Remember the word “hobby?”  Most likely, when you were a child, you had hobbies, things you liked to do just for the sheer enjoyment.  And, just as likely, you don’t have much time for those hobbies now.

My advice:  if you aren’t already doing something fun for yourself, find some time.  Even if it is one hobby, one hour a week, when you are “off duty” to the rest of the world.  Come on, I’m sure there is SOMETHING you’d love to do….that YOU get enjoyment out of.   Love photography?  Enjoy quilting?  How about cake decorating?  Dancing?  Be brave, and fess up – it is ok to admit we have something other than our jobs and running our households & families that we like to do.

One of my BFF’s and I get together every Thursday night to scrap for about an hour and a half.  That’s right, we build & create scrapbooks.  I realize many of you have an image in your head of a “scrapper”….and that picture probably isn’t an active career woman.  That’s the beauty of a craft, hobby, or activity that brings you enjoyment on your own private time…you can ignore stereotypes and just have fun.

Now, it helps that this BFF lives right next door to me.  But I’d still drive to her house if I had to.  Our Scrap Nights have now become sacred to us.  We are set up in her basement with our supplies. Children and husbands are not allowed during our scrap time.  Calls are not taken (unless in case of emergency, and even then, begrudgingly).

Will either of us ever win some coveted “Scrap Design Award” for our efforts?  Highly unlikely.  It allows us an avenue to be creative, but neither of us will ever turn “pro.”  Will we ever join other more experienced, more “serious” scrappers at a weekend-long crop?  Not sure.  We talk about it, but are a bit intimidated by the talent of others.  However, we do dream that someday, our children will pour through these books and appreciate that we took the time to document and decorate special days in their lives.

And, more importantly, those Thursday nights are OUR time.  We vent, we de-stress, we have chick-talk, we laugh, we cry.  We hang out in our sweats, because we don’t have to be “on” or look great.   That 90 minutes speeds by every Thursday.  But we always feel better after, and look forward to the next scrap night.