Last winter this was the middle of the main road!
I have cabin fever.
I noticed this slight feeling of depression creeping in about a week and a half ago. My grouchy mood started getting worse each day.
I started to think maybe I was working too much. I’ve put in some serious hours over this past month and I began to wonder if that was starting to cause me burn out. So….I took the whole weekend off technology. It didn’t help.
In fact, it actually worsened the problem. I wasn’t really burnt out at all, I just needed something to do! By forcing myself not to work (which I enjoy) I realized how much I was missing the warm weather. I just needed to get outside.
So, I tagged along with Jamie as he scouted out some hunting ground. About ten minutes in I realized walking through creeks in windy 35 degree weather, while wearing suede boots wasn’t my brightest idea. I made it about an hour before feeling like I was going to lose my toes.
It did make me feel a little better though. When I got back home I tried to think of more things to do but was kind of stuck.
What Do You Do For Fun in the Winter?
The girls and I usually read a ton of Kids’ Books in the winter. It helps pass time by on those “boring” days but I need some more cheap things to do. (I really don’t want to spend any money. I am literally pinching pennies so I can save money for a down payment!)
Here are some of things I have tried so far:
- Hiking (It’s soo cold though! School has even been cancelled around here for the extreme cold.)
- Baking (This doesn’t really do it for me as I don’t really love to cook.)
- Cleaning (This is more fun than baking, for me anyways.)
I also watch the occasional movie on Amazon Prime but I’m not a big TV watcher. (Except for Sons of Anarchy which is now over 🙁 )
When December rolled around I was all excited for Winter and now I’m just wishing for some warm weather!
I’m actually thinking maybe I should just stick to working like crazy so I can build some income momentum and get super far ahead. That way when the warm weather comes I’ll be able to get out and enjoy it.
But still, I’d love to hear some ideas for getting out of the house during these super cold months.
What do you do for cheap fun during the winter time? Do you spend time outdoors?
Hmmm……maybe I need to suck it up and buy some insulated overalls and snow boots..
I am so struggling with this! We try to go on walks but when it’s super cold it can get miserable. I think I need to buy warmer clothing.
Me too. I need to check with my brothers first and see if they have any old coveralls they can give me. Just thought of that! 🙂 I will have to buy actual winter boots though.
We do a lot of 500 piece puzzles. About one a week. I would love to find people to trade puzzles with!
That is such a good idea! I hadn’t even thought about puzzles. I can see that being a good memory maker for me and my oldest daughter. Thanks so much for the idea!!
Does your local library have any activities? What about a community center? Those are usually free or cheap and a great way to get out of the house in winter.
No community center that I know of 🙁 I live in a pretty small town. I should check the library though. I haven’t been in over a year since I read all the books they had that I was interested in. Unfortunately a small town means a fairly small library too. BUT I do think they have story times for the kids a couple times a month. I need to check that.
I used to love winter – living in Florida, winter’s were the best! I am not going through my 2nd winter in Seattle and hate it. I haven’t seen the sun in days and I am having a hard time with cooler temperatures. This will be my last winter here before heading south again. I am definitely getting depressed and have thought about ordering a SAD lamp.
I can’t wait to see everyone else’s responses as I have no idea what to do with myself!
I bet it is super tough on you coming from Florida! I’ve lived in Ohio all my life and the weather is just unpredictable.
Last year we were buried in snow all winter but this year it’s been the temperatures and freezing rain. It’s been below zero a few times and I won’t drive at all if there’s ice or snow on the road so I feel trapped!
I was having a tough time of it earlier this winter, but now that sunset is getting later and I’m out in the light more on the way home from work I’m doing remarkably better than I was. Maybe consider getting a light therapy lamp?
In winter I often like to go ice skating or just walking through the park during the winter, but that’s in large part because I love the cold. When I’m just feeling like a snuggly homebody, I’ll read a book by the window and drink some piping hot tea.
You know, I think just driving around is starting to help me. I was so desperate to get out of the house this week that I’ve been driving around on back roads just for something to do lol. (Well, on the days we haven’t had snow or ice which has been twice this week.)
I’m not loving winter. I can’t wait until spring when I can slip on some shoes and walk outside without bundling up. Cabin fever in full swing over here!
Yes, come on Spring!!
I feel you! It’s been so cold here, and we can’t play outside. I usually like running, going for walks, and playing in the snow. We’re teaching our son to ice skate, and I’m hoping that will be a fun activity for us. You could also organize things in your house or do a home project? Hopefully it will warm up soon!
Yeah another thing I recently thought of was finding a piece of furniture to refinish. I refinished everything I owned last winter 🙂 coffee tables, hutch, kitchen chairs, etc So maybe finding a cheap piece of wood furniture to refinish would keep me busy.
I am a horrible Canadian who hates winter and struggles every year. My few ideas are getting movies from the library that my daughter has never seen; ET, Singing in the Rain, Goonies all the classics. I am usually kind of hermit like but I find am craving interacation so I’ve been inviting people over for tea. And going to visit people way more than normal.
I am a hermit too! That’s the crazy part lol. I am a total homebody but just the fact that I can’t get outside is starting to kill me. In the summer I sat outside and watched my girls play in their pool while I worked. Soaking up the sun 🙂 I miss it! Can’t wait for hot weather.
You need to suck it up and buy a snow mobile! ( .. and appropriate clothing ?)
~ C
P.S. I have heard good things about the SAD lamps for the Pacific NW. You have to do your research and get the right bulb, etc. Some of the ones they sell are not the correct strength to have a result.
I start reading seed catalogs. Day dreaming about gardens is so good right now. The funniest thing is that once it hits 90 outside I don’t care at all about the plants!
Actual advice: buy some new dog toys to play with the dog.
My dog drives me nuts lol. So in all honesty my dog is my best friend (is that really sad?) but we have a love/hate relationship. He is so overprotective of me and the girls that if anyone stops by he WILL NOT stop barking and growling. And he hates men. His barking and growling drives me up the freaking wall.
That’s cause he needs to get some energy out with some new toys ! Like a snowmobile!
I don’t know about a snow mobile lol. I might kill myself on one of those……
I agree with getting appropriate snow gear & getting outside. Even if it’s cold, it really does make a difference to be outside. I”m a dog owner who lives in a condo in the Northeast. Trust me, the last thing I want to do sometimes is go outside in the cold. However the dog has to go out. So I do. I have 2 daughters (11 & 8) and they each take the dog out as well. Even 10 minutes outside has a big impact. I usually get hand me down snow pants for the girls, but our local Kohl’s has them on sale after the winter for almost nothing. Last year I bought size 14/16 for my 10yr old & she’ll wear them for another couple of years – great return on my investment there.
Also, our library has some really good programs that are free. We’ve done movie night, yoga sessions, crafts, Asian Dancing, money skills, reading to the therapy dogs.
And try the girl scouts – Daisy scouts starts in Kindergarten. They usually have a ton of activities free plus discounts to major events (Disney on Ice, amusement parks, etc.) that the whole family can attend. My girls have opportunities to socialize, learn some stuff and try things otherwise they wouldn’t have exposure to. I always request & receive financial aid to register them. You can volunteer as much as you’d like as well.
You know I really wish I would have signed Kailyn up for the Girl Scouts. A girl scout was going door to door a couple weeks ago selling cookies and it killed Kailyn that she wasn’t the one doing it! I’m not sure if it’s too late to sign her up or if that’s something you can do at any time?
I know our library has story nights a couple times a month but I’m not sure they have much beyond that. I live in a pretty small town.
I do need to bite the bullet and buy us all winter clothes. I’m going to try and find my girls clothes that are at least a size too big as well. I hate having to buy that stuff every year. Shoes are the worst though! I had just thought of this but I might be able to get hand me down overalls from my brothers! 🙂
Cabin fever is no joke! We’ve tried the getting outdoors thing, but it’s just been way too cold. I have an almost 4 year old, so we do go to the free activities at the library, do lots of arts and crafts, and cuddle up to watch family movies. I just keep thinking, 2 more months till we can get back outside! Can’t come soon enough.
It isn’t a joke. I feel like my oldest daughter is doing fine since she goes to school but my four year old has turned into the grinch and I think it has to do with being inside all the time. We’re supposed to get a really big snow on Sunday so I plan to take them sledding. I just have to hunt out some appropriate clothing first. I’m looking forward to sledding 🙂
Well, as long as I have wi-fi, I can blog, work on my web sites, create some templates etc. I know it sounds weird, but it’s my idea of fun. Sure, now that I have a baby, while she’s awake, we play a lot. And that brings me even more joy
I feel ya on working being fun. I seriously enjoy my work as well and have been working some crazy long hours over the past few weeks. I just miss being able to sit outside with my laptop!
We take walks in the cold, mostly because Frugal Hound requires them, but we’ve now gotten used to walking around in inclement weather. I’ve found that having the right gear (boots, hat, face mask, mittens, etc) really helps and goes a long way in making it a more pleasant experience. We do winter hiking as well, which is pretty frigid, but fun once we get moving.
In terms of indoor activities, we’ve been spending a lot more time reading and have a stack of library books right now. And, I have this idea that I’m going to re-organize the basement this winter… we’ll see if I actually get around to it, but it’s a nice goal :).
I’ve organized a good bit lately, too. I’m just really missing the outdoors.
I’m going to try and snag some hand me down insulated overalls from my brothers. They’re both really into hunting so I’m thinking they’ve probably accumulate quite the collection over the years. Then I agreed to go hunting with my brother this weekend. (I don’t actually kill anything just tag along.) But at least it gives me some human interaction and a chance to get out of the house!