Not all of us are lucky enough to live in a place where the average temperature in January is 7o°. Even worse, not all of us can afford to make a tropical getaway in the winter. But all of us can find a way to escape the cold during this frosty time of the year.
Busted Halo has a list of great winter staycation ideas that will help you warm up and get as close to a sunny vacation (and sunny state of mind) as possible!
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Throw a summer-themed party. Decorate your house with plastic flamingos and fake palm trees. Get out the blender and mix summery drinks. Have friends over to help you get into the summer spirit.
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Eat barbecue. Need a reminder of the summer months? Have some barbecue. Head to the nearest homestyle barbecue restaurant or cook your own backyard-inspired feast for family and friends. You don’t need a grill — you can use your oven and broiler instead! Use a rack to get the same char-grilled look. Throw a checkered tablecloth on the table, add plasticware and dig in.
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Make a summer playlist. Pandora, Spotify and iTunes Radio are great apps for plugging into tons of summer music. Some songs to start a station with? Try “Cruel Summer” by Bananarama, “Surfer Girl” by the Beach Boys, “Summer Love” by Justin Timberlake or “The Rock Show” by Blink 182 to set the mood.
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Turn up the heat for an afternoon and evening and wear shorts.
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Visit a beach near you. Beaches, like the Jersey Shore, are still very nice places to visit during the winter — even though it’s too cold to swim.
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Paint your nails in a bright, summery color.
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Go through your winter wardrobe and see if you can donate any clothes or coats. What better way to forget about the chill than to give away the clothes that make us think of it! One Warm Coat will help you find a local organization that accepts donated coats. Donation Drop-Off allows you to search for thrift stores, donation bins and the like in your area. BONUS: Donating the old makes room for new, summery clothes!
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Start planning a real vacation to somewhere warm for some time in the future. BONUS: This website allows you to search for spiritual retreats based on the subject, date or location of your trip.
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Buy a bright, colorful flower at your local greenhouse and pot it inside your house. Once it gets warm (this will happen — we promise), you’ll be able to plant it outside.
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Create an idea board (in real life or on Pinterest) of things you want to do this summer.
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Watch movies set in the summertime. I suggest The Sandlot, Grease, Transformers, National Lampoon’s Vacation.
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Go fruit picking at your local grocery store. Make it a competition between your family and friends to find the most exotic, out-of-season fruit at the store.
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Use the sauna at your gym and imagine you’re at the beach.
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Create a photo album from past summer vacations or other warm-weather adventures to remind you of those good times.
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Get in touch with family members who live in warmer climates (with a handwritten note, email or phone call) and make plans to see them.
