I do enjoy being invigorated outdoors during the winter, especially in the snow, but I also like to nestle in and do indoor things that I don’t do when the weather is warmer.  Here are some ideas and projects to do while inside on those cold winter days.

1. Loosen Your Belt – I don’t know about you, but my pants tend to get just a little tighter in the winter. It must be the long johns.  Here is a simple trick to be a little more comfortable.  Try hooking a rubber band through the button hole and wrap the end around the button. Sometimes that’s all the extra room I need to be comfortable.
2. Cookie Sheet Boot Rack – if you have an old cookie sheet that you don’t want to use for baking anymore, don’t throw it away, put it by the door for your wet shoes and boots.  You can even wrap it in an old beach towel or pillow case to make it look a little more decorative.
3. Wino Boot Shapers – put some old wine bottles in your boots to help them stand straight while they dry.

1. Get Organized: One Closet or Drawer at a Time – being inside more in the winter might inspire you to clean out closets and get organized in other ways. I promise if you pick one drawer or one closet at a time you will feel great and not so overwhelmed. You can read in more detail about some good organizational practices from this older GD Lisa post.  Once you have emptied whatever you are reorganizing, you will want to clean the area thoroughly. Please remember that there are 83,000 man-made chemicals in household cleaning products in the US. Pick something that is safe. Here is an article about how to clean up your cleaning products.
2. Sell that Old Stuff – another good project for the winter months is to learn how to sell stuff online. Look at eBay for Dummies or figure out how to sell books through cash4books.net or seebackyourbook.com.  Here is how to sell used books on amazon.
3. Continuing Education – remember that there is probably a YouTube instructional video on just about anything you want to learn how to do.  Want to know how to use a certain computer program, try the internet.  How about how to cook something for your new diet goals, try the internet.
4. Spruce up Your Diet – while local produce is at a minimum by learning how to make sprouts.  This will add much needed nutrition to your winter diet. It’s a good habit to keep all year long.
5. Family Bonding Time – Get out that old deck of cards or your board games and spend some quality time together. If you are looking for a fun way to education the kids, try some of the new board games that teach sustainability like the one our friend Bruno and his kids developed, Endango.