434 - 440 Fun Things to Do!

434 - Take a close-up photo of flowering trees or bushes in your yard.  That way you will have a fun record of their glory long after the blooms have gone.  Here are some of the azaleas that are blooming under my kitchen window.

435 - Visit your local zoo.  Taking a child with you will make your adventure even more fun!

436 - Have a picnic on the spur of the  moment.  Go somewhere you've never been before, or find some picnic excitement in your own yard.

437 - Jump rope.  It's an excellent and fun exercise -- very inexpensive, too.

438 - Go to a drive-in movie.  You can take all the snacks you want, and usually there is a double feature.

439 - Get a play and invite friends to come over and read the different parts.

440 - Have a popsicle on a hot day.

Thanks to members of the Choices Social Center who came up with 435 - 440 fun things to do during a WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) workshop.  For more information on WRAP, go to WRAPandrecoverybooks.com

428 - 433 Fun Things to Do!

428 - Join a walk for a charitable cause.  On Sunday, I walked with over 300 people to raise money and awareness for the Akron Canton Regional Foodbank.  It was invigorating, companionable, and fun!

429 - Read a story to a child or children.  This is one of the very best ways to spend amazing time with a child.  You will know you have hit the jackpot if the child offers to read a story to you!

430 - Bake a celebratory cake for someone when it's not their birthday.  Perhaps they got a promotion, achieved an important goal, or did a wonderful act of kindness.  My father does not appreciate having his birthday celebrated, so he would only agree to come over for dinner if I did not have a birthday cake.  I did have one, but on the top it said, "This is Not a Cake".

431 - Send postcards for no apparent reason.  These can be fun postcards you bought, or even ones you have made.

432 - Have a hot fudge sundae for lunch.  You can substitute any other outrageous treat that strikes your fancy.

433 - For someone's birthday, make fun buttons with a birthday greeting and their name.  Then distribute them to as many people as possible so the birthday celebrant can see them at various places all day long.  You can get blank buttons at your local craft store.

420 - 427 Fun Things to Do!

420 - Go for a walk in your neighborhood looking for signs of Spring.  I have found daffodils, hyacinths, pansies, tulips, forsythia, snow drops, and even some flowers I could not identify.  It's fun to see how yards progress from Spring into Summer.

421 - Learn to recognize bird songs.  I recently found an app that has recordings of most of the birds of North America.  It is enchanting!  iBird Yard is the name of the app.  So far I know two for sure, but I'm working on more.

422 - Contact a favorite teacher from your past and let them know how you're doing and how much they meant to you.

423 - Keep a garden journal.  You can record what you plant, sunny/shady areas, soil content, what plants are doing well, when you fertilize, and even what you think about when you are watering, weeding, or just enjoying your garden.  In the Winter, you can plan your garden in the journal.

424 - Watch a TV marathon of a series of shows you enjoy.  Snacks can be included.

425 - Create a gift basket for a special occasion.  You can start with a big basket and find some cellophane and ribbon at a craft store.  There can be a theme for your basket, or you can include miscellaneous items.  When it is done, it will be a magnificent present you will be proud to deliver!

426 - Save coins to cash in for a special occasion.  One time my friend Mary-Anne wanted me to be in her wedding.  The problem was that she lived in Minnesota and I didn't think I could afford the trip.   I counted all my quarters and had just enough for a round trip ticket!  Otherwise, I would not have been able to go.  Since then, I very rarely give exact change, and save my coins for future fun use.

427 - Write a letter to the Editor of your local paper or to a magazine.  These days with email, it's easy to do and you can release your opinions somewhere where they'll be shared with more than just your family and friends.  

417 - 419 Fun Things to Do!

417 - Keep an eye on your digital clocks and watches to see the time 11:11.  It is a universally accepted symbol of good luck and synchronicity to notice 11:11.  If you do a keyword search on "11:11 groups", you will find that there are many groups devoted to its symbolism.  I'm not in any group, but I do feel a little extra sense of things being right in the world when I accidentally spot a digital 11:11.

418 - Go to a film festival.  This is where you will get a chance to see a lot of independent movies that will most likely not ever show up on your TV or in a movie theater.  Most independent film makers have passion, vision, and often very wild imaginations.

419 - Make a list of sounds that intrigue, comfort, or happify you.  Here's my list:

1. the glug glug of a water cooler in operation
2. a baby giggling
3. church bells
4. squeaky tennis shoes
5. Canada geese flying and honking
6. the pop of a champagne cork
7. tea kettle whistling
8. anyone humming, especially a child
9. crows - caw caw CAW
10. running your fingers through a bowl of beads
11. train going by -- especially the whistle
12. semi-truck honking on request
13. embroidery needle going through fabric
14. bubble gum popping
15. duck quacking
16. kids laughing
17. fountain pen writing on paper
18. flag flapping in the breeze
19. waves on the sand
20. an owl -- hooty hoo hoo hoo
21. popcorn popping
22. the sound of a door opening when someone you love comes home
23. wind chimes
24. baby burping
25. high wind in the trees

Even though it was snowing off and on, we still celebrated with our Annual Dance of Spring!  Here are most of the celebrants who had just danced around our old maple tree waving scarves -- that's why we look so happy!  Spring has sprung!  Hooray!

412 - 416 Fun Things to Do!

412 - Pose your special baby with a fun stuffed toy.  What could be better than a friendly sock monkey?

413 -  When you've read an amazing book, spread the word far and wide.  I have been known to buy multiple copies of favorite books to give to family and friends.  I even made a long list of good books for a friend who was having health problems.

414 - Instead of collecting tangible items, take photographs of them instead.  When I was working at Borders Books and Music, I met a man who collected books on collectibles.  He said he didn't have room for a lot of collections, so he bought the books instead.

415 - Make a caring telephone list so you remember to call the people in your world who could use a little attention and affection for whatever reason.  I keep my caring list by the phone in my kitchen so I see it readily.  I'm not perfect about calling, but my list helps me a lot.

416 - Take a survey of your own choosing.  I like to ask people what they like to do for fun.  People like to talk about fun, so that question often opens up very interesting conversations.  I am also interested in people's sleep patterns -- when they go to bed and when they get up, etc.  If you're ever at a party where you don't know very many people, asking a few questions is a great way to break the ice.

407 - 411 Fun Things to Do!

407 - Try using handmade soap.  I recently started enjoying the pleasures of soap that is made by hand.  It lasts a really long time, feels really terrific, and the scents are quite appealing.

408 - Pick a lucky number for yourself.  Many years ago, I picked 24 to be my lucky number because my Dad's, son's, and my birthdays are all on the 24th.  I even got engaged on a 24th.  Every month when the 24th rolls around, I claim it to be my lucky day and expect that good things will happen to me all day long, which always seems to be the case!  Anything that involves the number 24 feels good and happy for me.  I even put 24 on my automobile license plate.

409 - Do a bird count on a hiking trail, in a field, or even at your backyard feeder.  You can get more specific information and record your findings at birdsource.org

410 - When you see a photograph of someone famous taken in front of one of their bookcases, try to read some of the titles of the books.  What a person reads is usually very interesting and reflects their interests and personality.

411 - Wrap a present for yourself and save it to celebrate a special occasion or for when you are feeling a little low.  I have two presents wrapped and waiting.  It's been a while since I wrapped them, so they will be surprises when I open them, which makes it even more fun.