Offbeat is simply a bi-weekly blog offering caller and meaningful takes connected each things media.

Bored? Me too. Here’s what I’ve been up to lately to combat the wintertime blues.

1. DJing 

Jillian Rowan with her DJ desk. (Image courtesy of Jillian Rowan)

This is simply a instrumentality favorite! Since I tin remember, I’ve ever had a heavy emotion for EDM, techno and location music. I’m successful awe of DJ sets by Fred Again.. and Disco Lines, truthful I thought I’d springiness it a shot! I picked up the ​​Numark Party Mix II — it’s thing ace advanced, but it has each the indispensable components of a due mixer committee — and disco lights. The controller besides comes with the euphony accumulation bundle Serato, which allows you to premix euphony wrong the program.

Besides your DJ deck, each you request is simply a laptop, a talker and headphones, each of which astir assemblage kids person connected hand. Numark and Serato are a large pairing, since the programming does a large occupation of creating a seamless acquisition betwixt the DJ platform and laptop. After tinkering with the mixer committee for a mates of weeks, it starts to consciousness ace intuitive. I gravitate toward my platform aft a agelong time arsenic a accent merchandise oregon to get the nighttime going earlier a amusive play evening. I besides emotion having friends implicit to play astir with the board. DJing is inherently creative, amusive and social, and you don’t person to beryllium a professional!

2. Cricut Printing 

So, this mightiness beryllium cheating due to the fact that I haven’t technically started doing this yet. But ne'er caput that, it’s connected my Christmas list! Cricut printers are cleanable for creating customized items similar stickers oregon clothing. These printers employment a small, movable leaf that cuts done paper, laminate oregon whichever worldly you take to implicit a pre-designed pattern. If you’re artistically successful tune, you tin make your ain plan successful the Cricut bundle oregon app, truthful the possibilities are expansive.

It’s besides cleanable if you privation to commencement printing customized items for yourself and your friends. I’ve seen a batch of contented connected TikTok, from step-by-step instructions connected operating your Cricut to fashion-forward plan inspiration. This broadside hobby tin adjacent flip a nett — galore radical usage their Cricuts to commencement their ain covering lines, specified arsenic AllAliMakes by Ali Hendricks, a University of Miami student. With her Cricut printer, she creates laminate graphics she tin robust onto her merchandise. And conscionable similar that, she’s acceptable to sell!

3. Cooking

So I watched a mates of Instagram Reels and TikToks, and abruptly I learned however to cook? Of course, that’s hardly the case, but it’s however I consciousness aft redeeming videos of recipes to effort out. Social media, successful my opinion, is amazingly a overmuch amended spot to find recipes than cookbooks oregon websites. Platforms similar TikTok are wholly ocular and quicker-paced, truthful I tin forgo scrolling astir 3 cardinal pages connected a look tract conscionable to adjacent find the constituent list.

On TikTok, I travel @aichasrecipes, a creator of elemental but tasty meals, @faithsfresh, who inspires wellness and wellness, @chloeranshaw, the cook down the “making meal for my boyfriend” bid (can the full Internet beryllium her boyfriend, too, please?) and @samanthagarciaz, the go-to gal for delicious assemblage eats.

TikTok has been integral successful my ain betterment of my diet, meal-making and adjacent grocery-shopping skills! With circumstantial recipes successful mind, I bargain what I need, keeping a fewer other bucks successful my pocket. I utilized to rotate betwixt the aforesaid fewer basal eats constantly, but I’ve present explored galore caller foods I tin usage for assorted yummy and steadfast meals.

4. Mixed Media Art

I am, again, giving each my acknowledgment to TikTok. I deliberation that getting crafty and making your ain artwork — particularly utilizing assorted mediums from canvas to sneakers — is truthful rewarding. For example, successful Bella DiPaolo’s video, she creates a hanging canvas portion with edifice impermanent checks, reddish overgarment and sealant. Recently, I’ve seen a clump of crafty creation that employs aggregate mediums, and I’ve been trying it retired for myself. I conscionable purchased a skateboard platform from the Blick creation proviso store successful Shadyside, and I volition effort coating it to bent connected my chamber wall.

@belladipaolo

yay #foryou #FYP #keepdriving #harrystyles #harryshouse #hslot #drawing #painting #art

♬ Keep Driving – Harry Styles

Well, that’s what I’ve been up to with my escaped clip arsenic of late.

I deliberation I’ll beryllium saying goodbye to astir of these hobbies travel finals week, swapping home-cooked meals for to-go nutrient connected Forbes and muting the turntables for the soundlessness of Hillman. I’m looking guardant to immoderate escaped clip implicit wintertime interruption and hopefully picking up immoderate caller amusements!

Jillian writes astir a scope of media topics. You tin scope her astatine [email protected].