- Pray - what a great time to pray unceasingly!
Turn those whines and complaints to praise, thanksgiving and
supplication. There is so much to pray for these days. My favorite is
the Memorare, I pray it during down times/menial task times such as
folding laundry, sweeping or vacuuming, etc. It helps me not to
complain so much about the little things.
- Exercise - this is my numero uno anti-seasonal affective disorder tool. I need to sweat, I need to move or else I get depressed.
- Party! - as much as I love my Winter cave every so often I crave the company of human beings ;-) Fortunately for me we have Winter birthdays so it gives me an excuse to have people over.
celebrating February birthdays 
my excuse to have the family over - Clean, Dust and De-clutter - speaking of having people over...Winter is the perfect time to deal with that box teeming with old mail and paper clutter. Purge your closets, your file cabinets, pantry, etc. (not all at once, of course). Each week I pick a spot in the house that needs deep cleaned then I have the children clean it ;-)
- Conquer the laundry bin - that other bane of our existence. Penitential in nature, so perfect for Lent.
- Read - get cozy on that couch and grab your favorite book or the one you've been meaning to read. I'm not talking about reading to your kids (you can do that too) but giving everyone a book of their own and cuddle on the couch together. Eventually someone will fall asleep and that there ladies and gentlemen makes for a blissful afternoon.
- Watch a movie - we just recently finished our annual Lord of the Rings trilogy marathon. Make sure there's enough popcorn for everyone.
getting ready for Frodo and Gandalf - Light a candle - we always have a candle burning during school hours. There's something about it that calms all of us. I would really like to have fire on the fireplace but ours need to be repaired before we can use it again. For now we make do with a candle.
let there be light - Decorate - staring at the same four walls of your home can be mind-numbing. Take advantage of the liturgical calendar feasts and put some cheer in your home
Valentine's day mantel/altar 
once the V-day decorations came down the St. Patrick ones came up, my children love to decorate - Sleep in/Take naps - if you are not on a strict schedule (like online schools, etc) take this time to let your kids (and yourself) sleep in. Ignore this if your kids get cranky if they wake up late. As a mother who needs her beauty rest it's not unusual for me to snooze on the couch while I let the kids watch their favorite shows after school.
- Get up early - which is the exact opposite of what I just wrote above. Take advantage of that quiet morning hour for exercise, prayer, reading Scripture, sipping your favorite cup of coffee, journaling or catching the early Mass.
- Get out of the house -get some fresh Winter air, it's good for you. It can be a long hike in your neighborhood or walking in circles in your backyard.
- Get your kids out of the house - either through a playdate or playing in your backyard, shoo them out to the great outdoors.
the Hobbit hole Valentine's day box 
our homeschool group hosts the annual Valentine's day party - Visit a friend - just do it! If you can talk to hubby or the oldest responsible child to watch the young ones for a quick coffee date with your girlfriend, do it. It doesn't have to be an all day affair or a soiree, just meet up for a half hour to talk to another adult.
- Take up a hobby - I finally caved in and bought a new camera, nothing too fancy but definitely a step up from my phone camera and the 10-year-old digital one. I have absolutely no talent for taking pictures but I'm willing to learn.I might take an online class or something fun like that
- Pray! - I already said that but that should be the anchor of your days, Winter or not.
Happy Mardi Gras!
I like the sleeping idea -- like an ol' bear, just hibernating through winter!
ReplyDeleteWe've been sleeping in more than I would care to admit. It's been a restful Winter so far and there have been no bear-like attitudes over here so far.
DeleteNice list! We've been sleeping in too. I like when we are up early but with some evening classes, we all get our sleep this way. If you garden, it's a good time to plan it! Bird watching -- see what's going on out there and watch the change as the weather warms. I try to encourage the kids to work ahead in school so we can break more during spring but they usually don't like that idea. :)
ReplyDeleteYes to the working ahead. We haven't yet taken a snow day despite all the weather-related school closings. As for the garden we bought supplies three weeks ago and itching to start them indoors. The reality is I dread Spring, we have awful allergies that sometimes leaves us trapped indoors.
DeleteOh yes, I remember, and that's so tough. Summer keeps me inside with humidity and now fall, my absolute favorite season, I'm forced inside more than I like thanks to burning chimneys and fires around here, which make it harder to breathe. I definitely empathize.
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