10 projects to focus on while you wait for spring

Who is ready for spring? Let’s see a show of hands…

The months of January and February in the Pacific Northwest are by far my least favorite. If these months had a color, I’d consider them to be beige, because other than the highlight of the New Year, there’s just not that much to them.

And yet, even though I consider them bland months, January and February can pack a wallop when it comes to winter storms. While the months surrounding the fall and winter holidays were mild, the past two months have hit us with a wind storm, a snow storm, very low temps, freezing rain, more snow when there really wasn’t much of a forecast for snow, lost power on multiple occasions, and numerous fallen trees due to the wind and the snow.

That sort of weather has become the norm this time of year and makes me look forward to spring with even more anticipation, except that with spring also brings the chore of cutting up the fallen trees and cleaning up a lot of limbs. One of those trees was a very old, very large maple that made a huge mess in our front yard. Ugh.

So what do we do while we wait for spring and better outdoor weather?

I thought I’d share a few ideas…

Crafting

Is there an indoor craft or project you will likely ignore during the summer months? Try to spend a little extra time on it while you are stuck inside. I’ve been creating junk journals, using my old book proofs that I no longer have a need for. It’s been fun and a great way to put all the scrap paper, stickers, washi tape and other craft materials in my craft bins to good use.

Puzzles

How about working on a puzzle? Whether it’s crosswords, word search or even a tabletop puzzle. Most people I know don’t use their dining table for dinner anywayJ, so why not use it to piece together a puzzle? Find one that is spring or summer themed and it’ll be a fun diversion from the dreary weather outside.

Garden planning

Are you planning to garden? Whether you have room for a large garden, raised beds or just containers, create a vision board or use a notebook to capture ideas, using photos from magazines as inspiration, or if you use Pinterest, create a garden vision board you can refer to and continue adding to all year long. I have a garden journal that I use, where each month I have a list of to-do items. Going through it recently has made me more excited about planning new ideas for my garden and flower beds.

Garden ornament repair

And if you don’t garden, but you’re a green thumb with plans for potted plants or pretty flower beds, I expect you may have garden ornaments or pot decorations of some sort. Look over your garden decorations and see whether they could use a little sprucing up, with paint or maybe glue touchups for cracked items. Once spring comes around, all your garden decorations will be ready to shine.

Plan a future hike or trip

Do you enjoy hiking or visiting local parks? Research parks further out from where you might normally visit. Search for what you prefer: whether it’s an easy hike or a challenging one, lower elevation or high in the hills, a day trip or a weekend road trip with waterfalls, rivers or lake access. Then choose a date on the calendar in the coming months when you might be able to plan a visit to the area. Enjoy the anticipation in the planning. I haven’t added to it in a while, but Jozee’s blog has posts about parks we’ve visited from Portland into Washington, along the coast and up the Peninsula, and many parks in between.

Read

Are you reading any good books? It’s no surprise I’d add reading to the list, right? But if you’re missing nicer weather, or the idea of your next vacation seems too far away, why not find a book or series relating to summer months or vacations in locations you’d like to visit? I’m currently reading a mystery novel set in Colorado mountain hiking trails, as well as a cozy mystery taking place in the late summer Texas heat. If you enjoy road trips, you can always check out my Road Trip Mystery Series!

Organize

Did you take a lot of photos last year? How organized are your photos and can you easily find that “one” photo you just have to show your best friend when you’re sitting down for coffee one random afternoon? This really happened, by the way, to my best friend who was trying to find a sentimental photo squeezed in between hundreds of travel photos. If you have a lot of photos, whether on your phone or another device or computer, maybe set some time aside to organize them.

Plan ahead

It may be a little early in the year for most, but it doesn’t hurt to look ahead at gift ideas for birthdays, Mother’s and Father’s day or even the holidays. How often does the need for a gift come up before you realize it? Once you organize all those photos from your trips, specific events or family gatherings, think about having memory books created with the photos, not only for yourself, but as gifts for your loved ones. They make terrific birthday and holiday gifts!

Declutter

Is your home feeling cluttered? This is a great time of year to clean out closets and drawers, or boxes you started to pack for donations last year that are still out in the garage. With spring usually comes the need to spring clean, and it’s much easier when you have less stuff to clean around.

Start a memory journal

Note down the little moments that make you smile. Use stickers or photos to capture the mood of the day or week. Keep a daily gratitude list. Or track the self-care items you know will make each day better. List the weekly highlights so that the busy days don’t cause you to forget them.

When I noted my weekly highlights that week, it was number one and the memory of it, especially when I look back on the photo, will always make me smile.

Whatever you find yourself doing, I hope it’s something that will help you look ahead at what you might accomplish if you take on even half this list, as well as the fun possibilities you can look forward to once regular outdoor fun can be taken advantage again.