![\"Summer\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/66\/164336504_a1a5486a13_m.jpg?resize=240%2C172\")
<\/a>\nSo what to do in the weeks left until spring arrives? Here are four mom perk-ups to break the doldrums of winter:<\/span><\/p>\n
Grill all out<\/strong> If it\u2019s too much to cook outdoors, but you have a fireplace, load on some logs and make up some s\u2019mores indoors.<\/p>\n Psyche yourself out with a summer flick<\/strong> Some fun beach\/summer-inspired titles to check out: Give your space a makeover<\/strong> Empty out the linen closet or laundry room and give it a fresh coat of paint. And don\u2019t be boring with your choice of colors. Pick something fun that you normally wouldn\u2019t use but have admired in someone else\u2019s house or on the pages of a magazine. Ditch anything that you don\u2019t really use \u2013 the emptier space will appear more inviting. And play around with re-organizing like putting in new shelf paper and buying or creating colorful storage containers. See what everydayMOM<\/a> has been doing for some inexpensive ideas.<\/p>\n Give yourself a makeover<\/strong> Now is also a good time of year to try out a new color palette for makeup. Indoor lighting isn\u2019t the same as natural light, which may make your skin color more sallow. Add to that the fade in shade that happens from lack of sunlight and you’re dealing with a different skin tone in winter. Take some time for a makeup consultation at your local department store. Then pick one or two (or all) of their suggestions to try and see if brightening up your face can brighten up your mood too.<\/p>\n Whatever you choose to do to break the boredom, just remember this: we\u2019re already on the upside of winter. The days are getting longer. And soon we\u2019ll be answering our kids\u2019 summer break complaints of \u201cI\u2019m bored.\u201d<\/p>\n What do you like to do to fight off cabin fever?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s cold. It\u2019s dreary. And I\u2019m getting that cooped up feeling, no matter how many times I leave the house to run errands. Even if you don\u2019t live in a cold climate like I do, where winter means hurrying from car to building to car with as little flesh exposed as possible, chances are you…<\/p>\n
\nThere\u2019s nothing like the flavors of summer to bring back that warm-weather feel. So dig a path through the snow to your grill or roll the Weber closer to your back door (but not so close as to be a fire hazard). Then put together some hamburger patties (or veggie burgers, if that\u2019s your thing), slice up some tomatoes, fix your favorite summertime salad and grill away. Just the smell of burgers cooking on the grill is enough to whisk away my winter blues.<\/p>\n
\nMix up some lemonade, pop up the popcorn and cozy up with a beach flick. You\u2019ll soon forget that it\u2019s frosty outside when you\u2019re immersed in the sunshiny, summertime scenes on the big screen.<\/p>\n
\nBeach Blanket Bingo (1965)
\nMystic Pizza (1988)
\nThe Flamingo Kid (1984)
\nBeaches (1988)
\n50 First Dates (2004)<\/p>\n
\nWhen summer does arrive, you\u2019re going to want to spend as much time outside as you can. So why not take the time now to spruce up the indoors? Maybe you have a linen closet that won\u2019t stay closed for all the clutter. Or a laundry room that\u2019s gotten dingy. Pick one small project that can be completed in a day or a weekend. Then go to it!<\/p>\n
\nWhile we all complain about what heat and humidity do to our hair, the bone-dry climate of winter\u00a0 turns your summer style into something else. Spice up your look by asking your hairdresser to try something new. Too radical? Give your tresses a pick-me-up by way of a hot oil treatment or scalp massage.<\/p>\n