771 - 780 Fun Things to Do!

771 -  Enjoy fresh flowers as often as possible.  I got these vases in Sarasota, Florida this Summer and I have had fresh flowers in the house ever since.  If you are very lucky, you have a wonderful flower garden where you cut your own flowers.  And if you live in a sunshine state, you are blessed with flowers all year.

772 - Put bike streamers on your lawn mower!  My friend Janis had this idea, and I am betting she really does have streamers on her lawn mower.

773 - Simplify!  You don't have to simplify your whole life, but you could simplify a day or a weekend.  If you are used to having a very busy life, try a day or two of few responsibilities with some leisure time to just enjoy your life.

774 - If you see a blimp, do not move until it is out of sight!   Blimps are very lucky for me, so I enjoy spotting them -- luckily, I live in Akron, Ohio, where blimps are not an unusual sight.

775 - Put a streak of color in your hair!  When I decided to let my hair grow out from red to gray, my daughter-in-law, Dyan, told me that I have the personality of a redhead so I wasn't allowed to change it.  When I told her I was going to streak it with colors, she said okay!!  So far I have had purple, turquoise, and hot pink streaks.  Fun!

776 - Pop the air bubbles in packing materials.  People of all ages enjoy this activity!

777 - Go on a tour of a factory.  I am always curious about how things are made, so I have thoroughly enjoyed every factory tour I have taken, and I am always on the lookout for new opportunities.  Best tour ever?  Harry London Chocolate Factory (free samples)!

778 - Do you have something coming up that you are dreading like a dentist appointment?  Plan something fun for soon after, so when you think of the difficult event, you can also think of your upcoming plans!

779 - Join a fantasy sports league.  My husband, Tom, has lots of fun with his football and baseball fantasy leagues.

780 - Try something fun you used to enjoy when you were a child like rollerskating, sledding, climbing a tree, playing hopscotch - whatever makes you happy!

   

761 - 770 Fun Things to Do!

761 - Support your local sports teams.  We are lucky to live in Akron, Ohio, hometown of LeBron James.  The Cavaliers are about to enter the NBA playoffs tomorrow night.  I am a proud member of the LeBron James' Grandmothers' Fan Club and we are excited!  We have certainly had our fair of sports excitement in N.E. Ohio lately.  Last year the Indians won the American League Championship and came in second in the World Series.  And remember, the test of a true fan is one who is there through the good and the bad.  Don't forget the kids' sports -- in many ways, they are even more fun than adults' sports because you never know what to expect!

762 -  Play chess outside -- find a game with a stranger or set up your own.  

763 - Make a list of your favorite movie scenes.  Here are some of mine:

Kermit the frog singing "Rainbow Connection" in the "Muppet Movie".

Meryl Streep leading a group of singing and dancing women through the streets of her small town in "Mama Mia".

Lee Marvin singing "I Was Born Under a Wandering Star" in "Paint Your Wagon".

764 - Make up your own holiday and then celebrate it!  It might be a celebration of the last day of school, news of a promotion, the first day of Spring, or a friend or family member's visit home.  You can have balloons, crepe paper, favorite music, fun food, signs, parade, party, or even a bonfire.  It is so much fun to celebrate, why limit yourself to ordinary holidays?

765 - Go barefoot!  I know a woman who plays golf in her bare feet.  She loves the feel of all the wonderful grass under her feet -- why let it go to waste?  I bet she more fully appreciates her golf games than most people.

766 -  Dance it out!  Dance if you're happy, aggravated, feeling silly, or for no reason at all.  Dance at home alone, with friends or family, or at an entertainment center.  One thing is guaranteed -- you will feel much better after you have danced it out.  Release your self-consciousness and go for it!

767 - On an ordinary day, make a fabulous dinner!  This is especially effective if no one is expecting it!  Get out the tablecloth, vase of flowers, and perhaps some candles.  You might prepare a favorite meal or try some new recipes.  Enjoy!

768 - Finish a project you have left hanging.  I have two double windows on the second floor.  The first has been painted with lace curtains hung at the window.  There is a can of paint and some brushes sitting on the floor by the second set of windows.  It will be a personal triumph when both sets of windows are painted!

769 - Create some bracelets.  You can use elastic cord or jewelry wire with a fastener.  I like to make what I call "happy bracelets" with all kinds of beads.  The bracelets above were made by me and some other volunteers for a jewelry extravaganza fundraiser for Access, Inc., which is a shelter for women and their children when they have no place to go.  

770 -  Jump out of a plane with a parachute on your back!!  How's that for a thrilling and fun adventure?

748 - 760 Fun Things to Do!

748 - Take a selfie with you and a friend while you are having a good time!  This is my friend, Diane, and we were at a Zentangle art exhibit at a local gallery.  She just moved to Florida, so I am especially glad to have this fun photo.

749 - Watch cartoons, on Saturday morning or any time at all!  My friend, Mary Ellen, was feeling a little stressed recently so she zoned into some cartoons for a few days.  They really helped lift her spirits and have some good laughs too!

750 - Watch some animation festivals on TV or in person.  Animation from all over the world is really interesting and often very unexpected.

751 - Go to an international film festival.  Most Hollywood films will seem boring compared to these artistic films.  Lots of cities in the United States host film festivals.  In New York, Robert DeNiro is co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival; in Colorado, Robert Redford founded and hosts the Sundance Film Festival; and there is a Cleveland International Film Festival.  If you have connections and a lot of money, you could even attend the Cannes Film Festival!

752 - Enjoy your Spring flowers indoor and out!  Last year I planted more daffodils and tulips.  Just knowing they would come up in the Spring made my Winter go a little easier.  In March we had a week of severe cold and snow so I was very apprehensive about my new flowers which were at least 6" tall  by the time they froze and were covered with snow.  But my flower happiness prevailed and I am enjoying flowering blooms all over the yard.  Hooray!!

753 - Pick a pen color and stick with it for a while.  Right now, turquoise is my favorite and I recently went through a streak of pens with purple ink.  There are so many kinds of pens available right now -- gels in all colors, glittery markers, multi-colored pens and more!

754 - Try writing with a fountain pen.  You can even get disposable ones in all kinds of colors!

The Mercer House

755 - Study before and after a vacation.  My husband, Tom, and I recently went to Savannah, Georgia.  Before we went, I read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt which is a nonfiction account of Jim Williams, who was instrumental in the revival of the historic district.  We took a tour of the Mercer House, which was the last house he lived in.  There was a crime involved which is detailed in the book, but I don't want to ruin the story for you!  There was also a movie, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" starring Kevin Spacey.  Now that we are home, I am reading Savannah's Jim Williams and His Southern Houses.  I would recommend visiting Savannah to anyone -- the architecture alone is worth the trip, but there are also many other interesting things to do like ghost walks, trolley rides, fabulous food, interesting people, river cruises, intriguing cemeteries, and amazing churches.

756 - Buy some books that you loved as a child.  The Nancy Drew series meant so much to me as I was growing up.  Nancy was clever, smart, and courageous.  She was a wonderful role model for me.  I found a vintage bookstore in Savannah that was delightful.  Betsy, the owner told me that one of the amazing things about the Nancy Drew series is that they were first written only ten years after women got the vote!!  If you are ever in Savannah, Georgia, find this marvelous bookstore -- Books on Bay.  They have all kinds of vintage books, but I was personally thrilled to find old friends like Nancy, and also the Hardy Boys, Trixie Belden, the Bobbsey Twins, Cherry Ames, and more!  One of my favorite bookstores ever!

757 - Buy lots of books for children, and read to them often.  Some day they will read to you!  When I worked in bookstores (I volunteer in a bookstore now), I used to tell people to buy lots of books for their children so they will love to read, which means they will do well in school, get a good education, find a great job, make lots of money and take good care of their parents and grandparents when they are old!!

758 - Be a representative of the Easter Bunny for people you love!  My daughter, Maribeth, and I have had a lot of fun over the years. hopping around town on Easter morning.  Every year I try to pick out one extra person to get an Easter surprise.  And Maribeth and I always wear bunny ears, and when we are done delivering baskets, we go through McDonald's drive thru and pass out Peeps!!

759 - Enjoy your art supplies and play with them often!!  You can invite a friend over to have some artistic fun or you can spread out lots of fun materials and dive in on your own.

760 - Take an online art class.  There are lots of classes out there, and many of them are very reasonably priced.

741 - 747 Fun Things to Do!

741 - If you see a sign that touches your heart, take a photo of it.

742 - Make a pledge to yourself.  I am pledging not to buy any books in March!!  That is because I buy books online, in bookstores, at library sales, and wherever I can find books for sale!  I have 12 bookcases full of books (and overflowing!)  So hopefully March will be a month of reading, reading, reading!!  I am also a frequent patron of the library, but twenty years of working in bookstores has caused me to be a lover of books that I own.  

743 - Cook something at home that you love to eat in restaurants.   I finally made asparagus at home for the first time a few years ago.  It was a lot easier than I thought it would be!  One time I had Beef Wellington in a restaurant, and it was so delicious that I looked up the recipe in The Joy of Cooking right away.  It's a very long and complicated recipe that I won't be trying any time soon!

744 - Try glow bowling!!  This is bowling in the dark with glow in the dark bowling balls, perhaps glow in the dark shoes, and/or decor, too.  You can do a "glow bowling" keyword search to find glow bowling in your area!

745 - Recommend books you love to your friends and family.  The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George is my new favorite book.  It is about a bookshop in a barge on the Seine in Paris.  The owner, Perdu, recommends books to customers by asking them four questions, and is proud that his books are in homes all over Paris.  There are intriguing characters, adventures, love, mystery, and lots of surprises.  Just when you think there couldn't possibly be any more surprises - POW!!! - something happens that you could have never predicted.  It is written so well, that I felt swept away and thought about the book when I wasn't reading it.  Hope you give it a try!

746 - Try lavender tulsi tea for better sleep, headache reduction, and upset stomachs!  I originally bought this tea because I love lavender and and wanted to try it.  Then I investigated the benefits and was happy to find out that it had all these capabilities.  If I know that I need a good night's sleep, I just steep two tea bags for 15 minutes and I am almost always guaranteed great sleep.  If I have a headache that goes into a second round, even after medication, some lavender tulsi tea works every time (so far).  Every time I have had an upset stomach recently, a cup of the miraculous lavender tulsi tea does wonders.  You can buy it at www.stash.com or at www.amazon.com (best price)

747 - Play hard!  Play is fun and energizing -- what more could you want?

731 - 740 Fun Things to Do!

731 - Feed the birds at a local park.  This is my friend Laura feeding a chickadee at Seiberling Naturealm in Akron, Ohio.  The birds are very friendly and happy to hop on your hand for a quick snack.  We have had chickadees, tufted titmice, nuthatches, and cardinals (who lurk, but don't perch). Feeding birds from your hands is a magical mystical experience which I would highly recommend.

732 - When you are feeding birds from your hand, always have extra birdseed to give to curious strangers -- especially children.  It is amazing to see the expressions on their faces the first time a bird lands on their hand!

733 - Organize a bowling party.  It can be just for the fun of it, or for a special event.  My grandson and his friends had a terrific time at his bowling birthday party.  Check out your local bowling alley and see what they have to offer,

734 - If you really like bowling, join at bowling league.  I was in a league once and I can testify that it was a LOT of fun and there was great camaraderie.  If you're lucky, you might get one of those cool bowling shirts!

735 - If you are wrestling with a dilemma in your life and can't figure out what to do -- dance it out!  You don't have to go to a nightclub -- just wait until you are alone, turn up some energetic music and go for it!  It is my guess that by the time you have worn yourself out, you will be able to make your plans more clearly and calmly.  Dancing it out can be done at any time for any reason!

736 - Keep an eye out for reflections in a pond or lake and capture the image with your cell phone camera or regular camera.  Reflection photographs are so interesting -- you might even frame one that you like.

737 - Keep your favorite books in one place so they are always handy when you want them.  My sister Barbara had a whole bookcase of favorite books, and I followed her lead and now know exactly where to find my books by Carol Shields, Julia Cameron, Carl Hiaasen, Studs Terkel, Hunter S. Thompson, and Isabel Allende to name a few.

738 - Read a book that is totally unlike something you usually read.  The library is full of wondrous books waiting for you!  I usually try my books out at the library first to see if I want to buy them later.

739 - Share your books randomly.  At bookcrossing.com, you can find information about how to register your book, and then leave it somewhere for a stranger to find!  This is from their website:

BookCrossing is the act of releasing your books "into the wild" for a stranger to find, or via "controlled release" to another BookCrossing member, and tracking where they go via journal entries from around the world. Our community of passionate, generous book-lovers is changing the world and touching lives, one traveling book at a time. We hope you join us!

740 - If you love books, you will enjoy finding quotations about books.  For example, "A good book makes you want to live in a story.  A great book gives you no choice." from the BookCrossing Facebook page  I am reading a great book right now -- A Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George.  It is an enchanting tale of a man who sells books from a barge on the Seine in Paris.  There is romance and mystery too!