Winter – bleh! Haven’t we all had enough of it?! It’s tough to get through the entire season without feeling a bit stir-crazy or blue at times. It’s just SO cold! This morning it was below zero with a wind chill, so I put on my big girl (long) undies under my pants & braved it to the bus stop with my kids.  As I’ve said before, you just have to get out in spite of the cold!

A few other saving graces to make it easier to survive the winter doldrums are:

  • Spring cleaning / organizing in winter – It does feel so good to go through various parts of our house and review what we really use and need. I had a visit from a dear friend inspire me to get organized. You can read more about that here.
  • Enjoy a stay-cation – we went to local nature center(s) / parks, headed to a children’s museum / bouncy house place, and enjoyed an indoor waterpark.
  • Talk with friends – I was feeling a bit blah, but an actual phone conversation with a dear friend really brightened my spirits.
  • PLAN something – a getaway, next year’s winter vacation, a date night, play date, kid’s activities, or girls’ night – anything! I’m a big planner, so this is totally in my wheelhouse!
  • Get outside, weather permitting – my kids are less crazy when they get some fresh air. Likewise Daddy O. and I did some snowshoeing recently, and it DID feel nice to get some exercise and actually feel warm when in the snow.

    My kids sure love playing in and eating the snow!
    My kids sure love playing in and eating the snow!
  • Get crafty – I’m loving some Valentine’s crafting right now. Soon I’ll attack some scrapbook pages that I’ve been meaning to make too.
  • Curl up with a good book. I just read Unbroken – a little too quickly because I’m now in search of another fantastic read.
  • Read other blogs – commiserate with them & get ideas on fun things to try!

Here are some of a few blogs I follow that seemed so relevant to surviving winter:

Momma Blogs A Lot – What’s Saving My Life Right Now

The Pinterested Parent – Toddler Science Made Easy (and so many more fun ideas)

When the Kids Go to Bed – Snow Fortresses Aren’t Just for Kids

Mom Turned Mum – Make: Snow Ice Cream (hey, my kids are eating it already anyway!)

How are you getting through winter? I’d love to hear your tips & tricks!