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

The Dabbling Mum

Try everything. Master nothing. Love it all.

Latest Articles

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.
A Random Number Generator Planned My Whole Weekend — And Somehow Candle Making and Backyard Archery Both Showed Up
Hobbies & Creativity

A Random Number Generator Planned My Whole Weekend — And Somehow Candle Making and Backyard Archery Both Showed Up

I handed my entire Saturday and Sunday over to a random activity generator app — no vetoes, no negotiations, no escape hatch. What followed was equal parts chaotic, surprisingly tender, and genuinely the most fun I'd had in months. Here's the full unhinged recap, plus a guide so you can ruin your own weekend in the best possible way.
I Sold My Terrible Hobby Projects at a Craft Fair and Somehow Survived
Hobbies & Creativity

I Sold My Terrible Hobby Projects at a Craft Fair and Somehow Survived

What happens when you haul your lopsided candles and wobbly pottery to a real craft fair before you're anywhere close to ready? Spoiler: it's equal parts mortifying and life-changing. This is the dare I'm officially issuing to every dabbling mom who's been hiding her hobby projects in a closet.
Twelve Months, Twelve Hobbies, One Ugly Breakdown — and the Unexpected Thing That Put Me Back Together
Hobbies & Creativity

Twelve Months, Twelve Hobbies, One Ugly Breakdown — and the Unexpected Thing That Put Me Back Together

I signed myself up for a year of trying something completely new every single month — sourdough, star-gazing, furniture flipping, you name it. Most of them were fun, a few were disasters, and one of them made me cry in a Michael's parking lot. That last one turned out to be the most important.
We Let a Wheel Decide Our Whole Summer — and It Was the Best Parenting Accident We Ever Made
Parenting & Mindset

We Let a Wheel Decide Our Whole Summer — and It Was the Best Parenting Accident We Ever Made

What happens when you hand your family's entire summer over to a random number generator and a list of 50 wildly different activities? Turns out, a lot more learning — and a lot fewer arguments — than any carefully curated Pinterest board ever produced. Here's what went down when nobody got a veto.
Dice Don't Lie: What 3 Months of Randomly Assigned Hobbies Did to My Brain (and My Weekend Plans)
Hobbies & Creativity

Dice Don't Lie: What 3 Months of Randomly Assigned Hobbies Did to My Brain (and My Weekend Plans)

I handed all my hobby decisions over to a random number generator for three months straight — no vetoing, no wriggling out of weird results. What followed was equal parts humbling, hilarious, and genuinely life-changing for a mom who'd been overthinking 'me time' for years.
My 7-Year-Old Was My Creative Director for a Month — I Was Not Ready for This
Hobbies & Creativity

My 7-Year-Old Was My Creative Director for a Month — I Was Not Ready for This

I handed my kids total creative control and agreed to commit to whatever hobby they chose for 30 full days. What followed was one part humbling, one part hilarious, and completely unexpected. Turns out a second-grader makes a surprisingly ruthless creative director.
A Year of Random Hobbies Changed How I See Myself — Here's What Actually Survived
Parenting & Mindset

A Year of Random Hobbies Changed How I See Myself — Here's What Actually Survived

I spent a year saying yes to whatever random hobby crossed my path — watercolors, sourdough, beginner archery, you name it. Most of it faded. A surprising few things stuck. And what I learned about myself in the process had nothing to do with skill.
16 Hobbies You Can Start This Weekend for Under $20 at Walmart (No Fancy Starter Kit Needed)
Hobbies & Creativity

16 Hobbies You Can Start This Weekend for Under $20 at Walmart (No Fancy Starter Kit Needed)

Think starting a new hobby means dropping $80 on a specialty kit you'll use twice? Think again. These 16 genuinely fun ideas cost less than a takeout order and require nothing but a Walmart run and a free afternoon. No Pinterest board necessary.
Stop Trying to Find Your 'One True Passion' — Dabbling Is the Mental Health Hack Nobody's Talking About
Parenting & Mindset

Stop Trying to Find Your 'One True Passion' — Dabbling Is the Mental Health Hack Nobody's Talking About

We've been sold a story that the goal of every hobby is mastery, and every interest should eventually pay the bills. But what if that pressure is actually making us miserable — and what if casual, commitment-free dabbling is the antidote? Psychologists and real moms are making the case that hopping between interests without guilt isn't a character flaw. It might just be the most radical form of self-care available to a busy parent.
I Threw Axes, Threw Pots, and Chased a Wiffle Ball Around a Court — All in One Weekend
Hobbies & Creativity

I Threw Axes, Threw Pots, and Chased a Wiffle Ball Around a Court — All in One Weekend

What happens when a mom with zero athletic grace and zero artsy credentials signs up for three completely random hobbies in 48 hours? Turns out, a whole lot of unexpected self-discovery — and one seriously sore forearm. Here's the honest breakdown of what each activity taught me, which ones are actually beginner-friendly, and how you can pull off your own low-stakes hobby weekend without blowing your budget.
Here's Your Permission Slip: You're Allowed to Be a 'Good Enough' Mom
Parenting & Mindset

Here's Your Permission Slip: You're Allowed to Be a 'Good Enough' Mom

The pressure to be a perfect parent has never been louder — but a growing movement of moms, backed by real psychology, is pushing back hard. This is the honest, research-informed case for letting 'good enough' be more than enough, and the small mindset shifts that might actually change how you feel about the whole wild ride.
30 Days, 7 Hobbies, Zero Regrets: My Chaotic Quest to Try Everything
Hobbies & Creativity

30 Days, 7 Hobbies, Zero Regrets: My Chaotic Quest to Try Everything

I gave myself one month and a slightly unhinged mission: try seven trending mom hobbies with no experience, no pressure, and no apologies. Some were surprisingly therapeutic, some were disasters, and one made me question every life choice I'd ever made. Here's the full, unfiltered report.