Fun Indoor Winter Activities

Have Fun with Winter Activities at Home

We are very fortunate in Sonoma County that most of the winter we can enjoy outdoor activities. We might need to bundle up since it’s cold, but there aren’t many days where we can’t enjoy being outside. There have been a few times recently with high winds and lots of rain that have made outdoor activities either unsafe or not a lot of fun. We give you some great ideas for fun winter activities you can do indoors to make the most of rainy weather. People in many places in the United States deal with inclement weather many times of year, so they are accustomed to finding activities they can do indoors to make the most of winter weather conditions.

 

I’m still running on two generators as I write this article. Six days without power. I’ve even gotten good at activities you can do by flashlight! So, I’ll share some activities that many of us have been enjoying in the last week that make for good times when the weather is not so good. Try out some of these and I think you’ll have fun on those nasty winter days inside.

 

Try Your Hand at Making Candy

 

This is actually easier than you think especially if you have power. Also, why I love having a gas stove because I can still use the cooktop when the power is out. For those of you with power, a microwave comes in handy for making candy the easy way. Just search for microwave candy recipes and you’ll be amazed at what you find. If you want to use a double boiler a candy thermometer comes in handy. But don’t let not having a candy thermometer stop you, our grandmothers used their eyes to judge how hot the candy mix was getting on the stove. Think of homemade peanut brittle, fudge, taffy, a homemade version of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and so much more. Most homemade candy recipes store very well, so make a generous amount so you have some on hand or to give away for gifts.

 

Take a Luxurious Bath

 

While away an afternoon, late morning, or evening with a luxurious bath. You know the one you never take the time to prep for yourself. Put together scented candles, body oil or body butter, your favorite essential oil for your bath, bubbles if you wish, and pour yourself a glass of wine or make yourself a cup of tea or hot chocolate and enjoy. Most of us are on the go all the time and taking a lazy hour to pamper yourself in a hot bath steaming with your favorite essential oils is wonderful self-care!

 

Take Up a New Craft

 

Blustery winter days are a great time to indulge yourself in your creative side by taking up a new craft. Have you wanted to learn how to work with leather, learn to knit, crochet, tatting, press flowers, learn origami, or have you wanted to learn beading? A cold and rainy winter day is a great time to take the time to learn a new craft. There are so many great blogs online that will take you through learning a new craft.

These activities take a little forethought to get supplies on hand, but it is so worth it. I still marvel at how my grandmother had seven children and found the time to do tatting, which I still have to this day. A nice bonus to most of these activities it will give you something to concentrate on other than the howling wind and they tend to be calming activities for most people.

 

Learn to Bake Bread

 

There is nothing like the aroma of home-baked bread filling the house to soothe your mind on a winter day. Bread baking is so easy and once again there are so many people on Instagram giving hints of bread baking, you’ll find it astounding. If Instagram isn’t your thing, blogs abound on bread baking that will take you through all the steps. My advice is always to make two loaves because one will be gone so fast, especially if you have children. Involve your children in bread baking, they’ll find the kneading and pulling a lot of fun, not to mention how tasty the bread is when it comes out of the oven.

 

Go Shopping in Your Closet

 

This is a great activity to involve your girlfriends or female family members in. Going shopping in your closet and trying on new combinations of outfits gets you thinking outside of the box and also lets you organize your closet at the same time. Most of us don’t take the time to look at our closet creatively, we just get dressed each morning. But viewing your closet with new eyes ends up giving you new wardrobe possibilities and it’s fun too! Shopping your closet also lets you thin out the items you no longer love and pass them on to friends or give them to charity.

 

Try Scrapbooking

 

Starting to scrapbook takes a little planning, but it is very easy to print photos and grab memorabilia from around your home to put together your first scrapbook. So many stickers, different papers, pens, and fun things to use creatively in scrapbooking, plus you have a finished project that will bring back many memories. You can scrapbook a trip, the birth of a child, graduations, anniversaries, or whatever suits your creative spirit.

 

Transfer Your Photos to Digital

 

This project is fun and also safeguards your older paper photos and albums. This really came home to me with the fires that came through Sonoma County years ago. It’s a great way to pass on photos to your family too. So easy these days with the instant scanners that are available online for under $100.

 

Make Soup

 

Winter weather is a wonderful time to make a pot of soup. The flavors wafting through the house are so yummy! Whether make soup from scratch or try one of the soup mixes that are so popular today that halves your time in soup preparation. I use Frontier Soups, both their Meals in Minutes and Hearty Meals, both have helped me create yummy meals for my family quickly with leftovers to spare.

Try Yoga, Qigong or Tai Chi

 

If you have always wanted to try yoga, qigong, or tai chi, stormy weather is a wonderful time to try out one of these to get in better shape, be more flexible, and help with the winter blahs. There are so many YouTube videos that give excellent instruction or try one of the many applications that are available to learn and track your progress at the same time.

 

Trying something new when the weather keeps you indoors helps your mood and along the way, you learn something new and if you are making a project, you have something to show for your time spent. Pick up a book to read, do a Netflix binge, or whatever gets you feeling good on one of our rainy Sonoma County days. Be sure to give us a call at Crystal Clear Home if after all the rain you find your house dirtier than normal and we would be more than happy to give you a beautifully clean home once again. Just give us a call at 707-827-3316 or fill out our FREE ESTIMATE form and one of our cleaning professionals will give you a call promptly.