Dear Libby,

I’ve been living in Emerson Valley for a little over two years now, and I’m struggling to stay engaged in my daily life. My son just started Kindergarten, so I’ve got nothing to do all day but cook, clean the house, and do laundry. My husband works long hours, sometimes not getting home until 10 or 11 at night.

I really hate how I sound like a cliche, but I’m so bored all the time. I’ve tried watching TV or playing on my phone. None of it holds any appeal to me. I’d love to get into some hobbies, but I’m not sure what I could do. I can’t go out cause I still have to take care of everything at home. It’s just there’s so much downtime in between chores, and the boredom is killing me! Please help me Libby!

–Desperate Housewife

Dear “Desperate Housewife,”

I feel your pain. Seriously—I do. I’ve been in your shoes before. In fact, it was boredom that first led me to writing this column in the first place! Now, you can’t do that, because this column is mine and I won’t give it up for anything. Sorry about that. But there are some things you can do. You just need to be a little creative with your efforts!

I won’t publish your address for everyone to see online, because that would be highly irresponsible of me. However, I will say that you seem to live pretty close to Blackwood Forest. Honestly, I can’t believe you haven’t picked hiking or birdwatching yet. You could easily walk one of the beginner trails and be back home in the time it takes for one load of clothes to go through the washing machine.

If you happen to venture into the forest, make sure you take the time to smell the roses. I’m speaking metaphorically, of course. There are no roses in Blackwood Forest. There are mushrooms, though. You sound like someone who likes to use locally-sourced ingredients in your cooking, and you can’t get any more locally-sourced than picking them yourself! I recently got a great recipe for a fantastic mushroom risotto. Send me an email if you’re interested, and I’ll be happy to send it your way!

–Lovingly, Libby