Hi friends, We're up-to-here in putting together the December issue this week and next, and wow, it's going to be a good one (mark your calendars, the issue hits newsstands on November 8!). Gift guide! Crafts! Food! I like being busy, but production week can be a challenge to my creative side. When I get home, all I want to do is put on my comfy pants, eat some pad Thai, and veg in front of the TV with some ice cream for a couple of hours. Knitting? Sewing? Writing? Taking photos? Those things don't really come into it. But  you know what? I think I've been going about it the wrong way. Truth is, after a week of being really busy at work and coming home and giving in to those self-indulgent tendencies, I end up feeling drained and frustrated. (Not to mention 2 pounds fatter, and, say, yet another month behind on that virtual quilting bee. Ahem.) My time at Squam reminded me that making things should be fun, and that play is important for adults, too. After just five days of fooling around with my art and craft supplies, I felt more refreshed and happier than I had in a long time. Even though my vacation memories are starting to fade a little, I'm holding tight to that message. I even made a new rule for myself: every night when I get home, I have to make dinner, and then I have to make something (I've even been wearing my "Art is good for you" t-shirt). And it's working. How do you nurture creativity in your daily/weekly routines?