5 Things To Do on a Blustery Chicago Day

The weather here in Chicago is treacherous today. There was snow, then rain, then more snow and some more raining. Needless to say, the roads are a solid sheet of ice.

So, I found myself looking for things to do to pass the time on this cold, slushy day and I ended up having quite a good day in spite of myself. I thought I would record what I did, so the next time the weather acts up this way I can immediately beging the fun.

1. Read. I always have two or three books that I have really wanted to get to and just never find the time for. Brew a pot of coffe or cup of tea and you have hours of entertainment.

2. Play video games with your children. Don't have children? Call a friend or get online and meet some friends.

3. Bake. This can be a lone activity or in my case, a chance to turn the gadgets off and talk to my children while we create yummies to consume.

4. Take a bath. Come on, when was the last time you sat down in a tub and really let the heat and some fun bubbles carry you away to warmer thoughts and climates?

5. Catch up with friends. You can pick up the phone, jump online and send an email or IM, or even walk to the neighbor's house for a quick visit. I touched base today with some friends I had not talked to in a while and was reminded of just how important those relationships are. I smiled and had warm fuzzies all over just connecting to others and catching up with them on all the happenings in their lives.

Enjoy the weather!

5 Things to Do After Thanksgiving Dinner

Holidays are great. My family and I look forward to family coming for Thanksgiving every year. We plan for weeks what we will cook, when we will clean each room of the house, and what projects must be finished before family from out of town arrives. We just about think of eveything, however, we usually fail to plan what we will actually DO while we wait for dinner to cook.

Now, don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with just sitting around and talking. Some may find, though, that the more restless of their relatives may need some activities to get them talking and sharing and opening up. Here are just 5 simple ideas for having some fun, being productive, or simply working off some of that food.

5 Things to Do After Thanksgiving Dinner:

1. When you invite folks, let them know that you will have a place set aside for them to do some holiday cards, and you will have an address swap. Even if you invite friends instead of family, this could be a very productive activity.

2. Another fun thing to do after dinner is to print out those pictures you took before and during dinner and begin scrapping with your family and friends there. I am thinking that the women in the group may especially enjoy bonding over making a momento to take home.

3. Go for a walk. I know simple, but sometimes we forget the simple things. Is there a child or spouse you have not spent much time with lately in all the flurry of activity? Invite them along and talk about the dinner or the day or even swap Christmas lists or wishes.

4. We don't have many traditions in our family, but one we do have is that every Thanksgiving we pick a movie to go see in the theater. This is a great way to unwind after a long week, and face it, the cook probably needs some time off her/his feet!

5. Another tradition that we have, is touch football. I think this activity is even more fun for those of us who are not usually coordinated or sporty. Anyone can toss a football a couple of feet and run. . .and there is little danger of injury if you stick to the "touch not tackle" rule.

Do you have fun activities planned or have some different traditions? Please share!