Five Inexpensive Self-Care Ideas

I never considered the importance of hobbies before I had my son and, frankly, I didn’t really have any. But in the aftermath of his birth and my subsequent depression I discovered I needed something just for me. Identity can be a really big issue for parents as our lives are changed so drastically when our children arrive, and this can feel so unsettling at best and frightening at it’s worse.

I believe it’s completely vital for parents to find footholds that keep them connected to who they were before children, and who they still are now, outside of the mum and dad label. This might be achieved by work, regular child-free time with friends or your partner and hobbies. Cultivating adult interests is key in my opinion and it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Here are just five super simple ideas for “me time” activities:

Colouring

colouring4

I’ve lost count how many times I’ve promoted adult colouring. The benefits are huge – peaceful, great for practising mindfulness, you can do it with your kids, it’s cheap and you can do it on the go. Click on Six Reasons Adult Colouring Is Good For The Mind and check out this lovely range of reasonably priced adult colouring books.

Card Making

handmade card

You can see my very beginner efforts on this Pinterest board or here. Card-making doesn’t need to be expensive and can actually save you money in the long run if you buy supplies in bulk, plus your friends and family will love the personal touch.

Watercolours

This is something I’ve recently got into as an extension of card-making. So far I’m not great at it but I’m learning and it’s really fun to practice. I expected watercolouring to be an expensive hobby to start but beginners can source student grade supplies really cheaply. These watercolour pads, brushes and paints are more than good enough for anyone starting out.

Cooking
Collage

I must have over 100 cookbooks at home and my collection only continues to grow. Despite getting lots of inspiration from You Tube and Pinterest nowadays I still can’t resist a glossy book. Many can be very expensive but I usually get mine from The Works who have a great range of titles you may not have seen elsewhere for less than half the RRP. (For all my family-friendly recipes click here)

Reading

This is something I’ve always loved and have managed to find the time to get back into fiction now that Caterpillar is a little more independent. I’m currently reading In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume (remember her from your teens?  She’s back and writing for adults now), I’ll be reviewing it in a future post.

As an avid reader, cook and crafter The Works is my go-to store for a huge selection of books and card-making supplies at incredibly reasonable prices. Not to mention the fact that they are fabulous for children’s activities too. In the lead up to big holiday periods I love to shop their extensive range of themed craft activities for kids, and their activity books are a must for travelling.  Enter below for your chance to win a £10 gift card.

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Related posts:

Butterfly Book Club Reviews

A Beginner’s Guide To Card Making

How Do You Self-Care?

69 comments on “Five Inexpensive Self-Care Ideas

  1. I always cook it really relaxes me and I love how everyone benefits from the end product! we like to cook cupcakes because decorating them lets everyone go wild and have fun!

  2. Card making is a great way to express your creativity. My mother-in-law used to make cards and always had orders from her friends for birthday / Christmas cards.

  3. I have just started to teach my son to cook and we make something together every weekend.This weeks recipe was cheese scones and a cherry cake.

  4. The Works is great for all kinds of hobby based books! We’ve had some great ones including paper plane tutorials, language books and crochet ideas. I took up crochet after having children and like you say, its something just for me (though I’m usually making something for them!) and I find its great for de-stressing,

  5. i’m currently making a crochet blanket from granny squares, i do from 1 to 3 a day depending on how i am feeling!

  6. I love walking – either in the park or on the beach. Nature is very calming and relaxing – even when the weather isn’t perfect. I also enjoy watercolour painting and origami.

  7. Entering comps chills me out. Visit the Works regular with grandson we always buy something to entertain him, great prices

  8. I like to walk the dogs 🙂 I love walking without anyone else, it gives me chance to collect my thoughts (or lose myself in them!)

  9. cross stitch is a huge help for me when it comes to relaxing. seeing the finished project at the end give me a sense of pride!

  10. My number 1 is definitely reading, it transports me to somewhere else for a few hours! Also, I like planning and listing, we will organise a day out and I will spend hours researching the area, what to do etc.

  11. I love doing the adult colouring books when I am colouring with my daughter and we also love to bake together

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