Get that girl a hobby!

I've decided I need a hobby.

Not because I'm bored {I'm very happy with my lot in life currently}, and not because I have nothing else to be getting on with {I'm so busy I'm wondering when exactly I'll have time to squeeze in an extra pastime!} 

I need a hobby to give my life a bit of an oomph.

As it stands, I tend to spend my evenings 'vegged out' on the sofa, watching boxsets and scrolling through Pinterest. Whilst I will argue that both of these are an excellent use of time, I fear that not only will my physical well-being start to deteriorate {if I'm honest, chocolate digestives are a key feature of the aforementioned weekday evening} but also my mental well-being will become affected too.

For this reason, I've decided that even though my days are packed full to the brim with activity, as well as my weekends, I need to find a slot for something new, something exciting - and something to look forward to!

Here are a few ideas I've had for keeping busy...

Book Club

Being a book lover, I have dabbled with book clubs in the past, but joining one properly and attending regularly has never really happened. I have been tempted recently to find one local to me and join, but am quite fussy about my book club requirements - I'm determined that both cake and gin feature in the meetings! I know that Poppy from Poppy Loves runs her own book club, so maybe I'll look into setting one up... 

Running

These days, I'm not a big fan of running. As a young teen, I was quite into it, even competing in cross-country races at other schools and splashing across muddy fields with a smile on my face. Now... not so much. I can usually find an excuse why not to go {my chest feels a bit tight, my legs hurt too much last time, it's raining outside} and am not very good at motivating myself to go. However, after a recent discussion with my sister-in-law, we've ended up sort-of agreeing to run a 10K together for charity - and have committed our other halves to it too {sorry Mr Maggie May!} I feel that this is a really good thing {must keep repeating this to myself}; by signing up to a race and committing to raise money for a good cause, I know I will simply have to get out of the house to do some training beforehand. And what's better than embarrassing yourself by jogging sweatily and red-faced along with lots of far more competent runners? Doing so with your family by your side!

Catch Ups

My friends mean the world to me. I always feel really lucky to have them, wherever they may be in the world! And what better way to keep me busy than arranging to meet up with them more frequently? I have my lovely group of girlfriends from school who I've been close to for over a decade, as well as fantastic friends from university who have been through the highs and lows. Although we are all sprinkled across the British Isles {and France - you know who you are, young lady} I can't wait to start arranging weekends when we can get together and have a good ole catch up. Plus, there's our new guest bedroom which needs filling...!

Other Ideas

I've been trawling through my memories, trying to recall what I've enjoyed in the past and what has invigorated me - I used to sing a lot, and have been in choirs in the past. I love exploring old stately homes, historic buildings and beautiful green spaces, and am a proud National Trust member with Mr MM. I'm a huge baking fan, so have looked into finding my local Clandestine Cake Club. 

But maybe I should find something I have no previous experience of? I'm often inspired to do a modern calligraphy course, or to try pilates for the first time. I could join a wine tasting club? Or a pottery class? 

There are just too many options. 

One thing's for sure - writing has always been, and will always be a hobby close to my heart. If blogging regularly can become a part of my life, I'm sure that will do lots for my mental well-being!

If any of you lovely lot have a wonderful hobby that you can suggest, I'm all ears! Let me know on here in the comments, or via one of my many social media feeds {Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook} I look forward to hearing them...