Tag Archives: hobby

Dec4

Three Hobbies To Take Up In 2021

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Three Hobbies To Take Up In 2021

The year is slowly coming to an end, bringing with it a time for reflection and looking to the new year. If you are starting to think about some new hobbies to take up, there is no better time to do so. It could be that you have always wanted to learn to dive or that there is a budding artist in you just waiting to get out. No matter what it is, there are a plethora of new skills out there just waiting to be discovered. Have a think about what you want to do and then consider how you are going to do it. Is it a course that you can do online? Or do you have to travel to do it? Will you need any equipment like a camera? How much will it cost? These are all important things to consider. Here are three new habits that you can take up in 2021:

Horse riding:

Horse riding is a great hobby to take up. It has a whole host of benefits as well as being a ton of fun too! By riding a horse, you will soon find that your posture has improved and that your coordination and balance has got better. It is also a brilliant way to get close to the beautiful animals, and you can help out with everything from grooming them to training them if you wish. Once you have been riding for a while, you could take your horse riding up a level and enter competitions or showjumping. You can teach your horse to jump over hay bales and other obstacles and compete against others.

Can all horse riders learn how to jump? The answer is yes, and if you are a confident rider, you may even be able to join local competitions. Remember, however, professional jockeys are a completely different kettle of fish. That being said, if you feel inspired reading Freddie Vasquez Equestrian reviews, you could also start jump courses and see where this takes you. It can be a super fun activity as long as you feel confident. It may look easy but it is hard work for the rider too! In short, it can be a great way to get those thigh muscles working!

Photography:

When it comes to learning a new skill, photography is an exciting choice. Not only will you learn something new, but you can also get some photos printed out that you can put up on the wall. It is a great way to remember good times and memories, as well as get images of people and places that you love. There is always something new to experiment with in photography and you have the possibility of turning your hobby into a career.

Crocheting:

Crocheting is a valuable skill to have, and it is relatively easy to learn and cheap to do. Once you have bought the wool and needles, you have the tools to create a whole host of beautiful crochet items to wear and for your home. Whether you decide to make a blanket, cardigan, or a scarf, the options are endless. One of the best things about crocheting is that it can be done anywhere at any time, and you will soon find the number of items you can create getting bigger and bigger.

These are just a few ideas of hobbies to take up in 2021 that are sure to pique your interest. No matter if you start it and love it or do it for a few weeks and realize it’s not quite for you, the most important thing is that you have taken on a challenge, pushed yourself out of your comfort zone, and tried something new. Don’t be afraid to try something else if your first option doesn’t work out!

Featured Image By: Alexander Dummer from Pexels

Nov27

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes By Suzanne Collins Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes By Suzanne Collins Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! This post has been a long time coming because The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes by Suzanne Collins was five hundred and fifteen pages. It took me a while to finish this prequel to The Hunger Games series but it was worth every single page and then some. As always, without giving any spoilers away, let’s discuss:

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For those of you who don’t know, I am a HUGE fan of The Hunger Games. From the books to the movies, I love it all and Katniss is one of my heroes. I am also #teampeta till the day I die, in case you were wondering! ANYWHO, The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes was pre-Katniss times and focuses solely on the future president of Panem, Coriolanus Snow, and his ultimate rise to power.

Young eighteen year old Coriolanus (Coryo to his loved ones) is a Capitol sweetheart despite secretly barely having a penny to his name. He covers his lack of cash with the gift of gab and excels at school. In fact, he excels so much that for the first time in Hunger Games history, students at the Academy are going to be mentors to the tributes and he is chosen to coach none other than Lucy Grey of District 12.

Originally, Coryo was disgusted by his fate because surely a scrawny girl from 12 couldn’t be the victor amid her extremely tough competition. What’s more, sadistic Dr. Gaul who is one of the head scientists of the games is watching his every move and she has plenty of surprises up her sleeves with her genetically mutated animals and love of war.

Despite Coryo’s obvious setbacks for the games, he lives by the motto “Snow lands on top” and he will do anything to win. And, as Lucy Grey proves herself to be a formidable opponent and a huge prize for the winning coach is announced – a full ride to the University, Coryo becomes even more intent on reigning victorious.

The Hunger Games are just the beginning of this wild ride and, sadly, I really can’t give any more away without spoiling a MAJOR plot twist that left me with my chin touching the floor. So, I will say this, The Hunger Games fans will absolutely love this book because it was easily one of my favorite ones of the series.

It was so interesting to read The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes because it tied in beautifully to the other three books. From beloved songs like “The Hanging Tree” and characters like the introduction of Lucky Flickerman, this prequel answers a lot of unanswered questions and it paints a very clear picture of how The Hunger Games began and why they are still happening decades later once Katniss volunteers as tribute.

Jam packed with action, twists, and turns on every page, it was impossible to put this book down. It also leaves you feeling conflicted about Coriolanus Snow who can almost be viewed as a tragic hero in his younger years. Don’t let this fool you, though, because if you have read the series or watched the movies, you will know that he ends up as a president who runs things more like a dictatorship.

Yes, Snow lands on top. But at what cost? Read The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes and find out!

Who else is a fan of The Hunger Games? Are you #teampeta or #teamgale? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov15

What Have I Been Up To?

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What Have I Been Up To?

Howdy! I will always be the first to say how much I miss pre-COVID life. I miss going on dates with Johnny, seeing all of our friends, and not worrying my head off every time I’m in public. And, as someone who works with very high risk families, nonessential outings just seem unimportant to me. So what in the heck have I been up to, then, if I don’t do much of anything in public any more? A whole lot of the following:

Reading:

I love, love, love to read and always have so ample at home time has meant finishing beaucoup books. I try to read at least two chapters or thirty or so pages depending on the book daily. Right now, I am finishing up the prequel to The Hunger Games called The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes and it is excellent! I have such a hankering now to go back and read the entire series and watch all of the movies, of course. 😀

The Sleeping Nymph by Ilaria Tuti is what’s on deck after my Hunger Games book. I am also always open to suggestions of your favorite books so be sure to let me know in the comments!

Duolingo:

Like reading, I try to practice all five of the languages I’m learning daily on Duolingo. I am currently on a twenty day streak of studying French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Czech and that is huge for me. The last time I had a streak that long was when I was recovering for a month from my oral surgery gone wrong.

I am very motivated to keep that streak going and I am so excited for Johnny to get me Duolingo Plus for Christmas so I no longer have to worry about having enough hearts to complete each practice session. I also plan on adding Swedish, Latin, or Greek into the mix next!

Video Chats:

My ultimate BFF, Lea, and I still see each other about once a month to have a social distanced drink at either one of our homesteads. Other than that, I do a lot of FaceTime, Skype, and Zoom to “see” all of the rest of my pals in my friend group. I love setting aside an hour block or so on the weekend to catch up with friends both near and far and it definitely helps keep me sane to chat even if it isn’t face to face.

Video Games:

Johnny and I are both in love with our Nintendo Switch and when I have some free time, I enjoy playing Animal Crossing. It is so relaxing and fun and I am always excited when the game updates so that you can catch new fish and bugs and participate in different activities like growing pumpkins or foraging mushrooms. I cannot wait to see what our island looks like for Christmas!

I also just beat Paper Mario: The Origami King last week and it was an absolute blast. Johnny got it for me for our one year anniversary and it felt so good to finally beat it. The game was insanely entertaining, visually beautiful, and it was challenging without ever being too too hard. I plan on buying a new Mario game for the Switch soon so if anyone has any favorites, please let me know. 🙂

Online Shopping:

Finally, there is nothing like a little bit of online shopping to help perk me up. I have so enjoyed all of my early Christmas shopping and I am very pleased to say that I am almost done buying for everyone on my gift list. Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t pick out a little something something for myself too – especially since I haven’t gone shopping in person since February.

I love ordering small pick me ups like face masks to pamper myself with and, when I really feel like splurging, I never say no to a new pair of shoes!

Are the activities I listed above the most exciting? Not by a long shot. But I value my safety and those around me much more than needing to be out and about right now. So, in the end, it’s not all that bad. ❤

What are your favorite at home activities? What do you miss the most from pre-COVID times? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov10

Women’s Golf, Is It Time To Increase Its Popularity?

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Women’s Golf, Is It Time To Increase Its Popularity?

Golf club managers have a lot of questions about Millennials. However, we must not forget that there are still too few women in the field. According to our statistics, approximately 75% of the millions of golfers who use our software are male. This proportion is enormous! If women’s attendance equaled men’s, our bookings could increase by 47%. Golf is not a sport physically inaccessible to women so why are so few playing? Rather, the problem lies in the culture of the golf community itself and within the media. Changing your club culture is no easy task, but there are several steps you can take to gain the interest of women:

Organize camps and lessons for young women:

The earlier and the younger the players start playing, the better. Learning is through teaching and instruction. Setting up training camps for young women is the perfect way to get more girls to play golf, besides giving parents a break during summer vacation. During camp planning, take the time to find inspiring leaders. It is more motivating and interesting for young girls to refer to a female model. Your young golfers could be marked for life by the teaching of a strong and talented woman.

If you have an interest in golf from a young age, then this hobby should certainly be nurtured. Remember, that nurturing a hobby doesn’t mean buying the most expensive equipment as you can easily find Used golf drivers from top brands. Brand new gear could be a great reward as their skills improve! Rather, allowing a hobby to grow into a passion means showing support, finding new opportunities like summer camps, and encouraging practice at a comfortable pace.

Host an event to celebrate Women’s Golf Day:

If you didn’t know, Women’s Golf Day is an internationally successful initiative celebrating current and future golfers. The event is repeated every year in June. Normally, this celebration lasts about four hours and is divided into two: two hours are spent on golf and two more on networking. The first half can consist of playing a nine-hole game, taking lessons, doing practice sessions, showing new product demos, offering freebies like golf balls and gloves, or just practicing on the driving range. After golf, participants are encouraged to socialize over a drink or a meal. In some cases, golf clubs invite speakers and promote business networking.

Golf clubs that have organized an event to celebrate Women’s Golf Day have said they have witnessed an increase in their female clientele. Some participants continued with the lessons, and others even bought an annual membership! There is certainly a shift in the sports industry when publicity is used to its advantage. The media are responsible for the success of many marketing campaigns, and with sports becoming a more intrinsic part of our lives, for fitness and pleasure, it is certainly important to look out online for all the newest news and information relating to women in the industry. It’s a great way to promote women’s sports proactively.

Get Fashionable:

Sports clothing has become much more fashionable recently. We appreciate the comfort and the style of sportswear, and it has been incorporated into our everyday life. When women play golf, there is no reason to say that they can’t look dazzling in their apparel. Ladies golf clothing is now better than ever. Golf fashion is timeless, elegant, and a real must-have on the golf course.

Hit the green with more girl power than ever with the tips above!

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Oct26

Ballooning Around

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Ballooning Around

Hello! As of right now, there has been a sharp increase of COVID cases in Ohio. Myself and Johnny, both of our families, and all of my clients are hunkered down more than ever and the feeling of having “nothing to do” is particularly strong. As an independent provider for people with special needs, I am constantly trying to figure out ways to keep my clients entertained from the comfort of their home. This past month, I learned that something has simple as a balloon can be a whole lot of fun.

My most senior (and high risk) client’s brother celebrated a birthday in October, so we spent a lot of time making decorations and discussing birthdays of years’ past. The piece de resistance, however, was definitely when I blew up a ton of balloons the day before and the morning of the big day. My client loved selecting which color balloons he wanted and he wrote his brother’s name on every single one.

Once we had plenty of balloons ready, I asked my client if he wanted to hit it back and forth together and he was all for it. In fact, so much so that we have played “Balloon Bounce” pretty much every day that I’ve seen him since. This has been my “sneaky” way of incorporating a more, for lack of a better words, “active” activity into my client’s routine and he has so much fun that it doesn’t even feel like a little work out.

We have dubbed ourselves the Balloon Bounce International League and we have nicknames too! While we’re hitting the balloon, we always play our favorites tunes and it brings my client back to playing volleyball in the Special Olympics. My only rule? Placing items that could get hit throughout his room elsewhere so nothing breaks!

Balloon Bounce is one of the most simple past times I think I have ever come up with and it really is a blast. All it takes it a little creativity and imagination and even the smallest activities can become a new daily favorite. Hey, I’ll take it!

How do you get creative with activities at home? How did you celebrate any recent birthdays? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Deeana Creates From Pexels

Sep29

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Family Upstairs By Lisa Jewell Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Family Upstairs By Lisa Jewell Edition

Hello! While I had to take an entire week of work off for being sick, I was able to finish the book I’ve been working on called The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. Despite enjoying this book very much, it is easy to say that it is not for everyone. Before we discuss (Without spoilers, of course!), I’ll be putting a trigger warning on The Family Upstairs for child abuse and heavy cult activity. Now, let’s get to it:

Libby Jones lives the average life of a freshly turned twenty-five year old. Struggling to make ends meet, constantly attempting to climb the corporate ladder, and trying to figure out just who the heck she is in this world (Ringing more true for her, as she is adopted). But Libby has been somebody to her real family since she’s been born and now it’s time to find out where she came from.

Shortly after Libby’s birthday, a letter arrives claiming that she is the inheritor of a mansion as well as learning about her real parents. Although ramshackle, abandoned, and with a dark history the home is still worth a fortune. A dark history, you say? Well, what else would you call a home in which children have gone missing and a perfectly healthy ten month old baby girl is living among the corpses of three adults in black robes?

This entire story is honestly just weird. But good weird! The mansion Libby inherits was once magnificent with fine furnishings, designer clothes in each closet, and the best of the best or it wouldn’t do. So how in SAM HILL was there nothing left in the home when the baby was found by the police? What was the baby doing there to begin with?!

The baby was not old enough to take care of herself so who was taking care of her? While Libby is searching for herself, there are others hot on her trail. The “baby” has now turned twenty-five and a handful of people have been waiting a quarter of a century for it. Friends? Foes? Family? Read The Family Upstairs to find out!

Told in an interweaving round between Libby and two others who may or may not have lived in the home previously, there are surprises and red herrings during every chapter making it impossible to put down. In fact, just talking about it is almost giving too much away. Life changing secrets are looming in the dark of the once grand home that Libby is now the owner of and each sick twist brings her one step closer to who she was, is, and will be.

Now, if you think my description of this book is intense, then you are in for a wild ride if you actually read it. The Family Upstairs turned and writhed throughout each sentence into a fireworks finale of the grand reveal. It was a great reveal, by the way, but I am proud to say I figured most of it out beforehand, thank you very much! 😀

I highly recommend this book if you can stomach it and am awarding it with an eight and a half out of ten stars. This has been one of the best story lines I’ve read in a long while and each and every character will leave you shocked for good or bad. Tuck into this page turner and enjoy, you won’t regret it.

Which book are you currently working on? Who is your favorite author? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep26

Quarantine Weekends

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Quarantine Weekends

Hello! Going from being out and about every weekend with Johnny at the beginning of this year is a far cry from what we do now. With COVID and the fact that my county is now in a threat level red, our weekends have went from full and busy to full of binge watching in the blink of an eye. The worst part? The weekend still ends quickly even though we’re not doing much of anything, lol!

Johnny and I have a pretty standard weekend format that goes a little something like this: Video games, movies, and TV. I am currently obsessed with the video games he gifted me for our anniversary so I have been playing a lot of Paper Mario and Diablo III. We also take turns picking movies to watch in between our viewings of The Last Kingdom and SuperStore – both of which I highly recommend.

Does it sound boring yet? I know it does but it actually isn’t all that bad. For the first time literally since I started working at sixteen, I have weekends that are completely agenda free. All I have to do is sit on the couch and stay safe and I’m confident that Johnny and I can keep doing that.

One of the best parts of our weekends is actually thanks to the change in weather. Because fall temperatures are upon us, it has cooled down our apartment significantly. Believe it or not, I find myself telling Johnny “I’m cold” more often than not now. This makes being stuck in the apartment much more tolerable and there is nothing better than bundling up in hoodies and blankets while it’s nice and crisp in and outdoors!

Speaking of cooling down outdoors, I can’t wait to start taking hikes and doing all of the Halloween themed activities soon. Have fun and keep on staying safe. ❤

How do you spend weekends in quarantine? What is the weather like in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep24

Guilty Pleasure: Dancing With The Stars Edition

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Guilty Pleasure: Dancing With The Stars Edition

Hi! I have plenty of guilty pleasure TV shows that I am always eager to put on when I have the apartment to myself on Wednesday evenings. Johnny has band practice so when I get home from work I plop myself in front of the TV and binge to my heart’s content. We’re talking America’s Next Top Model, My 600 Lb. Life, Dr. Pimple Popper, and most recently: Dancing With The Stars.

I used to be a HUGE DWTS fan back in the day and would tune in season after season with my parents. This bonding time was officially dubbed “Middle Aged Monday” and I lived for it. Despite such fond memories of watching the show, I became uninterested after a while. I was so sick of all of the crappy reality stars and D list celebrities that the show just fell by the wayside.

However, when I learned that one of my favorite figure skaters, Johnny Weir, is competing this season, I snapped back like a rubber band and turned my free Wednesday evening into DWTS time. Because I haven’t been watching in forever and also COVID, I didn’t realize how much the show has changed.

Not only is Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews not hosting but Len Goodman is also not a judge, replaced by Derek Hough. Len will be popping in from time to time this season via video chat as it is not safe for him to travel from England at the moment. This switch is fine because I adore the Hough siblings. But if Tom and Erin aren’t hosting, then who is? Tyra Banks, of course.

Now, normally, when I hear “Tyra Banks”, I am stoked. I love her often times more than I love myself and I was ready to see her in action. Unfortunately, she was so GOTDAMN annoying I was almost ready to fast forward her talking. All she did was speak about herself, try to relate dancing to modeling, and give meaningless commentary. By the end of the episode, I had a Tom and Erin sized hole in my heart and felt completely unimpressed by this swap.

Despite not being a huge fan of the new hostess, I forgot how much fun DWTS is. The costumes, the fantastic music, excellent judges, uber talented pros, and (occasionally) enticing celebrities makes for TV heaven for me. I so enjoyed seeing stars like Johnny Weir, Nelly, AJ McLean, Skai Jackson, and Nev Schulman take the floor and all it made me want to do was take up ballroom dancing myself.

Dancing With The Stars is a perfect show for me to put on after work because I can still get chores done and make my dinner during celebrities I don’t care about. I’m already ready for them to “trim the fat” by eliminating the people who don’t have a change in hell of winning. But, for now, I am okay with sitting back and watching the spectacle. 🙂

Do you watch Dancing With The Stars? Who do you think is going to win this season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep19

Feeling Great!

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Feeling Great!

Hello!! With all of the craziness of politics, COVID, and everything in between it is very easy to feel down and out. This is especially true if, like me and Johnny, you are still limiting your time in public. The monotony of my never ending cycle of sitting at home, work, then sitting at home certainly leaves a lot to be desired but, after this past anniversary weekend I have been feeling great!

Johnny and I celebrated our one year anniversary over the weekend with a delicious meal made by a super talented friend in our very own kitchen. It was one of the best dates I’ve ever been on despite not leaving our apartment and we seriously had the time of our lives getting dressed up to stay in.

It feels easy to just turn on another episode of whatever you were last binging on Netflix and make a day of it. And, no judgement here, because that’s what Johnny and I do nine times out of ten. However, one small change up to our routine left me with a newly found spring in my step and I feel much better than I did before.

This is not me saying to go out here, there, and everywhere for something new. Rather, to explore all of the fun things that can be done from the safety of your home. Everything from dress up date nights to even a cleaning spree with the best music and company can get you out of the “I never do anything” slump.

Brainstorm with your friends about your next game night over Zoom, plan a social distanced picnic in the park, or maybe even a long weekend in a cabin? The possibilities really are endless and I promise that it’s going to be infinitely more fun than whatever TV series you were going to cozy up with! Explore and enjoy! 😀

How do you have social distanced outings? What has been the best date you have ever been on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep7

Could You Work With Dogs?

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Could You Work With Dogs?

With unemployment levels high and rising all of the time, and so many sectors hit hard by COVID-19 and the restrictions that it has brought, many people are starting to think about entirely different career paths. If many people in your industry have been made redundant, competition for the jobs that are available is going to be tough. With no idea when the economy might go back to normal, or even when life will start to feel like it used to, it’s a great time to explore alternative options and give a completely different job a try.

One option that appeals to many of us is starting our own business. When it comes to creating something for ourselves, most of us hope to do it in an area that we enjoy. If you’ve always had dogs, and use dog walking or training businesses yourself, you might be tempted to start your own. Here are some of the things that you should ask yourself before jumping in:

Do You Love Dogs?

Loving your own pet dog isn’t the same as loving someone else’s. Looking after an animal requires patience and understanding. You might happily clean up after your dog, but would you do it for someone else’s? Could you cope with another dog disobeying? Are you the kind of person that can only truly love an animal that you’ve gotten to know and bonded with? Or, do you care deeply for all animals?

At the same time, it’s worth asking yourself if you would still enjoy spending time with your own animal if you spend all day looking after other peoples?

Do You Have Great People Skills?

When you work with dogs, most of your days will be spent with the animals themselves. But it won’t be the dog that hires you, pays your wages, or tells their friends how great you are. If you want to build a business, you don’t just need to get on well with the animals. You also need to be great with people.

Do You Have Business Acumen?

Running a business is always about much more than doing those core tasks that you enjoy so much. To build a business, you need to have good business sense. You need to be able to choose the right pet food packaging if you want to sell products. You need to be good at marketing, finance, and all of the other elements of running a successful business. You need to come up with ideas that sets your business apart if you want it to do well. Of course, you can always use assistance too! Take some time to look up “London’s best VAT specialists” (or your local area) to see how professionals can help simplify your procedures.

Do You Have the Drive to Work for Yourself?

Another problem that many new businesses owners face is the shock of actually working for themselves. If you’ve always been told what to do, suddenly having to manage your time, get stuff done, and stay on top of your to-do list can be tough. Do you think that it is something that you are ready for?

Working with dogs can be great fun. It can also be an exceptionally fulfilling career, giving you the chance to make a difference to families with pets. But it’s also challenging, time-consuming, and often stressful. Working with dogs can be fantastic, but it’s not something that you should do without giving it some careful thought first.

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