Winter Slump Cures....for FREE

 Sunrise over Mount Timpanogos from my front porch, UT.

As Chandler Bing would say......"Could Winter BE any longer?".  We got teased last week with 60 degree weather only to have a storm come through last night, and cold temps all week.  I kick my kids (not literally, because that would be wrong) :) outside to jump on our trampoline and run around when the weather's good.  But like I said, for the time being, that all comes to an end. :(

I've come up with a list of some FREE indoor activities to help you keep your kids entertained. Or is it "to help you keep your sanity"? :) he he he

1. Pack an indoor picnic the kids can eat on the living room floor
2. Make microwave Smores
3. Make a batch of home made Playdoh
4. Sit down with your kids and build a wooden block castle or LEGO castle
5. Tack some sheets up in the corner of a room and make a fort for your kids to play in.
6. Make some homemade bath crayons 
7. Make a pinata to use at a future party
8. Pull out your scrapbook stuff and let your kids make cards for grandparents
9. Make sock puppets from un-matched socks
10. Watch old home videos 
11. Look through old photo ablums
12. Get creative and make flowers from recycled material (like egg cartons)
13. Pull out the sidewalk chalk and some colored construction paper and let them draw
14. Bake something
15. Make a scavenger hunt and have lunch be the treasure. I did this when I babysat my sisters, (when I was like 12) they LOVED it!

Now comes ideas for your sanity:

1. Call a friend you have lost contact with and catch up
2. Give yourself a pedicure (or go pay for one, but this is a FREE list)
3. Read a good book
4. Rock out to your favorite songs all by yourself. :)
5. Take a bath and light one of your favorite candles
6. If the weather gets warm, go for a walk
7. Exercise (even if it's just dancing to your favorite songs (see #4)
8. Rake your snow.  I actually do this one!  If there is snow in my yard that hasn't melted, I get my yard rake and spread it out all over the grass so it melts faster!  No Snow=Spring! :) Okay, now that you all think I'm nuts....
9. Change your screen saver to a Spring or Summer pic
10. Re arrange the furniture in your home
11. Meet a friend for lunch at a place you have a gift card to (ah....see how I did that FREE one? :)
12. Make yourself a Smoothie with frozen fruit
13. Try a new recipe
14. Bake some type of bread (takes all day, very rewarding and delicious!)
15. Join Spring Cleaning with Thrifty 101!  I finished my garage yesterday and it was VERY rewarding!

This weekend, I'm going to try some of these I haven't done before.  I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL EXTENDED weekend!

~Michelle