This month's theme is Anti-Boredom Month. Did you know that July is National Anti-Boredom Month? I did not know this, until we were researching themes for our BWF posts. I think it is an excellent idea for Summer. I know when I was growing up, the most boredom I encountered, was usually in the Summer. The rest of the year, I would be so busy with school and activities, I did not have time to be bored. Then Summer would hit, and after the excitement wore off, the boredom would come visit regularly.
I decided to compile a lists of activities and other things, that can help you keep boredom away, during July, and really the rest of the months as well. Some of these may be more for people who also live in California, but really, I am sure other states have similar things.
1. I was not sure I wanted to include this one, and then I ended up deciding to put it as first idea. Disney. I think my California residency may have been revoked, had I not put this. Now, I am sure you guys know, there are so many Disney options. They have locations around the world, and they even have cruises. I have not been, but I do hope to go one day, in the near future. I have done some looking into it, and I have found out a few things, that you may not know.
*The Disney Cruises are actually packed with super fun activities, and kids can get more face time with the characters. You have to research each specific cruise, to find out what activities and which characters are available, but this is definitely a less stressful option, to actually visiting one of the parks.
*If you are a Costco member, you can pay for your vacation through them, and you can make payments, rather than pay all at once. You can visit your local Costco, and they can fill you in on the details.
*Once you decided which Disney location you want to go to, visit their site. Find out what special events they have, and the dates of the events. Then you can totally take advantage of those events, or you can use those dates as a guide of when not to attend. I found out from my friend who visits Disney at least once a year, that sometimes it is better to go during an off time. When there is not a big event, that attracts even more people. Lines will be smaller. The crowds won't be as suffocating. Also, local hotels may have special offers available, because they are looking to fill vacancies.
*I was also told time and time again.... Don't be afraid to stay at a hotel nearby, and take advantage of Fastpass. Yes, if you stay at a nearby hotel, you will have a tiny bit of extra travel, and yes your experience will be different. However, that is really not a bad thing. It is just as magical, plus, the money you can save, can enable you to enjoy more in the park!
*I have also met a wonderful lady, who is as nice as can be, and her job is helping people plan Disney vacations. Yes, seriously, that is her job. Amazing right?! I am going to link you guys her page, so you can check it out. I am sure she would be totally cool will helping you and answering questions you may have. No, this is not some paid sponsorship. I just really think she is super nice, and she happens to have inside knowledge on how to plan an amazing Disney vacation. You can find her here. Her name is Brittany!
Suffice it to say, if you took a trip to one of the Disney parks, or went on a Disney Cruise, you would definitely not be bored.
2. One thing I have really been trying to focus on lately is making memories. They say memories are more important than actual possessions. So, spend money on doing things to make money, rather than items to fill your house. One excellent thing I have discovered, is Groupon and Living Social. Have you ever browsed your local Groupon or Living Social pages? They often have some amazing local experiences for very affordable prices. When I was on my local page last week, I found several awesome Summer adventure options, for hundreds less, than if I bought the tickets at the places themselves. I have also found some awesome deals on stays at a B&B!!! My goal is to go to this one B&B that is in Tahoe, and then spend the weekend enjoying Tahoe.
I highly recommend checking out your local Groupon and Living Social offers. I always see awesome deals. Chad really wants to go cage diving with sharks, and a few years ago, before I really understood just how amazing Groupon and LS were, I saw a deal on diving with sharks. I let the opportunity pass me by, because I really did not have an experience with the sites at that point. I can now tell you, I would not let that opportunity pass me by again.
Also, say you want to go the route, of buying a B&B package, and having a few days away. I highly recommend checking out Restaurant.com and searching for local restaurants around your B&B. Restaurant.com is always having amazing sales, and the certificates never expire. You could very easily go out to a fancy dinner, at an amazing local restaurant, near your B&B, and eat a $100 meal with your family, and only pay $25 to $50 out of pocket.
So, why not do some local activity at a discounted rate, or explore a local town, while enjoying a quaint B&B?!
3. This suggestion, can also tie in with Groupon and LS, depending on what offers you have local. Find a local art gallery, and see about taking art classes. If they do not offer classes, chances are they know of a local artist who does. You could also do a search on your Facebook, and find the local paint parties. They are popular, affordable, and tend to be a blast. Plus, you get to create art. If you are like me, just creating art alone will be happiness enough.
If you happen to be local to me, and this interests you, I know of an amazing gal that does paint parties. Again, I am not paid to tell you this. I just think she is an amazingly nice person, and she happens to be an artist. She can come to you for a paint party with your friends, or she hosts parties at local restaurants, and you can easily attend one of them. You can find her here, and she will post the dates and times of the events she hosts. She even hosts kid friendly events, if you want to get the entire family in on it!!
4. If visual art is not your thing, you could easily find a local shop that offers instrument lessons. For yourself, your kid, or for you both. When I was younger, I played the guitar, and I genuinely wish I had kept up with it, and often think about taking lessons again. Though, I would probably prefer drum lessons. I don't know why, but I have always LOVED drums.
If you like music, but don't want to be the one creating it, you could easily take a dance or Zumba class. Many schools offer classes for all ages and skill levels. It is also possible to find classes for a discount, on Groupon or Living Social!
5. I almost feel like I should be sponsored by Groupon for this post... LOL... So, as I was browsing Groupon the other day, I found cooking classes on there. I had never even thought to take cooking classes before, but as I scoped out the Groupon deal, it was actually quite awesome. They had adult classes, and ones for kids. When I did some more research on my own, I even found Mommy/Daddy and me classes.
Well, if you pay attention to my Facebook page, you know that Gigi has recently become obsessed with cooking/baking. Just this past weekend, we baked homemade cookies and a cake. The cake was box mix, but she had me add fresh berries (blueberries and strawberries) to it, and we made homemade butter cream frosting. I am honestly quite amazed. So, suffice it to say, these cooking classes are on our to do list.
6. If you are lucky to live on the East, West, or Gulf Coasts, then you can make a fairly easy trip to the beach. Swim or surf in the ocean. Build sandcastles. Enjoy the sun. If you cannot visit the ocean so easily, I am sure you can get to a river or lake, and enjoy the beach there. I highly recommend it. It is something I want to do more often. Living in California, I should be going to the beach at least six or seven times a year. Sadly, that is not an accurate number. So, I have made a promise to myself, that the next time I find myself wondering what we will do for the weekend, so we aren't bored, my choice will be to pack a picnic and some towels, and go to the beach.
Sometimes, fighting boredom, is just a matter of making a decision on what to do. Well, if you are in place where it is warm, and a beach is nearby, make that choice to go to the beach. Live it up!
7. I will probably get some eye rolls on this one, and some of you may even tell me I am a weirdo. That is okay. Really, it is. I am thirty five, and in my lifetime, I have had multiple (really good) friends tell me I am a weirdo. Before I got sick, and daily tasks became something I have to put a ton of effort into do, one of my absolute favorite things to do, was to clean and organize. I am not even joking. I loved cleaning so much, I would clean my friend's homes.
So, I am serious when I say.... Feeling bored? Clean. Organize. Not only will you be busy, and not bored, but once you are done, you will feel so amazing and so accomplished. I am convinced we are just naturally happy, when the spaces around us are clean and organized. I have a goal of getting our entire hallway organized before the end of Summer. It is a task that would normally be extremely easy, but factor in my health, and our lack of any storage space in this house, it is actually not as easy as you may think. Plus, I have yet to find the necessary key (a new desk or desk alternative) to the complete organization of the hallway. I am not letting that stop me, though. I will conquer the unruly hallway.
I know I may seem crazy and weird, but try it. The next time you are feeling bored, conquer an area of your home, and clean and organize it. If your kiddo is bored, tell them to clean and reorganize their room. Make it fun for them. Offer them a reward. It does not have to be a huge thing. Maybe just ice cream at your favorite ice cream place.
If you are like me, you LOVE Pinterest. Especially when it comes to finding recipes to try, or ideas for home decorating/organization/cleaning. So, again, I am NOT being paid to share these links, nor am I affiliated with them. However, I was recently coming up with a game plan for home organization, and I found these lists helpful...
Also, just in case you want to find me on Pinterest, I am here. Also, if you are ever bored and in bed, and have your phone/tablet handy.... Browsing Pinterest is an excellent way to get rid of boredom, and stay up way too late. I mean, or so I have heard. 😉
8. This one is honestly probably my favorite thing to do. Not to beat boredom, but just to do in general. Volunteer. Seriously, non-profits, Food Banks, youth programs, etc are ALWAYS looking for volunteers. Do you like to play soccer/softball/baseball/etc? Our local kid's leagues are always looking for volunteers to help with coaching and being referee. It is a super fun way to spend your time, and help local kids. Food banks and Soup Kitchens can always use more volunteers. You will keep boredom away, and feel great about helping others!!
9. Do you know every single place in your town? Every shop, restaurant, event center, club, park, etc? Probably not. One thing that we love to do, when we find ourselves sitting at home and bored, is to simply go someplace local, that we have never been before. So, if you and your family are bored, pull up a local map, or search local events on Facebook, and pick one and go. My favorite way to explore new places, is to keep an eye on local events posted on Facebook, and on posts in my local mom's group, and to pick places and go. We have discovered lots of interesting things locally. Also, I strongly encourage you to do this for restaurants. Rather than go to the same place you always go, look up a place you have never been on Facebook. Check out the reviews and pictures people post, and pick one that looks good, and go. We found three of our favorite places to eat by doing this. I also want to mention Restaurant.com again. They really do offer great deals, and it can help save your family money on dinner!!
This is how we found our favorite park, as well. We were just out driving, and saw the park, and stopped. It has become our go to park, and had we not been exploring a place we had never been, we would not have found it. I think a lot of boredom can be ended, simply by getting in the car and going.
Maybe you can go berry/fruit/vegetable picking at a local farm, and use your bounty to make a yummy treat!!
Maybe you can go berry/fruit/vegetable picking at a local farm, and use your bounty to make a yummy treat!!
10. Remember how I said that Gigi has developed an obsession with cooking and baking? She will make me sit and watch cooking/baking videos on Facebook with her. We literally have weekly dates, just to watch these videos together. We have created a list of recipes we want to make. We are very slowly making them, as we get the time and recipe, and I am having a decent day health wise. So, if you are bored, go in the kitchen and cook. You can cook a tried and true recipe. Find one on Facebook/Pinterest or in a cookbook. Maybe don't even use a recipe. Just gather up some ingredients and see what you come up with. Cooking can be so much fun, alone or with your kiddos. As crazy as it was to make cookies and a cake in the same weekend, we definitely had fun crossing two recipes off our list.
I am going to share a few recipes from the list of recipes Gigi and I have made. Again, I am not paid to share these recipes, and I am not affiliated with these chef bloggers at all.
So, there you have it! Ten ways to keep boredom away. I know they are all such common sense ideas, but if you are like me, sometimes when I am bored, I just cannot think of anything to do. So, hopefully the next time you cannot think of anything to do, you will suddenly remember this blog, and a fun idea will hit you! I hope you have a July that is far from boring!
Now, go see what my fellow bloggers have come up with, to help you keep boredom away.
Karen of Baking In A Tornado
Kim of Georgia Vegan Peach
Tamara of Part-time working Hockey Mom
Lydia of Cluttered Genius
