1) Instead of being sad that Christmas is over, remember your actual Christmas. Not the one that Frank Sinatra sings about, but the one with your drunk aunt and the watery dollar store lotion your co-worker re-gifted you.
2) Don’t focus on the shorter days – focus on the longer nights! Slip into your PJs moments after walking in the door. Spike your hot cocoa with some Kahlua and settle in for a night of Netflix.
3) Winter is the least expensive time of year to fly off to a sunny locale. And honestly, who’d want to pay peak season rates to leave a warm and sunny place, just to arrive in another warm and sunny place? Going in winter also earns you social media bragging points. Don’t overdo it – everyone hates that guy. Not jealousy, actual hate.
4) The stores have already shamelessly stocked their shelves with Valentine’s Day tackiness. Forget the crowded restaurants with the overpriced prix fixe menus, which is an old restaurant trick to push out a surplus of expiring food. Instead, send those you care about a nostalgic surprise; a children’s Valentine’s Day card in the mail, complete with candy hearts. And on February 15th, snatch up some high-end chocolates on discount. Godiva will be dying to purge their heart-shaped candy boxes.
5) Liven up these drab months for others too, and throw a dinner party. Not only will you be surrounded by good company, but your home will be spruced up, and if your guests were brought up right, you’ll have a couple of extra bottles of something!
6) Just because the forecast resembles the hideous weather from California Dreamin’, doesn’t mean you need to go pasty. Exfoliate that dry winter skin and do a self-tanner at home. Yow will look fantastic naked.
7) Learn some new crock pot recipes. Those warm, hearty meals are perfect for this time of year, and will make your house smell of heavenly meat potpourri.
8) Whether or not you made resolutions, there’s no doubt that exercise gets your endorphins up. If it’s cold where you live, take up an indoor activity that you’ll be more likely to do. Yoga Today is offering a free, 14-day trial which will get you two weeks of freebies. And Amazon hosts a plethora of used exercise DVDs that come at a fraction of the price of a live class.
9) Take a cue from Elle Woods and go get a mani pedi! Avoid the Bend and Snap.
10) Instead of waiting for it to warm up, take advantage of the cold weather. If it snows, go sledding. If it’s cold inside, start up a fire and roast some marshmallows. If there’s an ice storm, know that it’s like earth porn for photographers. It’s gorgeous. Grab a camera, be careful and capture the beauty of it. And always remember, we can’t truly appreciate spring without a harsh winter to precede it.
Fayeruz Regan 
