Hobbies and Marriage: Do they work together?

Married life is absolutely wonderful, but staring lovingly into one another eyes is only fun for so long. I've found, since my husband and I now have more time to spend together, we find ourselves being bored and longing for something to do. Having hobbies in marriage is important! Here are a few things that I have learned about hobbies since getting married.

1. You can keep your hobbies you enjoyed before marriage.

I had a misconception about this coming into marriage. I knew that I could, and would, have time to myself, but I didn't know to what extent I could enjoy my hobbies. I've learned that when I want to do my hobbies, my husband can do his. Just because you have more time to spend together, doesn't mean that you can't spend time apart. (See my blog post about time HERE) 

Your hobbies don't need to be the same as your spouse's. At the beginning of my marriage, I felt bad that my hobbies were so different than Kyle's, but I am learning that it's okay that we still enjoy our individual hobbies. We can appreciate our spouses' hobbies while not being in love with what they are doing. 

Random Awesome Stories: There is great article about some hidden talents some of the modern day prophets have that might surprise you. Did you know that President Thomas S. Monson raised pigeons as a child? For more check it out HERE. I bet that President Monson's wife didn't raise pigeons with him, but she probably supported his hobbies and interests. 

2. Finding common interests can help your marriage grow.

My husband and I are so different. What are hobbies can we do together? I've asked myself this many times. My hobbies are very different compared to my husband's. This has made it a little difficult to find hobbies that we can do together. I am learning that we both need to stretch ourselves and learn to do something completely new together. 

Tawny May wrote a great article about how learning to love her husband's interests, which happened to be snake hunting, helped them come closer together. She says, "...we are all weirdos in our own individual way. We all love different things, and there’s a reason for that."

This has made me reflect, "What are some hobbies that we can do together as a couple?" Developing common interests can be an answer to this question. By finding something new that you can both enjoy is a good place to start. Here are a few of my suggestions:

• Interior Decoration: You can work with your spouse to repaint a room, find wall art, or do simple DIY home projects. 
• Gardening: Though I don't currently have a garden, my husband and I are looking to start growing herbs in our home. Researching and then finding what plants work best for your situation can be a great hobby for any couple.
• Work out Together: This is something Kyle and I started to doing together. We go running three times a week and find it a fun and healthy way to spend time together. Plus, it helps you get an even greater body to show off to your spouse ;)
• Volunteer together: It's a great way to serve others and spend time together!

There is a whole website dedicated to hobby ideas for couples titled "Hobbies For Couples". They have all types of ideas from indoor to outdoor and unique ideas. Here are a few of my favorites that I found:

• Do puzzles together
• Genealogy work
• Take up Geocaching
• Start ballroom dancing together

If you can't figure out how to take the first step to find common interests, Greg Smalley gives great tips on how to cultivate these common interests in your marriage. Check them out HERE. 

3. Hobbies can be expensive.

http://www.favecrafts.com/

Lastly, I am learning that hobbies can be expensive. The hobbies that I like tend to be a bit more expensive, i.e. crafting! Make sure to discuss with your spouse the cost of a hobby before you start. Even though you might not have tight expenses, everyone should be conscious of where their income is being spent. Being in college and saving for grad school especially makes us consider the cost of our hobbies. What are some relatively cheap hobbies that I can do with my husband?
Well here are a few of my ideas:

• Read a book together: and this can be free if you find one at the library!
• Go hiking: but beware of state and national park fees. 
• Become an expert at card or board games: this is also one that can involve other couples too!
• Learn a language together:or in my situation have my husband teach me Italian.

Sheri Hosale also gives 25 tips for budget-minded couples. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Join or view Community Theatre
• Take a cooking class together
• Take up Photography
• Go camping

Lastly, hobbies can help you and your spouse better spend time together and apart. By starting a new hobby with your spouse you can learn many new things about one another. Exploring my own hobbies and cultivating new ones with my spouse have been a blessing. 

If you have any great hobbies that you enjoy and would like to share, comment below so we can all learn from each other. Thanks for reading and be sure to look at my other posts for advice from a newlywed.