5 Remedies When You're Sick of Winter

We often joke that weather forecasting is one of the only professions in which you can be wrong on a regular basis and still keep your job. Take, for example, the two inches of snow forecast for yesterday. As you can see from the picture above, it was closer to a foot of snow, but who's measuring?

The kids were ecstatic to get yet another Snow Day, and their sheer joy (no pun intended) put me in the mood to find remedies for those of us who are less than joyful about the current state of our driveways, let alone the reports of more snow on the way. I've already written about Overcoming SAD in the Gray Days of Winter, so think of this post as a sequel.

5 Remedies When You're Sick of Winter:

1. Whip up some hot cocoa with mini marshmellows, STAT. (Yes, it's just as good as when you were little. Possibly better.)

2. Slice up some oranges. We all know they're full of vitamin C, but they're also a little trip to the tropics in a convenient, biodegradable package. Oranges are one of those foods that you can enjoy with all five senses.

3. Hang out with children. They turn into mini-Rodins in the snow, sculpting the most amazing works of art. Build a snow fortress with a kid and see for yourself.

4. Find some winter-themed activities in your area by checking the bulletin boards at your public library. We recently checked out "The Secret Igloo" in Rockaway, NJ, the brain-child of Jenny Purner, who built the ice sculpture with friends by using food coloring and 450 empty cartons from the recycling center as molds.

The multi-night event featured a DJ, fire hoop dancers, and hot cocoa stations. Before the igloo collapsed on a (relatively) warm day, Jenny had raised $1,000 for Celebrate The Children. How cool is that?!

5. I know this might sound counter-intuitive, but one of the best cures when you're sick of winter is to bundle up and force yourself outdoors--with a camera in hand. Although your face might feel frosty, your eyes will be pleasantly rewarded by the winter wonderland that awaits you. That dusty pink glow in the sky below is unretouched--a portrait of the setting sun on a winter's day. A moment later, it was gone.

I was glad I ventured out.