853 - 860 Fun Things to Do!

853 - Encourage your family and friends every chance you get, especially when things might be a little tough for them.  Think about when people encouraged you when you were having a difficult time.  It's also good to give cheerful messages for no particular reason at all!

854 - Rent a cabin in the woods by yourself!  Read, fish, paint, write - whatever suits your fancy!  You will be on nobody's timeline but your own.  If a cabin is not feasible, go someplace where you can have a space of your own, like a private room at the library,  or an empty pavilion or bench at a park.  The important thing is to block out a large chunk of time to do whatever you want to do.

855 - Get some friends together and try paintball.  It's just running, hiding, and jumping out, using a paintball gun.  Check to see if you have paintball in your area.

856 - Do a research project on the history of your town.  You can check the library, your local historical society, and even do some interviews with people who have firsthand knowledge of your area's history.  

857 - Make up a holiday to celebrate by yourself or with friends.  It could be the anniversary of something important in your life.  You might celebrate "Corn on the Cob Day" with a meal/s featuring lots of corn on the cob.  Once a friend and I had a corn eating contest - we tied at 8 ears each!  That's my kind of happy day!  Or you could celebrate the number of years you've been in your house, or your car's age, or your child's academic or athletic achievement.  Balloons!  Streamers!  Sparklers!  Signs!  Fun food!  Thank you to Sarah for this great idea!

858 - If you have a friend who likes photography as much as you do, go on an adventure together and look for interesting things to photograph.

859 - Instead of trying to organize your millions of photographs, try putting them in albums out of order!  There will be a wonderful conglomeration of photos for you to enjoy.  There are no photo police, so you can do whatever you want!

860 - Put flowers all over your house - in vases and/or pots.  One time I had some friends over for lunch and I had flowers everywhere.  I even put flowers in the bathroom.  That even impressed me!

847 - 852 Fun Things to Do!

847 - Hang up some of your favorite inspirational sayings around your home.  Change them around once in a while to keep the quotations lively and noticeable.

848 - Join a club or group that reflects your interests -- chess, stamps, fishing, cooking, travel, etc.  There are clubs for just about anything you can think about.   If you cannot find a group, start one!!  Most libraries have free rooms to reserve.  All you need to do is get the word out and you're on your way!  I love writing so I recently joined a writing club that has renewed my enthusiasm enormously!

849 - If you are feeling a little low, designate a time period to really give into the your gloomy feelings.  For example, you might think to yourself - "I am going to feel bad until tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. 

Between now and then, I am going to watch a lot of TV, take lots of naps, create a dark painting, play solitaire, and read as much as I like".  Go wherever your bad mood takes you!  Then at 1 p.m. the next day, burst forth into your life again!  Take a walk, call a friend, do some errands, water your plants, make some lists - whatever moves you!  (This may not be effective if you are dealing with long term depression, but I have found it very useful to lift my spirits during a case of the blues.)

850 - Visit a tea room!  Most tea rooms have lace everywhere, gorgeous furniture, beautiful china, delightful menus (tea sandwiches are one of my favorite delicacies), an interesting selection of teas, and cordial and gracious servers.  A tea room experience can calm you and reinvigorate you at the same time!  We have a delightful Miss Molly's Tea Room in Medina, Ohio.  My friends and I love to find tea rooms in surrounding areas and happily visit them.

851 - Research something you have always been curious about.  It can be a person, place, event or whatever strikes your fancy.  These days, researching is much easier with computers.  Even if you don't have a computer, a friendly librarian will help you get started. You can also find books, magazines, and even audible books.  Depending on your topic, you can do some original research on your own.  I recently researched Ernest Hemingway.  I started out with a book about his early years as a writer during his years in Paris.  I read lots of books about Hemingway as a writer, husband, and father.  He was married four times -- to Hadley Richardson, Pauline Pfeiffer, Martha Gellhorn, and Mary Welsh.  I got off the topic of Hemingway when I fell in love with his third wife, Martha Gellhorn.  She and Hemingway fell in love when they were both war correspondents.  Independent and scrappy, she was very appealing to Hemingway from the start.  Unfortunately, their marriage did not work out because when they settled into their home in Cuba, Martha was independent and scrappy!  After they divorced, she went on to have a very adventurous life.  See how fun it is to delve into a topic of your own choosing?  Hooray!

852 -  I became a collector of "Wellness Tools" when I got involved with WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) www.wellnessrecoveryactionplan.com  One of their segments encourages you to develop many Wellness Tools to use when you need to coordinate your life for the better.  The majority of my Wellness Tools are fun.  Once you make a list, you are empowered to use it as a powerful resource for daily living.  My challenge of "1000 Fun Things to Do" was conceived after I became a collector of Wellness Tools and began to appreciate the power of fun!  A fun thing to do - have a fun things to do day!  Make a list of lots of things you like to do and see how many you can coordinate in one day.  It is very empowering, fun, and energizing!

 

 

826 - 846 Fun Things to Do!

 

826 - Take photographs of signs you like.  Here is a sign I saw at Mustard Seed in Highland Square.  I was driving when I saw it, so I pulled over and took a photo.  I am always on the lookout for interesting signs.  One time I saw a sign for a restaurant that said, "My boss told me to change this sign so I did".

827 - Learn about the constellations in the sky, so you can point them out to someone when you are looking at the stars at night.  This would especially be fun to share with children.

826 - Teach children how to make and fly paper airplanes.  There are lots of books and leaflets with instructions you can follow.  They can be as complicated or simple as you like.

827 - Design a family crest!!  You can choose motifs that are meaningful to your family.  You could even have the design transferred to T-shirts.  This would be especially great for family reunions.

828 - Grab a friend and find a teeter totter.  Children may, or may not, be involved!

829 - Take a cooking class and improve your culinary skills.  I have taken classes where I was involved, and some where I just watched.  Your friends and family will gladly reap the benefits.

830 - Go to a garden show in your area.  You will get lots of great ideas, see some wonderful gardens, and find out lots of gardening and home improvement information.

831 - Find a Toastmasters Club locally.  They are very friendly and helpful.  You will find lots of mentors to improve your speaking and communication skills and lots of camaraderie.

832 - Make a big change in your life!  Dye your hair blue, take up running, drive some place you've always wanted to see.  Change can enrich your life and lift your spirits!

833 - Enjoy the many pleasures of a luxurious bubble bath with candles, soft music, and even a good book!!

834 - Keep paper and pen beside your bed.  You might wake up in the middle of the night and want to record an interesting dream or some good ideas.

835 - Patronize a favorite small business regularly.  It is hard for independently owned businesses to compete with retail chains and online sales.  This is The Peanut Shoppe in downtown Akron.  They have been a fixture on Main Street for many years.  Should I mention chocolate covered potato chips?  When you walk in the front door, it smells like paradise!  It is such a delightful adventure to leave with little bags of this and that!

836 - If you have your own fireplace, enjoy it often.  You could even have a s'mores party with marshmallows and chocolate.  

837 - Bake bread - any kind you like.  Knead it, punch it down, put it in the oven and then enjoy the wonderful aroma that will permeate your house.  Ahh - a nice thick slice of homemade bread with butter, such a homey treat!

838 - Finish a project that has been on the back burner.  SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) calls this the "joy of completion".   You can make a list breaking down the various parts of the task, and then get going!!

839 - Learn how to play chess.  Sharpen your skills by playing with other people.  When you are feeling chess confident, or just want a challenge, enter a chess tournament!

840 -  Check out a comedy club in your area.  You might first want to find out if the comedians for that time are really "blue" (crude).  Just for fun, put together some jokes and funny stories and practice them in front of a mirror.  I bet you will have a new found appreciation for professional comedians.

841 - Take a self-defense course.  It will be good for your overall well-being and you will be prepared to skillfully defend yourself.

842 - Try a creative writing course.  There are all kinds at your local university, civic center, or online.  Explore writing techniques for poetry, biography, fiction, non-fiction, or even memoir.  You will probably not be graded, so jump right (write) in and have some fun!

843 - At the end of the day, write down one thing that happened that you really appreciated.  Can you imagine looking at a book full of those memories ten years down the line?  Hooray!

844 -  Make a romantic candlelit dinner for someone you love.  You can feature some of the wonderful recipes that you tried out in cooking classes!

846 - Take photographs of every house you've ever lived in and mat and frame the photos together in order of habitation.  I did that for both my sisters one year, and they really enjoyed the result.  Taking photographs of houses can be tricky because of lights and shadows which are different for every house.  You might want to check out optimal times for photographing your project.  I always knocked on the door of each house to let them know what I was doing.

822 - 825 Fun Things to Do!

822 - Build or buy a "Little Free Library" as a way to share books with your neighbors.  I bought a pre-assembled library, but there are many different kinds of instructions to build your own.  Little Free Library is a non-profit organization whose mission is to "inspire a love of reading, build community, and spark creativity around the world".  www.littlefreelibrary.com

823 - Buy a hummingbird feeder for your yard.  Every single time I see a hummingbird, my heart gets really happy!

824 - Take a walk in the rain with an umbrella.  The sound of the rain is really terrific.  The last time I did this, I walked for about a mile and did not get wet at all.  It also helps if you have a cheerful umbrella - mine is multi-colored polka dots.

825 - Play in the rain!  A neighbor and her young daughter had on plastic ponchos with hoods in a recent rain shower.  Puddles were jumped in!  Faces were upturned!  Laughter reigned!

821 - New Year's Resolutions!

This year instead of making disappointing and breakable New Year's resolutions, I resolve to make 2019 the year of MORE!  This way I can increase the fun factors in my life often and on purpose.

In 2019, I am going to enjoy more:

being with family

hanging around with friends

reading

writing thank you notes

laughter

gardening

adventures - alone and with others

trips to the library

working out

exploring University Circle in Cleveland

colorful clothes

plays

viewing artwork

random acts of kindness

needlework

donating

music

food enjoyment, cooking, and exploration

writing

Zentangle

researching to satisfy my curiosity

walking

whatever suits my fancy

Happy New Year!

809 - 820 Fun Things to Do!

810 - Goat Yoga is the newest thing for encouraging a good sense of humor along with some fun physical activity.  Some have described it is as getting in touch with your inner farm girl or boy! The goats are trained to interact with participants and it is an experience you will never forget!

811 - Attend lectures and/or book signings with well-known authors.  Recently I have been privileged to go to presentations by Judy Blume, Paula McClain, Jodi Picoult,  John Irving, Adriana Trigiani and this week I will be attending an event featuring John Grisham.  Local libraries usually coordinate author happenings - some are free, and others include the writer's newest book in the cost of admission.  I have enjoyed every author event I have ever attended.  Check your local libraries for author events near you.

812 - Listen to audiobooks.  My local library system has over 10,000 audiobooks that can be borrowed!  You can access them with your phone, iPad, laptop, or desktop.  I use headphones when I am going to be moving around.  Recently, I put on my headphones, with an intention of doing some housework for about an hour -- five hours later, I was still going strong!

813 - Investigate the history of your town.  You can check your area's historical society and library for names of books and other resources which will enlighten you about interesting local facts and stories.

814 - Help someone to learn a skill.  You have many talents that could enrich the lives of others!  If you want to reach a lot of people at the same time, check with your local library about teaching a class.  

815 - If you are having tech difficulties, check with a teenager or a child and they will dazzle you with their knowledge!

816 - Take a photograph of your table before lunch or dinner.  This may look like an ordinary table, but the tablecloth was given to me by my dear book group friend, Cathy, the Fiesta ware is part of my collection which was started as a tribute to my late Mother, and the wooden salad utensils were beautified with Zentangle® inspired art (see zentangle.com) by my talented friend April.

817 - Honor a child's or an adult's achievement with a certificate or a trophy.  Whether it is winning a spelling bee, hitting a home run, or getting a promotion at work, make it a wonderful celebration!  Certificates are available at office supply stores and can be made to look very official with the help of your computer or even your own good printing skills.  Trophies are much less expensive than you might think, and can be engraved with the pertinent information.  These are good ways to celebrate any occasion and make it very tangible and memorable!

818 - Dance in the dark -- by yourself or with a partner!  Candles optional.

819 - Remember unique sayings that strike your fancy.  One time during a discussion, my daughter, Maribeth's boyfriend Phil said, "Are you picking up what I am putting down?".  Now I live for the opportunity to interject that sentence into conversations!  Thank you Phil!

820 - Have a canvas print made from one of your favorite photographs.  They are available in many sizes locally or on the internet.  This is a wonderful gift to give yourself or others.

796 - 809 Vacation Fun Things to Do!

797 - Enjoy the magic of sunrises and/or sunsets on vacations and document them with photographs.  I am not a morning person at all, except when it comes to the allure of fabulous sunrises.  This photo was taken in Ocean City, Maryland.

798 - Research your vacation destination so you can more fully enjoy your adventures.  Before Tom and I went to Savannah, Georgia, I reread Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, which is based on a real story.  We got to tour the house where the main character lived and see some other locations mentioned in the book.  You can also find lots of destination information on the internet, from AAA (American Automobile Association), and at the library.

799 - It's fun to take a sketchbook on vacation, even if you don't consider yourself to be adept at drawing.  Without judgment, draw some interesting items here and there.  When you get home, you will be happy to have these memories to recall in a very personal way. 

800 - Take photos of your meals when they are first served.  Sometimes when I get home from a vacation, I know I have had really great food, but often the specifics are hard to recall.

801 - A vacation is a perfect time to keep a journal of your adventures and any particular things you want to document.  Vacation journals are real treasures to review for many years to come!

802 - Put together a photo album of your vacation pictures.  I often make a photo book online - a wonderful record for your family and a great and very personal gift.

803 - Take some interesting, perhaps even a little bit wild, clothes with you to enjoy.  Most people won't know you anyway, so change your identity a bit, and have some fun!  (Thanks to my friend, Denise, for this idea.)

STAYCATIONS

804 - One of my favorite things to do is drive around with no destination - just rambling around, stopping occasionally, taking some photos, trying new restaurants and using a GPS to find my way home.

805 - Check out local attractions that you have never seen before.  Most states have books, pamphlets, and magazines devoted to interesting things to do.  Did you know that you can rent tree houses in Ohio?  Mohican Cabins and Treehouses in Glenmont, Ohio have a variety of treetop accommodations waiting for you!

806 - Do lots of research for a future vacation!  Perhaps you will go, perhaps not - but the fun of learning about an unfamiliar area can be very rewarding.  You might find that if you coordinate your savings, you might really get there one day!  One time my friend Mary-Anne, who lived in Minnesota, wanted me to be in her wedding.  I could not afford the plane ticket until I counted the quarters I had been saving and miraculously, I had enough for a round trip ticket!  Saving coins can reap big rewards!

807 - Do an activity in your area that you had previously not considered doing like laser tag, paintball, or car racing - whatever suits your fancy.

808 - Throw a theme party and invite lots of people to share your staycation with you!  My son, Kevin, and daughter-in-law Dyan, have had many Hawaiian luau parties, but have never gone to Hawaii!   But if they ever go, they will be prepared in advance for lots of Hawaiian fun!

809 - Have a wonderful time doing nothing, or very little.  Naps, reading, binging on TV shows.  It can be very restorative and fun to not have very many obligations!