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Winter is a celebration!

Good morning friends. It’s a cold one this morning here and for many up and down the East coast. If you are in the path of the storm I hope that you bundle up and stay safe  if you have to go out. If you are at home, stay there and enjoy a snow day.

I know I am in the minority when I say this but I LOVE WINTER! I love everything about it, the snow, the cold and the slower pace. Winter it the perfect time to rest, relax and regroup. It is also the perfect excuse to stay in, stay home and catch up on all of the things you let slide during the hot summer days.

There is nothing better than a book.

If you are not like me and you hate winter today is your lucky day because I am going to share a few things to help you not only survive wither but you might even thrive and come to like it.

11 Ways to Survive the Winter Blues

1. Change your mindset

If you are a person that hates winter and you get up every day grumbling about how much you hate the cold, then you are in for a l-o-n-g, cold, bad winter. If you look for the good in every winter day and maybe use the time to start planning your garden or summer adventure than winter won’t seem so bad. Each season has something to offer so make a list of all of the things you can only do in the winter and enjoy those things.

Lean to paint this winter.

2. Learn Something New

Winter is the perfect time to brush up your skills or learn something new. You could learn to paint, take an online cooking class, you could take a free class from Edx or Coursera. Both Edx and Coursera offer free classes. You could also get a subscription to MasterClass, my husband and I signed up for Masterclass during the first lockdown and have used it ever since. Some of my favorite instructors have been Misty Copeland, Kelly Whistler, Alice Waters and Sarah Blakley to name just a few. We also have a subscription to YesChef and have learned many new cooking techniques over the last year.

3. Puzzles and Games

Set up a puzzle on your dining room table, take some time with you family to put it together or simply leave it there and add a few pieces whenever you walk by. Games are another fun family activity, pull out your favorite games, Dominos, checkers, Clue, Monopoly and play a friendly game with your kids on a snow day or in the evening. Playing games or working on a puzzle gets you off of social media and spending quality time with the family.

4. Book List

If you are like me you have a stack of books piled next to your bed, on the table and on your Kindle just waiting to be read. The winter days can be long so why not enjoy the time reading? Think of it as beach reading but in the comfort of your own home without the hassle or travel or packing. You can find all of the books I read and talk about on the blog, typically in my Friday Favorites post on a special board I created on Pinterest, called My Bookshop.

If you like winter you will love this video!

5. Learn about Hygge.

Hygge for those that are unfamiliar, pronounced hoo-gah, it is basically the Danish concept of nesting. The word roughly translates to cosiness and conviviality, but it encompasses your entire attitude about life. Some say it is hygge that makes the people of Denmark the happiest on earth. I wrote a post about it way back in 2016 when the concept was becoming popular in the states, you can read that post here.

Quote by Edith Sitwell

6.  Play Outside

Winter is here for a few months so why not bundle up in your comfy down jacket, add a hat, scarf and warm mittens and go outside and enjoy a winter sport? You could learn to ski, or snowshoe which is my all time favorite winter activity, go sledding, make snow angels, catch snowflakes on your tongue, maybe even pretend for just a moment to be a kid again.

7. Relax and Rejuvenate Your Spirit

It has been another long year, we have just finished up the holidays so you deserve to rest. Take some time to reflect on the last year, think about what you want to accomplish this year. Relax, especially on the weekends, sit with a pile of magazines, read a book, take the time to savor a cup of hot chocolate, coffee or a hot toddy.

8. Declutter and Organize

Most people “spring clean” in the Spring but why not do a deep clean of your house in the winter? Winter is the perfect time to declutter and detox your space, especially since you probably moved all sorts of things in order to put up your Christmas tree and decorations. Take your time and go room by room, closet by closet, and get rid of the clothes, decorations, books, cds, towels, kitchen items and whatever else no longer works  in your space or for you. If you want to take the time to list it on Facebook marketplace you can do that or you could be generous and give it to charity. Speaking of have you seen new Home Edit organizational supplies at Walmart?

Cosy time in front of the fire

9. Go to bed early

Once the cold weather sets I think most of us feel like hibernating. Go to bed early and catch up on the sleep you lost over the holidays.

10. Comfort Food

Get in the kitchen and make some warm soups, stews and chili. During the colder months our bodies need food to stave off the cold. Not to mention being in the kitchen cooking, baking and creating scrumptious dishes makes us feel good and our families enjoy it too.

Winter Quote Paul Theroux

11. Reach Out

If you do not like winter chances are someone else that you know doesn’t like it either. Reach out and check on them, see how they are feeling and dealing with the winter blues. Invite them for coffee or just to chat, let them know that they are not alone.

Pin Me for Later

Pin Me for Later Cosy Season

If you love winter and would love more ideas on winter fun, styling, lakeside living in the north woods of Wisconsin to name just a few winter topics check out White Arrow Home where Kristian shares all of this and more.

Are you a fan of winter? What do you enjoy about it? What do you dislike about it? How do you survive the winter blues?

If you would like more ideas on how to beat the winter blues visit my friend Regina 5 Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs

Have a great day friends. Thank you so much for stopping by today friends, I appreciate you spending part of your day here.

Don’t forget you can also find Pinecones and Acorns on most social media sites,  Facebook Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Or you can subscribe to the blog and get the posts in your mailbox.

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