Scrabble
Scrabble has been around for what seems like “forever”. Always a favorite and not only entertaining, but helps keep the mind sharp.
Visit Hasbro’s official worldwide Scrabble site for tips on playing, shopping for Scrabble products, information on School Scrabble, and FAQ’s about the game.
The National Scrabble Association can give you more information on Scrabble Clubs across the country, Tournaments, School Scrabble, and Fundraiser Ideas.
For those of you who love camping but can’t afford the toll that sleeping bags take, then you may want to consider the RV route. Yes, recreational vehicles are monsters to navigate and they cost a small fortune. But, smaller units are available and RV rentals are available.
You may want to check out some RV Basics to get you started and to make the most of your RV hobby, read Highways Magazine, The Good Sam Club, for up-to-date information around the country.
Read about the Greatest RV Rally in the World on our July Hobby Ideas page.
Some may think that a hobby has to be something you collect since coin collecting and model trains are the prototypical hobbies that many of us grew up with from childhood.
No, hobbies include activities that get us out of the house, out of the suburbs and out of the normal limitations that we put on ourselves.
Under our Outdoor Adventure section here we have a number of hobby suggestions which will challenge you to get up and away from the computer and experience the world-wide world!
Our Boating section will introduce you to the many different forms of recreation on water. Canoeing and row boating in your local town parks, if available, is an affordable way to get started. At many lakes and reservoirs, you will find boats, jet skis and canoes that can be rented by the hour, half day and whole day.
If you get hooked on boating, owning a boat or chartering deep sea voyages are something you can look forward to in your future.
Once you’re out on the lakes and rivers, fishing is a natural fit. The excitement when your hook is taken will get your heart beating. If you don’t land that huge fish, you’ll have a great story about the one that got away! And, if it’s more excitement and adventure you’re looking for, try Noodling.
If you prefer to leave the fish underwater, you may want to consider scuba diving and snorkeling. Visiting the colorful and exotic underwater habitats where you are the outsider is as close to visiting another world as we may ever achieve. The beauty of the tropical coral reefs and clear blue waters of places like Hawaii, Aruba and the Caribbean will soon be in your fantasy vacation plans.
Try Biking. Not only is it great exercise, but a fun mode of transportation whether living in a crowded city, or out in the open country.
For those of you who prefer to keep their feet on dry land there is camping, walking, hiking, and marathons. Our jobs and families may require us to live in congested cities and suburbs but most of us can reach wide open spaces within a few hours drive during the weekends.
Yes, seeing a sunset through the smoggy haze does produce some great colors but once in awhile, try watching the sun set over some mountains on a clear day with no buildings in sight.
If nothing else, try day camping. Set up camp early in the morning, maybe do some local hiking and searching for Indian relics or if you’re back East, Colonial relics. Then have a cookout or picnic for lunch and dinner. Then, at the end of the day, pack it all in and spend the night at the nearest roadside motel.
Don’t rule out the RV route. Yes, recreational vehicles are monsters to navigate and they cost a small fortune in gas. But smaller units are available and RV rentals can be affordable.
Love being out in the sunshine? Have you considered Bird Watching as a hobby? It can be fascinating. Join a club, meet people with similar interests.
Or, Gardening might be right for you. Give it a try. Expand your interests by visiting some of the yearly flower shows around the country.
Try a seasonal hobby like Apple Picking, a fun activity that the whole family can enjoy together.
When winter rolls around, there’s no reason to become a shut-in. Skiing is a great activity for exercise, seeing the country and getting you to appreciate nature during the wonderful winter months. Downhill skiing has always been the most popular form, but snow boarding has been the in thing for the last 10 years now with the younger crowd.
It can get crowded on the ski slopes though. So, with snowmobiling, snow shoeing, or cross country skiing, you can chart your own course and escape the crowds into God’s country in no time.
If getting big air on the ski slopes isn’t enough, then consider taking to the air directly with a private pilots license and flying. Trust me, you’ll never forget your first solo take off and landing. For me, it was the Half Moon Bay, California airfield, on the Pacific Coast, about 20 miles south of San Francisco. Taking off, I went straight out over the ocean. For the landing, I had to come back around, in over a small harbor. That’s one Saturday morning I’ll never, ever forget.
The Sky’s the Limit With Hot Air Ballooning! Read this first hand account of one person’s adventure in ballooning.
No matter where you live, the great outdoors are somewhere within reach. You just have to make an effort and take the time to design activities and lay out a course that you enjoy. Allow yourself to experiment and explore the many different aspects and you will be rewarded.
Hope to see you out there!
HobbyTron.com, the coolest Hobby Store, is a great source for radio controlled toys, robots, and electronics, science kits, magic tricks and much more!
Joann.com
for arts and crafts supplies, especially focusing on crafts, fabrics, floral and decor.
Best Price can offer you a large selection of craft and hobby supplies as well as links to help you in your search.
Blick Art Materials for all your craft needs.
Magic Tricks for a great selection of tricks, kits, books, DVD’s, and posters with quick service.
Hobby Warehouse – poker supplies, puzzles, trains, board games … just to name a few of their many items.
Shop HobbyMasters online or at their store in Red Bank, NJ.
For basic start-up information on Beer & Wine Making, visit Beer-Wine.com
Years ago, first generation Americans would learn a second language by listening to their parents who came to this country, bringing their language and customs with them, teaching their children as they grew.
As the years passed, many of these families embraced the English language as their main language and the children followed suit, leaving behind the languages brought over by their parents from their homelands.
Now, with world travel so easy, learning other languages has, once again, become popular.
A great site for teaching young children a new language is Muzzy. Their belief being that the very young learn effortlessly and benefit in other learning skills as well. Help your child learn a new language, and you may just find yourself learning something new as well.
Log on to Livemocha for free lessons in 25 different languages with helpful tips from people around the world as you share questions and answers with the online community. And, with self-study lessons, you learn at your own speed.
And, what about sign language? Many people don’t think of learning sign language unless necessity moves them, such as the need to converse with a deaf relative or friend. However, you can find much fulfillment and fun in learning to sign regardless of your circumstance. As a student, you’ll find many colleges and universities accept American Sign Language as a foreign language. Once you’re comfortable with your signing skills, check out your local malls. Many of them offer meeting places where you can meet and practice your sign language with hearing and non-hearing individuals. Usually, only “signing” is allowed at these gatherings, no verbal conversation.
Running a half marathon or a full marathon is a huge accomplishment, but without proper training, nutrition, and determination, you won’t be able to reach your goals. Here’s everything you need to know about training for a marathon!
Make sure you buy new shoes and break them in before the start of training. Worn out shoes can lead to shin splints, and you should replace your shoes every 300-350 miles.
Runners should also make sure to keep strength training in their workout routine, focusing especially on hamstrings by doing deadlifts. Weak hamstrings can cause shin splints.
If you’re running your first race, it’s probably best to choose a race that’s close to where you live so it’ll be low stress to get to the Expo to pick up your race number and then find parking the day of the race. While traveling to different cities to do races can be an adventure, you may want a lower stress race to get you acclimated to the marathon world.
Here are some things you should think about on race day:
Marathon Rookie for all you need to know about preparing for a marathon, including a calendar of races across the country.
For a more extensive list of marathons, visit The Marathon Guide.
Some Sites To Get You Started
Scrabble Rules, all you need to know to get started.Visit Hasbro’s official worldwide Scrabble site for tips on playing, shopping for Scrabble products, information on School Scrabble, and FAQ’s about the game.
The National Scrabble Association can give you more information on Scrabble Clubs across the country, Tournaments, School Scrabble, and Fundraiser Ideas.
RVing: Camping On the Open Road
For those of you who love camping but can’t afford the toll that sleeping bags take, then you may want to consider the RV route. Yes, recreational vehicles are monsters to navigate and they cost a small fortune. But, smaller units are available and RV rentals are available.
You may want to check out some RV Basics to get you started and to make the most of your RV hobby, read Highways Magazine, The Good Sam Club, for up-to-date information around the country.
Read about the Greatest RV Rally in the World on our July Hobby Ideas page.
Adventures
Some may think that a hobby has to be something you collect since coin collecting and model trains are the prototypical hobbies that many of us grew up with from childhood.
No, hobbies include activities that get us out of the house, out of the suburbs and out of the normal limitations that we put on ourselves.
Under our Outdoor Adventure section here we have a number of hobby suggestions which will challenge you to get up and away from the computer and experience the world-wide world!
Our Boating section will introduce you to the many different forms of recreation on water. Canoeing and row boating in your local town parks, if available, is an affordable way to get started. At many lakes and reservoirs, you will find boats, jet skis and canoes that can be rented by the hour, half day and whole day.
If you get hooked on boating, owning a boat or chartering deep sea voyages are something you can look forward to in your future.
Once you’re out on the lakes and rivers, fishing is a natural fit. The excitement when your hook is taken will get your heart beating. If you don’t land that huge fish, you’ll have a great story about the one that got away! And, if it’s more excitement and adventure you’re looking for, try Noodling.
If you prefer to leave the fish underwater, you may want to consider scuba diving and snorkeling. Visiting the colorful and exotic underwater habitats where you are the outsider is as close to visiting another world as we may ever achieve. The beauty of the tropical coral reefs and clear blue waters of places like Hawaii, Aruba and the Caribbean will soon be in your fantasy vacation plans.
Try Biking. Not only is it great exercise, but a fun mode of transportation whether living in a crowded city, or out in the open country.
For those of you who prefer to keep their feet on dry land there is camping, walking, hiking, and marathons. Our jobs and families may require us to live in congested cities and suburbs but most of us can reach wide open spaces within a few hours drive during the weekends.
Yes, seeing a sunset through the smoggy haze does produce some great colors but once in awhile, try watching the sun set over some mountains on a clear day with no buildings in sight.
If nothing else, try day camping. Set up camp early in the morning, maybe do some local hiking and searching for Indian relics or if you’re back East, Colonial relics. Then have a cookout or picnic for lunch and dinner. Then, at the end of the day, pack it all in and spend the night at the nearest roadside motel.
Don’t rule out the RV route. Yes, recreational vehicles are monsters to navigate and they cost a small fortune in gas. But smaller units are available and RV rentals can be affordable.
Love being out in the sunshine? Have you considered Bird Watching as a hobby? It can be fascinating. Join a club, meet people with similar interests.
Or, Gardening might be right for you. Give it a try. Expand your interests by visiting some of the yearly flower shows around the country.
Try a seasonal hobby like Apple Picking, a fun activity that the whole family can enjoy together.
When winter rolls around, there’s no reason to become a shut-in. Skiing is a great activity for exercise, seeing the country and getting you to appreciate nature during the wonderful winter months. Downhill skiing has always been the most popular form, but snow boarding has been the in thing for the last 10 years now with the younger crowd.
It can get crowded on the ski slopes though. So, with snowmobiling, snow shoeing, or cross country skiing, you can chart your own course and escape the crowds into God’s country in no time.
If getting big air on the ski slopes isn’t enough, then consider taking to the air directly with a private pilots license and flying. Trust me, you’ll never forget your first solo take off and landing. For me, it was the Half Moon Bay, California airfield, on the Pacific Coast, about 20 miles south of San Francisco. Taking off, I went straight out over the ocean. For the landing, I had to come back around, in over a small harbor. That’s one Saturday morning I’ll never, ever forget.
The Sky’s the Limit With Hot Air Ballooning! Read this first hand account of one person’s adventure in ballooning.
No matter where you live, the great outdoors are somewhere within reach. You just have to make an effort and take the time to design activities and lay out a course that you enjoy. Allow yourself to experiment and explore the many different aspects and you will be rewarded.
Hope to see you out there!
Some Online Hobby Stores to Get You Started
HobbyTron.com, the coolest Hobby Store, is a great source for radio controlled toys, robots, and electronics, science kits, magic tricks and much more! Joann.com for arts and crafts supplies, especially focusing on crafts, fabrics, floral and decor.
Best Price can offer you a large selection of craft and hobby supplies as well as links to help you in your search. Blick Art Materials for all your craft needs. Magic Tricks for a great selection of tricks, kits, books, DVD’s, and posters with quick service. Hobby Warehouse – poker supplies, puzzles, trains, board games … just to name a few of their many items. Shop HobbyMasters online or at their store in Red Bank, NJ. For basic start-up information on Beer & Wine Making, visit Beer-Wine.comNoodling: The art of catching catfish with your bare hands.
September 12, 2013 by
Noodling, sometimes called Hand Fishing or Catfisting (among other things), is the art of catching catfish with your bare hands. It is inexpensive – no boat, rod, reel, nets, or bait needed. Just your bare hands. As the Noodler wades into the murky water, he rams his hand into a catfish hole and wiggles his fingers (the fingers being the only “bait” used). The catfish then swims out to bite the hand as the Noodler sticks his arm down the fish’s throat and wrestles to bring his “catch” up and out of the water.
Some catfish can weigh as much as 100 pounds and removing the Noodler’s hand from its mouth can be quite a challenge; therefore, it is recommended that you don’t go Noodling alone. Usually a Spotter is with the Noodler at all times to assist during times of trouble. Dangers include severe cuts and bruises, losing fingers, drowning if the Noodler is in deep water or gets tangled in underwater brush, and bites or deadly attacks from other aquatic life in the area.
This sport is only legal in 13 states and done mostly in the Southern and Midwest states where catfish are plentiful and considered a sport of tradition and can be traced back to the American Indians who used this method to catch fish for survival. It was later used again during the Depression for the same reason – the necessity to put food on the table.
For information on the Okie Noodling Tournament, visit our June Hobby Ideas page.
Some catfish can weigh as much as 100 pounds and removing the Noodler’s hand from its mouth can be quite a challenge; therefore, it is recommended that you don’t go Noodling alone. Usually a Spotter is with the Noodler at all times to assist during times of trouble. Dangers include severe cuts and bruises, losing fingers, drowning if the Noodler is in deep water or gets tangled in underwater brush, and bites or deadly attacks from other aquatic life in the area.
This sport is only legal in 13 states and done mostly in the Southern and Midwest states where catfish are plentiful and considered a sport of tradition and can be traced back to the American Indians who used this method to catch fish for survival. It was later used again during the Depression for the same reason – the necessity to put food on the table.
For information on the Okie Noodling Tournament, visit our June Hobby Ideas page.
Sites To Visit:
- Noodlers Anonymous
- Read the exciting article In the Jaws of a Catfish for a thrilling account of Noodling.
Musical Instruments
If you’ve never played an instrument seriously before, you’re missing out on a relaxing and mind enhancing activity. Guitar and piano are probably the most popular instruments, but there are dozens of different instruments to choose from. You can rent instruments from music stores to try them out, a great idea if you can’t decide. But whatever your choice, pursue it with enthusiasm and you’ll find music to be a very rewarding pastime. Play for your own enjoyment, or make it a goal to form your own band!
Guitar
Guitar is a popular instrument because it is portable and used in so many popular songs today. You can pick up a starter guitar for a little over a hundred dollars. Then the question becomes:
Electric or Not? Electric is Loud. You can’t play “Kum-baya” with Electric. Electrics do Bon Jovi, U-2 and Coldplay. You can pick up a starter electric guitar kit for around $300. The kit will include the guitar and an amplifier, and hopefully some strings and a tuner as well.
If you like a softer sound or a more portable option, get an Acoustic or Classical guitar. Sometimes any non-electric guitar is called “acoustic,” but when you go into the store to buy one, make sure you know the difference. A classical guitar has nylon strings and has a softer sound. The acoustic guitar has steel strings and is often used for many modern pop and jazz. The steel will hurt your fingers until calluses form, but don’t use that as an excuse not to get an acoustic guitar. The best thing to do is to go to a guitar store and play both before deciding which you like. Don’t worry about not knowing any chords – just sit down and pluck a few strings.
You can either learn basic guitar in a class format, or through a book and/or video. After you learn some basics, though, you will benefit from lessons where a teacher or a more advanced player can impart some of their practical wisdom.
Piano
You can start with an inexpensive keyboard around a hundred dollars. It will have a few rhythms and tones to help your simple playing sound like a full band. As you get better, you’ll enjoy a more expensive keyboard with more sound options, or a regular piano, which looks great in your living room.
Most piano players choose to learn to read music, something which can be learned through video or instructional books at first. Once you learn basic notes, you can learn some simple chords for your left hand and start to sound great! If you want to progress quickly, take private or small group lessons.
Sheet Music
Musicnotes.com has an impressive catalog of over 40,000 digital sheet music titles that has been built on the strength of content agreements with Warner Bros. Publications, BMG, Universal Music Publishing, Famous Music, Peer Music, EMI Christian, Bug Music and others. They also carry a complete catalog of over 260,000 mail-order items in their online catalog. The Musicnotes multi-genre catalog includes everything from Josh Groban and Coldplay to George Gershwin and Beethoven.
Turn Your Hobby into Cash
Hobbies should always be something you thoroughly enjoy, bringing a quiet oasis to your hectic lifestyle. And, if this enjoyable pastime brings in a little income, you profit in more ways than one.
Do you love sports? Bowling, tennis, skiing? Are you good enough to go professional? Anything worth doing is always hard work but well worth it. If you don’t make it to professional status, teaching your skill can bring you satisfaction and some extra money. Get started by advertising your expertise in your local newspaper, at your sporting goods stores, and on grocery store bulletin boards.
Into crafts? Craft shows and festivals are popular across the country year round. Who can resist a hand-made sweater, shawl, or baby blanket? Work at your leisure year round, concentrating on what time of year you want to display your wares. Then, check out local schools, churches, and clubs for dates of their shows. Word of mouth will give you a good indication of the more popular fairs and festivals that will be appropriate for you.
Do you have a flair for art? How about caricatures? Advertise your services for children’s birthday parties or set up a table at street fairs and flea markets and see how many people you can attract.
Have a love of history? Volunteer at a local museum and learn as you go. When a paying position becomes available, you’ll be first in line and already trained.
Do you love gardening? There are many shut-ins and the elderly who can’t tend their gardens anymore but still appreciate the beauty they bring into their lives. Offer your services for a small fee and earn some spending money while doing something you love to do.
Your local high school, college, or library might be interested in your talents for their Evening Classes.
You may have to start off on a volunteer basis, but this could possibly open doors to a paying position as a private tutor.
Your love of animals could lead you to a side business of pet walking or pet sitting.
Contests are always fun and can be profitable.
Collectibles can bring in a steady income. Buying, selling, and trading on E-bay is a fun way to make some money. Traveling to antique shows, flea markets, and collectible shows are great ways to get started, meeting people with like interests along the way.
Learn Another Language
Have you ever wanted to learn a second language?
Well, it’s never too late or too early.Years ago, first generation Americans would learn a second language by listening to their parents who came to this country, bringing their language and customs with them, teaching their children as they grew.
As the years passed, many of these families embraced the English language as their main language and the children followed suit, leaving behind the languages brought over by their parents from their homelands.
Now, with world travel so easy, learning other languages has, once again, become popular.
A great site for teaching young children a new language is Muzzy. Their belief being that the very young learn effortlessly and benefit in other learning skills as well. Help your child learn a new language, and you may just find yourself learning something new as well.
Log on to Livemocha for free lessons in 25 different languages with helpful tips from people around the world as you share questions and answers with the online community. And, with self-study lessons, you learn at your own speed.
And, what about sign language? Many people don’t think of learning sign language unless necessity moves them, such as the need to converse with a deaf relative or friend. However, you can find much fulfillment and fun in learning to sign regardless of your circumstance. As a student, you’ll find many colleges and universities accept American Sign Language as a foreign language. Once you’re comfortable with your signing skills, check out your local malls. Many of them offer meeting places where you can meet and practice your sign language with hearing and non-hearing individuals. Usually, only “signing” is allowed at these gatherings, no verbal conversation.
Marathons
How to Train for a Half or Full Marathon
There are three different methods for training for races:- Run walk intervals. Instead of running at one pace, certain runners use walking/running intervals to train for a half marathon. This helps reduce the risk of injury and is a good option for beginning runners who want to complete a half marathon but are not concerned about qualifying for other races.
- Building up mileage. If you’re running your first half marathon and don’t want to do run/walk intervals, choose a 16 or 20 week plan that slowly builds up mileage. Depending on your fitness level, you may occasionally want to
- Long runs with short tempo runs. More advanced runners should use tempo and HIIT runs to help improve their times as well. Their plans should be around 10-16 weeks long, depending on the runner’s fitness level and their goals.
Make sure you buy new shoes and break them in before the start of training. Worn out shoes can lead to shin splints, and you should replace your shoes every 300-350 miles.
Crosstraining for Marathoners
If you’re training for a half or full marathon, don’t forget to crosstrain! Crosstraining simply means doing another form of exercise that targets different muscle groups and helps reduce the risk of injury. Yoga, swimming, and other low-impact workouts are the best choices. Yoga in particular helps improve flexibility and strength, another key in preventing injury.Runners should also make sure to keep strength training in their workout routine, focusing especially on hamstrings by doing deadlifts. Weak hamstrings can cause shin splints.
How to Choose a Marathon or Half Marathon
What kind of race do you want to run? There’s a New Year’s Race that goes through downtown LA at night, a Rock n’ Roll marathon series with live bands along the route, and even races that go through Disneyland.If you’re running your first race, it’s probably best to choose a race that’s close to where you live so it’ll be low stress to get to the Expo to pick up your race number and then find parking the day of the race. While traveling to different cities to do races can be an adventure, you may want a lower stress race to get you acclimated to the marathon world.
What to Remember on Race Day
On the day before race day, you should have gone to the Health and Fitness Expo that races hold for runners to get their numbers and to showcase health and fitness products. Set out everything you need the night before. Organization is key to cutting down on stress.Here are some things you should think about on race day:
- Who’s going to drive you? Sure, you can drive yourself, but remember you’re going to be sore and exhausted, so it’s best if you get a friend to meet you at the finish line!
- Wear tried-and-true gear. Never wear new sneakers or new workout clothes on race day. You don’t know what chafes or what is uncomfortable until you’ve run with it in the past! So only use what’s tried and true from your training on race day.
- Are you going to run with music? If so, create a playlist. You don’t want to be fumbling with your ipad during the race. Also, invest in a good armband to hold your keys, cell phone, and ID. Good earbuds are also a must — you don’t want them falling out as you run.
- Eat breakfast 2-3 hours before your race. This should be the same breakfast you eat before your long runs, and should be made up of protein and carbs. Some runners opt to drink coffee, others think it upsets their stomach or makes their aerobic performance suffer, so once again try out different combinations during training to figure out what you’re going to eat on race day.
Some Popular Marathons Across The Country:
- ING New York City Marathon
- Boston Marathon
- Bank of America Chicago Marathon
- Suntrust National Marathon in Washington DC.
- Lake Tahoe Marathon. Enjoy 5 days of fun-filled events surrounding the Lake Tahoe Marathon Week in beautiful Lake Tahoe
- San Francisco Marathon
- Austin Marathon and 1/2 Marathon
- Honolulu Marathon
Some Sites To Get You Started:
You have to walk before you run. Visit our page on Walking to get you started.Marathon Rookie for all you need to know about preparing for a marathon, including a calendar of races across the country.
For a more extensive list of marathons, visit The Marathon Guide.
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