Another holiday season concluded and it’s always bittersweet. The holidays are so joyous and when they’re over, a bit of sadness gushes in as another year has passed. The festivities, spirit and lights enchant in the cold, dreary winter. Then, it’s gone! White lights stay up at our house all year long. I’m thankful for neighbors and others around town who keep their Christmas lights up throughout January. To see lights in the depths of the dark, frigid winter is hope that spring is around the corner. To keep a festive vibe, I’ve left some holiday decor up and continue to enjoy my holiday tea, which is a good transition to Valentines’s Day. I’m sharing some tips on how we survive the brutal, long winter. Tip one: Brighten your surroundings. During winter, the more vibrant the better!
If you can’t get away this time of year, it can be a long season of drudgery. We had the perfect Wisconsin winter plotted out which meant vacationing in a tropical paradise. Change of plans due to an unexpected situation. A complete bummer, but c’est la vie! So new planning is happening. When you live in Wisconsin, January through March feels like eternity! As Jordan and I are sans children at home, most of the time it’s just us. It was different when the kids were in school. It kept us busy 24/7 for years. Now we have a lot of extra time. There’s a major void that we’re working on filling, to make life more fulfilling. Easier to do when the weather is nice and you can be outdoors!
Tip two: Move (your body)! We always work out, but now are stepping it up since we have extra indoor time. Moving creates energy, not only physical but mental, and we need the mental strength while cooped up indoors. We have a variety of Spotify playlists to match with our moods, food and activities. Once dinner is done, and we’re enjoying wine, it’s not uncommon for us to dance. And what a workout that is! At times we do venture outdoors. On milder days, the crisp, extra fresh air, is a complete refresher! We took up skiing a few years ago. On those milder days, we’ll spend some time at the ski hill in our town to brush up our skills. And then, why not bundle up and enjoy a bonfire outdoors! I can find fun in bundling up in a thick, wool sweater, my Sorels and big winter coat and scarf! And, to stay extra warm we’ll make a warm, tasty beverage avec alcohol of course! Vin Chaud ou Hot Toddy?
Tip three: Cook, bake, drink! The best part of spending time indoors is cooking! We have a variety of new and favorite recipes we’ll make each night we’re home together. Our most recent cookbook we purchased, À TABLE, is by Rebekah Peppler. It is fantastique! And, we purchased her book APÉRITIF. Oh my goodness, I absolutely love her creativity and all the recipes she has in these books! We also have a variety of favorite Italian recipes from Lidia Bastianich. Jordan’s grew up in Texas, so what better than The Big Texas Cookbook, that’s full of down home, soul food. There are so many recipes online to try, but it’s also fun to explore cookbooks that have stories and decadent pictures, while the chef’s personality shines through! Jordan gifted me the book An American in Provence by Jamie Beck. It has beautiful photography and I look forward to reading her story and admiring the beautiful photos! And, cooking French and reading about France is a parfait way to dream through the winter! Sometimes we’ll venture out into town for a romantic evening. I like to dress up and pretend we’re in an exotic locale! Tip four: You are never too old to play, imagine and learn new things! Having a cultural evening with food, music and dress from wherever you wish to be, is amazingly fun! We’re going Paris later his week (in our kitchen, lol)!
Tip five: Stimulate your mind. We have a renewed interest in board games. The scrabble board is ready and I hope my brain will work! When we recruit two more people, we’ll dive into Seinfeld Clue! Winter is also the perfect time for reading! Whether it’s a classic, inspirational or mystery, find what catches your interest. Jordan and I are reading East of Eden and I cannot wait to find out what happens in the end! Then, we’ll watch the movie. I also have some artistic and informational coffee table books about France. I’ll enjoy a cup of coffee, page though the books and daydream of Parisian cafes and imagine strolling though the neighborhoods and museums!
Tip six: Take short getaways! In February we’ll head to LaCrosse (a beautiful city on the Mississippi River) to celebrate Valentine’s Day. We discovered an Airbnb that has an indoor hot tub and is relatively inexpensive. We’ll have a marvelous French dinner at Le Chateau (pics below), and then spend a day visiting the unique shops in the old downtown area. Being a college town, there’s a very large used/new bookstore that will keep Jordan happy for hours!
Early March we’ll drive north to Whitecap Resort on the Michigan/ Wisconsin border for a long ski weekend. This has been our tradition with my daughter and her beau, for the past few years. The resort is old and reminds me of being in the Swiss Alps. We always book a suite that’s a ski in /out overlooking part of the hill. I love this place for the hot tub, old bar inside, and historic vibe, probably more so than skiing, lol! And the best surprise last year during our March trip was the spectacular views of the Northern Lights!
Tip seven: Projects around the home (this may not be exciting, lol)! This is the perfect time of year to organize, rearrange, purge, fix or update around the house. I’ve already rearranged some rooms to create a refreshing ambiance. This is a great time to assess closets. As I try clothes on, I instantly become happy knowing that eventually I can wear my summer dresses again, and will be traveling and soaking up sun! I love summer!
I hope these tips revitalize your spirit and help you survive the winter!