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Good morning fellow bookworms

I hope you’re enjoying your mothering Sunday in the UK.

Was just wondering how everyone else manages to fit it all in I love reading and sewing and cooking and baking however I also have a three-year-old son.

Any thoughts on this? Any tips tricks or helpful hints?.
I look forward to hearing from some of you

I love reading, sewing, crafts, and gardening, too. Recently, I chose to give up an activity I enjoyed because the stress of the commitment was too much. I wanted more time to quilt, so I had to give up something. I guess I don't fit it all in, but I do feel better.

Hi there, oh well I’m glad I’m not the only one. I’ve just asked the local council to take on an allotment as well. I believe there is a very long waiting list however it’d be nice to have a vegetable garden. Like you, I love sewing but I do prefer just making quilts. I’ve tried a few projects but I have learned to only see what you enjoy. What are you working on at the moment? X

I belong to a quilt club, and our show is the first week of June so we are gearing up for that. I am racing to finish two of my own quilts but my progress is slow. I had to undo stitches on one because the tension was bad and the stitches looked awful. We also are making things to sell, small crafts like needle books and pin cushions, so that's more time away from my quilts. Good luck with your vegetable garden.

I wish I knew how to fit it all in!! I have so many different interests and hobbies - gardening, reading, art, playing music, exercise, cooking. I used to do cross stitch some years back, but I haven't done that in a long time. If there were 50 hours in a day, maybe I could fit more in. Or maybe I would just add more activities to my want to do list! LOL I wish I could fit all the things I love to do into each week. Sometimes I think I have too many interests, but then I remind myself how boring it would be without all these fun activities to look forward to!

I remind myself that this is a season in my life, and someday I might have more time to dedicate to my hobbies. But, it's important for me to still engage in creativity so I don't lose that part of myself. For now I rotate through my hobbies, work on small projects only, and try to include my kids. Right now, I'm teaching one of my children to weave potholders and cook. As soon as a toddler can walk well, they can help wash produce and chop items with a butter knife (slicing bananas, for example) add spices to a dish, stir a bowl, et cetera. With another child, I write down the stories they make up and read them to the family, and we draw and paint together. We put our latest art on display. One child likes to listen to music with me and watch me use my sewing machine when they wake up frightened by storms. We read of books intended for adults as part of their bedtime stories, a few pages each night.

Audiobooks! I love baking/cooking and crocheting, but there's also the chores that need done. It's good to give yourself a break from chores or work and sit down and read. However, it is hard to decide on which hobby to spend time on. Audiobooks have been the best solution for me. I listen while in the car, grocery shopping, cleaning, exercising, cooking, and crocheting. Sometimes I can't listen to an audiobook like if I'm following a difficult pattern while crocheting, trying out a new recipe, or driving somewhere I'm unfamiliar with and need to follow the GPS, but for the most part I can get a lot more reading in by listening to audiobooks while doing other activities. Your son might enjoy listening to some audiobooks as well, so maybe there are some books aimed at younger audiences that you can listen to with your son while doing other activities. You can also have your son help you cook/bake. My mom let me help her in the kitchen when I was really young, she has a picture of me mixing brownies at around 2 years old. Obviously have your son only help with things that aren't dangerous, like don't have him use a knife or be too close to the stove, but there are a lot of things he can be capable of doing. This let's you fit in more of those hobbies that you enjoy while also spending time with your son.

I can understand what you're going through. It happens to be that way. The child comes first. You can bake while listening to audiobooks. That will help you do the job better.