What do you do in the evening?

[Iwannapuppy]

DS is now at an age where he sleeps quite well and we have our evenings back to ourselves. The problem is I finally have a few hours me time and I don't know what to do with it.
I want to make the most of this time but just end up watching box sets, and I'm so bored of it.
I like being creative, as in making things, however I have no imagination so struggle to think of what to do. So far I've tried adult colouring books but found it frustrating (I can't keep in the lines). I've tried jewellery making, which I did like but I'm not that good at it and it ended up costing a lot of money.
Aibu in asking what people do in the evening when the kids are asleep just for themselves So I can steal your hobbies until I find one that fits?

I wish I could be more productive on the evenings! All I seem to do when I'm home is sit and stare at my phone.

I don't get home til 6, then walk the dog and cook dinner for me and my teens. 2/3 evenings I go to the gym or yoga. Other than that I watch TV or read my kindle. Dull as!

Read
MN
Sort out the daily pile of laundry
Make tomorrows lunch.
Crochet or knit
Play the guitar
Slump with a glass of wine, wishing I didn't have to work for a living

Please have a look at our very own Woolly Hugs if you are wondering what to do with bored hands.
I am the world’s slowest knitter but even I manage to contribute a tiny bit to group projects

Write. Read. Watch Netflix. Play WordsWithFriends. Make a plan for the next day.

Clear up after dinner, prep for the next day.

After that, watch TV while knitting or watch DH play video games while knitting. Thursday evenings I go to a singing group, Mon / Tues evenings I go to karate. Also occasionally I have work that needs doing and sometimes the evenings are the only time; I try to keep it to working hours though, or I feel like I never have time off.

This evening I’m working (have a 24h shift today, already looking forward to handing over at 8am tomorrow!)

Knitting, reading, practising musical instruments (teenager so no young child to wake), bath, yoga (Yoga Studio or Yoga with Adriene if I need inspiration, write my diary.

Though I often faff around on my phone wishing I was doing something more fulfilling!

What's woolly hugs?

I'd love to get back into running but as dh works away Monday to Friday I'm stuck in while toddler sleeps so I'm studying an hour every evening and then mumsnetting for a bit. Not exciting but proud of myself for learning something

Clean up
Go to the gym
Play netball once a week
Do Tae kwon do one evening per week
Drink wine
Watch Netflix
Read

Embroidery. Genealogy. Reading..

Watching telly
Internetting
Cross stitching
Gym a few evenings
Read
Paint nails
Computer games
Occasional pub

No kids, long hours in job!

I study as I want to retrain & I can do years worth of studying for very little cost in my own time before I have to get an expensive membership (which is required in order to take the exams for the qualifications & would then have to be paid annually)
No way am I paying the membership fees before I know I can pass the first 8-10 exams.

Or I sit down & check to see if I can get a better deal for utilities etc.., then work out how I'd be a millionaire if I only kept my shopping down to less than 7p a week for the next century & could make everything electrical in the house work off my 15kw solar panel whilst burning twigs in the garden to cook on to keep the gas bill down (aka playing with my budget)

Or I play the real stock market, with imaginary money which is a shame because I'm currently winning big time.

Or I redecorate which is much easier than just deep cleaning anything & helps me declutter because I cannot be bothered to put everything back afterwards unless I really need it.

Or there's always my internet go tos..... Mr Money Mustache & Mumsnet.

Run
Exercise class
Pub
Have friends round
Play piano
Read
Watch dramas tv
Watch films with dcs
Make art-paint/draw
Meditate
Have a bath
Phone people
Mumsnet
Twitter
Learn languages-Duolingo is great free app
Iron

I lie in bed, repeatedly crying out "I don't want to go to work tomorrow" and then wander the house in the final hour with the lights off, my tear stained face reflecting off every surface as I cry, cry, cry.

Either that or I sit on Mumsnet with a Pot Noodle.

Write in a journal. There so many creative writing prompts you can work through online, and it’s a nice way to process your thoughts.

Have a bath, do things like put fake tan on or do my eyebrows or feet, then lie in bed with Dh and watch box sets and other erm grown up things

Run/hike/gym a few times a week
Meet friends for dinner/drinks (prob twice a month)
Write a blog
Read interiors blogs/magazines
Watch films/Netflix series with DH
Play online scrabble with DH
Watch inspiring TED Talks
Try out new recipes and batch cook for freezer whilst listening to new music on ALEXA
Edit photos that I've recently taken (I'm into photography)
20 minute yoga videos on YouTube
Starting to trace family tree
Will work on garden as evenings get lighter (even though I have no idea what I'm doing)
Practice reflexology on DH (bought a book)
Go to bed early with a book

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/woolly_hugs

Woolly Hugs are over here. Love in every stitch

Grow some herbs or micro salads in a pot in the kitchen or garden. Buy a digitalis and watch it grow and flower over the summer. Consider getting a pet dog if you've room in your life and the desire. If you're creative, get into art. I enjoy painting with acrylics on canvasses copied from photos - esp fish and landscapes. Join a mummies book club. Grow cherry tomatoes and reap big crops!

Older mum here , 2 DCgrown up and away from home
In the evening I ...
Do the ironing ( run a B & B , there’s always bedding to iron )
Watch telly
Do my nails
Drink wine
Browse the Internet
Sometimes go for a walk if the weathers nice

I'm impressed by the responses on here. After my DD goes to sleep I have about 2 hours which I spend watching tv and sipping wine with DH. That's all I can muster!

Tidy up
do 2 loads of washing
iron uniforms and shirts
pack 5 lots of sandwiches
supervise homework and bag packing
tidy up again
read to youngest
empty dishwasher
collapse into bed

Gosh. I just settle in front of the TV with a glass of wine.

Read
Genealogy
Enter Competitions
Junk Journal
Update my Planner
Netflix
Fuck around on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram
Tidy/Clean (if I get insanely bored - ie very rarely)

Things I do:
Listen to audio books
Read
I am a couple of committees so sometimes have meetings
Project life is easy scrap booking/memory keeping that can be as creative as you want.
Card making
Creative journaling
Magazines
Baking
I want to learn to crochet tried before but never got it!
Hoping to start Tai Chi and or do yoga class
I mediate
Journal

Also if you search you can get 'larger' adult colouring books that are quicker & easier but still relaxing.
I do word searches and jigsaws