Thursday, October 30, 2008

10 Things To Do During The Winter

Photo by Lara Ferroni

Here in the States, the first traces of winter are starting to flutter into open windows which means hot soup, warm blankets, and a lot of time spent indoors. Being confined inside can drive some absolutely stir-crazy, so to counteract these lazy days here are ten simple ways to keep busy and ensure that you have a superbly thrilling winter!

01. Invite friends over for tea, hot cocoa, and cider, then break out all your favorite flicks for a lively movie marathon. My personal picks to warm up winter days? Better Off Dead, Be Kind Rewind, and Ed Wood.

02.  Have a take-out adventure. Dig through all of those delivery menus that you've managed to acquire over the years and order something from every one. Make it your goal to get through them all before spring rolls around.

03. Open a cafe in your living room. Cook up all kinds of tasty deserts and concoctions and invite friends and family over to have some coffee and enjoy the atmosphere. Bonus points if you or someone you know is in a band and is willing to contribute some live music!

04. Head to your local library and bring home as many books as you can carry. Try to make it through the whole pile in one month and be sure to document your literary adventures with journal entries or podcasts. Include your thoughts, favorite quotes, and possibly even a re-enactment of a particularly thrilling scene.

05. Make a movie! Round up your closest friends and re-create a historical event, your entire life, or even an encyclopedia entry! Insist on using only what you have lying around for props and costumes and have a red-carpet premier to celebrate its completion.

06. Renew your living space. Clean out the closet, go through your books, get rid of all those magazine subscriptions that you never read and generally tidy up. Not only will your flat be less cluttered, but it will help you relax and contribute to a more productive environment.

07. Design your dream dress - go all out and be sure to include every little detail, from hand-stitched flowers to tiny white feathers. If you're daring enough, hone in on your sewing skills and actually create it!

08. Make mix-tapes for all occasions. A mix for meeting someone new, a mix for accidently stumbling over a crack in the street, a mix for seeing an especially adorable dog at the park... when you're finished, send them to the people you know who remind you of the occasion. 

09. Celebrate a holiday that your country doesn't.  November 1st & 2nd is Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico, or the traditional Day of the Dead, November 3rd is Japanese Culture Day, and December 8th is La Purisima in Nicaragua. Do a little research into international holidays and celebrate as many as you possibly can!

10. Create your own tarot deck. Use watercolors and ink and tissue paper and ribbon to personalize your very own set, drawing tiny interpretations of all the cards. When you're finished, carry them everywhere and offer to give readings to anyone you see who looks especially curious.

In a part of the world were summer is just beginning? Have a look at 10 Things To Do During The Summer and get inspired!

Always,
Penelope ♥

6 comments:

Bridey said...

I love all of these ideas! Now I just have to decide which one to do first...

My Stifled Laughter said...

-Make it your goal to get through them all before "spring rolls" around.-

Pun intended about Chinese food? xD Hm, I like the library idea. :D

Anonymous said...

My Stifled Laughter - Haha! I didn't even notice that! Well, now that you mention it...

Always,
Penelope ♥

Anonymous said...

Some brilliant suggestions :)

Anonymous said...

How lovely! I adore winter & I adore this list. I shall resolve to do all of these things by the time winter ends; possibly, all twice! Winter lasts long in the North Country, lol

Quiltmoose - Dagmar said...

Hi Penelope,
I like your ideas (I definitely am a summer person!) and hopefully will remember some of those when it's really dark and cold...

Greetings from Germany,
Dagmar

I came her from bot-swap (Mamamoose) - thanks for the link!!!
http://quiltmoose.blogspot.com/