Tuesday, January 27, 2026

I started this post a couple of weeks ago but I wanted to insert that I really enjoyed my fires over this snowed in weekend. Tom has to open the flue but I can keep it going.

We tried the plastic trick and I’m pleased! We ran plastic from the back door down the steps and then Tom had to shovel off some of the snow but look how clean it kept this area! It always gets really icy so look at that!

Another thing I’m glad I did was buy paper plates. I don’t always have them on hand, but it was helpful to have them.

So, back to fun! I am talking genuine FUN. Can you remember? Hopefully it was over the holidays or since then and not that long ago. Maybe you have had fun snowed in?

As an adult do we even let ourselves have fun?

I had a sad to me conversation with a friend who doesn’t read my blog. I told her I was going to a one-hour, free cooking class on how to make pretzels. She said she doesn’t have time for things like that. One day she will have an hour but right now she doesn’t, she said. What made this statement crazy to me is that this friend doesn’t work outside the home and has one kid at home, but who drives.

My point is that fun has to be a choice sometimes. Sometimes I had to learn to do something more efficiently to make time for fun. Example – getting groceries delivered. If you have limited time is there something in your life that you could do more efficiently to free up your time?

It’s also funny to think about the fact that we as humans have more leisure time than any other humans that came before us. We aren’t spending time churning butter or washing our clothes on a washboard down by the creek. What is taking up our time?

Also, your fun is not my fun. My fun is not your fun.

I had fun at Tom’s work party. I really like the people he works with. I enjoy socializing with them once a year.

I had fun playing two games with my family over the holidays. I am trying to get my group of 6 friends to have a game night soon.

Have you stopped to consider what you think is fun recently? Many of us just keep swimming and grinding and we don’t think about our own fun. I think women are even more guilty of that than men. We play the role of cruise director for the fun of the rest of the family! Of course, there are seasons in your life where you won’t have as much time for fun.

Another point I want to make is that you don’t have to wait for a trip or a vacation to have fun. That would be sad if you only had fun on vacation.

A book that had a great impact on me came into my life when I was around 32 and had 2 year old twins. I was part of the MOMs – Moms of Multiples (Children – not shoes) group for a few years and met a friend named Lindy who also had twin boys! She started a book club via email within the MOMs group. We did a book study on The Artist’s Way.

I am not sure I even read the whole book/finished the book study but two things really stuck out to me.

She asked the question: what did you enjoy doing as a 9-year-old child? (I don’t know why 9 was the magic age). Do you still let yourself do those things?

9-year-old Amy loved school and playing school, writing and acting in skits, doing Chinese jump rope with friends, riding bikes, roller skating, reading, baking, exploring in the woods near her house, swimming, being outside – literally from sunup until sundown when she could, and going to the library and shopping. My fun with my sisters as we got older was reading funny Christmas newsletters and making up our own satirical version. We also had a really fun time putting together a red neck appetizer party for our family friends. We cut up Pop Tarts and put toothpicks in them and things like that. Weird kids.

Does this kind of sound like grown up Amy? I think it does! Chinese jump rope could be bad at this age, though. I’m not even sure how my friends and I got into this.

The author also encouraged us to take ourselves on “dates” to reconnect with that 9 year old self.

I don’t think people should wait for the weekend to have fun or wait until the summer to have fun if you have the choice.

This is also why The Happiness Project resonated with me.

Also, fun doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. One could argue that by having less money you might need to employ more creativity which can be fun.

How I have fun:

Making foods for myself or my people/trying new recipes

Laughing with someone in person or on the phone

Putting together outfits/reading about fashion trends

Reading

Sitting outside in the sunshine

Walking in nature

Going to interesting events, out to dinner, listening to live music, going to comedy shows

Exploring new places in my city or while traveling

Going to the movies or watching one at home

Being in or near water

Picking out and giving gifts

Playing with my dog

Going to dinner with my family, my husband, or friends

Going to happy hours and finding happy hour deals and good atmospheres

Helping people

I’m sure I could keep listing things, but you get the idea!

I want to leave you with a quote from my Dad. My Mom would rope him into many things like square dancing, bridge club, dinners out, etc. My Dad was fine with less interaction for sure. It sounds like Tom and I, right? I would often ask my Dad if he had fun at whatever thing he had just attended and he replied many times with, “FUN is a strong word. I wouldn’t go that far.”

Ok, I really want you to put something fun on your calendar. Or, make a fun bucket list. Let me know in the comments what you plan to do!

Amy