What do you do in the evenings?!

[nappyrat]

So....most evenings I am 'imprisoned'(!) at home while DC slumbers upstairs and I dream of my pre-child days of bars and restaurants.
I would LOVE to feel like I'm doing something productive with this (fairly significant) portion of my life! Can't bear watching TV every night.
Please inspire me!!

Watching with interest. You tube is my current obsession on my TV which unfortunately counts as TV

Also watching with interest. For the last ten years (since becoming a parent) i have habitually watched soaps, MNetted and pinterest boarded.

I would like something to show for my evenings.

Also watching with interest. I'm slightly different being at the opposite end of the parenting line. My youngest is now.....older and my oldest has gone to uni. My husband works evenings. I'm suddenly free-ish. But not completely free as I don't really want to leave ds on his own too much (he's 13). But he's doing his own stuff a lot.
I've started a bit of patchwork but can't be bothered all the time. I'm reading a bit more, but it always makes me sleepy. I try not to watch too much rubbish.
I feel I could be perusing some recipe books for more interesting meal ideas. I could do some exercise (I swim and run but could do a bit of strength stuff). I have a book idea and could start jotting down some stuff on paper. I could clear out some cupboards......
I think I'm still rather in winter hibernation mode and hope that I might feel a bit more inclined when the nights draw out a little.

Exactly rude!!! Bumping!

I too enjoy a bit of craft stuff but I'm really after something a bit 'bigger picture' - like making a difference to the world / broadening my mind & horizons. Maybe even earning some money.

Knit
Study
Read - newspaper mainly
Talk on phone
Mums net
talk to dh if he's here
police Homework of teenagers

Watch telly.
Taxi kids.
Pub quiz.
Choir practice.
Knit.

I'm a right livewire.

Similar here...just can't help feeling there is this massive untapped resource of - well (ahem!) - amazing mums out there that could do great things with their evenings...what I know not!

Yes i know what you mean nappy.

I had to drop out of university last year as a mature student. It was full time and full on and i couldnt keep up with the workload and DC. I feel so annoyed with myself because i was really looking forward to getting on the way to earning decent money. Have been contemplating distance learning but again dont know if i could cope with workload.

You can do free courses on coursera, think another free course place is future learn, if that's the sort of thing you're after?

I do work generally, and if not then i do housework!

Thanx bendy (live your name!!!) shall take a look X

I hear you. When dc are finally in bed I am at a loss how to occupy myself. Dh likes to watch Tv but for some reason I have no interest anymore so tend to work or Mumsnet which feels a waste of my down time.

Have you thought about free online courses like futurelearn.com?

Thnx lorelei, keep the ideas coming!!

TED talks are good too. I may be geeky so here's a link to the funny ones to start

www.ted.com/playlists/235/the_funniest_ted_talks

Usually I learn something watching these...heard about them through a friend who said she only survived maternity leave because of them!

Yep I love a TED talk too

Learn something new? I have Spanish lessons and my mum took up the electric guitar. I also do yoga, my sister does tennis. I quite like DIY so have painted rooms in the house, that kind of thing too. My mum volunteers as well.

Netflix and chocolate. Every night. (With a bit of Facebook and on the side.)

I have a toddler who is still not a great sleeper, and I work 3 long days a week. By the time he's in bed I'm nearly falling asleep myself so I have no desire for anything more "productive" than watching TV.

I find it a bit sad that the only 2 hours of my day that I'm free to do whatever I want, I end up doing fuck all... I can't pursue hobbies or do anything special as I'm too bloody knackered.

Crochet. I'm just finishing off my seventh blanket in four and a half years. In between, I've made half a dozen hats, a scarf, several bags and a tiny toy rabbit. And two pairs of socks. And other little bits.

Coursera is also good.

I started learning latin. Was very enthusiastic for a while. Now I randomly want to do A level geography.
Reading in the bath. Housework or school work (teacher). Budgeting (can happily spend hours doing this!) Mumsnetting. I have friends round for wine one or two nights a week.
I like my evenings in the winter. It's in the summer I LONG to be out enjoying the long evenings.

I do a fair bit of crochet and also have a few colouring books