1. Make tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Of course.
2. Assuming you still have power, peruse Petfinder.com or your local shelter's website to choose a funny, quirky, loving pet to join your family. Everyone deserves a family to cuddle with during a storm. How about this girl? This is Isabella.
Isabella is available for adoption in Enfield, Connecticut
3. Go online to find your next sunny vacation. How about here:
The Wanyama Safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
or here
4. Gather your sleeping bags, family members and pets and have a sleepover in the family room watching the snow fall together.
5. Curl with with a cup of cocoa and read a classic like "The Secret Garden," "Walden," "Anne of Green Gables," "The Great Gatsby" or my favorite book of all time "Seventeenth Summer."
6. If you have chocolate chips, melt them down (1-2 minutes in a microwave) and experiment with dipping different things in chocolate. Things like potato chips or walnuts are especially good but what about a dill pickle spear or a hot pepper?
7. Look at pictures of your past vacations. This is one my favorite photos. I met this little red kangaroo face to face when I was in Australia. Isn't she awesome?
8. Make blueberry pancakes. Of course. Try this recipe from Trisha Yearwood. This girl can cook.
9. Bundle up and stand outside. Look straight up at the snow fall. It's transcendent.
10. Arrange your books on your bookshelf by author or cover color.
11. Get all the blankets in the house and have each family member compete to make a blanket fort. Take each one for a spin.
12. Learn how to say phrases in Italian like "Dove e la migliore spiaggia?" (Where is the best swimming pool?), or Japanese like "Kanpai!" (Cheers!) or "Ich liebe dich" (I love you!) in German courtesy of the BBC Languages site. And it's free.
13. Stay in your jammies all day and watch cartoons via Netflix. Don't have Netflix? Sign up now for a free one month trial.
14. You are going to get cabin fever. Use up that excess energy by working out with Xbox Kinect (My choice: Zumba) or run up and down the stairs of your apartment building.
15. Make boxed mac & cheese but substitute sour cream for the milk. It takes this simple lunch staple to a new level. Heaven.
16. Sit crossed-legged across from your partner/kid/friend/dog, knees touching. Stare intently at each other. See who cracks up laughing or licking with joy first. Try it. It's fun.
17. Run outside quickly in your swimsuit and boots then hop in a warm shower. It's invigorating and your neighbors will wonder what other fun things you're up to.
18. Challenge your family members to see who can do the most sit-ups. Alone? Skype your best friend and try it. On your mark, get set, go!
19. Try on every single thing in your closet. If it doesn't fit or if you haven't worn it in the past four seasons, donate the items to a shelter in your area. Dress for Success is a great non-profit that helps women restart their careers.
20. If you've exhausted every one of these fun things, then well, prepare your taxes or at least gather everything you need for your tax preparer. At least when it's nice out again, this chore will be done!
Have fun. Stay warm. Cuddle. Good luck!
