January sucks. I said what I said. From the unpleasant weather to the let down after the magic of the holidays, I find myself just wanting to fast forward through the month. That only gets us to February but hey, that’s closer to spring, right?
January even contains the most depressing day of the year, Blue Monday, which happens to fall on the 20th this year. But guess what? January doesn’t have to feel like the gloomiest 63 days of the year! I’ve got some ideas to help you through it. Most of these activities can be done alone or with friends, so let’s get to beating winter boredom!
1. Have a “FREE” shopping day! I bet you have some gift cards from Christmas or maybe even some old ones hanging out in the bottom of your purse. Gather them up, check the balances on them if need be (use the website listed on the back to verify the amount, then write it on the card with a sharpie so that you don’t forget) and get shopping! Shop in-person or online. Get some things you need and some things you don’t need, and just enjoy the shopping high!
2. One of the most disappointing things about winter is the lack of “green”. I’m talking grass, leaves, plants, etc. Quite a few years ago I was gifted an Aerogarden for Christmas (one of the BEST presents ever!) An Aerogarden is basically a small hydroponic growing system for your home and it is a fulfilling winter activity. There are so many different models and sizes to choose from now and you can grow anything from vegetables to herbs to flowers. I usually opt for herbs then use them in my cooking when they are big enough. Check out their products on Amazon.
3. Foster a pet. This can be a short term commitment if you aren’t sure that you are ready to be a pet owner. It’s not just dogs and cats that need homes, but exotics too! Think about rabbits, snakes, turtles, birds, etc.
4. If fostering or adopting isn’t for you, how about volunteering for an animal organization? Not only are volunteers needed for walking dogs and cleaning cages, but there are fundraising events that need organized, social media pages that need updated, pets that need transported or accompanied to training classes, and so many other things. Reach out to a rescue near you to see what their needs are. This is a great activity to start this winter that will help others and make you feel good!
5. Do something fun from your childhood. Make a masterpiece out of Play-doh or Legos, or a fabulous work of art on the old LiteBrite (I just found mine in the basement and I can’t wait to use it!) Watch a tv series that you loved as a kid. For me, nothing beats The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh which I can watch on Disney Plus. Spend a day doing these activities and it will feel just like a winter snow day off of school when you were younger. Those were the absolute best! What are your favorite childhood toys and tv shows?
6. Having something exciting to look forward to such as a vacation or even a weekend getaway has definitely helped me get through the cold winter months. Why not do some planning now? Make yourself a margarita and spend the evening scoping out tropical vacation spots, hotels, and activities. If a true vacation isn’t in the budget this year, research some fun places for a cost-friendly mini-trip or staycation.
7. Stay local and explore places near your home that you’ve never been to. You will probably find museums, galleries, historical places, theaters, and many other places that you either didn’t know about or just haven’t had the chance to visit.
8. Start planning out your warm-weather activities. Maybe you are thinking about making a butterfly garden this year or starting a compost pile. There’s no better time than now to start learning all that you can, gathering supplies, and having a plan ready for when the moment arrives.
9. Have you ever wanted to learn another language? What about sign language? Right about now would be a great time to start. There are plenty of free and paid resources online. For ASL (American Sign Language) check out the Learn How To Sign YouTube channel. If you’ve always wanted to learn Spanish head over to Free Spanish Lessons. Are you more of a Klingon person? They’ve got that, too! Visit Learn Klingon the Easy(ish) Way By the time that winter is over you will be able to string sentences together in a whole new language!
10. This time of the year when food is scarce, why not give the wild birds a helping hand? Or is that a helping wing? Check out nhm.org for step by step instructions for making bird feeders out of empty toilet paper rolls – just like you did as a kid!
For an elevated wild bird treat, try these bird seed “ornaments” from The House and Homestead using cookie cutters. This is such an easy recipe! The birds are sure to appreciate your efforts. I made some of these today since it was so windy and snowy outside.
11. If you have slacked a little on the Christmas gift thank-you notes and still owe thanks to Great Aunt Mary in Florida and Grandma in Virginia, now is the time for gratitude! You might even still be able to find a box of Christmas thank-you notes discounted after the holiday. Put on a pot of coffee and grab a pen! If that’s not your thing, make some phone calls or send thank-you emails/texts instead.
12. Invite some friends over for a good old fashioned game night! Have everyone bring a favorite game and a snack and play all night. Five Below has a lot of inexpensive board, card, and party games.
13. Try out a new unique hobby.
- How adorable are tiny diorama kits? They fascinate me as an adult in the same way that Polly Pocket did as a kid. There are tons to choose from – tiny fairy gardens, bookstores, cafes, greenhouses and so many more! Visit Etsy or Amazon to get started.
- Domino toppling looks like fun! Check out Hevesh5’s YouTube channel for some great how-to videos. She’s got some products available there as well if you are ready to jump into it.
- What about needle felting? I’ve seen so many adorable needle felted critters that I just ordered myself a kit to try it out this winter. (I’ll post pics once I get something made!)
14. Get a jump start on spring cleaning. Turn up your favorite playlist and start some indoor deep cleaning projects. When spring finally arrives you’ll only have to worry about the outside endeavors and can focus on enjoying the nicer weather.
15. Spend an afternoon revamping that closet that really needs some work. Clean out and reorganize some drawers. Sort through your medicine chest – there’s probably a few expired items in there.
16. Rearrange a room. Have you been wondering what the couch would look like on the opposite side of the room? Or if your bed and dresser would look better flip flopped? Today is the day! (Have someone give you a hand if you decide to move large, heavy furniture!)
17. Start that YouTube channel, podcast, or blog that you’ve been thinking about. What’s holding you back?
18. Host a Mashed potato bar. Admittedly, I had never heard of this until a man in line behind me at the grocery store excitedly slapped his cheese down on the conveyor belt and told the cashier that it was for a mashed potato bar. What a perfect winter food!
It’s as simple as it sounds – there needs to be an ample supply of mashed potatoes for all of the guests and a selection of toppings for them to pile on. You can even have each guest bring a topping. Some suggestions: butter, gravy, a variety of cheeses, chives, sour cream, cooked vegetables (corn, peas, etc.) bacon, shredded beef/pork/chicken with barbecue sauce, crispy fried onions (not just for green bean casserole!) and don’t forget salt and pepper. If you want to get a little crazy how about pickle slices? What other toppings did you come up with?
19. If mashed potatoes aren’t your jam, how about having some friends over for a movie marathon and hot cocoa bar? There are so many different flavors of hot cocoa available. Pair those with marshmallows, crushed candy canes (use up the ones leftover from Christmas!), whipped cream, mini chocolate chips or shavings, sprinkles, cinnamon, and anything else you can think of!
20. If you enjoy cooking, spend a day making some of your favorite “freezable” comfort foods. Soup/stews, stuffed peppers or cabbage, chicken breast (dice it up to use in other dishes on the fly), pulled barbecued meats, or lasagna, just to name a few. It’s so nice to pull something out of the freezer to thaw before work on a cold winter morning and just heat it up when you get home!
21. Embrace one (or more!) of the National food days coming up. For example, January 19th is National Popcorn Day, January 27th is National Chocolate Cake Day, and January 28th is National Blueberry Pancake Day. One of my favorite websites for keeping up on these special days is There Is A Day For That! They have a plethora of delicious occasions listed for every month.
22. Try a new restaurant. You know that one that you drive past all the time and think to yourself “someday…” There’s no time like right now! Get several items and split with a friend so that you can try more of what they have to offer.
23. I know we just had Christmas, but hear me out! Stores will be having winter items on sale – hats, gloves, scarves, pajamas, home goods (candles, doormats, etc.) to make room for the warm-weather stock. Gloves make great stocking stuffers, scarves make awesome gifts, and maybe you saw the perfect pair of pjs that you know your bestie would love. There is no harm in buying things now at steep discounts. What a great feeling it will be when next Christmas gets close and you remember that you’ve already got some of the gifts bought!
24. Visit a nearby indoor botanical garden. Escape into a world of greens and beautiful blooms and forget that it is the middle of winter! (This is one of my favorite activities on the list! If you feel compelled to take yourself down to Living with the Land in Epcot, no judgement from me!)
25. Hit up some locally owned bookstores that you’ve never been to. I just googled bookstores near me and there were 10+ that I’ve never patronized that are within 35 miles of my home – I might just make a day of it! Then I can spend the rest of this cold, wintery weekend snuggled up with some great books!
I included a variety of activities on this list so that hopefully anyone who reads this can find a few things that will be enjoyable during this winter season.
If you try any of these suggestions, please share in the comments. Did you do any other activities that weren’t on my list?
(FYI – I am not affiliated with any of the sites that I linked in this article nor do I receive anything if you click on them. I just included links that I thought would be helpful!)