Let's talk about embracing the winter cold in the month of January & perhaps even romanticizing life during these frigid midwinter days!
My husband begs me to move us someplace warmer every single January. I don't find myself dealing with the winter blues in the same ways he does, so inevitably I chirp on about all the fresh water and our families, and the beautiful summers (minus the bugs). Year after year I push away his misery and expect him to tough it out, we're halfway through it by February! But this morning, looking into his frosty eyes and holding his goose-bumped hand, I realized I could do better than brush off his blues. So, I made a list and improved our family's 'Fun Days" calendar. No longer will we hibernate, holding out for warmer days. We are going to embrace this freeze together, join us!
January - In the bleak midwinter
Fancy New Year's Day breakfast.
Pull out those special occasion outfits, dress up, and start the year with a bang looking your best with someone you love.
Visit a conservatory or greenhouse near you.
The University of MN - Duluth has a greenhouse open to the public Monday-Friday and I can't think of a better way to warm up and embrace winter than by pretending we're someplace warmer among the greenery.
Use those holiday gift cards!
I used to tuck those lovely gift cards away for a rainy day, feeling they could be saved for when I really needed something, but not anymore! It's time to treat those cards more like the gifts they are and enjoy something special just for fun.
Cozy movie marathon.
Snuggles are always a good idea. So pull out the air mattress and every blanket in the house, cuddle up, and watch a trilogy. You want something long and involved to make a whole day of this!
Cidar with friends.
Wrangling people for get-togethers is not easy when you're all busy with adulting and anxiety, I am right? But make an effort to get out there to share some time with friends, bonus points if you find a bar with fire pits!
Find a sauna.
Warm yourselves from the inside out and embrace this northerner's tradition.
Plan some summer camping trips or getaways.
Having something to look forward to is a great way to overcome melancholy. I like to get us into the woods as often as I can in the summer months, and with our goal of visiting every MN State Park, we do be needing to plan. This is a great way to remind us of the happy reasons we embrace MN as home.
Take a community class.
I recently began a pottery class and I can't say enough about it. Having a warm and friendly place to gather with others just to create for the sake of it is a treasure. After pottery, I've signed myself and my husband up for community ballroom lessons!
Cookbook club!
We all need to eat, so why not cook and eat together? I saw this idea on Facebook and I've wanted to get started ever since. Get some friends or family on board, meet once a month, or every other month, and work through some recipes and meals together. Cheers!
Take a dip.
There are so many local pools and gyms with day pass opportunities. Get in the water, enjoy the waves, exercise a bit, and thaw out.
Visit a museum or art gallery.
Many communities provide free and reduced-price opportunities to their attractions during the winter months as attendance goes down. Getting out to learn about something new is sure to take your mind off the weather, at least for a little while.
Embrace the cold and hit the slopes.
Bundle up and grab your skates, your sleds, or your skis, and play in the snow. This is tough, especially when we're in a cold snap, but once you get out there it's always a good time. Then warm up with a cup of hot chocolate when you're back inside.
Head out to a movie or live music.
Staying in and staying cozy is tempting, but finding new places and faces creates the novelty we humans need to stay happy and healthy. So, warm up the car and head out for some entertainment.
Bake!
With all the extra layers we're wearing this time of year, we can get away with a few extra calories too. Spend the day baking cookies, breads, pies, and all kinds of sweets to snack on when you need a little sugar lift.
Host or attend a clothing swap.
These have become very popular in recent years and I always find something new and fun to add to my wardrobe while being Earth-friendly. Purge your closet of all the unworn things and exchange them at the swap - who knows what you'll find in those piles!
Rest.
Winter is a time for rest. It may start to feel tedious being trapped indoors for months, but I try to look at it as a time to focus on hobbies, unread books, and look inward. Summer is so busy, I appreciate the months spent doing a little less.
Create or attend a group.
Always wanted to attend a book club? Knitting club? Fix-it clinic? Start one or get out and try one. Learning new things with others and making time to socialize is a no-fail way to avoid becoming dreary during the dark and cold winter months.
Day trip!
Just because there's snow on the roads doesn't mean you can't safely venture out. Find a town or attraction outside your usual stomping grounds and make a day of it. Drive slowly, make a great playlist, and have an adventure.
At-home spa day - or a real one if you're feeling fancy.
My husband is not interested in this one, but I always encourage him anyway, and recently I bought an at-home shoulder and neck messager that he's not opposed to. Face scrub, body lotion, manicure, long bath, think pampering. Yes, you'll cover it all up in layers and stockings, but it's a good idea to nurture our bodies all year long.
Volunteer on Martin Luther King Day.
Martin Luther King Day is a national day of service, and there are always volunteer opportunities available in communities big and small. Making yourself available to serve your community is very fulfilling and opens doors to new relationships and opportunities.
Get Organized.
Who says spring cleaning has to be done in the spring? If you're to be stuck inside anyway, you might as well tend to the clutter. I love a good organization project and find it so much easier to entertain myself once I know where everything is.
Game night.
Pull out the oldies or buy something new and pull together some loved ones for good old-fashioned fun. I think unplugging and acting silly with a game of Twister, or charades is the most fun game night, my daughter chooses Mario every time.
Vacation somewhere warm.
Ok, this one can't be for everyone or done every year, but if you're living in the frigid north and you have the means to do so, vacation someplace warm. Although I don't want to leave my home state, my husband is right that basking in the sun is wildly more enjoyable than seeing your breath when venturing outside.
Exercise.
Boo right? I can't get myself to the gym consistently at all. The only way I find any joy in the experience is heading to a group class. Whether it's yoga or pilates I love the energy of getting active with others.
Create a vision board.
This is a lovely cliche activity to enjoy at the start of the new year. I like to create more of a mood board with general activities I want to engage in and colors or textures I want my year to evoke. I include a few specific goals, but feeling out the mood and energy I want to move forward with tends to be more satisfying.
It's National Spouses Day!
I love a corny lover's day filled with 'us' time. I say, make some time to get frisky. Yes, do the deed and enjoy each other's company. I suppose you don't have to make your time together naughty... but you should!
Enjoy a puzzle.
I like to start something enormous - 5,000-10,000 pieces. This takes months to complete, but each time I wander over to the puzzle table it becomes a nice distraction and centerpiece that encourages the whole family to gather and chat.
Go ice-fishing and eat your catch.
The 28th of this year is Lunar New Year's Eve and we're traveling into the Year of the Snake. According to Chinese tradition, eating fish on Lunar New Year's Eve is good luck, bringing prosperity into the new year. If you want to be traditional, serve the fish whole, and leave only a bite on the plate to encourage prosperity next year too.
Bonfire
My husband loves to chop wood - it's his preferred form of meditation. So inevitably during the cold winter months, we'll gather some of his firewood and invite the neighbors over to hover near the flames with hot apple cider. This is a favorite tradition.
Create a restaurant club or bucket list.
Make a list and gather some friends to try a new place to eat once or twice a month. Consider ordering family style so that everyone can try multiple dishes and really enjoy the new food experience. My daughter encouraged us to start this tradition and we've had incredible meals we wouldn't have tried thanks to her.
Create a time capsule.
I think this is such a sweet idea. Gather some photos, write letters to your future selves, record a fun video onto a flash drive, make ink prints of your pet's paws, get creative with what represents your life today, and tuck it away somewhere special for the next 10 to 100 years!
Taking the time to mindfully plan big and small activities that help us embrace the winter months has already helped us to move from survival mode to better living.
"You can choose to be happy or you can choose to be sad, but either way, you'll have the same amount of snow."
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