Stuck Indoors this Winter? Here are our Favorite Indoor Activities

Well, we all went through quite the historical event this past week. The Polar Vortex was a great excuse to stay indoors, but we don't know about you, but we were starting to get a little stir crazy with being stuck indoors.

Minnesota winters can get long, and it can be easy to start a little crazy if you're stuck inside for too long. Living here for as long as we have, we have a few favorite ways to stay entertained and to find a way to enjoy being cooped up through the cold and snow.

Make a killer home cooked meal

Warm up your home and your stomach by making something delicious. Whether it's a decadent brunch with pancakes or french toast, or a fun dinner, there's nothing like a home cooked meal. Bonus points, get everyone in the family involved with different jobs for the meal. For some great meal inspiration, check out Chrissy Tiegen's Cravings and Cravings: Hungry for More cookbooks. You can buy it on Amazon and have it by the next time you're stuck indoors for a couple of days.  A couple of our favorites are the Mac & Cheese, Chicken & Dumplings, and the French Toast Casserole.

Marie Kondo Your Closet

Have you seen the new Netflix series Tidying Up yet? If you haven't, use your first day in to binge on the show and then use all it's inspiration to go through your closet and get rid of everything that doesn't bring you joy. There's something so satisfying about going through your items and getting rid of everything that no longer serves you.

Family Game Night

This is a traditional favorite. Make some popcorn or snacks and get out a few favorite board games that the whole family will enjoy. It'll make the time fly by and give your eyes a much needed break from binging on TV shows or being on your phone all day. A couple of our favorite games are Cribbage, Codenames, and Yahtzee.

At Home Happy Hour or Tasting

Make your own at home "evening out" with some fun appetizers and sampling some wines or cocktails you've been wanting to try out. One of our favorite cocktails is a martini that's half and half Bombay and vodka with blue cheese stuffed olives. If you want some more fun cocktail ideas, here's a whole list of two ingredient drinks that should be easy enough to make.

Make a Fort 

Whether you have kids or not, you are never too old to build a fort in your home. Grab all your favorite pillows and blankets and create a little oasis in your living room. For an even cozier scene add some twinkle lights. Use your fort to enjoy a movie night in, play some games, or as a reading nook.

Reorganize & Redecorate

You know that closet you've been meaning to go through or that spare bedroom that needs to be freshened up? Use the cold weather as an excuse to do it. Just with organizing your own closet, you will feel so much better once you go through some of your items and organize the rest of your home. This is also a great time to update any family photos in the home to make your space feel new again.

Bake a Special Treat

It's not very often you get have to have excuse to bake something special, but being cooped up does. Bake your favorite cookies, a cake, or try a new brownie recipe. We're sure your family will appreciate it and if you don't want it all in the house, you can bring it office to share with everyone.

READ! 

We love reading, as a team we read books to discuss every week. However, we try to read books on our own as well. It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day however. Take some time to read one of the books that have been sitting on your shelf for awhile. Some great books we recommend are The Slight Edge, The Energy Bus, Big Little Lies, and The Nightingale.

Just remember, we are already to February! We only have a couple months of indoors left, however, while we do, make the most of it.