I want to try 12 new things this year

[morejumpingfrogs]

Last year was a bit blah, for various reasons. So, to change things up a bit this year, one of my new year's resolutions is to try one new thing a month. I'm limited to five hours during school days, which has ruled out a six hour wet felt bowl making course I wanted to go on, as well as learning to throw an axe (which I was seriously tempted by) once you add in travel time. But I'm sure there are loads of other things out there I could do.

So far my list has -

visit the Mary Rose museum - local-ish to me and when I went (eons ago) I saw the Victory and the Warrior but the Mary Rose museum was being revamped, and I think it's about time I made the effort to finish the set

a massage - not new as such, just new to the post children me, so I think that counts (my children are both teenagers)

trying a new exercise class at my gym - a very January type goal I thought

a candle making course

… and my inspiration has dried up.

Any ideas anyone? I'd also like ideas for new things I could try at home, not cooking because we're quite adventurous with trying new meals, but other ideas would be most welcome

Yoga
Sourdough bread (I know you said no cooking but keeping the starter going is a task in itself)
DIY from YouTube - I just put up some shelves on my own 😀
Flotation tank
Meditation
Something from FutureLearn or Coursera you’d never have tried
Stargazing

You've inspired me! I'll be 60 in April. Just started a diet and joined the gym in December. I keep thinking about taking up running, which fills me with dread but......I keep thinking about it. I had a quick go at running on the treadmill at the gym today. Wasnt great but........ I've decided I'm going to go out shortly (under cover of darkness!) And have a go! I will report back.

I want to do an ultra challenge 100km walk. Maybe train for that for a charity?

Happy, I did that a few years ago. Without doubt the hardest thing I’ve ever done, physically, mentally and emotionally. Amazing afterwards though!

A short helicopter flight!

Do some jam/lemon curd/marmalade making. Probably not the sort of "cooking" you do every day.
Plant a herb garden.
Grow your own strawberries/tomatoes.
Learn to say "Hello! My name is MoreJumpingFrogs, " in 50 different languages.
Start an OU course.
Go to the cinema by yourself, and read the book of the film (if there is one!). Am thinking Little Women!
Learn to knit/crochet.
Do a cross stitch.
Volunteer at your local food bank. Or anywhere else that takes your fancy!
I have seen people on FB posting a video of one second for every day of their life for the year. Might be worth a go - was surprisingly interesting!
Complete a 1000/2500/5000 piece jigsaw.

Wingly.io - try this site for the helicopter flight.
Or small plane flight.

I'm back! OMG! My legs felt like lead. I did more walking than running and my trainers were hurting. Still it's a start, will persevere .

Learn to cook sushi
Cheese making course
Stain glass window course
Try Paddle board yoga
Spa day
Swim in the sea
Have a floatation tank
Go horse riding
Do a woodwork class
Join a choir
Join a book club
Learn jewelry making
Print making
Pottery
Sewing
Kayaking

Oh gosh theres loads!

Duolingo - that's the one! I shall look into that. A month of latin every day would be an excellent mind stretcher.

I have just booked a 2 hour candle making course for March, so that's that one sorted.

Some of these suggestions are a lot more, ahem, energetic than I am so maybe not for me. But yoga - maybe one of those 30 day youtube challenges? That would be interesting for a month.

I also like the idea of making lemon curd - and bread - neither of which I'd normally do. I like cooking and this adds something new to that.

A flotation tank sounds like it would either be awesome or awful, I wonder ...

So many fabulous ideas, so few months

If you want to look at philosophy, I recommend starting by reading Sophie's World, it's fascinating

Excellent ideas.

1. Couch 2 5k
2. Sew more

Rest to be decided

@frustratedashell, You might like the DB page “Run Mummy Run”, full of women - mums of young children and otherwise - supporting each other’s running. Some starting from scratch, some testing for marathons. Lots in between! , but great community. A bit like MN, but just for running... and some other chat.

Thanks Bike, what's the DB page?

Sorry, meant FB, not DB - Facebook

Ah right, thanks.

Ooh, if you do Latin maybe have a look at the Cambridge Latin method? That might not be quite what it's called, but I think there's a series of books for the levels and you basically learn by reading and translating gradually more challenging (and interesting) passages of text.

It gives you your new keywords (and eventually bits of grammar) and then you learn how to work out the rest from context, and start learning the patterns of the language.

I am probably explaining really badly and making it sound dull but I tried it for a little while and found it really interesting compared to the approaches we had at school for MFL. It was surprising how quickly you start picking it up once you get into the swing of it (although I found it hard initially).

My DD is using the Cambridge Latin books at school, that's what got me started, it was the first time either of my DCs had studied a subject of which I had zero prior experience, DD was asking for help and I couldn't give it. I haven't looked at the book too much but Duolingo is great, it doesn't give you instructions, just fires questions at you in a huge variety of formats and builds the knowledge that way. I must confess to having A level French though, which has helped me a bit.

Do you have any adult education programmes in your area? Some councils run them and some FE/HE institutions also have adult leisure/short course offerings. Might be something to look at for inspiration even if you don't sign up for anything with them?

I always like to look at the adult ed brochures when they come out to see if I feel inspired by anything.

Check out your local library, or the one in your nearest big town; they have daytime courses, workshops and groups going on that you can join.

I am doing Italian on Duolingo
Love the streaks

Experience session with birds of prey
Archery lessons
Adult beginners ballet class
Sponsor an animal at your local wildlife park and do a meet-and-greet
Juggling lessons

Try and grow the tallest sunflower and see if you can get in the local paper

Try Memrise for learning a new language too.

I'm trying to do 20 in 20. Not all are new for me, and I've currrently only got 14 so I'm nicking some of these ideas.

But I'll add
Watch some TED talks on subjects You know nothing about. I have really poor knowledge of history so I'm starting with that.