Hobbies that Begin with "J" - Blogging from A to Z Challenge

During the 2018 Blogging from A to Z Challenge, I will be focusing on hobbies that I have introduced to my daughters to through their childhood and teen years. Some were done as part of homeschooling, while others were areas that we explored because we were interested in the subject or activity. These are hobbies that anyone of any age could try as well.

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There have been three main hobbies that begin with the letter "J" that Sophia and Olivia have explored: jewelry making, jigsaw puzzles, and journaling.

Jewelry Making

In December 2013, Sophia did a lot of jewelry making. She made earrings...

and different types of bracelets. Some had multiple strands and...

others were single strands.

On October 4, 2017, Sophia and Olivia learned how to do metal-stamped jewelry at Taylors Falls Bead Store. They picked different size letters and fonts.

Once they picked the letter stamps, they hammered the image into the bracelet or pendant.

Olivia was happy with how her bracelet turned out.

Sophia had fun making her necklace.

Another class Sophia took was held at White Bear Center for the Arts on October 21, 2017. She learned how to make a mandala necklace using tiny seed beads.

The necklace was a intricate pattern that Sophia was able to master quite quickly.

She ended up making a variety of necklaces using the mandala pattern, and donated them to the nursing home so they could sell them and raise money for projects that the seniors wanted to do that would benefit the residents there.

Jigsaw Puzzles

December 25, 2010

On June 27, 2011, Olivia did a puzzle-theme demonstration about how to make a jigsaw puzzle sandwich. 

She had a tablecloth with fabric jigsaw puzzle pieces and a display of puzzles she had done. 

She showed how to make a peanut butter sandwich and then use a cutter that made the pieces into jigsaw puzzle shapes.

For many years, Olivia did puzzles on the glass table while sitting on an exercise ball.

August 15, 2012

By Olivia's 10th birthday she was ready to start doing 1,000-piece puzzles. This was her first 1,000-piece puzzle.

January 18, 2013

On January 11 and 12, 2014, Olivia and Leo (a senior who was staying temporarily at the nursing home) did two different puzzles. 

She enjoyed doing a puzzle with someone who enjoyed puzzles as much as she did.

By the time Olivia was 14 years old, she was working on 2,000 pieces puzzles. She did one that focused on the wildlife that lives in the United States. It was a very detailed puzzle that took a long time to complete.

She glued the pieces together so she could keep it.

For a combination Christmas/Birthday gift, she had it matted and framed.

She picked out both the mat and frame, and it hangs on her bedroom wall now.

On St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2018, there was a puzzle competition at Hardwood Creek Library. Olivia signed up our family as a team to participate in the competition.

All the teams received the same 550-piece puzzle. In 55 minutes, we completed the puzzle and won the contest!

It was a fun afternoon and something we would do again!

Journaling

The girls started journaling early in their lives. The first type they kept was a nature journal. Below, Olivia is drawing a picture as she sits next to a field. 

September 7, 2007

Sophia kept a nature journal that was a combination of recording her experiences in nature as well as informational entries about different types of wildlife.

March 23, 2011

We spent time outdoors nature journaling. Sometimes we recorded what we heard as we sat in one spot. 

April 30, 2011

On April 10, 2013, the girls were working on their journals. 

These were reflective journals versus nature journals. 

In 2014, Olivia used markers to decorate her journal page.

Some of the questions were easier to answer than others, so not all of the blanks are filled in.

Sophia also used markers to add some color to her journal pages.

There were a variety of pages that the girls could use for their journal - all with different prompts.

It's interesting going back on journals and seeing what the girls captured at various points in their lives.