Hobbies...(besides reading of course!)

[Tegan]

Thought we could post about our hobbies and activities (other than reading) here! It could give everyone new ideas and we have a chance to talk about what we're doing!

[Tegan]

When I'm not reading a lot of the time I'm crocheting and knitting! I'm just getting into knitting more. If you like either of these (or are interested in getting into it) there's a group like GR, but for knitting and crocheting!

It's Ravelry.com

Also if you're interested in starting and have any questions, let me know! I'll put some pictures up of some stuff I've made!

[Shellbelle]

I def. want to see some pictures! I would love to Knitt, or Crochet, but I have never tried...which is easier to learn?!lol

I love Scrapbooking, but I haven't done much of it lately...really want to get back into it.

[Cindy]

When I'm not reading, I like to bowl. I go every Wednesday, I'm working on getting a higher average, so far I'm a 123 bowler(average out of 3 games each day). I bowl in a fun league so my average changes depending on how I bowl each week.

Tegan, I'm a beginner, I'm ok at knitting. I can't seem to understand crocheting :(! I've tried a few times..

[Kelly Lynn]

I'm jealous of all the artistic people. I can't do any of that stuff like knitting, scrapbooking, etc... I'm not sure if it is I don't have the patience or my hand coordination is nil, but I love seeing other people's work!

But like Cindy, I do however bowl! My company has a league and I joined a summer league with a few friends. It's fun, and we are completely non-competitive (or at least I am, so it's always a good time).

I think reading is the only hobby I have that requires me to sit still. I run, play softball, etc... I like being active and running is the greatest stress reliever ever. I crank up the iPod to something with a strong beat and just go take my frustrations out on the pavement. Free therapy lol!

[~Jennifer~]

I love bowling. We used to be in a league at one of our last bases. I think we might start back bowling this weekend. I think my son would get a kick out of it.

My hobby outside of reading would be container gardening. I love plants and after a decade of 'The Black Thumb' I'm finally able to keep plants alive. =D One day when we're away from military life and I own my own home I want to have a HUGE garden...with the stone walls and meandering walkways. I love my potted plants, but I can't wait to dig in the dirt.

[Tegan]

Shell, I think crocheting is easier to learn first and it definitely helped me with my knitting when I started. I learned to crochet in an evening. haha. My grandma came out the next day and I showed her and she went "Oh wow, this is really good, how long have you been doing this?" and I'm like "A day." hahaha. My friend taught me to knit over Skype and I'm going to teach her how to crochet. If you ever want to get started and have questions, let me know! I scrapbook too, but it's been A LONG time. I wanna get back into it.

Cindy, did someone teach you crocheting or did you watch videos or...? There's some good videos for teaching, but it's easiest if someone shows you. Once I started I picked up on it pretty quickly. I feel if you can do one you can do the other. It's just weird getting used to how different they are!

Kelly Lynn, I need to run more! I really want to, but I have sports induced asthma and I'm trying to ease into it.

Jennifer, I really want to design my own garden when I have my own house! It would be so much fun! :)

I like to bowl too! I always went with my family, I haven't done it in awhile though. :( More people bowl than I thought! haha. I would definitely want to be in a fun league. I hate how super competitive some people get and it's not fun anymore :(

The site I have all my stuff posted on has pictures, but it won't let me copy the image location, so I'm going to have to put them up elsewhere and I'll put them up! :)

[Tegan]

Here's one picture, it's a bookmark!

[Hannah]

I watch tv, play on the computer, draw, shop, cook and hang with friends. I can not knit/crochet to save my life. I can not sew either. I have a brown thumb, so gardening is out too. LOL I just got into cooking though, so I joined a beginners cooking club, which is uber-fun.

[Tegan]

I need to do that! My cooking skills are meh. haha.

[Hannah]

So are mine but I'm making stuff now. I didn't even know how to use the stove/over/diswasher/micro until like last year. :/ I'm 30 and just beginning to learn these things. We won't go into my lack of figuring out how to use the washing machine. LOL

[Tegan]

Hahaha. Awww. Moving 7 and a half hours away from home made me learn. I just need to learn to cook healthy meals and stop just putting frozen stuff in the oven all the time. haha.

[Hannah]

I have a boyfriend who is an amazing cook. He grew up helping his mom, so I was lucky that way. But before him I used to go out every night. Until we started dating, my fridge was empty. lol

[Tegan]

Yes! I know exactly what you mean. My boyfriend grew up helping his mom too. We go to the grocery store and he'll just throw stuff in the cart and I'll be like "What are you making?" and he'll go "I'm not sure yet." But then he winds up making something delicious. He lives an hour away, but I'm moving out there soon, so that'll be nice! :)

[Hannah]

LMAO Yes! Mine is like that too. Usually something I've never heard of. He makes stuff from scratch. Me? Not so much. Right now I'm into making various chicken dishes that are basic. lol

[Kelly Lynn]

Ooohhh, I'm jealous! I love to cook, but I work two jobs so finding time to actually make a meal is rare. I think I eat more dinners of chips and soda than actual meals! I love to bake more though, I can normally make something delicious once a month or so to tide me over!

[Tegan]

Yes! haha. Chicken is normally a go to thing. It's easier than grilling something, not that I have something to grill anything on...haha. Kelly I love to bake too!! I can totally do that! :) I'm gonna try a recipe for dark chocolate raspberry brownies :)

[Hannah]

The BF got me a foreman grill, so I can learn these things! LMAO I love that thing! He'll be out on the porch in -20 degrees or when it's raining grilling 'cause that's what, like, the pros do... but I'll take my little foreman. lol

I can't bake anything. :/ I tried making brownies but they burnt and I tried making brownies but they turned out rubbery. Oh, well... lol

[Tegan]

I was thinking of getting one of those! Yes, I don't need to be all hardcore in the cold and rain! hahaha. Aww. That's sad about the brownies :( You'll get there! :)

[Shellbelle]

Uuuggh! I hate cooking, for me it feels like such a chore. I hate trying to come up with new things, I hate doing the shopping, and I hate preparing it and cleaning up after doing it! And my lovely daughter decided that my life wasn't difficult enough so about 2 years ago she decided she wanted to be a vegitarian. So now I cook for everyone else, and then her. To top things off I have IBS and EXTREME Acid Reflux (I have to have surgery for it in the next couple of months and I'm praying it helps!) so I have to be super careful what I eat. So most the times I cook for my parents and cousin, and then make somehting seperate for my daughter and I. It is not fun. (that should have went in a rant!lol) But I do LOVE♥♥♥ Baking! I bake a lot in the winter, and it is def. one of my fav. things to do!

[Tegan]

That would be really difficult!! And I know what you mean about acid reflux, I have it too. None of the stupid medicines worked!! But yes, baking!! I'm trying to learn more and more things. I want to try making cheesecake!!

[Cindy]

Shellbelle, I hope the surgery helps!! Will it be a dangerous surgery? I love to bake too!! Baking is fun, but I only really like to bake cupcakes lol. I'm a bad cook :(, only know the basics haha.

Tegan Mae wrote: "Here's one picture, it's a bookmark!

"

Tegan, I ♥ it!! I think it's pretty, so much that you could sell them. ☺

Tegan Mae wrote: "Cindy, did someone teach you crocheting or did you watch videos or...? There's some good videos for teaching, but it's easiest if someone shows you. Once I started I picked up on it pretty quickly. I feel if you can..."

Tegan, A friend was trying to so me a long time ago, and I just couldn't do it the way she did :(. Maybe I'll give it another go..

Kelly Lynn wrote: "But like Cindy, I do however bowl! My company has a league and I joined a summer league with a few friends. It's fun, and we are completely non-competitive (or at least I am, so it's always a good time). ..."

Kelly Lynn, yes bowling is really fun.. especially when there is no pressure about who has the most points lol.

[Tegan]

I love making cupcakes! They're so much fun!!

Thank you Cindy!! I probably could sell them! haha. I just don't know how much to charge! I make people stuff if they buy me the yarn. Some people told me to charge a fee for my work on it too. haha. I mean it would be a good way to earn some extra money, but I'd have no idea what to say for costs!

[Cindy]

Tegan, I've baked mini cheesecakes before. They were really simple, I know you'll get it on the first try ☺!

[Cindy]

How long did it take you to make the bookmark? Maybe you can check out bookmark prices at B&N or Border's and decide how much to charge from there..

[Tegan]

Ooh! Those sound good! :) Do you know where you got the recipe?

[Cindy]

I googled "mini cheesecakes" lol, and see which recipes are the easiest and quickest to make.. that just sounds so lazy of me haha :P. So far, I like Allrecipes.com because people like to write reviews. That way I'll know if it's a good recipe or not ☺.

[Tegan]

That's not lazy!! haha. It's easier to start out with quick recipes. I'd hate to take my time making something and have it come out like crap. lol. I'll check out that website, thanks!!

[Tegan]

I'm now addicted to this website. hahaha.

[Cindy]

Tegan, you and me both ^_^! It's so much more than just baking recipes..

[Shellbelle]

Tegan, I'll try and post my pumpkin, chocolate cheesecake in the baking thread soon. It's actually my cousin's recipe, but she shared it with me, and know it's one of my fav. things to make! I think my chocolate pies are my fav. thing to make though...and eat!lol

Cindy, the surgery isn't that serious from what I understand, the only downfall is it isn't always very effective. Right now as it is, even though I take copious amounts of meds if I were to sleep laying flat I wake up choking on my acid, it gets in my ear canal, behind my eyes, in my sinus's and the worst is I can't breath very well. So I sleep with like 5 pillows!lol At this point I wouldn't care if the surgery was dangerous I might still chance it!!

[♠~Dawn~♠]

Tegan Mae wrote: "Here's one picture, it's a bookmark!

"

is that book backwards??? or is it just me?

[Tegan]

Cindy, it is! I'm planning meals! haha. I have to go grocery shopping, this could be expensive! :P

Shell, oh yay! Thanks! Post the chocolate pie too, haha. I love chocolate! :) Now I wanna make something! I could go to the grocery store, it's 24 hours, but I don't wanna carry stuff up to my apartment in the dark :P

[Cindy]

Shellbelle, that is nuts! I really hope that the surgery will be effective. 5 pillows is a lot! Oh, chocolate cheesecake?! That sounds so good ^_^!!

Tegan, buy what's on sale.. so you can get more in quantity lol.

[Tegan]

Dawn, it's backwards, I took the picture with my webcam. lol.

[Tegan]

Cindy, very true!! I'll check out all the sales! :)

[Cindy]

Shellbelle's gotten me into craving chocolate right now lol!

[Tegan]

Right?! Luckily I still have some birthday cookies left :)

[Cindy]

[image error]

[Cindy]

Here is a chocolate cake for u ☺..

[Tegan]

Aww, thanks!! :)

[Tegan]

Yum chocolate!!! If only that was right here! lol

[Cindy]

Too bad that it's dark out :(, will have to wait until tomorrow to get me some chocolate.

[Tegan]

I know, plus I'm lazy. lol. I think it's more I don't wanna go by myself. haha.

[♠~Dawn~♠]

Tegan Mae wrote: "Dawn, it's backwards, I took the picture with my webcam. lol."

whew! okay lol thought I was going crazy there!

[Tegan]

Lol. Nope! You're good! :) I couldn't find my camera and wanted to put a picture up, haha.

[Kelly Lynn]

I see this talk of cheesecakes and it's making me hungry! Now this is going to sound completely ridiculous, but I can make delicious mini cheesecakes, but when I try to convert that into an actual cheesecake recipe it turns out disastrous, everytime! I can't figure it out!!

And Shell, I can see why you would think cooking is a massive chore! I only have to cook for myself so it's not so bad. Plus I work parttime at a grocery store, so at least four days a week I have no excuse not to grocery shop! Couldn't imagine cooking for a vegetarian though! You are a very patient mother, mine would have told me to starve!!

[Tegan]

That's strange!! I can't think of something that would make it different. Huh. I'm sure you'll get it though!!

[Cindy]

Kelly Lynn wrote: "And Shell, I can see why you would think cooking is a massive chore! I only have to cook for myself so it's not so bad. Plus I work parttime at a grocery store, so at least four days a week I have no excuse not to grocery shop! Couldn't imagine cooking for a vegetarian though! You are a very patient mother, mine would have told me to starve!! ..."

Lol, my mom would say the same to me too! :P

[Shellbelle]

My mom would have laughed her head off at me and then slapped a steak on my plate!lol You didn't do "special ordering" with my parents. The thing is wiht my daughter is she takes it seriously. She has done research on differnt ways to stay healty and get the proper vitamins without meat...ect. And she does have cheat days when she just feels like meat (I tell her if your craving meat, your body is craving something the meat can provide so go with it!) but other than that for a kid that started when she was like 11 she has some amazing dedication...how can I not support that!?!