Feel like I exist, rather than live. Help me find fun things to do.

[Mairzydotes]

Inspire me, I'm in a rut.

I feel like I never do anything exciting, particularly at weekends. I have young dc , and I'm fed up of trying to think of things to entertain everyone.

I'm looking for ideas that I can do on a Sunday, while I leave dc with my dh( as they seem to be the impediment to getting out and about). I feel like my time off may have an expiry as I'm currently a sahm , but will likely be looking for employment shortly.

Particularly free or low cost ideas.

I volunteer on the lifeboat, it’s made my life much more interesting and it’s a lot of fun. Have a look at what volunteering stuff there is around you.

Oh and it costs me nothing 😂

Oh wow, that's interesting.

I actually did think about volunteering, but more as unpaid employment, ( if I'm unable to find a paid job) rather as a leisure activity .

I find it’s the little things in life that make me happy and content.

Going on a local walk somewhere in nature and then stopping off for a coffee and cake afterwards with a good book.

Have a search on local Facebook pages for meet ups for groups dependent on what you’d like to do. Exercise, walks, dancing, art workshops etc.

What did you do before kids?

I find meeting up with people makes me feel I've lived, or achieving something (take yourself somewhere and paint something or practice taking really good photos). It is hard but it's a phase.

But also I want to say that now my youngest is now nearly 7 I've started living again. In the last month I spent the weekend with my brother when he was living in Spain, I snapped up a last minute take that ticket, and signed up to do a painting course.

I've been in a rut for a long time. We didn't have the money for a lot of fun stuff before the kids, then tied down. But it doesn't last forever.

I would love to do this. How do you go about it?

@Birdseyetrifle I am so interested in your life boat volunteering. Could you do one of those 'Ask Me Anything' threads so that we can find out more about it please?

Could you -
Go to galleries or museums, have a browse and then have a coffee in their cafe?

Visit a Lido/Sea pool for a swim and a loll about in the sunshine afterwards with a picnic.
Have a picnic in the park with an old friend/good book/music on your headphones.
Go to a local independent cinema and watch something you wouldn't normally see with your family.
Take a class - learn to make a flower arrangement/basket/bread.
Run or do yoga in the park.
Catch the train to somewhere in your area that you've never been before and then wander around, take a flask of coffee, draw things, take photos.

I agree with the little things.

I look on Facebook for local things that I can visit as a member of the public. For example there are currently d- day events ,that I could go to with the dc. At the moment I'm not looking for group activities to join.

It's almost like I can't remember.

I worked at least one day of the weekends. I'll probably be working weekends in the future, hence my urgency to cram things in .

The dog is a bit too old for long walks in different places.

We used to go to classic car shows , and take ours that we had then . I'd love to do that again , but it's a costly hobby. We do occasionally go as spectators, but we don't travel as far as we used to.

I feel like it didn't cost as much to do things back then too.

If you’re not looking for group activities I would focus on that small joys in life then.

Local walks in nature, a coffee alone, browsing round town appreciating not having the kids with you (especially charity shops if you’re watching the pennies) museums, etc.

it’s amazing how spending some time recharging alone can help make the rest of your time doing family life easier.

I will do although I’m only just over a year in. I’m pretty sure there’s a few other lifeboat ladies on here who might answer stuff I can’t.

Volunteering - befriending, guiding/scouting, there's all sorts

Join a meet up group - tons on Facebook

Join a choir, a walking group

Go to the cinema/theatre (yes even alone! I've been doing this for years and love it)

Take a free/cheap class in something you've always fancied doing. Local libraries and councils usually have quite a few.

I have 3 kids and choose to have little and often time away from them. My life works better with ‘micro joys’ than days out etc.

The things I really enjoy are

• coffee in peace and quiet.
• reading (preferably in my sunny back garden with a coffee)
• earlyish morning dog walks

i also go to the gym 3x a week but go at 6am to be able to fit it in. Time isn’t my ideal but I do enjoy it!

i also make time to go out for food with friends once or twice a month. Will take youngest with me if no other option.

Do you like animals? Keep up with that .Ponies , donkyes , goats ? it never leaves you always part of who you are .

While I like animals, we have pets and I come from a farming family. I don't find looking after animals to be a leisure activity.

Having been a single mum all through those early years, I sympathise.

I'd take ds running (him in a buggy).

I had a child seat on the back of my bike and I used to cycle round the common (no traffic) with him shrieking on the back (ok, not very peaceful but quite good fun). Then we'd go to the cafe and have cake.

When he was very tiny, I'd let him sleep in his pram in the garden and I'd sleep on a sun lounger beside him. I'd take a Pimms, sunglasses and a book, and exploit every moment he was asleep. That sun lounger was my best investment from the early years. 😀

When he was 5, we both joined karate. He started swimming lessons at 6 and I'd sit in the viewing area with a coffee & gossip for an hour while he splashed around or got changed.

Once he was old enough for me to leave him for an hour or two, I joined a shooting club.

I'm considering art galleries or museums, particularly if I'm in the area anyway

A visit to the beach might be a good idea. I'm usually with the dc if I'm at the beach.

I'm going to invest in a flask, that would be useful to have.

I am interested in going to the theatre ,I'd particularly like to see an opera. That would be a treat to me , partly because of the cost.

I understand the micro joys , and also having to take a dc with you.

I feel like I have a lot of wasted time , particularly Sunday mornings, where I could get ready and go and do my own thing while dh deals with the dc. I am getting very resentful of this wasted time . I feel like I'm in limbo.

Are there still cinemas showing operas? That was happening here a lot about 15 years ago, I don't know if it's still a thing though. We saw a good few cheaply that way.

One of my friends volunteered with st John when she did her Masters in London. Saw lots of west end shows for free. I've always admired her ingenuity!

I think you should get onto Facebook once a month and trawl the local events to see what's available.

If you like animals are there any friends of organisations you could join?

I go to choir days once or twice a year.

I'd recommend you read how to do everything and be happy by Peter Jones. I saw it recommended on here and honestly it changed my life! It's a collection of strategies for feeling like you're living rather than existing. Some of them might not be what you need but hey. Worth a shot I'd say.

I don't know about the UK (I'm assuming you're in the UK) but here in Ireland, there are lots of festivals on over the summer. There are activities you pay into, but also some free events or entertainment on the streets also. If you bring your own picnic and drinks, you'll just have to pay for petrol.

Art galleries and museums are generally free, at least here in Ireland.

I love gardening, so I love a wander around a garden centre. And they often have nice cafes.

Day at the beach or local beauty spots.

Friends you could meet up with?

When DD was small, I'd have given my right arm for a wander around the shops without a little voice saying, "Mammy I'm tired/hungry/bored/need to do a wee" etc.

Do a bit of research into what's happening in your area over the next month or two and make a plan for the next few Sundays. Maybe one expensive day (to treat yourself) and the rest being low cost days.

I'm not sure, although my dd went on a school trip to see Shakespeare at the cinema as it was being performed live elsewhere.