Hobbies for Parents While Looking After the Kids at Home

As a parent, you are sometimes limited as to what you can do with your free time. When you need to be at home looking after the kids, you are restricted in terms of the hobbies that you can enjoy, but that is not to say that there aren’t fun and rewarding hobbies to enjoy in the home while looking after the kids. Everyone needs to have hobbies to enjoy in their free time for their own wellbeing, so if you are looking for fun new hobbies that you can do while also looking after the kids then here are a few ideas to get you started.

Cooking

Cooking is perhaps the best hobby because you will need to provide food for the family anyway, so you may as well turn this into an activity that you enjoy instead of making something quick and easy. Learning to cook can be an incredibly rewarding experience, plus you can also use it to improve the diet of your family and reduce your shopping bill. You could also encourage the kids to help as a fun family activity but also a highly practical skill to learn.

Yoga

Many parents get frustrated because they cannot fit exercise into their routine, which is understandable if you have to look after the kids and can’t go out to the gym or for a run. A great alternative is to try yoga at home because this can give you a good physical workout, plus it is good for your mental health too. You can find easy to follow guides online to get started or possibly even join an online class that can bring a social side to this hobby without the need to leave the home.

Casino Games

Casino games are a great hobby for busy parents because it is one that you can easily do on your phone while looking after the kids. There are all kinds of fun, colorful and engaging games to choose from, plus you can find a no deposit casino online that will allow you to get started without spending any money.

Gardening

Gardening is another excellent hobby for when you are looking after the kids because it allows you to make improvements to the home, you can be outside in the fresh air and it is a physically active hobby. It is also incredibly rewarding turning your backyard into a beautiful space full of color and life and there are ways that you can do this no matter how much space you have to work with.

These are just a few ideas that will hopefully give you some inspiration and help you to find a hobby that you enjoy and one which you can do while looking after the kids at home. It is a common grievance for parents that they do not have time for hobbies, but this is not strictly true as there are hobbies that you can enjoy while the kids are doing their homework or watching TV, which can benefit and improve your life in a few ways.

Processing #tomatoes

Per usual Travis has a lot going on in the garden.

Things we grew:

• Kale
• Tomatoes
• Corn
• Popcorn
• Different Types of Dried Beans
• Basil
• Oregano
• A few Types Peppers
• Strawberries

...and more

He plants it, and for the most part I process it. 

We have a system with tomatoes:

1. We bake egg shells, grind them in a coffee grinder to sprinkle on the ground, where the tomatoes grow. They love the calcium! 
   
   
2. I have 3 windows where tomatoes go. 1 is for green and yellow ones, another is for orange ones, and the last is for almost ready ones. Once the almost ready ones are ready it's time to move on to the next step.
   
   
3. I slice the tomatoes in a cross formation. That makes them easier to peel. It feels a bit odd, like I'm sacrificing something. Ha! I find that ceramic knives work so well to do this. They are sharper. I don't want to cut into the tomato, just the peeling.
   
   
4. I boil a big pot of water, to put the tomatoes in for 2 minutes. 
   
   
5. Then it's time for the tomatoes to move to an ice bath. They sit in there, for a minute or two.
   
   
6. They peel so easily!
   
   
   
   
   
7. After they are all peeled, and the peeling has moved into the compost pile I cut them, and deseed them. Anyone with allergies should deseed tomatoes. The seeds are what many are allergic to. You wouldn't even know that you're allergic to them. You just get common allergies all the more, with ingesting the seeds. 
   
   
8. It's time to cut them, and put them in a silicone reusable bag, or ZipLoc bag. 
   
   
9. There is a ton of tomato juice. Travis used to dispose of it. One year I was like, "Let's keep it!" I have to say that I'm glad we started doing that! I use the cubes for soups, and any dish that requires chicken or beef broth. It adds flavor!
   

About TigexPro Silicon Ice Cube Trays:

You can get them on Amazon: 

https://www.amazon.com/TigexPro-Silicone-Whiskey-Beverages-Popsicles/dp/B082KFJHRV/ref=sr_1_88?dchild=1&keywords=whiskey%20ice%20cubes&qid=1586811325&sr=8-88&fbclid=IwAR1zsh0KBuPWWK3Kl-PDlIFGEoFlogWXzIKOGfDawZFHADNnHKyTATj8cMw

Cost: $11.99 

Included: A red and black silicone deep ice cube tray, with lids. 

What Else the TigexPro Silicon Ice Cube Trays Can Be Used for:

• Homemade Baby Food
  
• Frozen Fruits for Smoothies
• Frozen Veggies for Soups
• Ice
• Alcoholic Drinks
• These are deep enough, where dried snacks could go in each one, for little kids

Popping Out the Cubes:

They easily pop out if you run the bottom of the tray under warm, or hot water in the sink. They do have lids to prevent anything from getting freezer burned + to cover the cubes, so they don't fall in the sink + to pop out the cubes. 

I pop them out, once they are frozen, and store them in a big ZipLoc bag or reusable silicone bag. Then use them when I need them.  

What would you use silicone ice cube trays for?

Disclaimer: I got the silicone ice cube trays, for a discounted price in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Herb Love in a Pot @commercialsilk

I am not usually one for artificial plants or flowers, but the artificial plants on Commercial Silk Int'l http://www.commercialsilk.com/ are amazing!

Travis wants to grow herbs in pots next year. I do think it's wise to grow many herbs in pots, as they tend to spread all over when they are planted on the ground. 

What We Plan on Growing:

Basil - I actually cut fresh Basil, mix it with Olive Oil, put it in ice cube trays to freeze. Then when I need it for soups or pasta dishes I have it all throughout the fall and winter.

Chocolate Mint - It works great in smoothies with frozen bananas, spinach leaves, a scoop of vanilla protein powder and plain almond milk. It tastes like Soft Served Mint Ice Cream!

Spearmint - It works great in smoothies as well. Just make it the way I listed above. It has a mint flavor, minus the added chocolate. I also add it to tea.

Parsley - I add to most salads.

Lemon Balm - I add to tea, salads, lemonade, and homemade beauty products like soaps and lotions.

*We already grow Oregano in a side spot. I just dry that out, grind it and use it throughout the year for many dishes.

Now I Have Many Pots to Grow Herbs! I want to use some pots for real or silk grasses too.

We may have to figure out some way to drill holes in the bottoms of them. Travis mentioned that he would just need to get a masonry bit for his drill.

I simply love the rustic pattern on these pots though! The set came with 4 in this model. If you have a business do check out Commercial Silk Int'l because they sell things in bulk. It's kind of a bummer in stores when you want pots that match, but they don't have the amount you need.

They will go under our covered porch. We really don't have natural elements hit that area much at all.

More Pot Love:

I also got the pots below. They came in a set of 4 as well.

These pots go with the others really nicely. I told Travis we could use them as planters as well, or he could use them as bases for his sculpture. That's pretty unconventional, but certainly will work. If they become bases they will be flipped over.

This Owl is a Hoot! 

I'm working on a painting of an owl that can't sleep because of the city noises and light. When I spotted this owl I just knew I had to have it. It too looks rustic like the pots do. 

It's not super heavy because it's hallow. I haven't decided if it too will hang out under our covered porch, or inside with us. I want more things that can be outside.

What would you pick out at a silk plant store like Commercial Silk Int'l? My first choices were these pots and owl, but I also like silk grasses as well!

A unique offer for your readers who wish to buy at SilkPlantsDirect.com, you can use this code “BLOGGER10 “ and avail 10% Off on their products except for custom.

Check out Commercial Silk Int'l on facebook, twitter, google+, pinterest, and YouTube.
   
Disclaimer: I got the products in this post to help write the review. Commercial Silk Int'l did not influence me on what to write. I only write reviews on products I feel fit my family and/or readers.

WW: Popcorn and Bees {Linky}

I just finished a piece of artwork. I actually had two projects going on at once. Now it's time to say goodbye to one because it's finished! 

It's about the decline in bees right now. That's the reason they are wearing gas masks.

A Few Details: 

The bees took forever. I look at them, and still see things I could do. Materials: Yellow Paper, Colored Pencil Filings, Cut String, Vinyl for their masks masks, Acetate and Tracing Paper for the wings, Felt for the pollen.

For the steam of the sunflower I used popcorn stalks. We grew popcorn, so why not use them in a painting? The yellow stuff on the sides of the steam is dried corn silk. I dry brushed yellow on it. There is some build up of molding paste to get some textures.

I tried another thing new with this painting. I wanted to hint at more in the background, but didn't want paint anything back there. Dripping paint right on the canvas didn't give me enough control. I dripped paint on an old picture, let it dry, and scraped it up with a razor blade to glue down. That's how I got the yellow "blobs".

Bees: We actually have some flying around our house right now. Isaak is a true bee charmer. He love to pet them. He hasn't been stung petting them yet. 

They are so busy I got some close-ups of them. 

I also spotted an empty wasp nest on a walk. I gave it to Isaak to add to his nature collection.

We grew Popcorn. We grew Sweet Corn before, but this is our first year growing Popcorn. To be true Nebraskan's we have to grow corn right?

The boys just picked it off. Travis tried popping an ear, but it wasn't dry enough. I hope we get the popping down. It will be nice to have some popcorn. We're still newbies at that.