How to Survive Winter in 2021

Winter can be a welcome change after months of sun and activity, but it can also drag on and by the end be quite gray and hard to survive. I decided to compile a list on how to survive winter in 2021, or any year for that matter.

New Hobby or Activity

In my opinion, one of the best things to do to survive winter is to find a winter hobby or activity that is only done in the winter. I have done this for the last several years and it actually gives me something to look forward to once the Christmas season is over. I shared in this post several things that I’ve done to beat the winter blues, but I will share again a few things that I decided to take on in past years:

• Take up reading a classic- I chose Jane Austen at the recommendation of a friend
• Start a new hobby- I have done an embroidery project and I have knitted a sweater
• Learn something new- Last year, I started my own sourdough starter and learned to bake with it
• Prepare something for Spring- Two years ago, I started seedlings inside so we had fresh sprouts to plant once spring arrived

Add Fresh into your Home

This is a huge one for me. Once all of the festive holiday decor comes down our home looks drab and sad. I love a clean slate as much as anyone, but I also love a cozy slate. Adding in fresh items helps to create life in an otherwise drab home. There are several ways of doing this:

• Put fresh fruits- limes, pears, apples, oranges, etc. to bowls or vases and set throughout your home. You can always do plastic fruits, but I find that simply knowing the fruits are real gives it a different feeling.
• Buy a new plant- Almost 6 years ago, I bought my first green plant during a hard winter and it helped to bring the room it was in to life. I loved caring for it and it was exciting to watch it grow over the winter. I kept that plant alive for 5 years, until it outgrew its pot and I was too lazy to repot it. lol
• Add Fresh flowers- The next time you are at the grocery store, splurge a little and buy some fresh flowers. Aldi and Trader Joes has amazing options that are cost effective. If that is too much, grab some realistic looking (fake) stems from a craft store to bring some color and “life” to your room of choice.
• Paperwhites- So…. this is my new favorite winter tradition. I planted paperwhite bulbs for myself and as gifts for a few people in my life for Christmas. I didn’t know how they would do, or if I would like them, but I’m here to tell you that they are amazing! They grow so fast and I love that I have something to watch grow during the long January.

Start a New Ritual

A few years back, I decided to take up the rhythm of afternoon tea. Ever since then, it has become a standing winter tradition to have afternoon tea. The afternoons are always a time for us to go outside and play, but most January days are simply too cold to play out in, so the afternoon tea has helped us to have something to look forward to during that time.

Get Outside

I know I just said that it’s too cold to be outside here in January, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still breathe the fresh air. We try to get a few minutes of outdoor activity, even when it’s very cold. There is something about being outside that helps us to get through our days. It can be quite beautiful to see the barren landscape of winter, even without all of the happy flowers and butterflies that we love during the warmer months.

Get a New Book

This is a big one for me. Every winter, I grab a new book, whether it be a decor book, recipe book, or book on motherhood. I try to find one that is lovely enough to keep out on our coffee table so I can sit and flip through it over and over again. I shared several of my favorite books in this post if you want to take a look at a couple of my past choices.

Plan for Spring

What better way to enjoy the slowness of winter than to plan for spring! There is so much anticipation and once spring hits things start moving faster and faster. Maybe sports begin again or social gatherings start up as friends can gather outdoors… whatever it is, spring means that we have things to do. Winter is a great time to get our ducks in a row and be prepared to make the most of the spring season.

This spring, I want to have a small raised bed to plant herbs and a few veggies. This has been a goal of mine for several years and this year will be THE year that we actually accomplish this task. I will be planning the raised bed, the herbs we will plant, and the veggies that I want to plant. It’s quite exciting.

To Plant your Own Paperwhites

Here is a list of things you will need to plant your own paperwhites:

Paperwhite Bulbs

Shallow container to plant bulbs in

Small Pebbles

I hope this list sparked some ideas of how you can survive winter this year, too! Pin it for future reference. 🙂

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