely destructive...They're kind of like "well meaning" tornados...

[Shadowfaerie]

Originally Posted by Ladyofmoonlight

I've written some too... shhhhh!

I get my graphic novels from the library, had to stop visiting my long-time comic store when we started saving up for Pax's adoption. There are several in our area that are in the same system (use the same card) and that have kid's story times. I go to the same one most weeks and reserve things to be sent there that I want to read, but every 2-3 weeks I'll stop by another one and just grab a huge load of books. We don't have a limit on the number we can take out, we have 3 weeks, can renew online and can return at any library in the system, so it's all very convenient. I love it, we go to the library once or twice a week, dance and sing and do an activity, visit our respective sections, then come home and geek it up! Pax will be on the floor flipping through his books (after I've read every single one at least once both at the library and at home) and "reading" to himself, and I'll sit back with a graphic novel and we'll have some "quiet time."

I didn't realize the library even had graphic novels. Well, that's for the tip.

[binkybear]

Originally Posted by lovemy2boys

I don't know...they never met the likes of my boys!

Seriously though - I love one of a kind furniture...

I have some gorgeous tables of my Great Grandparents...but I have them away because I'm afraid to have them near my kids...haha

They're not purposely destructive...They're kind of like "well meaning" tornados...

Picturing little spinning clouds with sneakers . That barn wood is tough stuff man!

I say pull those tables out and enjoy them!! I have that overall personal theory about "stuff" in general after helping my mom and her sibs go through my grandparents house after they passed... it's all just stuff we should enjoy in life now and not try so hard to keep perfect for future relatives. Unless it's something you plan on selling at some point for a true profit, I say enjoy it & use it!! Even if it gets a few tornado hits to it who's coming over that would notice.

[powderpiggy]

Do sports count as hobbies?? In the winter I play in a Women's Ice Hockey league. It works out great because we typically play at night 9:30 PM to 10:30 PM so it doesn't take away from my time with DS (though it does make me tired the next morning). I also cross country ski in the winter, I often take DS with me in his ski pulk, and downhill ski (my favorite but don't get to go often because it means getting a sitter for DS, which is something I don't want to do on the weekends after he has had a sitter most of the week while I am at work). During the summer I hike (often with DS in a pack but boy is that exhausting) and bike ( often with DS in a trailer). I try to focus on the activities that I can include him in because since I work I hate spending my free time without him.

Other than that I am an on again off again knitter. And occasionally participate in a women's poker league (when I am not playing hockey).

[Stormster]

Originally Posted by chrisandaaron

Maybe you are just preparing for having children! I ask this question of moms at least 5-10 times per day. Most of the ladies with 0-1 child have some type of interest/hobby, but most of the moms with 2 or more kids just laugh.

As the mother of one child I beg to disagree! I'm sure some women with 0-1 child (is 1 really like 0? ) have hobbies but then they probably don't have a son like mine!

[lovemy2boys]

Originally Posted by binkybear

Picturing little spinning clouds with sneakers . That barn wood is tough stuff man!

I say pull those tables out and enjoy them!! I have that overall personal theory about "stuff" in general after helping my mom and her sibs go through my grandparents house after they passed... it's all just stuff we should enjoy in life now and not try so hard to keep perfect for future relatives. Unless it's something you plan on selling at some point for a true profit, I say enjoy it & use it!! Even if it gets a few tornado hits to it who's coming over that would notice.

Who would notice?? MY MOTHER!!!!! lol

It's so funny that you wrote this though, because my whole family is ALWAYS telling my Grandma that she can't just keep saving her stuff for when the Pope comes because it's never going to happen...And my whole family is always going on and on about "if you can't use the stuff you have, then why have it?"

But apparently the only 2 items in the world not sanctioned under this message are the 2 tables I have from my great grandparents - well, then - why did you guys GIVE them to me?

I actually will bring out the 1 table after the holidays (it's GORGEOUS!!), but the other one is going back to my Mom...it is very small and delicate and I'm afraid to have it in my house (and truth be told, it's me I'm worried about - not the kids - haha)

[nikkianni]

Hobbies.....I remember those. They're the things I haven't done in about 20 months, lol.
Honestly, when I can I read, and I've been dedicating myself to writing again which feels great to get back to.
We love to camp in the summer, and I paint when I can. I also love to bake.
We used to do a lot of traveling but have cut way back on that. Maybe when we're done adding to our family....

[finallyamom0310]

Before DD was born, my hobbies included, crochet, reading, Jazzercise, family outings, etc.

Now....Online forums when I can, and SLEEP. I can't seem to find the time to do much else as everytime I try she wants to do it with me not next to me and she is not coordinated enough to do mine. I try to do things with her but she loses interest quickly too. Guess I need to skip on the sleep and get back to me time.....NOT.

[binkybear]

Originally Posted by lovemy2boys

Who would notice?? MY MOTHER!!!!! lol

It's so funny that you wrote this though, because my whole family is ALWAYS telling my Grandma that she can't just keep saving her stuff for when the Pope comes because it's never going to happen...And my whole family is always going on and on about "if you can't use the stuff you have, then why have it?"

But apparently the only 2 items in the world not sanctioned under this message are the 2 tables I have from my great grandparents - well, then - why did you guys GIVE them to me?

I actually will bring out the 1 table after the holidays (it's GORGEOUS!!), but the other one is going back to my Mom...it is very small and delicate and I'm afraid to have it in my house (and truth be told, it's me I'm worried about - not the kids - haha)

The Pope, ha ha ha ha we use that one too. Ladies USE the good china, the good glasses and the "good" dishes all the time with love...the Pope wants you to!!! Small sidetrack here...we had something really speical in our extended family that some felt needed to be packed away and never used...these items should have been used at least every Christmas without fail, but some were consumed with the "worth" of the items..well guess what....grandmas's house was broken into and the items stolen. We never enjoyed them and someone else probably pawned them to someone who would. Enjoy it all everyday!

Ok, so back to the idea of "hobby", here's my Binky "decorating and repurposing" thought for the day (I do this with older pieces all the time. when it works it's fantastic...when it doesn't it's bad, so only you'll know if it fits in your house or the room you choose). Ok, so...if the table is small and delicate and has a shape that works with this idea, what about lifting it off of the floor? Ever see that done, even with chairs?

If it's a delicate table you may be able to create a "shelf" with it by hanging it. Hang with hardware that doesn't compromise the piece at all..(no holes, etc). Maybe that way you can enjoy the piece again, maybe use it as focal point on a wall to hold something that belonged to greatgrandma, or a photo of her?

[Saya]

Wow hobbies, I remember those. Now with full-time job plus parenting, not so much. Sometimes I feel like my main hobby now is this message board. When I do have free time, it's usually about hanging out with family and friends rather then something more specific. The one thing I still do is read voraciously. I take the subway to work, 45 minutes each way, so that 1.5 hours each weekday is my reading time. And I'm a fast reader. I usually get through a book or 2 per week, plus some magazines.

Before parenting, I've done various things at various times. I love music, and I've sung in ensembles. I also was taking a Taiko drumming class before Anabel came home, and I LOVED it and would love to do it again sometime. I also did yoga. I do some gardening, but DH is really the gardener in the family.

What is WOW?

[Fe2002]

Originally Posted by binkybear

I turned my hobby into a biz so that I could someday be a SAHM. I'm not brave enough to publically share the details at the moment but maybe someday

Other hobbies, well I read cookbooks from front to back like a novel. I love love love cooking, baking and creating new recipes. If I couldn't cook I'd go bonkers, it's always been a huge relaxing escape for me. Veggie and herb gardens keep me busy and fed all spring and summer. I dabble in photography, painting and quilting (small teeny tiny projects).

I'm a night owl so I pretty much do what I like when the house is quiet....maybe I've been preparing for kids all along

OP: It's just anything you do to relax or escape for a while....you could collect magazines as a hobby...SHOPPING..shopping could so be a hobby if I let it be. I love food shopping so much I once considered doing that for a living! Serioulsy, like helping mom's and folks who couldn't get out to do it all the time. I'm sure you have hobbies, just not what you think others would consider a "hobby"

Binky, have you read the Top Chef cookbook? Interested to know what you think of it... I really like to cook too and just last night (while watching Top Chef) was contemplating taking some formal cooking classes to learn and refine my techniques.

I took a couple of cooking classes (Thai and Greek) already and really enjoyed them. Not sure if I can ever be a classic chef though, I think I've warped my palate with my love of spicy food.

[Fran27]

Reading for me has been relegated to a bedtime activity. I just hate being interrupted when I read.

[sheababy]

Does playing with DD count? No hobbies here for either me or DH. I know exactly how you are feeling. I love to read but since I have only read 3 books the entire year, I don't feel that qualifies.