Hobby of necessity (giveaway)
*This giveaway has ended as of 12/16 midnight. Stay tuned for more giveaways soon! Winner’s info at the bottom of this post, along with the details on the lotion bar I’m so obsessed with 🙂 Thank you so much to everyone for entering!********************************************************************
For me, there are two types of hobbies:
1.) the kind you really, really love and
2.) the necessary ones.
When I was younger, I decided I was going to knit. Some of my friends could knit, I thought it was cool and decided to give it a whirl. It lasted about 4 seconds. I have the patience of Bella waiting for chicken and knitting wasn’t something I needed a reason to do. It’s hot in Tucson and my beanies and scarves get worn about twice a year.
The hobbies I really enjoy: teaching fitness, Zumba, cooking, reading, dance, etc
Necessary hobbies: photography and scrapbooking
Photography is a necessary hobby for the blog… I don’t really like it, or know what the heck I’m doing. I take a picture in “P” mode, auto-adjust the colors if it looks weird, and post. Some people get warm and fuzzy talking about aperture and shutter speed, and alas, I am not one of them. Scrapbooking has become another necessary hobby since the Pilot has been deployed 3 times and we always make scrapbook pages, and since we have a little one on the way, I’ve taken to online scrapbooking. The day we got our maternity photos back, I made photo books for madre, nana and baby, and had them shipped out. Was it fun? Not at all. Am I glad I did it? 100%.
I could see the same thing happening with the lotion bars I was trying to figure out how to make.
I had a sliver left, needed to replenish the stash, and couldn’t get a hold of the amazing woman who makes the lotions and soaps. So, I headed to the health food store for ingredients…. and then she called me back. Thank goodness making lotion bars didn’t have to become a necessary hobby 😉
I ordered an extra one for a lucky blog friend <3
To make the giveaway a little sweeter, I’d also like to share my #1 pregnancy must-have with the winner:
A snoogle!
The bonus about this giveaway is that you don’t have to be expecting a little one to enjoy. Everyone could use a rich, buttery, lotion bar made with real ingredients and the comfiest body pillow ever invented.
Congratulations to the winner!
For those of you who were curious about the lotion, I talked to the woman who makes them today to make sure it was cool to share her info, since she doesn’t have an Etsy shop or anything like that. She makes AMAZING products (lotions and soaps) and my fave is the bitter almond lotion bar. You break off a piece, heat it up with your hands and rub it on 🙂
Here’s her email address if you’d like to order something from her:
bbilleaudeau@vtc.net
Her name is Giselle and she can ship in the US, in the winter, as the bars will melt in the summer heat.
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I really enjoy crocheting and i make baby blankets for all of my expecting friends. That’s who i would give the pillow too because I am not preggers or will be anytime soon.
I just finished a 60 page scrapbook tonight. It is intense but amazing and an addicting hobby.
I would LOVE this – We’re hoping to be expecting VERY soon – so fingers crossed this will be good luck for us! 🙂
I love listening to music on a long walk. my ideal hobby/afternoon.
I’m due May 2 with baby #1. Can’t wait!
Is running a hobby? I need to run……. I have 3 kids! 7&5 y/o girls and a 3 y/o boy.
Over the past few weeks I have totally gotten back into crafts and hobby stuff — and I love it! I’m making art/photo projects to hang up in our house, I’m crocheting scarves and I finally started our wedding scrapbook (it only took me 4 years to get it going!)
One of my hobbies used to be a necessary one but now it’s one I love, working out! I also like crafting and I guess cooking is a necessary one, although I do sometimes enjoy it! I’m due June 3rd and can tell I’ll need a Snoogle pretty soon!
I also don’t have a lot of hobbies in grad school & I’m definitely not expecting so I’m sure someone else deserves this gift more.
I just stopped by to ask if you could link us to the place to buy these bars ourselves if we don’t win? I could definitely use one, they sound amazing!
yes, i’ll definitely post the info after i talk to her again and make sure it’s cool 🙂
Love your blog! My hobbies: reading, cooking, exercising, knitting, Playing wii, going to New restaurants and being with my dog, hubby and 4 month old baby girl !
Hi Gina,
This is my first comment but I have become addicted to your blog and have been following for more than a year. I am a nurse on the nightshift so I read your posts during my break. I have made 1 scrapbook for my parents 40th anniversary. We took a family vacation to the beach…their treat…in the summer before the big 4-0. My sis & I took lots of pics and I put them all together and documented their story:how they met, married, had 2 girls, 9 grandkids (not bad for only 2 kids!) etc. It turned out beautifully and my Mom cried & cried as she read the story in the front of the book. I agree w/ you, this is a necessary habit and I have 5 other books in the works…1 for each of my children. I try to do 1 page monthly for each book and they’re coming right along. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy and look forward to you posts. Keep up the great entertainment! Good luck with your precious daughter. 4 of my 5 children are girls and the oldest is 11. They are so fun! You have many, many years of mani/pedi’s, shopping, and snuggling, and most of all loving ahead of you. Good luck!
Dance and travelling!
My hobbies are baking/cooking, working out, reading, photography, and hanging out with my family; hubby, 4-yr old son & daughter, & pup. 😉
I read, knit, dance, and teach Zumba! I’m expecting June 14 (our first), and I’m hoping to teach through May … fingers crossed! Your blog has been a great resource (and inspiration!); keep up the great work!
my favorite hobby is health and fitness!
I used to ride horses and I really need to return to that hobby. My kids are 17, 14, and 9, but the pillow would still come in handy!
I love, love, love cooking! Creating new and inventive things to eat makes me so happy. Is online shopping considered a hobby?
I don’t have any children, but I do have to crazy kitty cats!
Its funny how your hobbies can change, 3 months ago my hobbies were photography, making jewelry and cooking. Now that I’m 11 weeks pregnant (with my first baby) my hobbies are sleeping, avoiding cooking and reading whatever pregnancy information I can get my hands on. I’m due July 5th!
My favorite hobbies are scrapbooking, reading and watching tv. I’m hopelessly addicted to all three!!
My hobbies are knitting and sewing, makes me sound like a domestic diva, but I’m so far from it! I am currently 20 weeks preggo and can’t wait to meet our little lady in early May!
I love cookimg…its soo much fun to do for family and friends. I also enjoy getting to read.
I’d love to win this! Favorite hobbies: cooking, writing, reading, and yoga 🙂
Hobbies are reading, exercising, and now that my morning sickness is gone cooking/baking.
I’m due May 2012 with a little girl. Just about 19 weeks. Almost half way done!!
My favorite hobby is reading and a necessary one is photography so that i get good pictures of my baby. I have a 21 month old little girl and a new baby due on May 4.
I would love the lotion bar and snoogle. We are hoping to have a little one in the near future! My favorite hobbies are running, baking, and running 🙂
i love to cook! my due date is feb 26 with my first baby, a little boy!
running, scrapbooking, baking, and turning not-so-healthy foods into healthy recipes 🙂
Teaching Zumba (love of my life), reading blogs (that’s a hobby, right? ;), and cooking! Cooking and baking have defined me since…ever. Started cooking at 3 and never took off my apron! Thanks, Gina! 🙂
Reading is my favorite hobby!!
I have a 10 year old, 3 year old and 1 year old. All boys! I’m also 9 weeks pregnant right now. My due date is 7/21/2012. I would love to win this!! 🙂
My 2 biggest hobbies are cooking (I love trying new recipes & experimenting in the kitchen!) And crafting! I crochet, sew, needlefelt, scrapbook…pretty much anything! I am 27 weeks right now expecting our first little one! I couldn’t be more excited! Sadly I’ve also hit that stage where I cannot get comfortable for the life of me when trying to sleep & have lots of random pains….a snoogle would be amazing (I’ve been trying to convince my husband I need one…but it’s not in the budget 🙁
I love to scrapbook and teach Zumba!!! No Kiddos Yet…
my favorite hobbies are running, snowboarding, cooking/baking & reading (cant live without these things!). i also enjoy hot yoga & kickboxing but i guess they’re not a necessity.
i always hug my blanket when i sleep because i sleep like a shrimp (aka fetal position) and that snoogle looks like the perfect thing to sleep with!
Hi Gina! This is my first time commenting, but I’ve been blog stalking you pretty regularly for about a year now!
I was induced with my daughter (our first baby) in early September. My hope was to go completely natural but I was 41 weeks & as you know the doctors don’t like you to go past that. We tried every “go in to labor” trick in the book but to no avail. Anyhow, besides being induced I was able to have her without any medication. You can definitely do it! Don’t get me wrong, it hurts like crazy but you get a baby at the end! I just kept thinking that to myself. So with that, my new hobby is hanging with my girl! She rolled over for the first time yesterday, it was beyond cool! Also, my Dad & I are going to do a sprint triathlon in May. I should have invested in a Snoogle… by the end of my pregnancy I was sleeping with 5 pillows! My poor husband couldn’t get near me!
Best of luck, you’re going to be great!
Oh boy! I’m not expecting, but I injured my leg marathon training and dream of owning a Snoogle to prop up my leg every time I read your blog. I’ve loved reading your stories about maintaining a fit pregnancy, and it is super inspiring. We don’t have little ones yet, but we only got married in September. 🙂 Our favorite hobby is running, and I’m trying to elevate and ice to get back to it ASAP!
Would definitely love to know where we can purchase these lotion bars from that you’re oh so fond of! I’ve been using a stretch mark cream from Mustela that a friend gave me…it’s been working so far (I’m 32wks along and no stretch marks yet – thank g*d) but would love to try out one of these bars you speak so highly of.
Love your blog BTW. Been reading for a long time and I think the family page is great as well! Hope you keep it up after your little girl is born 🙂
I am the proud mother of three children ages 14 (GULP), 11, and 10. While I’m not expecting, I do have horribly dry skin that no lotion (thus far) has been able to help..especially this time of year. I would love to try your lotion bar!! My hobbies, when not doing the “mom” thing, include college! I am set to graduate with my B.S in Dietetics in 2013 🙂
I have a 2 yr old son and a 7 WEEK old daughter! And…. They have the SAME birthday-surprise!
Needless to say, I’m tired and could use dome TLC.
My hobbies include: wrangling toddlers, multitasking while nursing, getting by on as little sleep humanly possible- all are a necessity 😉
Cooking is both a hobby i love and a necessity. Without it, I’d go hungry. I could eat out, but prefer not to most of the time. I am also trying to learn how to sew.
My favorite hobby is….photography haha 🙂 I just graduated with a degree in photo/design/print though so I kinda need a break from taking so many pictures. I agree with your opinion on scrapbooking though. I love giving family and friends photo books but they take so much effort to make it takes the fun out of it.
Cooking and running are two of my fun hobbies. Cooking is a necessary hobby, too. My husband and I are currently trying to conceive, so I’d love one of those comfortable pillows. Thanks for the great giveaway!
My most favourite hobby is inventing raw food desserts! I do it once a week at least usually. Awesome give away! Yay for not having to make your own!
I love knitting . I live in the Northwest so our scarves and mittens get worn much more. I personally love to knit socks and baby blankets!! I also love to bake but now that we are eating more healthy I find that a bit challenging. Trying to learn how to make some great raw desserts.
I love lifting weights & baking, and, out of necessity, I cook! 😉 I’m not currently pregnant, but would love to have one in the oven in the near future!
A fun hobby is reading. I avoid the necessary ones. Actually, when they get called necessary, I move them out of the hobby category.
Favorite hobby, hands down, is sewing!!! It not a necessary hobby, but it’s a lot of fun, and the rewards are amazing…especially when the rewards are for you 3 year old daughter. I can have cute and adorable clothing, that no one else will have another one like! Love it 🙂
Bikram yoga and cooking are definitely 2 of my all time favourite hobbies (with shopping for food at the health store)
Knitting is also one of my hobbies, but I had to put it on hold about a year and a half ago for financial reasons (but will be able to take it up again as of next year, yay!).
I’m 20 weeks pregnant, and would looooove a snoogle 🙂
My fave hobbies are basically identical to yours! Dancing, Zumba, fitness classes, reading, cooking healthy GF recipes, and also singing, skiing, hiking, and watching movies…and of course anything with the hubby 🙂
my hobby is needle-pointing belts and now running with one of my dogs!!
My favorite hobbies are running, snowshoeing, and baking. I have one daughter, aged 6 weeks. 🙂
My current hobbies are walking, a necessity made more enjoyable by podcasts; strength training and a little bit of body rock, fun hobbies; reading, now more fun than necessary since I’m out of school; and being in the kitchen! Cooking is more of the necessary hobby, while baking is my absolute favorite thing to do. Loving the snoogle and lotion bar. Not expecting yet, the husband and I are working on it though 😉
Boy could I use that!! I have such dry and flaky skin!
My hobby used to he baking! I love to bake, and would always be taking things into work for everyone, or making trays for parties! People always told me I should open a business! They didn’t understand…when I HAVE TO do it it is work, not fun!
A few years ago, after my cancer recurrence and stroke, it I just didn’t have the desire anymore! So I no longer bake! My hobby seems to be the internet now!
Favorite hobby: running. Favorite necessary hobby: school, laundry, dishes, etc 🙂