Nice and Easy

Usually February weather keeps me bundled up from head to toe every time I leave the house, and huddled up under a cozy blanket when I'm indoors. I hate the frigid cold temperatures that are generally synonymous with winter time in Michigan.

Today, on this February afternoon, my kids have been playing outside. But not in their snow pants and boots. They've been riding bikes and drawing with sidewalk chalk. I don't think I've worn a hat more than two or three times all winter, and I've barely had occasion to wear my brand new snow boots. I bought Bethany and Connor new snow pants a couple months ago, and I think they have worn them twice, maybe. Yesterday while the kids were at school it snowed, and I thought, "Oh well, winter will be over soon. The kids will be happy if they get a chance to play in the snow." However, by the time I picked them up from school, all the snow was completely melted. For the first time in their school careers, they have not had one single snow day. Not even a close call. I am not complaining at all, but I'm finding myself oddly wistful for the snow I dislike so much. Not that wistful, but a little pretty snow to cover up the mud would be okay for a short time.

Being that this is Michigan, pretty much anything goes weather-wise. Sometimes March is one of the worst months of winter, so there's a good chance we're not in the clear yet. I remember one year, before we had kids, Chris and I went to Chicago in March. We had been having spring like weather, but on the way to Chicago we encountered a sudden ice storm. Cars were sliding off the expressway all around us, and the heat in our old car didn't work unless we were driving over 70 mph. That was a perilous drive that I'll never forget. So I know that there is still a decent chance the kids will get to play in the snow some more, and maybe get their wish of a snow day. But at the rate things have been going, I kind of doubt it.

Winter is my least favorite season, by far. But this one has been so easy and gentle on me, I almost haven't minded it. Maybe I even appreciate the snow a little more since we've had so little of it. There's something to be said for that hush that falls over the world of freshly fallen snow. There's something to be said for shoveling the walk, and building a snow fort, and catching snowflakes on your tongue. And don't forget about waiting anxiously to see if our school district is closed for the day!

Give me one or two more of these gloriously mild winters, though, and I'm sure I'll happily forget all about the wonders of snow. I could get used to sunny, barely cold winter days. Maybe this is the universe prepping me for the life I should be living - on a beach in a tropical climate.

Joy

Several months ago, I wrote about an incredible book I read that really changed my way of thinking, The Joy of Appreciative Living by Jacqueline Kelm. I read this book in the summer of 2010. Its basic premise is 3 step:

1. Each day, write down three things you're grateful for. Really think about these things and feel the gratitude.
2. Answer this question every day (and write down the answer): What can I do today to increase my joy? The answer can be anything, it doesn't have to be anything major.
3. Once a week, spend about 20 minutes visualizing. Spend the time writing down a detailed description of your ideal, joy-filled life.

I was basically wowed by how much my attitude changed and how much more joyful my life was after doing these exercises for a month. I strongly recommend you check out this book and follow the exercises. If you sincerely put in the effort, I truly believe you will have similar results.

However...I started that whole process during the summer, which is my happy time to begin with. Even so, I must say that even after I quit doing the exercises and summer turned into fall, the positive results stuck around for quite sometime. But it's been awhile. And now it's getting close to another long, cold, dark and depressing winter. I'm thinking I need to re-read this book and start over. It's been rainy and cold in Michigan, and basically miserable. I'm hearing rumors of snow in the very near future. By 5:00 it's getting dark. I can barely stand it. Being joyful is not quite so easy for me these days, and I need to refresh. This is on my to-do list. Some other things I need to think about are exercising more, because I always feel better when I work out regularly, seeing my friends more often (something else that's fallen to the wayside lately), and getting more sleep.

I recently received a really cool product call the Philips Wake-up Light to try out and review. I'll be writing about that more in depth in the coming weeks, but basically it's a light that you can program to wake you up in the morning, as if you're waking up to sunlight. If you're interested in checking it out for yourself, head on over to Amazon and have a look. If you want to purchase Light Therapy Models HF3471 or HF3321, you can use coupon code C9H9NPER to get $10 off. Maybe this product will help me wake up happier and less groggy in the  morning. I'll be setting up and putting it to the test soon, and I'll do a full review after I've had a chance to try it.

What do you do to keep the winter nastiness from affecting your mood?