Ideas for a British Winter

I love savouring the beautiful winter sun we get in Cornwall!

Crisp, bright mornings with salt in the air and rays of sun cutting through the rain clouds are some of my favourite times, but it is sadly a rarity. Most of my winter involves being huddled up on the sofa with my laptop, working til it’s dark outside and listening to the wind and rain lash at the windows.

^ Jumper from Allsaints*

Being stuck indoors has its pros (and certainly has its novelty value when you’re snowed-in in the alps for 3 days!), but can get depressing. Below are some ideas of things to do when it’s grizzly outside:

 

Reconnect with old friends

We all have a friend or two who we’ve lost touch with over the years for various reasons. Why not use these moments of boredom to send them a message and get chatting again? If they’re nearby, why not suggest they come over for a coffee and a catch up while you’re at it.

Have a clear out

This is my absolute favourite thing to do in January! It’s the start of a new year and you’re clearing up all the Christmas leftover bits and bobs anyway, so why not have a good clear out to refresh yourself. To some, this might sound like the least fun activity ever, but for some this is pure bliss – I promise :)

Reorganise your kitchen/wardrobe/filing

On that note, I also love spending time reorganising my things; somehow every few months (no matter how much you try to keep it neat and tidy), places like the kitchen or your wardrobe always seem to mess themselves up pretty quickly.

Learn new recipes

Why not get inspired in the food department! Whether it’s healthy, experimental, vegan or just delicious, why not practice some new recipes and take more time to prepare some new and interesting lunches and dinners – or (even better) get baking and make the house smell great!

Plan exciting things throughout the year

This is something I ended up doing while we were snowed in. I’ve now set up my first half of 2018 with loads of exciting plans and trips! But it doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money; you could write up a bucket list of places near you that you want to explore on your days off, and plan them around your calendar.

Start a new project

Having hobbies and projects that you can do indoors is super important. I’ve always made sure I have both outdoor and indoor pursuits to entertain me on my bored days! It could be something online-based, like a blog or side business, or it could be something physical like making jewellery, painting, or cooking (see above!).

Create a budget/plan

You can probably see a trend of ‘A-type’ activities in this list… as much as my personality has changed over the last 12 months, I still do rather enjoy writing up a good list or plan. Sitting down to plan out your budgeting and finances is way more fun if you have a goal to work towards – like a holiday or home renovation!

Teach yourself a new skill

Get yourself on YouTube and learn something new! The internet has a billion and one tutorials for anything you can think of – from playing the guitar to nail art, and ‘how to use an SLR camera’ to dog training. Why not try something new!

What do you like doing on wet wintry days?