Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Winter Survival

If all my readers in California would excuse me for a minute, I need to discuss Winter Survival with my fellow Midwesterners.

Yesterday the we had a blizzard (sorta) and the kids got out of school at 10am. Today, the actual air temperature outside is NEGATIVE 19.2, and the kids started school 2 hours late.

But that's beside the point, because I like to think of cold weather sort of like I think about deep water- once the water is over your head, it doesn't matter how far over your head, ya know? Same with winter weather- once it's too cold to be outside, it doesn't matter how much colder it gets.

Honestly, I'm not feeling desperate YET- so far I'm able to embrace this good old fashioned Laura Ingalls Wilder winter we are having. But waiting until desperation sets in doesn't seem prudent.

So! *Sitting up straighter* Here's some things that I do when winter starts to beat me down:

1. Rearrange- doesn't matter if it's furniture or toys or pictures or those cute little wooden chicks you picked up on clearance at Target. Just move stuff around in your house. This will freshen up your rooms, make it feel like you have new things without having to buy new things, and thus make you feel better. Also, I've discovered that moving toys into different locations makes them seem "new" again, which can help keep the kids busy.

2. Get a hair cut. Or brow wax. Or just simply shave your legs if it's been awhile. (AHEM.)

3. Dance. Make the kids dance too. It'll burn some steam and put everyone in a better mood.

4. Clean out closets. What better time? During the warmer months, I don't like being stuck indoors with silly closet-type projects. But in the winter, getting rid of stuff AND having less cluttered spaces has a double feel-good effect. Which leads nicely to:

5. Host a Naked Lady party. I think this idea was born on the west coast, but I've just recently heard of it. You invite a bunch of friends to bring all of their unwanted clothing, hats, scarves, belts, shoes, jewelry to one location and everyone can "shop" and find some "new" things. It's free for everyone, and everyone gets to get rid stuff and gets new stuff. Win-win! The more people you invite, the better- there will be more sizes and styles to choose from.

(You could also include household items, baby clothes, maternity clothes, Christmas decorations, etc, etc, etc.)

6. Join Facebook. You will get sucked in and never have a reason to leave the house. Ever. Again. Especially if you start playing WordTwist. Heh.

7. Spend a weekday at the mall. But not to shop. Just walk a couple of loops and let your children walk/run too. Around here, malls are fairly deserted on weekdays (especially COLD weekdays), so no one cares [MUCH] if my toddler is careening down the mallway. Plus, being part of civilization just feels good, even if I don't spend time doing actual browsing or buying.

8. Get together with people. Having other adult humans around is very, VERY important for _my_ sanity, especially when it's too cold to get fresh air.

So what do you do to keep busy and warm while stuck indoors? Please add to the list. It's only January 13th! (Hold me.)

7 comments:

Pickles and Dimes said...

I knit while burritoed under a down comforter on the couch with at least one cat warming my legs.

I also tend to eat less ice cream, so it's win-win.

Kristin.... said...

Ok, so it's not as cold here in Maine, but we've had plenty of snow.

I send my big kids out to play in the snow for hours. They refuse to come in. It's like I only have 2 kids instead of 4.

LoriD said...

I bake copious amounts of bread, muffins, cookies. It warm up the house and gives me an extra layer of fat for added warmth.

Kristin said...

Eat Reeses Pieces....at least that's what I'm doing right now.

Earlier I assembled two new cabinets from Target that I'll be using as pantry's in the basement.

I too use these Midwest Snow Days for decluttering and reorganizing.

clueless but hopeful mama said...

Sorry, Californian here, but I'm going to study up on the ideas and remember them for next winter in Virginia!

Another reason for me not to join Facebook: I had to take TextTwist off my computer because I was so addicted. The LAST thing I need is another online time-sink. RESISTANCE CONTINUED.

Anonymous said...

Why is shaving legs to time consuming and exhausting??? My poor husband.

Erin said...

The deep water analogy is a good one. I find that it's not how DEEP but how LONG I'm in that deep water. After living in Minnesota for a few years, I realized it was the fact that it would get unbearably cold and STAY THAT WAY. No breaks. That's TOUGH.

Music and baking. Those are my tips. You already got the music part, or at least the dancing part, but music is great. You should tape some Lawrence Welk shows for the kids.