There is nothing like a grim and freezing January to drive a person inside! But there are a few things about being indoors that I like, so I try to do those few things as much as possible.
One thing is taking a bath. Face it, it is too cold to go hanging about outside, so you find yourself sitting around inside... and well you might as well sit around in a hot bath, in a steamy bathroom, with a nice drink and a very trashy read. I recommend a tropical bubble bath like the Body Shop's Satsuma Foaming Bath, or the Sweet Coconut Milk High Foaming Bubble Bath from philosophy. A Dark & Stormy goes well with a bath, but a splash of Buffalo Trace in ginger ale is equally ideal. Any glossy publication from the drugstore will do, but be sure to remove those pesky inserts. If you are more bookish, I highly recommend any romance written by Jilly Cooper - overblown romantic cotton candy for the brain, but English and filled with watered silks and Wellies. For the music, well right now I am back to Audrey Ryan and Gretel because I love their music and plus they've gotten me through the gray months in the past. But you have to find music that makes you happy for this plan to work. Oh and wear sunglasses. I swear this is what makes ALL the difference!
Another thing I love is going to the gym in the evening. Since the days are so short it's going to be dark no matter when I get out of work and anyway the gym where I go is sort of full from about 5 to 7. I was trying to go early in the morning, but I just cannot do it in the cold AND dark. Brrrrrrrrrrrr. So I go at around 8/8:30pm during the week and it is great. The few people there at that hour seem friendlier than the early morning grouches. I know I am. So then I get nice and warmed up, come home, have a quick hot shower, and hop into bed by ten. Not only am I finally totally defrosted, but this plan forces me into getting a full night of sleep which is something I am pretty lousy about.
And finally cooking and listening to music. You can read about my cooking adventures and eating travels over at Calamity Shazaam. But the music part is the key component. In the warmer, outdoors, months I don't entirely feel comfortable wearing earphones because, well, I just don't. Furthmore I find that I tend to listen to the same thing over and over and over again when half my time is spent out of the house. Which means that when I am cooped up in the house I actually listen to the music and therefore need more variety. The best time for me to listen through the dusty recesses of my music collection is when I am cooking and sort of trapped at the stove or sink with dripping utentsils and boiling pans. I cook better to music, although occasionally this backfires, like it did when I listened to too much Bob Seger, which coincided with a black treacle explosion.
I know that there are other fun things to do indoors when it is digustingly cold outside, but that is a post for another day.
Besides my drink and bath are calling.
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