To put it mildly, I love, love, love the cold. Give me a brisk 40° Fahrenheit day and I literally turn into Elsa. Yet for some on the other end of the spectrum, the cold brings winter blues or a sense of boredom.
But never fear! When the cold is too cold to go outside, I start masterminding all the things I could do to stay productive and keep me busy indoors.
Feeling inspired? Check out my 25 Things to Cross of Your 2019 Winter Bucket List post for even more fun winter activities to try!
MAKE A HOLIDAY PLAYLIST
For me, one of the best things about the holidays is the music! It always makes me nostalgic for a time I wasn’t born in. Plus it adds a little more pep in your step and an extra twinkle in your eye.
A few of my favs to are:
- “The Christmas Song” – Nat King Cole
- “Happy Holidays” – Andy Williams
- “All I Want For Christmas Is You” – Mariah Carey
- “Winter Wonderland -Jesse McCartney
- “Wham!” – Last Christmas
- “Let it Snow” – Dean Martin
If you’re feeling a little stuck coming up with some tunes of your own, try Pandora’s Christmas Radio or Spotify’s Happy Holidays.
WATCH YOUR FAVORITE FESTIVE FILM OR SHOW
Deck out your favorite spot in the house with a stack of fluffy pillows, put on some comfy leggings (love me some leggings) grab a toasty warm drink, and eat your favorite cookie (mine is snickerdoodle). Then it’s time to plop down in front of a good old Christmas movie or TV special.
DECK THE HALLS
If you celebrate Christmas, it wouldn’t be Christmas without transforming your home into Santa’s grotto. Some type of tree is a must, but don’t stress! You can go big, go small, or even go miniature! It’s all about creating warm memories by placing things around your home that make you smile.
Speaking of which, don’t forget about wreaths, garlands, and all the glittery festive stringy or glass ornaments that are a pain to sweep up.
GET CREATIVE
Painting, making Christmas cards, crafting decorations, baking cookies, the possibilities are endless! Not only is it a great way to pass time, but it’s also pretty therapeutic too!
Bonus: You can gift some of your creative crafts for a thoughtful homemade present
CURL UP WITH SOME GOOD READS
Take some time out from the screens & indulge in a good book. Maybe a brand new bestseller, a Christmas classic or even some holiday-themed magazines.
Some of my favs are:
- The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S Lewis
- The Road Not Taken and Other Poems by Robert Frost
- Southern Living Magazine
- Any HGTV Magazine
TAKE UP JOURNALING
I’ll admit, I’ve fallen off the journaling bandwagon a couple of times but I’m determined to pick it back up and stick with it (this year), for 2020 #goals.
Winter, fall, or any cold/rainy day, is the perfect time to reconnect with yourself and get to know YOU better. If straight journaling on blank pages freaks you out, try one with prompts. Who knows, you may even find out things about yourself that you never even knew!
CLEANING & ORGANIZING
I tend to use the cold seasons as kind of like a reset button for myself. Re-organizing rooms or the closet, deep cleaning the apartment, or swapping out summer items for winter gear are all ways to get mentally prepared for the new season.
PAMPER & SELF-CARE
?Time? to? take? a? break.
Winter is the perfect time to clear your mind and focus more on yourself. Let your mind and body relax as you bask in the feeling of not being uber busy.
Take a bubble bath, pet animals, meditate, do some yoga. Whatever it is that gives you a chance to reconnect with yourself.
And if you’re feeling stuck, check out my 3 Ways to Include more Self-Love in Your Routine for more ideas!
GET YOUR BAKE ON
Who else has been binging Food Network’s Christmas baking competitions? I’m way too invested in their cookie bake-off and feel this immense need to bake ‘till I pass out!
Cookies, and pies, and cakes, and fritters, and tarts. Oh my! The possibilities are endless!
How do you stay productive and busy during the winter?
15 Comments
This sounds exactly like what I need and funny enough I’m currently listening to Bublé XD
Bublé is Christmas even if he only comes out of hiding around this time, haha!
????
I do love baking in the winter. It is a great way to heat up the house.
Yes! And when the smell of what you’re baking wafts through the house … delightful!
Im in Cleveland and I must admit I love a few good snow days myself! I love being in the house with my family watching movies or doing things to keep busy and warm!
Snow days are so magical to me! Getting to get all warm and cozy is just a great feeling!
I love baking! It is always what I look forward to the most during the holiday season. I can’t wait to have time to start.
Bella
https://xoxoBella.com
Me too! Food Network has upped my want to bake this season even more!
I love these! The Chronicles of Narnia is such a good winter read
I loved the books and the movies … still waiting for them to put out more!
Baking is a surefire way to pass the long, cold days here in my house, that’s a definite.
Same over here! Food Network always inspires me even more around the holidays!
This is great! Unfortunately, it doesn’t get very cold where we live, so we don’t have to worry about the cold.
Aww thanks! I’m here in NYC so it always gets cold around winter and I never want to go out, lol.