Greetings Fortune Cookie Lovers!
Welcome back to Fortune Cookie Friday!
Just a reminder that as mentioned in last week's post, ALL posts are now occurring on Fridays. As such, Fortune Cookie Friday will happen every other week, starting with today's fortune, which is:
Relax and enjoy yourself.
This is great advice, and I don't know about you guys, but it's pretty timely, for me.
I have a tendency to get myself wrapped up in work, sometimes forgetting to take some R&R. In addition, life has been a bit wonky lately, which can lead me to feeling like I'm always on the go.
But life is all about balance, and we should remember to pad our work and errand activities with quality relaxation from time to time.
I hope that if you're feeling stressed and busy, you'll take this fortune to heart and make an effort to put some of that stuff away for awhile and do something fun. I plan on making sure I relax, too.
Here are some of my favorite ways to relax*:
Coloring
I'm so glad it's not just for kids any more. There are so many nice coloring books out there that are appropriate for adults, and it's gaining popularity! I really love this Secret Garden coloring book. I also have the postcards edition of the same so I can take them on the road with me when I travel, then send the postcard out. There are always coloring books to suit many interests, such as this Game of Thrones coloring book gifted to me in a work holiday exchange. There's even a murder mystery with a cover you can color in yourself, if you want!I like to use either pencils or markers, especially watercolor pencils. They have a nice, soft lead that blends well, and then you can wet it a little bit with a paintbrush to get a watercolor effect.
If you're not into coloring with actual paper and pencils, did you know there are coloring apps for your tablet? I bet you can find some on the app store for your OS.
Diamond Painting
I've also taken up diamond painting. I'd only heard of it a few months ago, and had no idea what it was, but it's pretty neat! It's basically like cross-stitch, but with less stabbing fabric with a needle. 😄 You get a canvas with printed symbols on it (sometimes the canvas even mimics the DMC thread colors that are used in cross-stitch), and you use a "pen" tool and adhesive to place plastic "diamonds" on the canvas according to the symbol chart. When it's done, you get a completed, shiny picture! The "diamonds" are made of plastic, have many facets, and are either round or square in shape. Here's a photo of my first completed diamond painting, which is the first of a set of 4 mandalas and uses round "diamonds":
Knitting
By now, you probably know I'm a knitter. I recently cast on a Doctor Who scarf. Those who are familiar with the old series know that Tom Baker wore this super-long scarf in his tenure as Doctor Who, and many people have recreated it. Here's mine started:
The yarn is Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted, which is nice because it's moth-proof wool and economically priced. I'm using ChiaoGoo Red Lace circular needles, and I store my 12 balls of yarn in this really nice project bag that has enough room for a sweater project, slots and pockets for tools, and a nice shoulder strap.
Crochet
Besides knitting, I also like to crochet. The thing I really like about crochet is how easy it is to fix if you mess up, and you can do some really elegant things with it, not just granny square afghans (which I think is everyone's first introduction to the craft). Right now I'm making a shawl with Baby Blossom Chunky yarn, and the pattern is called The Virus Shawl. There is a great series of video tutorials about it on YouTube, too! Here's how mine is working up:
Walking
Finally, there's nothing like a nice walk to let the stress drift away. Light physical activity is a GREAT way to relax!
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| Photo by Anika Huizinga on Unsplash |
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What do you like to do to relax? Leave me a comment below and tell me! 🐝
Hope you have a great—and relaxing—weekend!
~positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there!~
*By the way, although I provide links to books, art tools and fiber arts supplies, I always support you buying those things from your local brick and mortar shop if possible. Support small business where you can!
*By the way, although I provide links to books, art tools and fiber arts supplies, I always support you buying those things from your local brick and mortar shop if possible. Support small business where you can!
Love the article. What's fun is that we all have different facets of relaxing and just enjoying ourselves. I've seen instances where oneself needs to be in the company of others to relax, why? Noises = distraction; right? A good conversation can be relaxing but not all the times and it also depends with the individual. I have a few ways that I like to relax: I have a fish aquarium that I totally enjoy watching the fish and just to see how they relax, communicate and simply how happy they become when I approach the tank. Yes, I do know they like my food LOL. I have a plastic model hobby that I love doing which is building military vehicles from the kit, airbrushing the different colors and adding camouflage and at times, adding a weathered effect. Modeling allows me to build at a pace while in my space in the basement. I love to watch nature's warriors in my yard or while on a walk. I just envy the way a hawk can glide or a rabbit who can just sit there and chill while eating some clover. Even a rabbit knows how to sprawl out in the yard to relax. It can be that simple.!
ReplyDeleteI've always been fascinated by models, I love watching people make them. Aquariums are so relaxing, as is watching nature. That's a great list! Thank you for sharing!
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