As the crisp uncomfortable winds glide in and the brittle crunchy ground cracks, nothing feels better than being inside under a toasty blanket during the cold winter months.

While you may feel a tinge of guilt creep through your veins as you contemplate your choice to stay inside all day, do not be ashamed, I understand. There are plenty of great activities that can be completed in the comfort of your home, and we can explore them together.

Binge Watch Some TV Shows or Movies

When Netflix became popular, so did the concept of binge watching. There are always a variety of shows and movies on Netflix and other streaming providers that offer hours of entertainment during the dreary winter months.

This a great opportunity to catch up on some of the shows you may have missed, including Stranger Things, The Crown, and Shameless.

Maybe you’re in the mood to get into the holiday spirit with some classic Christmas movies. Netflix offers a wide variety of options, including How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Prince, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

You could also select a certain genre of films to watch, a certain producer/filmmaker, a certain production company, or a certain time period of movie (like watching shows from the silent era). Some great suggestions include To Kill a Mockingbird, Jaws, or Beauty and the Beast.

Enjoy Warm Food/Beverages and Try Out New Recipes

Winter is the best season to enjoy some hot food and beverages and try those recipes that you pinned on Pintrest or saved on Facebook throughout the year.

You can make some hot chocolate, not only because chocolate is amazing and it produces happy endorphins, but also because it defrosts those icicles on your insides. Tea is another warm drink that will calm you and warm you up.

Here are some great recipes for hot chocolate that you can test out this winter.

As for food, soup tends to taste a lot better when it can warm your heart on a chilly winter day. And baking cookies is a great idea because it pairs well with some hot cocoa or hot chocolate and it’s a sure cure for a sweet tooth.

If you want to look at another tasty treat you can make during the winter months, albeit a cold one, check out this recipe for snow crème.

Cleaning

Someone decided that spring cleaning was a better idea than winter cleaning, but I’m not sure why. I prefer to do my cleaning in the winter when I tend to have a bit more free time than saving it for the spring when it begins to get warm again and I’d rather be outside.

I realize that I’m already inside anyway watching television, so I can take a few days out of my binge watching to do some deep cleaning and get rid of those shirts from high school. If you want to make your cleaning regiment a bit more entertaining, throw on a TV show or movie while you tidy up a bit.

DIY Activities

Now is the best time of the season to try some of those DIY activities that you’ve been meaning to experiment with. One idea is to spice up a normal household item like a vase or a coffee cup, and it’s pretty simple to do with some basic craft items that you can find at Michael’s or around your house.

Want to relieve a little stress over the winter months? You can try making a calming jar. All you need is a jar, clear liquid glue, food coloring, glitter, and water. Take the jar and add water a little below the halfway mark. Then fill the jar with the clear glue. Next, you’re ready to add the food coloring (if you only have primary colors, mix two to make another color. Just be careful about adding more than two colors because it may come out too dark).

Finally, add a spoonful or two of gold, silver, or multi-colored sparkles to the jar. Close the lid and shake it all up. And there you have your calming jar. Whenever you feel a bit stressed out, shake up the jar up and focus on your breathing as you watch the sparkles swirl around and then settle to the bottom.

Life Planning

Have you ever been wrapped in a fuzzy blanket, sitting in front of the heater on the couch for the fifth night in a row, happy and content with life until a movie comes on with a deep meaning, making you reflect on your future?

It has for me. And no matter where you may be in life, this is a great opportunity to plan out the next steps. Start by brainstorming about where you are and where you want to be. Do a little research on what it takes to get there. Develop a list of the pros and cons, which will help you figure out if a certain option is worth pursuing.

It’s always a good idea to come up with multiple options when you plan things out so you have different choices to consider. This will also allow you to have a plan to fall back on if your first option doesn’t work out. Be sure to plot the steps required to achieve your goals so you have an actionable plan in place. A good tip is to write down your plans in detail. This will help assist you in remembering them, keep you motivated, and give you a way to stay accountable.

During the winter months, enjoy your downtime and keep yourself busy. There’s no shame in spending your time lounging around for a while, binge watching some shows, or making some sweet treats. And who knows, maybe you will find your inner chef or artist by using a fun recipe or doing a DIY activity, or even figure out your goals for the rest of the year.