Today, for the first time in 5 days, I left my house. It was a desperate act to break free of what was becoming a chronic case of cabin fever. And while I really enjoyed my icy drive to Target (it brought back fond memories of my early driving years in the snow of upstate New York) I also found a renewed desire to find ways to enjoy my extended family togetherness. With predictions of another 5 or more inches of snow tonight I thought I would share some of my tips with all of you.
Get Nostalgic- the snow always gets me reminiscing on early part of my marriage when we lived in New Hampshire and other snowy places and even my own childhood in Syracuse. These fond and often funny memories of adventures from long ago make for great stories to share with your kids. It’s also a great way to reconnect with the warm and magical feeling that comes with the early stages of love. Just when you think you can’t stand to look at your partner for another second, you remember the funny thing he said on your first date or the way she looked so beautiful in the old red sweater and suddenly annoyance can turn into affection.
Get Playful-for most of us the snow means work and we have forgotten the joy of making a snow angel or secretly eating a handful of the fluffy stuff (just not the yellow spots!). As I drove through icy streeets and past mounds of snow as tall as my car, I also remembered the joy of digging a fort or building a snowman. The one nice thing about this kind of massive snow storm is that many of us are able to stay home from work. make the most of these unexpected days off and go outside and play. Or stay inside and play a board game or teach your kid how to play poker. As a adults we spend far too much time being busy; use the snow as a great excuse to do the things you never have time to do like play video games with your kid or go outside and make snow angels with your husband
Get Romantic- like many people in the area my in-laws were without power for a day or 2 this weekend. For the first day they opted to stay home and “ride out the storm”. Mostly I thought they were crazy, especially since we live pretty close by and had plenty of heat and hot water at our house. But part of me was a little envious of their romantic day cuddled by the fire with nothing to do but be with each other and talk. Its so easy to get irritable when life hands us an unexpected curve ball, like 2 feet of snow in Northern Virginia! But with a subtle shift in perspective you can turn cabin fever into a passionate evening for two or at least a loving day for 3 (or 4 or how ever many are in your family). Snuggle by the fire, watch a favorite movie, cook a romantic meal or try a bubble bath for two. You can also take some inspiration from the couple behind Gray Photography who have artfully combined romance and playfulness by building a fort in the living room…
thanks to Zach & Jody of @GrayPhotography for sharing this on Twitter
