Your first impulse might be just to lie about your past experience, put there are other ways still make yourself attractive to an employer without necessarily being deceitful.
Many people have gaps in their work history.
You could, in some situations, handle one of these gaps by putting the alternative activity on the CV, with dates, just as you would handle any other job. Minor gaps such as being out of work for several months, do not need an explanation at all. Used with permission of the publisher. Additional photocopies strictly prohibited.