So, we made it past Groundhog's Day....unfortunately the furry little guy saw his shadow, so for us in the north, that's a whole lotta winter to still (joyfully?) experience. I do my best to be positive in most situations....but winter....it's hard for me, lol.
I do enjoy snuggling up and sipping some tea while watching the snow fall. And that'll carry me right through December-haha. I'm done, let's move on and get some flowers and trees sprouting. Oh, and going away to a gorgeous tropical locale does wonders for me-while I'm there. Once I get back to the snow and ice and cold, I'm all cranky again.
Now, knowing that I have an area of my life that doesn't bring me joy isn't cool, so I've been brainstorming some ideas on how to fix it. I don't want to be unhappy, I strive to be proactive in my life, in all areas.
I've been researching some ideas-I googled 'how to take the suck out of winter'. Something about shop vacs showed up, lol. Not exactly what I had in mind.
Really though, there are a ton of ideas on how you can enjoy this season. I mean, it's going to be around for another 2-3 months, so you might as well, right? Here are my top five:
1) Take advantage of the time spent indoors and work on a big project you have on your bucket list. Write that book, make a crafty gift (quilt, scrapbook...?), learn how to speak Italian, research flights and hotels for a big family vacation. Do it now, when you're not tempted by the abundance of summer activities...and you know that as soon as the snow starts melting, and it's nice and sunny out, you are not going to want to hole up in your home working on it then.
2) Bundle up and go outside. Enjoy the beauty and peace of a calmer time of year. There are plenty of nature trails and parks that you can take advantage of. Bring a thermos of tea or hot cocoa and ask a friend to join you. You're connecting with someone you care about, getting some exercise and finding the joy in winter.
3) Throw an awesome indoor party for you, your family, your friends, whoever. Pick a theme and run with it. Have a Mexican Fiesta, a Game Night, a Movie Night, a Tropical Rainforest/Beach Party...have everyone chip in with food & drinks, wear costumes, smack a pinata, whatever you want to do. Go crazy and have as much fun with this as you want.
4) Organize an event that raises money or items for charity. This can be pretty low key and easy to do. Pick an organization and figure out a way that you can help them. Contact all of your friends, family, neighbors and ask them to contribute. Maybe you ask everyone to donate gently used books for your local library or a reading program at a hospital. Benefit your local SPCA and ask everyone to bring a bag of dog or cat food. You could gather extra clothes or household items that are no longer needed and donate them to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. You can branch way out from there and help lots of other people, too. Just look online and find a cause that feels right for you.
5) Go back to school. Check out your local community college or find an interesting online course that does nothing more than teaches you about a topic that you're interested in (unless you want to pursue a degree, then-go for it!). Some ideas: Creative Writing, Basket Weaving, Oil Painting, Nutrition, History of Rock Music, Photography....the list goes on and covers pretty much any area of interest.
I hope this list inspires you to enjoy winter even more now.
I'm starting a new business course in April and I'm creating a pretty cool new group program (more details coming soon...). A Mexican fiesta sounds pretty fun....and I want to gather some items to benefit the SPCA. What cool things are you up to?
Until next time, have fun and stay warm!
~Cozetta
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