Hobbies Archives

Orlando Pen Show 2024

September 21, 2024September 19, 2024Dakster Sullivan

The Orlando Pen Show took place September 8th – 10th at the Florida Hotel in Orlando, FL. This was my first year attending, and I walked out after two days as a fountain pen addict.

Crafting Through Anxiety – The Battle of the Crafts

September 19, 2024September 18, 2024Dakster Sullivan

I’ve tried sooooo many things to calm my mind when anxiety strikes. And because I have ADHD I tend to swap techniques more often than I’d care to admit. Today I’ll walk you through my top crafts and how well they lowered my anxiety on a scale of one to five (five being the best […]

Journaling Through Mental Health – Art Journaling Basics

July 10, 2024July 9, 2024Dakster Sullivan

Art journaling is a great way to express yourself while working on your mental health.

Journaling Through Mental Health — Bullet Journal Basics

July 7, 2024July 6, 2024Dakster Sullivan

So, you want to start a bullet journal or you’ve seen it trending on TikTok and you have questions? Let’s dive into it.

Gift Yourself a New Skill by Learning Embroidery

January 30, 2024January 22, 2024Mariana Ruiz

This book teaches you one stich per day for an entire month.

′The Art Playroom′- How to Successfully Make a Home Art Space for Kids

July 12, 2023July 12, 2023Mariana Ruiz

An art space can spark tinkering and exploration for all ages.

Art Therapy With Craft-Ease Paint by Numbers

November 16, 2021November 15, 2021Will James

Art therapy has never been more important for our family than it has these past two years, and one of our favorites is Paint by Numbers. We recently received a kit from Craft-Ease, and it exceeded all of our expectations!

Q & A With Kateri Ewing, Author of ‘Drawing is for Everyone’

July 20, 2021July 19, 2021Mariana Ruiz

You can draw, no matter where you find yourself in your artistic journey.

Review: ′The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food: Step-By-Step Vegetable Gardening for Everyone′

February 18, 2021February 18, 2021Mariana Ruiz

A promise aptly fulfilled.

Gift Idea: Get the GeekDad Books for the Geeky Parents in Your Life!

November 23, 2020Ken Denmead

One of the most important things we can do with our kids is spend time with them, playing games and building projects together. The GeekDad books are filled with great, geeky projects for parents and kids of all ages to share and enjoy.

Train Cab View Videos Are My New Favorite Thing

June 4, 2020June 3, 2020Derrick Schneider

Train cab view videos are a relaxing, enjoyable experience that will let you see the world in some form, even if you can’t leave the house.

How to (Almost) Make Espresso With an AeroPress

May 13, 2020May 12, 2020Sean Z2

While making real espresso requires specialized equipment, you can get remarkably close using an AeroPress and a Prismo attachment.

Commonplace Books Part 6: Helpful Products and Tools

April 28, 2020April 27, 2020Skip Owens1

This is the sixth and final article in my series about commonplace books, which highlights a number of products that can come in handy when keeping a commonplace book.

John Stessel, Stefaan Merckx, CEO of Cartamundi, and Michael Slaugter, President of USPC, at an event to celebrate Cartamundi, the world’s leading manufacturer of playing cards, trading cards, and board games acquiring The United States Playing Card Company (USPC), hosted by the House of Cardistry & Magic.

Cartamundi Makes Playing Card Magic

March 13, 2020March 12, 2020Michael Kaufman

A magical merger of massive magnitude as Cartamundi, the world’s leading manufacturer of playing cards, acquired The United States Playing Card Company, known for brands including Bicycle and Bee.

Commonplace Books Part 2: Why Keep One and How?

March 10, 2020March 24, 2020Skip Owens

If you read books at all (and I mean even if you read just a little) you should consider keeping a commonplace book. I am writing a series of articles about commonplace books and this is the second article in the series, which talks about why someone would want to keep a commonplace book.

Etchtober Gallery: Tabletop Games on Etch-a-Sketch

November 15, 2019November 14, 2019Jonathan H. Liu

Here’s a look back on my Etch-a-Sketch drawings for Etchtober!

Stack Overflow: The Top Five Books to Do Art With Your Kids – Plus Resources!

October 28, 2019March 26, 2021Mariana Ruiz

Collecting books about art-making is my guilty pleasure.

How to Hack a LEGO Power Functions Cable for Direct 9V Power

October 7, 2019October 6, 2019Michael J.3

Sick of eating through batteries to power LEGO Motors? A little bit of work and a few dollars of electronics and you can plug Power Function LEGO Electronics into the wall!

Summer Is Here: What Are Your Favorite Grilling Hacks?

July 4, 2019July 5, 2019Ken Denmead

What are YOUR tips, tricks, and hacks for pulling off great backyard cooking?

The Therapeutic Value of Model Railroading

June 11, 2019June 11, 2019Davevollmer10

I’m a model railroader. To me there’s something so wonderfully comforting to recreate the heyday of American railroading—itself an undeniable driving force behind the superpower we eventually became—in miniature.

The LEGO Star Wars BOOST Droid Commander Set features three famous droids.Image Credit: the LEGO Group

The Force Is With the LEGO ‘Star Wars’ BOOST Droid Commander Set

May 4, 2019May 3, 2019Michael Kaufman

You don’t need to be a kid on Tatooine to build and code a few droids. Announced for May the Fourth, the new LEGO ‘Star Wars’ BOOST Droid Commander set lets builders code and play with three iconic ‘Star Wars’ droids.

Learn Entry-Level Astronomy With National Geographic’s ‘Backyard Guide to the Night Sky’

April 25, 2019April 24, 2019Jenny Bristol

Study the night sky from your own backyard, with your kids, your friends, or just yourself, but don’t forget to bring a guide!

‘The LEGO Movie 2’ Set Reviews

February 7, 2019February 6, 2019Michael J.

Which of the two $30 sets from The LEGO Movie 2 is a better deal, Rex’s Rex-treme Offroader! or Ultrakatty & Warrior Lucy!? Then duck and cover because Benny’s Space Squad is a nostalgia bomb!

2018 LEGO Idea Book Roundup From No Starch Press

November 15, 2018November 14, 2018Jenny Bristol

Learn about No Starch Press’s latest slate of LEGO idea books!

Gift Idea: Get the GeekDad Books for the Geeky Parents in Your Life!

November 15, 2018November 15, 2018Ken Denmead

One of the most important things we can do with our kids is spend time with them, playing games and building projects together. The GeekDad books are filled with great, geeky projects for parents and kids of all ages to share and enjoy.