Article Writing

Online article writing has become a hobby of mine which I really enjoy. I'm really just starting to get into the groove of it now, and enjoying myself very much. Online article writing is something that anyone can do. There are many sites out there which allow you to write articles for them and get paid for it. Some of them use up front pay, which means that you get paid a certain price for each article that you write, while others use passive income. Passive income in context to article writing means that you write the article once, and don't get paid a certain amount for it. Instead, you get paid with ad revenue based on how many times people click on the ads that are posted on that page. How much ad revenue you generate with your article depends on how well you optimize it for search engines. A well written article with good use of keywords will generate a considerably higher income than one that does not use keywords at all. I like to use the site Textbroker.com for my up front pay, and Ehow.com for my passive income. I have not made much yet with ehow, but that is because I have not typed very many articles for them. So far, I've made about 20 dollars with ehow in the past few months. Textbroker though is another story. I've probably made about 500 dollars so far on Textbroker, and I plan on continuing to make that amount increase over the next few months.

Game Shows

One of the most fun and lazy hobbies I can think of is game shows. They are rather addicting actually. While watching them, you get to challenge your family and friends, pretending like you are the one winning big prizes and trips, and test your knowledge of different random topics. You can see which topics you are best at, and find out which topics you are not so good at, but maybe thought you knew everything about. You can tell people you are better than them when you get a full set of questions or categories right, or sit there and blush when they stump you. No matter what, it's usually all in good fun and the humor and satisfaction you can get out of it is pretty cool. My favorites are Cash Cab, which is set in New York and unsuspecting cab riders get stunned by the surprise music and lights only to find out that they are on a game show that they play while they make their way to their destination. Jeopardy is my other favorite. You get to really test your knowledge and feel like you are sitting up there with the smartest people. You can challenge family to see who ends up with the most money, and feel proud of yourself when you answer lots of questions right. It's so much fun, and there are so many different game shows out, but the best ones, in my opinion, are the ones that have already been around for years and years.

Favorite Craft Store

One of my favorite craft stores is Michael's. It brings back memories from my childhood. I remember walking into that huge place, and the first thing I always noticed when I walked in was the smell of potpourri that was always lingering around the entrance. For me the best section in the whole store was the stationery section. Filled with different bordered papers, rubber stamps, stickers, envelopes, and letter paper, there were so many things you could do in that place. I loved to go in there with my grandma while she got her crafting things, and I would always wait to get to the paper section. Next came the yarn section, where I got to pick out a schene of yarn so I could practice knitting and crocheting. It was so much fun, and still is. I haven't been in there for a while. Maybe this year I'll get a scrapbooking kit and make everyone Christmas cards. Bring back memories and have fun without spending a ton of money.

What Hobbies Do You Like To Do?

This blog is very very new, and I want to start building on the list of hobbies I discuss here. If anyone has any ideas for hobbies you like to do or would like to try, feel free to share them here, and feel free to think outside the box. I am looking for some very interesting things or things that nobody has thought of before. Whatever you like to do, whatever crafts you enjoy, or passtimes that help you enjoy life a little bit more, they are all welcome here.

Crossword Puzzles

Who said a hobby has to be something that others consider fantastic? A hobby can be something as simple as say, a crossword puzzle. Although if you really want to think about it, crossword puzzles can get pretty involved. You can get small ones, but there are also really difficult ones that take a week or more to finish and need a crossword puzzle dictionary to finish. Crossword puzzles are not only fun to do, but they challenge your mind and get you thinking as well. You can get your brain moving faster while passing the time and giving yourself something to do. You may even learn a little bit from crossword puzzles if you use the dictionary.

Gardening

Gardening can be extremely fun. It can allow you to have fun and make your yard or house look pretty and clean cut and gives you something to care for, something you labored with love, and with your own two hands...and maybe a small shovel or two and some fertilizer. Your garden can be whatever you want it to be. It can have one or two flowers, or you can have a full yard bursting with them. It can have exotic plants, or just your typical potted houseplant. You can plant herbs, fruits, and vegetables, or just throw a few seeds around and let things grow wild. You can get flowers that will only bloom once never to come back again, or you can plant something that will come back to visit you every year. Gardening is such a versatile hobby in that you have an unlimited number of options, and if you think you don't have space in your yard for a garden or the dog is going to tear it up, no worries. You can always get planter boxes that set on top of something high up or potted plants that hang from a peg. The possibilities for gardening are endless and so is the amount of fun and enjoyment you can have.

Photography

Photography is a great hobby that anyone can do. You don't have to be good at it to enjoy it, but if you are good at it, that's great. There are several things you can do with a photography hobby. There are all different types and quality levels of cameras ranging from a $10 disposable to a $1000 or more professional grade camera. There are different types of photos you can take: black and white, color, panoramic, and you can do these with practically anything: nature, people, animals, scenery, or even something silly like a ball of lint on the floor. If you take a picture of something, no matter what it is, you can call yourself a photographer if you would like. Oh, and if you're good at it, you can turn it into more than just a hobby, but a full time career. How great would that be if you enjoy taking pictures?

Jewelry Making

If you like jewelry, you might like to try making your own. Making your own jewelry is a fun thing to do and can be very therapeutic and relaxing. There are several different ways you can make your own jewelry. You can get a ton of different types of materials such as beads, clamps, strings, wires, and twines, and all sorts of different charms and embellishments for your jewelry. You can even make your own clay beads to go on your jewelry if you wish. Jewelry making is not only a fun hobby to take up, but you can customize your jewelry and get it exactly the way you want it. You can also make a smaller hobby out of bead collecting. When you think of beads, you probably just picture plain little pieces of plastic or metal, but in fact, there are many different styles of beads that range from plain and boring to absolutely exquisite. So the next time you are looking for a bracelet or necklace to wear, think about the trip you could be making to the craft store so you can try your hand at making something nice for yourself. If you're too afraid to try it on your own without help, you can get a book to show you how and give you ideas.

Card Making

If you're into the habit of spending $2 or $3 for a greeting card at the grocery store, you are missing out on the awesome fun you can get from making your own. All it takes are a few ingredients like construction paper or card stock, rubber stamps or colored pencils, paints, glitter glue, or anything else you can use to decorate with. My favorite thing is to use two different colored pieces of construction paper and use one of them as an insert. After that, you can make your own sayings and write them in or take them from other cards you've seen or quotes you've found online. I like to decorate the outside of the card with rubber stamps. You can get elegant ink colors such as silver or gold and make a sophisticated looking piece with your own personal touch. The best thing about making your own greeting cards is that you can make them however you want and the only money you spend is on the supplies you used to make it, and you get to enjoy yourself in the process! Now, for all the parents out there, this is also a great project for the kids to do and you can spend some bonding time together. During the holidays or when someone has a birthday coming up, you and your kids can secretly make cards for each other and surprise each other at the end. That is one way to make a holiday or fun event more fun without spending a lot of money, and in today's economy, we all know how important that is.

Book Club

If you reading is already one of your favorite hobbies or passtimes, why not take it to the next level and start a book club? You can do it online through a blog or a message board, or get a group of friends together once a week to just talk about the latest books or to talk about one book in particular. You can even break it down into chapters so that you can discuss portions of a book up to a certain point without anyone spoiling new parts or getting too far ahead. You can make your own book club list or you can pull books from the best seller list. Anything goes with your book club. The only rules are the ones you and your friends set, and you can enrich and expand your mind while doing something that you really enjoy.

Can Collecting

Can collecting can be a fun passtime, as well as a rewarding one. Financially, that is. You can collect cans and turn them in for cash at a local recycling center. How much you get will probably depend on the economy, but at times the aluminum from your pop cans can be worth as much as $.70 per pound. The place I called recently is only giving $.23 per pound for those precious pop cans, but it sure doesn't hurt to have a little extra cash in your pocket!

Cake Making and Decorating

This is possibly one of the most versatile crafts you can do. If you are able, you can make pretty much anything your imagination will allow you. You can create cakes for every holiday, every festivity, every party you can imagine. You can make it pretty, or funny, or scary, or whatever. You can use different mediums like fondant, royal icing, and frosting. You can make chocolate cakes or vanilla cakes or marble cakes. You can make wedding cakes, and if you are good at making cakes, you can get paid for them. (you can especially make a lot of money from wedding cakes because they are typically pretty expensive to buy and they take a lot of work to accomplish.) I've really only tried to make and decorate a cake once. I did pretty good considering it was my first try but don't expect your first cake to come out looking like a masterpiece. Cake making and decorating is a fun and rewarding hobby but it does take some practice.

Sewing

Although I do not really know how to sew, I know from watching my grandma and helping her a little bit that it is an extremely fun, mind challenging and therapeutic activity to engage in. When you finish a piece or an outfit, you get the good feeling that you've just made something. You also get to save a lot of money by making your own clothes or other items and you can have fun at the same time. The reason I like sewing so much (although I'm not good at it and really have only made anything by trial and error) is that for me it was always a time to bond with my grandma. I would always watch her in her sewing room, and when she made something I got to see her finish it. My grandmother also used her sewing hobby to create family heirlooms for her grandchildren. Each one of us got a handsewn quilt with little animals on it. I still have mine and I intend to keep it forever. That's what's so cool about these types of hobbies (i.e. sewing, quilting, knitting, or whatever)...You can have fun and enjoy yourself but also create memories and sentimental things for others as well.

Walking

Now walking probably doesn't sound like a very interesting hobby or passtime, but you may be surprised at just how enjoyable it can be. When I go for a walk, I have a set path that I go on. I put blast my headphones, get comfortable, and just start walking. I find that sometimes this helps me clear my mind, while other times I just daydream. I also find that it helps relax me and relieves stress, calms me down if I am upset about something, gives me some me time,and of course, gives me exercise. If you haven't taken many walks just for fun, you should definitely give it a try. You can keep the same route everytime, or just start walking and turn down streets you've never been on before. You can bring a friend with you if you like. I prefer to walk alone. (only in the daytime though, it can be dangerous to walk alone at night, especially with headphones on.)

Crocheting

Crocheting is a very therapeutic and relaxing hobby. It is also a great stress reliever and mind clearing thing to do. It is pretty easy for a person to learn and the things that can be crocheted range from simple to exquisite. All you need to crochet is a ball or schene of yarn and a crochet hook, which come in many different sizes. You can crochet left or right handed, and you can make things like stuffed animals, blankets, sweaters, potholders, scarves and hats, and pretty much anything else you can think of to make. If you are looking to learn how to crochet, try searching online for the basics as well as free patterns and ideas for cool things you can make, or go to your local craft store where you can probably find an entire section dedicated to the craft of crocheting.

Airsoft Guns

Airsoft guns are an excellent way to get an adrenaline rush and have a lot of fun by yourself or with friends. You can shoot cans or clay and homemade targets, or if you have the proper safety gear, you can have a shootout with friends. Airsoft guns are spring loaded guns that use tiny little round plastic "bullets". They hurt a little bit if you get shot with them but as long as you stay away from the face are pretty safe, other than the little welts you will get on your body for a day or two. They come in a variety of different models such as colt, shotgun, or even an uzi. You can get them at places like sporting goods stores or any place with a sporting goods section, and prices range from as low as $10 or $15 to as much as $100 or more. There are only a couple of warnings that go along with airsoft guns. One, have the proper safety equipment (mainly safety goggles) and be aware that many airsoft guns look pretty realistic and should you find yourself flashing them where you shouldn't, people or police may mistake them for the real thing.