Ten on Tuesday

This week's Ten on Tuesday topic is "Ten Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs" and I know quite a few of them. First and foremost, I have to admit that January is rarely a "winter blah month for me, as I've got so much going on that I don't have time to be blah.

But then comes February. OY! Blahs in FULL FORCE! So here goes:

1. I find a new novel for my Nook. If it's full of fluff and fun (and especially if it's a knitting novel) I allow myself one or two of this sort of reading. Obviously those tend to be the sort to read fast. Then I can get back to my regular reading...which can err on the boring side occasionally - nonfiction on my topics of interest, like food security, voluntary simplicity, and philosophy. Yes, they can occasionally work like sleeping pills, but that's okay.

2. I work on new creations for my handbag business, Nana Sadie Rose

3. I pick up long-term WIPs. Finishing something that's been on the needles, especially something I'm itching to use or gift, that's great for beating the blahs.

4. I organize the stash. I long to do this all of January when I'm so snowed by other things, and usually my New Year's plans include knitting from stash at least for a portion of the year. Well, I try to do some finishing of smaller items during January, but then come February - I can dive into the bins of yarn and see what's what. I buy a lot and hold it, often without a clue as to what I'm going to use it for. This year, I'm making myself spend the majority of the year doing nothing but knitting from stash and finishing up projects that have languished forever. I'm really looking forward to having the time to do this.

5. I'm hoping that My Sweetheart and I will have some time this late winter to watch some of the films that he thinks my knowledge of current day culture is sadly lacking from never having seen. (I'm not one to go to movies, would rather wait till they're on TV. He thinks I'm woefully behind the times and he's no doubt correct.)

6. I'm almost always too tired at the end of January to think clearly, so spending a few days of February getting to bed a little earlier is a great way to not just beat the blahs, but to also recover from the hysteria. I'm really looking forward to resting up.

7. No one will believe me when I say that I beat the blahs by getting my taxes organized and done. But first, remember that I'm an accountant. By the time January is over, I'm dying to get into it all, and see how well I did last year. The business often goes afoul of the careful accounting I do on a daily basis at my two jobs (it's like the shoemaker's kids having no shoes). I love being able to get things back on track and getting the stuff ready for filing. (I'll admit you have to have a certain mentality to enjoy this stuff!)

8. This is the time when I begin looking for new and interesting fabrics for my business as well. So I'm out in the stores, online at the websites, seaching and thinking and planning. Once I get thru the Cat Show here in town in January, I'm more than ready to do something new with my handbag business.

9. I'm also ready to jump on the exercise bike and get those pounds from the holidays and the stress-eating of January's activities back under control. It's usually no more than 5 pounds, but these year, it's pushing 10. (I think it's the social eating from this new relationship!) So Whoa! It's time to workout. And that also helps to elevate my mood!

10. Probably my favorite way to beat the blahs in winter is by trying out new soups. I adore soups and now I finally have the time to get into the kitchen to make new ones. They're warming to beat the chill of February, and there are so many ethnically-inspired veggie soups that I have a lot of fun testing them out. I love tasting the new spices and finding veggies I'm unfamiliar with, too. My favorite website for these things is Fat-Free Vegan. But there are great recipes on the Meatless Monday site as well.

So there you have it - my top 10 ways of beating the winter blahs...