Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs (without taking a cruise in the Caribbean)

As I mentioned yesterday, winter can really get me down. When I find I'm coming down with a case of the seasonal blahs, I fight it with some of these things:

1. Let the sunshine in! The first thing I do every morning (after starting the coffee maker) is open up the blinds. Even on cloudy, dreary days, the natural light comes in and brightens up our day.

2. Play outside! It's hard to get motivated to go outside when it's cold, but fresh air does wonders for the spirit! Bundle up, take everybody outside, and enjoy the crisp air!

3. Bring the horseplay inside! This might be harder if your kids are bigger. Since mine are 4 and 1, we can easily run, wrestle, bounce and play inside without anyone or anything getting hurt. One of my kids' favorite things to do is run, back and forth and back and forth (and backandforthbackandforth) from our dining room to our living room. It burns energy, it's good for them, and it gets the winter wiggles out!

4. Break out the board games! When you're inside most of the day, it's too easy to sit in front of the TV or computer. Make a point to turn off the screens and tune in to each other. Board games, puzzles, crafts, even just coloring together are great ways to exercise creativity and imagination.

5. Create something! Bake cookies. Rearrange your mantle. Scrapbook. Make beaded necklaces with your kids. Paint that old chair that you've been wanting to revamp. Creativity is great for self-expression and mental rejuvenation!

6. Explore! Get out of the house and go somewhere! Go to a different library, a different mall, a museum, a park. Take a drive to a part of town you haven't seen before and spend some time exploring. If your kids are older, they can help you plan your excursion and even map out your adventure!

7. Learn something! Have you always wanted to learn to crochet? Knit? Sew? Make bread? Photoshop? There are so many great tutorials available online, and winter is perfect for trying out a new skill. I love to knit, and every winter I manage to learn a few new techniques.

8. Plan for spring! Map out a garden. Make a list of family outings you'd like to take in the upcoming months. Design a sandbox to build for your kids in the spring.

9. Take a Time Out! Sometimes all it takes to shake the blahs is a nice Time Out. For me, this would probably look like a quiet, sunny coffee shop, with my Kindle and a snack and no children. (That last part is key.) Winter brings with it a lot of togetherness, and sometimes all of that togetherness makes it hard for a Mama to think! Taking a Time Out helps to clear the cobwebs and refresh the mind.

10. Serve! There is no better way to work through problems than to serve others. Help a family member with a project. Work with a church group. Volunteer with a charitable organization. Help an elderly neighbor with snow-shoveling and errand-running. The possibilities are endless!

What do you do to get through the long days of winter?

For more great Top Ten Tuesday lists, visit OhAmanda.com!

Sharing is Nice

The first Monday of the New Year is always a bit of a shock. The Christmas decorations are put away (they are at our house, anyway), the cookies are gone, and everyone has to return to regularly-scheduled programming.

Bah, humbug.

This stretch of the year, from the beginning of January until, say, Easter, is my least favorite. Between the cold, the ice, the uniform brown-ness of the world...it discourages me. But, hey! We're not going to focus on that! We're going to focus on good things, like yummy recipes.

Jalapeno Popper Dip - this dip was the star of our New Year's Day celebration. If you like jalapeno poppers...if you like dip...if you are breathing...you will love this dip! We served it with pita chips, and it was perfection. (I might finish off the leftovers for breakfast...don't tell.)

Gingerbread Cookies - I had never made gingerbread cookies before this year, but I knew that Wendy would really enjoy helping me decorate them. This recipe was simple and wonderful! The only trouble I had was with cutting the cookies out. The first cookie cutters I was trying to use were too detailed, and the cookies kept tearing as I was trying to lift them out of the dough. Changing to a larger, simpler cookie cutter solved the problem, and they turned out great!

Did you try any new recipes this holiday season? What was your favorite?

Eleven Goals for 2011

I won't call these "resolutions," but rather things I would like to accomplish in 2011. These aren't in any particular order; I'm not sure what I'll tackle first!

1. Get the kids' bedroom moved upstairs.
2. Set up the playroom/schoolroom downstairs.
3. De-clutter wherever possible.
4. Paint the bathroom.
5. Paint the kitchen.
6. Strip & repaint old porch swing.
7. Paint porch railing.
8. Establish a regular Bible study schedule.
9. Establish a regular exercise schedule.
10. Take more pictures.
11. Do something creative every day.

What's on your list this year?