The official winter months are heading our way. On Friday, Dec. 21, the mark of winter will be upon us. For many, this means hibernating in the warmth of our houses to avoid the cold chilly air, or the opposite for the snow lovers who can’t wait for snowfall. If you’re that certain person who prefers to hibernate in the winter, I am here to give you some ideas to beat those so called winter blues.
Hot Cocoa
A staple item for the winter is hot chocolate, the creamy smoothness of the chocolate after a fun day in the cold of building a snowman will warm you up. This drink is a favorite for many children and adults at heart. 
There are several ways to make this decadent drink. The simplest way would be to go to your local grocery store and pick up some hot cocoa mix powder, and either make it with hot milk or water. If you’re lucky, some of the packets come with mini marshmallows, but if not available, you can always pick up a bag. Another way would be to make the hot chocolate homemade, you can find a recipe for this drink here. I hope that hot cocoa warms you up from the cold winter days!
Christmas Movies
Ho! Ho! Ho! Is that Santa Claus coming? Oh wait, no, that’s just a Christmas movie playing. Nothing beats a nice relaxed evening, snuggled by the fire, watching a movie filled with Christmas joy. Some classic Christmas movies are Elf, The Grinch Stole Christmas, or The Polar Express. No matter the movie you choose, they are all great movies that will give you a laugh to beat those winter blues. If you do not have any holiday movies handy, do not fret, the Hallmark channel is a great go to. In fact, the Hallmark channel is so dedicated to Christmas that they have a schedule online that can be found here. Snuggle up, enjoy some hot cocoa, and let the film role.
Cookies for Santa
It’s not Christmas without ensuring that there are cookies made for Santa. Baking a dozen cookies or so won’t hurt, except maybe if you eat too many. In this day in age, there are thousands of cookie recipes that can be found on the internet, in magazines, or in cookbooks. If you need some ideas visit BettyCrocker.com that shows some of the 51 best Christmas cookie recipes. A classic Christmas cookie would have to be cut-out sugar cookies that can be made into silhouettes representing the holidays from snowflakes to reindeer. Whether you want to buy store-bought cookie dough or make it from scratch is entirely up to you, but either way they are going to be scrumptious. P.S. don’t forget to save some for Santa!
Have you heard of the gingerbread man?
You have seen the gingerbread house fails all over social media of the caved in roofs, the missing walls, and the gingerbread man missing a head. Sounds fun, right? But why not give it a try and get into the holiday spirit. If you are up for a challenge, you can try making a homemade gingerbread house with a recipe, but let’s be real, who actually makes their own gingerbread house from scratch when it’s just gonna get destroyed? So go to your local grocery store, pick out a gingerbread kit, and get started building. This may be the first time in your life that you can pretend to be a contractor. This also is a great thing to do with family members or friends. I wish you luck! Check out some amazing gingerbread houses here.
Last-Minute Shopping
I know the pain that comes with last minute shopping, as some people say “been there done that”, so to express this I wrote a little song about it.
Dashing through the mall
In a one coarse shopping cart
Through the stores we go
Crying all the way
Waah! Waah! Waah!
As reading or singing through the song, you can tell that last minute shopping is not for everyone, but it needs to be done. If you haven’t finished your Christmas shopping yet, I would say it’s time to strap on those snow boots and wool jacket to head to the stores. If you’re struggling with some gift ideas, it’s always good to consult the internet before going. According to target, here are some lists of gifts that are great options. Good luck with the holiday crowd!
Whitetail Ski Resort
If you are a fairly active person or would like to pick up a new hobby this winter, Whitetail Ski Resort is now open for the season. The cold weather means that it’s snow blowing time for the ski resort to kick into full action and to take advantage of the freezing weather. Already know how to ski or snowboard? Great! Hit the slopes and have fun. Don’t know how to? Don’t worry, you can get lessons in either skiing or snowboarding for any age. If it’s not your thing, you can still take a gander up there to go tubing. Have questions or want more info, visit their website.
The winter blues dialing down, catch up with a friends or family by building a gingerbread house, watching a holiday movie, or baking some cookies.The winter months are upon us, bundle up, get cozy, and have a hot cocoa or two!
