Family Traditions: 3 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

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by Desiree Allen on February 2nd, 2012 | No Comments »

Today, Punxsutawney Phil (the artist formerly known as Br'er Groundhog) will leave his burrow at 7:20 a.m. at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. According to legend, if Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring. This year will mark the 125th anniversary of the ceremony.

So, what will we do if there is going to be six more weeks of winter? Never fear, friends. There is plenty to do that will help you get through the next six weeks!

3 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

Turn Off the TV and Computer

We know being active and maintaining a healthy diet are important parts of self-care, for ourselves and our children. Instead of watching the tube mindlessly or checking our Twitter account while munching on comfort food, let's make a pact that we'll be active every day this winter. Need inspiration?

Have a snowball fight or build a snowman.
Have a dance-off contest or set-up an indoor obstacle course.
Play board games or Twister.

Get Crafty

Make Valentine handprint cards.
Make a living room A-frame tent.
Paint the snow. Fill bottles with food coloring and water; go outside and paint.

Do Good

Local heroes, the needy and sick, senior citizens, and children are just a handful of the people you and your family can connect with on a regular basis. Not sure where to start?

Spread bread.
Provide love, warmth, security and comfort to a child with Project Linus.
Organize a makeover/fashion show event for a local senior home.

What does your family do during a long winter? What have you incorporated into your family that you did when you were growing up?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Desiree Allen is a thirty-something single parent with two children. A native of Denver, Colorado, she lived there until 2009, when she moved across the country to northern New Jersey with her kids. She is doing her best to avoid ‘picking up’ a Jersey accent, but she’s not making promises that she won’t eventually start sounding like some of her new friends. You can find her blogging at Writing to Sanity and tweeting @writingtosanity.