Overcome winter blahs

Roasting marshmallows in the wood stove when the weather is blustery outside can be a fun way to beat the winter blahs.

Spring is still a couple of weeks off and the rainy weather we have had recently can be very depressing. The children may be bored and your marriage may be suffering. Beating the winter blahs can energize your marriage and family.
Consider some of the following ideas:
- Have a picnic on the living room floor. Gather your indoor plants, spread a table cloth or blanket and pretend you are outside. You can have a great picnic and be minus the ants all at the same time.
- Try a new recipe for dinner. While enjoying the meal with the family, take turns sharing something you are looking forward to this spring.
- Have a window shopping date with a twist. Look for all the things you already have!
- Call, write, e-mail or text someone you haven not contacted for a long time. The children can get out the rubber stamps and or colored markers and make a card for their grandparents. It will brighten your day as well as theirs.
- Clean out a cluttered closet or junk drawer. Donate the usable items that you do not need to a charity or save them up and hold a yard sale when spring arrives. Children will be interested in this idea if they get to keep the money raised from the items they contribute to the sale.
- Have a dinnertime shuffle. Have each family member sit at someone else’s place and act like that person.
- Take a picnic lunch to work. Include a checkered tablecloth to spread out on a lunchroom table. Also add some colored eggs. Plan a few days ahead and get your coworkers to join in.
- Visit someone in a nursing home or a friend in the hospital. Bring flowers or a balloon to brighten their room.
- On a rainy day put on boots or shoes that can get wet and go splash in the puddles. When you have had enough go inside, dry off and make hot chocolate with marshmallows.
- Roast hot dogs and or marshmallows in the fireplace or wood stove. Talk about your favorite past camping trip or talk about plans for one you can take this summer.
- Get out a favorite board game. Make popcorn or the family’s favorite snack to munch on while playing the game.
- Get out the seed catalogs or go to the local nursery to look at seed that you might like to plant in a few weeks. Plan what you want your garden to look like.
Remember spring is just around the corner. Invest time now in your marriage and family. Then you can begin the new season with healthy relationships.