HomeStyle: 5 Ways To Beat the Winter Doldrums

HomeStyle: 5 Ways To Beat the Winter Doldrums

This winter has gone on forever, or so it seems. It is about now that we are just aching for spring to come. Instead of turning this into a waiting game, embrace February. Try a few of the following suggestions to remove the winter gloom and turn February into a month that could very well become one of your favorite times of the year!

1. Ladies Pajama Party

Plan a day or a weekend and have your own girlfriend retreat. Farm the kids off to relatives or friends, tell the husband to go for a ski weekend with his buds, and ask a few friends over. First things first. Go to Old Navy and get everyone pajama pants. You can go to their site and print out a 25% off coupon. Plan fun foods, wine and watch all of the chick flicks that your husbands can’t stand. Just hang out!

2. Spa Afternoon

Grab your BFF, your Mom, sister or even your husband and head down to Little Compton for an afternoon. Treat yourself to a spa day at The Stone House where you can have your choice of facials, manicures, massages and body scrubs. After some of this perfect and peaceful ‘me’ time at The Spa at the Stone House, you will be revived enough to make it calmly through the rest of the winter until the crocus’ bloom. Open from 10-6 pm by appointment Fridays through Sundays this winter.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

3. Antiquing

This might be the best time of the year to find a good buy. After all, only the brave of heart will venture out into the cold, so sales are slow. Hmmmm..... see what’s going on over at The Corner Cupboard in North Kingstown, The Armory Antiques in Newport, Greenwood Antique Center of Route 44, Richmond Antiques Center or check out this list for other great locations! Make a day of it and find a nifty place to lunch along the way.

4. Get Out

Yagoo Valley Ski & Sports Park offers skiing and tubing--fun for th whole family. If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, head over to the Newport Family Skating Center or go to the Bank of America City Center for Skating in Kennedy Plaza in Providence and get your skates on! For spectator sports, the URI Men’s Ice Hockey team is hosting the ESCHL season playoffs this weekend and if you are a hockey fan, you’ll be wondering why you don’t go to all of these games. For family activities, The Newport Winter Festival starts today with tons of fun from comedy shows, chili cook-offs to winter beach fun!

5. Nothing

There is no other time of the year that is more perfect or acceptable to do absolutely nothing. Hibernate, regroup, recharge. Sometimes just staying in your jammers and putzing around the house is the best way to nurture your soul and replenish your energy for the busy warm weather that will hopefully come to us within the next couple of months. No, you don’t have to feel guilty. You really are allowed! There is plenty of time to think about spring cleaning, planting your garden’s seeds and repainting your woodwork. But hey, that’s another article. Wait for it!

If you have any suggestions for How to Beat the Winter Doldrums here in Rhode Island, would you leave them in the comments below. We’d love to see them!

Cynthia Bogart is a Regional Editorial Editor for Better Homes & Gardens Magazines and the Editor-in-Chief of the www.TheDailyBasics.com, a website dedicated to one quick magazine like article a day on homestyle, lifestyle and youstyle. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter. Cynthia will also co-hosting a radio show, At The Table, which will be hitting the airwaves in the next few weeks.