We’re excited to launch our April Guest Blog Series—featuring stories from inspiring women in our Lake Norman community. Each post offers a fresh perspective on life, purpose, and the power of connection.

Kicking off the series is Eden Estabrook, an NC local of 13+ years. Eden has had a passion for writing for as long as she can remember, turning it into a career as a content marketing specialist in the manufacturing industry and as a published children’s book author. Her words are filled with heart, creativity, and authenticity.

Quiet Hobbies That Make the World a Better Place

by: Eden Estabrook

As women, sometimes we just need an outlet to slow down and take some time for ourselves. For some, that might be a walk in the park, a puzzle, or a “quiet hobby” that quiets the brain and uses your hands – like crocheting, knitting, or crafting!

If you’re anything like me, you like to wind down in the evening after a long day at work with your favorite show and a quiet task to keep my hands busy. My “quiet hobby” of choice is crocheting, and I particularly enjoyed crocheting stuffies! As a working woman with a 9-5 and a “5-9” side hustle, I cherished the quiet time on my couch crocheting cute creatures, but it quickly got out of hand as one stuffie turned to 6 and then 8 and started to take up more room than I had to store it.

It was this conundrum that inspired the idea of quiet hobbies that can fuel making the world a better place. We should take time for ourselves and do something we love, but what do we do with the end result?

Here are several ideas for making your community a better place with your quiet hobbies:

Donate Stuffed Animals to Childcare Organizations

Since stuffies are my personal area of expertise, let’s start there! While I’d argue no one is too old for stuffies, children often have a great appreciation for the soft snuggles of a new stuffie. Consider reaching out to your local daycare to see if their playroom could benefit from some new friends! Or, check in with a nearby church and see if they’re going on a child-centric mission trip and want some sweet little things to hand out to the locals.

Of course, if all else fails, you could also check with a local nonprofit like Absolute Hope Foundation and see if they have upcoming activities where little gifts could be given out to new homes!

Knit Hats and Scarves for the Homeless

Prefer your yarn with two needles instead of one? Not a problem! Consider knitting hats and scarves (or even socks and gloves, if you’re that talented) throughout the year and then donating them to a homeless ministry like Room in the Inn, which is often hosted at multiple locations across the area, such as this example from St. Marks. Host locations will be grateful to have a stash of warm weather clothes to give to those who walk through their doors a little boost during those chilly winter months.

Draw Cards of Appreciation for Local Teachers or the Police Department

As a writer, I love the feeling of just handwriting pretty notes. For those who are more artsy, they might like to draw, paint, or watercolor to unwind. Channel that energy onto a stack of blank cards from the craft store and make beautiful art that can be paired with a quick note of encouragement and dropped off at a local school for teachers or your local police department! If you’re not into writing, partner with a friend who does, or even make it a group activity for your next girls night!

These are just a few “quiet hobbies” that the diverse ladies of Lake Norman might indulge in – and I hope that if one of these isn’t your cup of tea, it encourages you to think out of the box on how you can channel your precious me time to better your local community.

Want to share your story? Email [email protected] to be considered for our guest blogger series!