We’re not even halfway through winter and I’m sure that many of you are starting to get the early signs of cabin fever. Here are some of my favourite ways to beat the winter blues and enjoy the winter months!
Freshen the Place Up
Now that all the holiday ornaments are away, you have a clean slate for the New Year. It’s a great time of year to look at your home with new eyes and reassess what’s working and what needs to change. If I have a free Sunday, I like to pick one room in the house and just go crazy with it – organizing cupboards and shelves, cleaning all those nooks and crannies, sorting out what can be donated or trashed and figuring out new ways to repurpose a space.
It can be as big as rearranging a whole room and as small as buying a bouquet of flowers at the grocery store, but any change can make a difference in how you feel about your space.
Get Creative and Make Some Artwork
I had so much fun this summer making some artwork for our dining room with some dollar store canvases and acrylic paints. Both the Overlapping Circles Painting and Easy Cutlery Painting are a fun beginner painting project to get your creative juices flowing.
Painting and taking the time to be creative can be very therapeutic. Find a spot with natural light and sit by the window. The sunlight coming in will give you a healthy dose of Vitamin D to make you feel better too!
Get Outside – even if it’s for a short period of time!
It’s so easy to let the cold weather keep you inside. I’m guilty of turning down winter activities in favour of indoor snuggles with Whiskey (who absolutely hates cold weather), but you can be missing out on some real fun out there. If I make a point to get really well bundled up (I’m talking about rockin’ the snowpants, my friends), it’s usually not nearly as bad as I made it out to be in my head.
We got outside to go skiing for a couple of hours this weekend. It was Garrett’s second attempt at it and we had a great time.
Although I’ll admit that the best part of the day was after the skiing – when we got to enjoy some burgers and fries with gravy in the ski chalet. It’s all about balance, right?
Break Into A Sweat
If exercising outdoors just sounds too unbearable right now, maybe take the time this winter to try a new indoor activity. Check your local recreation centres and gyms for something you’ve never done before, or pick up an activity that you’ve dropped along the way. I’ve been doing more weight training lately and I forgot how much I love yoga too, so I’ve made a point to put it in my calendar a couple of times over the next few weeks. I’m looking forward to getting back into my class now, because I won’t want to be indoors for it when the good weather comes around.
I also like to look for fitness inspiration on Instagram as well. My favourite feeds to follow are @BeachYogaGirl (inspiring acro yoga poses!) and the lovely Tone It Up ladies at @karenakatrina. They both have great photos of fun in the sun, which helps me forget that I’m currently living in the tundra.
Date Night
You may have seen this instagram pic of me getting ready for date night on Saturday. Taking the time to put on high heels, glam up your makeup and do your hair makes SUCH a difference to how you feel. Plus I got to have a great night out with my dashing fiance. It’s not something that we do very often, but it’s always so much fun when we do. Having a date night, whether it’s with your significant other or even a group of girlfriends, can really lift your winter spirits.
Games Night
You don’t have to go out to have a great time with friends. Host a games night at your place and serve up some delicious appetizers like Jalapeno Popper Wheels, Healthier Baked Mozzarella Sticks, Hot Artichoke Parmesan Dip, Spinach Parmesan Dip and Spinach Phyllo Roll Ups.
Try a New Recipe
When I’m feeling uninspired in the kitchen, I revisit my Recipe page or hit up my Yummy Food Ideas Pinterest board for new ideas. Garrett and I will head out together to pick up the ingredients (and maybe grab a new type of wine), and then hang out in the kitchen together with the music blasting. It almost always turns into something delicious and fun to make together.
These Cauliflower Breadsticks are on my list for this weekend. They look like a fun, healthy take on one of our favourite pizzeria treats.
Hope that this gives you some ideas on how to get out of your cold weather funk and make the most of this winter. If you have any ideas and suggestions on how to keep winter fun, share them in the comments. I’d love to hear them!
