The Dabbling Mum Try everything. Master nothing. Love it all.

The Dabbling Mum

Try everything. Master nothing. Love it all.

Latest Articles

The Moment My Hobby Started Making Money — and Why That Almost Ruined Everything
Parenting & Mindset

The Moment My Hobby Started Making Money — and Why That Almost Ruined Everything

There's a specific feeling that happens when someone hands you money for something you made just because you loved making it. It feels incredible — for about ten minutes. Then the anxiety shows up. Here's what happened when five of my casual hobbies accidentally crossed the line into income, and why that territory is way more complicated than anyone warns you.
I Spent a Month Living My Mom's Abandoned Hobbies — and Found a Woman I Never Knew
Hobbies & Creativity

I Spent a Month Living My Mom's Abandoned Hobbies — and Found a Woman I Never Knew

What happens when you pick up the hobbies your mother quietly set down decades ago? I spent thirty days knitting, pressing flowers, and squinting at half-finished needlepoint — and somewhere between dropped stitches and dried petals, I started to understand her. Not just as my mom, but as a whole entire person.
We Swapped Hobbies for a Whole Month — My Friend Got Macramé, I Got Her 5 a.m. Running Habit
Parenting & Mindset

We Swapped Hobbies for a Whole Month — My Friend Got Macramé, I Got Her 5 a.m. Running Habit

What if the key to finding a hobby you actually love is stealing someone else's? My neighbor and I traded our entire creative lives for thirty days — she took my fiber arts, I took her running club and journaling practice. What followed was equal parts humbling, hilarious, and genuinely eye-opening.
50 Writing Prompts for Moms Who Have Stories Stuck Somewhere in Their Chest
Hobbies & Creativity

50 Writing Prompts for Moms Who Have Stories Stuck Somewhere in Their Chest

You don't need a memoir deal or a creative writing degree to start writing — you just need a nudge. Here are 50 writing prompts designed for real moms with real stories, limited time, and a lot of feelings they haven't quite figured out how to say out loud yet.
My Kid's Bedtime Books Became My Hobby Bible for a Month — and a Spider Taught Me More Than I Expected
Hobbies & Creativity

My Kid's Bedtime Books Became My Hobby Bible for a Month — and a Spider Taught Me More Than I Expected

I spent four weeks borrowing hobbies straight from the characters living inside my daughter's bedtime book stack — and somehow a bread-baking mouse and a star-charting wizard completely rerouted my creative life. What started as a silly experiment turned into one of the most genuinely fun hobby months I've ever had. Turns out, children's books know things.
A Stranger's Spotify Playlist Was My Hobby Guru for 30 Days — And '2019 Road Trip Vibes' Knew Me Better Than I Know Myself
Hobbies & Creativity

A Stranger's Spotify Playlist Was My Hobby Guru for 30 Days — And '2019 Road Trip Vibes' Knew Me Better Than I Know Myself

I found a Spotify playlist link scrawled on a coffee shop napkin and decided to let every song on it assign me a new hobby for the month. What followed was equal parts absurd, surprisingly emotional, and genuinely life-changing — and I still can't explain how a Fleetwood Mac deep cut led me to découpage.
The Back-to-School Supply List That Accidentally Became My Hobby Roadmap
Hobbies & Creativity

The Back-to-School Supply List That Accidentally Became My Hobby Roadmap

Who knew a $47 Walmart run for glue sticks and graph paper could spiral into bookbinding, urban sketching, and a full-blown hand-lettering obsession? One mom used her kids' school supply list as an accidental creative curriculum — and the results were genuinely unhinged in the best way.
Thirty Days of Fortune Cookie Hobby Assignments — I Can't Believe This Actually Worked
Hobbies & Creativity

Thirty Days of Fortune Cookie Hobby Assignments — I Can't Believe This Actually Worked

What happens when you let a two-inch slip of paper from a takeout bag run your entire creative life for a month? Chaos, fly fishing, and at least one truly unhinged afternoon with a metal detector in a public park. Turns out the universe — or at least Panda Express — knows more about your hobbies than you do.
My Horoscope Ran My Hobby Life for a Month and Honestly, Mercury Retrograde Owes Me an Apology
Hobbies & Creativity

My Horoscope Ran My Hobby Life for a Month and Honestly, Mercury Retrograde Owes Me an Apology

I handed the reins of my creative life over to the cosmos for an entire month, letting my daily horoscope decide which hobby I'd tackle each week. What followed was equal parts disaster, revelation, and one very unexpected kickboxing class. Turns out the stars are chaotic little hobby coaches — and I kind of loved it.
My Grocery List Became My Hobby Planner for a Month — and Things Got Weird Fast
Hobbies & Creativity

My Grocery List Became My Hobby Planner for a Month — and Things Got Weird Fast

What happens when you stop scrolling Pinterest for hobby inspiration and just... look at your grocery list? Turns out lemons, a rotisserie chicken, and a rogue bag of dried beans have opinions about how you should spend your weekends. I tried it for a whole month, and the results were equal parts chaotic and genuinely wonderful.
A Forgotten Book on a Park Bench Gave Me the Weirdest Hobby Assignment of My Life
Hobbies & Creativity

A Forgotten Book on a Park Bench Gave Me the Weirdest Hobby Assignment of My Life

I wasn't looking for a new hobby. I was just looking for a place to sit. But a water-warped library book left on a park bench had other plans for me — and honestly, I'm still not over where it led.
My Thrift Store Receipt Picked My Next Three Hobbies — Chaos Ensued and I Loved Every Second
Hobbies & Creativity

My Thrift Store Receipt Picked My Next Three Hobbies — Chaos Ensued and I Loved Every Second

What if the universe — or at least a crumpled receipt from Goodwill — already knew what hobby you needed next? I handed over all creative control to a random string of digits and ended up on the wildest three-hobby ride of my life. Here's exactly how it worked, what came up, and why I'm never overthinking a hobby decision again.
A One-Star Amazon Review Sent Me Down the Weirdest Hobby Rabbit Hole of My Life
Hobbies & Creativity

A One-Star Amazon Review Sent Me Down the Weirdest Hobby Rabbit Hole of My Life

I let a complete stranger's angry one-star Amazon rant pick my next hobby — and somehow ended up spending a Saturday elbow-deep in something I never would have chosen for myself. Turns out, removing the pressure of 'meaningful choice' might be the most freeing thing a dabbler can do. Here's how the whole ridiculous experiment went down.
A Craft Store Stranger Picked My Next Hobby and I Had No Choice But to Say Yes
Hobbies & Creativity

A Craft Store Stranger Picked My Next Hobby and I Had No Choice But to Say Yes

I walked into Michaels with zero plan and one weird rule: whatever the first employee recommended, I had to try it. No Googling, no budget negotiating, no wiggle room. What followed was awkward, funny, and honestly a little life-changing.
One Item Per Aisle at Target: How a $30 Dare Turned Into Our Best Afternoon Ever
Hobbies & Creativity

One Item Per Aisle at Target: How a $30 Dare Turned Into Our Best Afternoon Ever

I handed my kids a $30 budget and one rule: grab one craft or hobby supply from every section of Target we walked through. What came home was chaotic, mismatched, and somehow perfect. Here's exactly what happened when we tried to build something out of all of it.
We Raided Every Aisle at Dollar Tree for Hobby Supplies — Here's What Actually Stuck
Hobbies & Creativity

We Raided Every Aisle at Dollar Tree for Hobby Supplies — Here's What Actually Stuck

I handed my kids a $1 budget per aisle and told them to find something we could turn into a hobby. What followed was equal parts chaos, glitter, and genuine surprise. Turns out the best creative experiment of our year cost less than a fast food lunch.
My Kids Became My Hobby Critics for a Year — And Their Unfiltered Reviews Wrecked Me (In the Best Way)
Hobbies & Creativity

My Kids Became My Hobby Critics for a Year — And Their Unfiltered Reviews Wrecked Me (In the Best Way)

I spent a year dabbling in everything from sourdough to amateur robotics — then handed my kids a rating sheet and braced for impact. What they said was hilarious, occasionally devastating, and somehow more clarifying than any personality quiz I've ever taken.
My Kids Hijacked Every Rainy Day This Fall and Honestly? I Survived (Barely)
Hobbies & Creativity

My Kids Hijacked Every Rainy Day This Fall and Honestly? I Survived (Barely)

For one entire fall season, I handed the rainy-day remote control to my kids and let them decide what our family would try next. What followed was equal parts hilarious, exhausting, and surprisingly revealing — and I came out the other side with a new appreciation for rock tumbling, a healthy fear of finger knitting, and a slightly better understanding of who my children actually are.
Fifteen Dollars a Month Taught Me Everything Wrong About How I Was Spending on Hobbies
Hobbies & Creativity

Fifteen Dollars a Month Taught Me Everything Wrong About How I Was Spending on Hobbies

I capped my hobby spending at $15 a month for an entire year — not because I had to, but because I wanted to see what would happen. What I didn't expect was that the constraint would make me fall harder for each new pursuit than any pricey starter kit ever had. Here's the weird, wonderful math that came out of it.
Sunday Hat Picks Changed Our Weekends Forever — Here's What My Kids Actually Wanted to Keep Doing
Parenting & Mindset

Sunday Hat Picks Changed Our Weekends Forever — Here's What My Kids Actually Wanted to Keep Doing

For two months, my kids drew random hobby ideas from a hat every Sunday morning — no pressure, no agenda, just whatever slip of paper fate handed them. Some activities flopped gloriously. A few quietly took root. And the whole experiment taught us something unexpected about how kids actually discover what they love.