I wanted to offer a few suggestions for you sailors to do over the winter. Do things that will mentally prepare you for a fun and competitive sailing season in 2023. Feel free to add to the list.
1. Make Homemade Hot Chocolate
There’s nothing quite like sipping some hot cocoa while watching a fire blazing. It’s the perfect way to write your bucket list (hint, hint)! You can make yourself a simple Old-Fashioned Hot Chocolate or spruce it up by whipping up a Red Velvet Hot Chocolate. Don’t forget to sip it in your favorite bucket list mug from our buck & co. shop!
2. Yes, scrapbooking is still a thing and makes for one of the best winter activities for adults or kids. Besides isn’t it about time that you did something with all those boxes of unorganized photos?
3. Keep a Gratitude Journal
A great thing to do is start each morning by listing five things you are grateful for. In the beginning it will probably be a struggle to come up with a mere five, being wrapped up in a world full of fear can disguise the good in your life. Think hard. Did you just drink a deliciously warm cup of coffee? Or did you connect with a friend by text? Or enjoy a heartwarming movie on television? There is always something to be grateful for—always.
4. Binge Watch a TV Series
How about getting in your comfy jammies, grabbing a cup of hot chocolate and spending chill time binge watching a fun TV series? This is an easy way to spend time together with the kids, as a couple or even solo.
From comedy to suspense, Netflix and/or Amazon Prime has everything to offer so you can have fun watching back-to-back episodes! It can be a TV show that you’ve loved and are eager to watch again or maybe you’d like to try out a new one.
5. Go Tubing or Sledding
Who doesn’t love sledding down the mountain? It’s one of those winter activities that’s fun for the whole family. So, find a snowy hill (or ski resort who offers other activities besides skiing) and take a fun ride down!
6. See the Nutcracker Ballet
Whether it’s just on a small local stage or a big city production, a quintessential thing to do during the holidays is to escape into a dreamland with the exquisite ballet performance of the Nutcracker. This classic Christmas story is centered around a young girl’s Christmas Eve celebration and is a must thing to do at least once in your lifetime!
7. Read by the Fire
The fire is even better when you have a great book to read. Amazon even has hundreds of free books to download to your Kindle. Don’t have a Kindle? No problem, just download the Kindle app to your smartphone or tablet (you can even download my book on Amazon—shameless plus!). Like to flip the pages of a book? Hit up your local thrift store where you can typically pick up a paperback for under a dollar.
8. Camp out in the Family Room
How fun would it be for the whole family to have an evening camping in the living room? Move the furniture out of the way and set up a pop up tent right in the middle of the room. Then gather up you pillows, blankets, snacks, books and any other for activities you want to do while you are disconnected.
9. Knit a Scarf or Hat
For beginner knitters, scarves make easy projects and can be worn in a variety of ways to cover up any silly mistakes. Plus, those who master the art, won’t ever need to buy Christmas presents again!
You can find several different How-To videos on YouTube, but this step-by-step video on How to Knit a Scarf for Beginners is one of the best.
10. Take a Cooking Class
Being a restaurant owner and chef, I enjoy taking cooking classes when traveling around the world (but, you could also find some close to home).
I have learned to make pierogi in Poland, pad thai in Thailand and macarons in France! There’s nothing like learning tricks and techniques from the experts at creating a dish.