We’re not far into a brand-new year, and I’m buzzing with making big goals, stacking up on Pinterest inspiration, and saturating myself in positive thinking. However. When my energy starts to fizzle, when the kids have had an exhausting week of school, and when it’s cold outside, we all need to retreat to our hibernation zone. Experts agree that taking a break is vital to your mental health. So, in the spirit of being lazy once in a while, I’m going to share my best tricks for a tired mom’s relaxed and cosy family time this winter.
These are all ways you can nourish yourself (and nurture your kids) so you can be more happy and productive the rest of the time.
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1. Don’t cook tonight
Whatever your mom-mode is for ‘easy meal,’ do that instead. Have you got a frozen dinner you can throw in the oven? My kids love Quorn nuggets, chips and beans. It takes almost no effort to put that together, and, actually, my teen can do it for himself now.
But, if I’m extra tired, it’s Dominos time! A quick few minutes on their app, and we’ve got a couple of pizzas, a big order of potato wedges and warm cookies at our door in no time. Use paper plates and swap cleaning time for conversation. On Fridays, we play a family game of Sussed while we’re eating. Put a mellow playlist on Spotify in the background to complete the chilled out vibe.
2. Indulge in a VIP movie experience for your kids
Not in the mood for chat? Hey, we’ve all been there. A long day of Zoom meetings and/or childcare and sometimes you just need to Netflix and chill.
To entice your kids,hunt down your thickest, cosiest blankets for the sofa. Or spread a blanket on the floor for the little ones and pile the cushions high. We let them drag their duvets in form the bedroom, and more than a few stuffed animals join us too!
For us, it works best to decide what we’re going to watch ahead of time. You don’t want to lose their attention while flipping around channels, or invite an argument that starts out of boredom and waiting for the film to start. Have a note on the fridge or your phone of family films you either haven’t seen yet or enjoy on repeat. Get that film queued up while the kids sort out their blankets and pillows. For film ideas, check out my super awesome printable family movie list.
3. Upgrade your bedding
Speaking of blankets and pillows, one of my favourite cosy January items are these teddy bear sheets and duvet covers. They are so soft and crazy comfortable. If you still read to your youngsters, you’ll appreciate that comfort when you’re asked for ‘just one more story.’
If your children are reading on their own, and you’re looking for recommendations for January, here are two amazing books they might like. My Harry Potter-loving tween has raved non-stop about The Ten Riddles of Eartha Quicksmith, and my teen has thoroughly enjoyed Turtles All the Way Down.
4. Treat them right
So, picture this. It’s mid-morning and your kids are frazzled with schoolwork, or they’re bickering back and forth because they didn’t sleep that well last night. Maybe it’s time for a Snack Attack! What have you got?
Cosy January flavours, for us, are maple syrup, chocolate and cinnamon. So I keep a secret snack stash for just such emergencies. Yummy flapjacks, chocolate-covered mini rice cakes, fig biscuits, and Gifflar cinnamon rolls are all the things I save for a calming diversion.
If it’s the weekend, I’ll use snacks as a bribe to get them into their coats and out the door. We’re lucky to be surrounded by parks and forest, so sometimes we take a couple of flasks of hot chocolate (my favourite recipe) along with our snacks. The combination of a warm drink, a little sugar and the fresh air is always a winter winner.
5. Get arty – do some drawing together
Shock confession: my kids don’t always enjoy it when I try to teach them something (lol), but they seem in rapture if a You Tuber does!
Turn that to your advantage. We make it a weekly activity to choose something to learn to draw together and look it up on YouTube. Trust me, it’s so easy; if I can do it, anyone can!
We use a Google Chromecast to put a video up on the TV, but you could also prop up a tablet or laptop or whatever you have at home. Keep the pause button close as you’ll want some extra time between the steps to work on your picture in peace.
January would be a great time to pick a winter theme, we drew these cute penguins and I love how they came out. Bonus: you’ll have something new to put on the fridge and remind you of the time your family spent together in January.
6. Bubbles, bubbles, everywhere!
If your kids are small enough to fit in the tub together, do it! Treat them to an extra-long evening bath with an extra amount of bubbles. Maybe even get the bubble wands out for more fun. Or, if you have only one child, make an extra effort to just sit and relax nearby while they play in the bath. Maybe play some soft music on your phone, light a few candles out of reach and turn the bathroom lights off.
Or heck, if they’re really too wild, then after the kids are in bed, just give yourself some well-deserved TLC. Throw in the bath salts you’ve been saving forever or some rose petals and a dash of aromatherapy oil. The point is, be purposeful in your relaxation, and let the warmth and humidity soothe those tired muscles on a cold winter day.
7. Perfect Puzzling
Mindfulness is on everyone’s tongue this year, but you can’t be switched on 24/7. A jigsaw puzzle is a perfect family activity in winter. Puzzles take a little concentration and yet transport you stress-free to the uber relaxed zone. If you have younger children, start with a 100 to 200 piece puzzle. I have a tween and teen and we’ve been doing puzzles for a while, so we’re happy with the 1000 piece puzzles. To be fair, the kids mainly focus on edges and interesting bits of the picture, and I generally get stuck with the sky or ocean, which are a bit harder. If you’re not sure which size to get, here is a great website for just that: https://www.jigsawpuzzle.co.uk/pieces.html.
We love the Disney Ravensburger puzzles, having done quite a few of them, I highly recommend them. The pieces have a quality feel and snap together perfectly.
Another great choice is the Harry Potter 4D puzzle. We have done the Hogwarts castle, but the Knight bus and Hogwarts Express look equally exciting.
8. Cosy family time with all the luxury of a log cabin
Sip hot chocolate together by the fire, even if you don’t have one. I have always wanted to live in a house with a real fireplace, a stack of chopped wood on standby, ready to light up and crackle, filling the house with musky smells. And if you have that, wow! I am so jealous. You should definitely light that bad boy up. But if you don’t have a real fireplace (or if you just don’t want the hassle of cleaning it) I have the perfect hack for you.
Go to YouTube, and put a fireplace on your living room TV. I know it sounds like it wouldn’t work, but believe me it actually does!
Then, light your favourite woodsy candle and enjoy the fireside vibes (this one’s the crème de la crème of fireside candles, but any favourite candle will do).
Finally, find my famous easy hot chocolate recipe here. You’re welcome.
9. On to a winner: pick a chilled out game for a family board game night
When the kids are just not in the mood to rest and vibe quietly next to you, then what you need is a relatively peaceful family board game.
My top tip is to pick a game that doesn’t incite a fierce competition. Team games or games where it’s not clear who the winner is until the end, will make for the cosiest winter night in.
Our favourite board games for a relaxed family game night are:
To take family games night up a level, make everyone their own ‘treat bowl.’ For us, this is usually a mixed selection of M&Ms, jelly beans, Haribo, chocolate buttons, or broken pieces of chocolate bars. (This time of year, it’s whatever’s left from their Christmas stash!)
To really make it a special night, try my DIY movie night snack board (it was my number one blog post for several months for good reason!).
10. Picture this
Look through old photos together. In Gretchen Rubin’s book, The Happiness Project, (which I highly recommend by the way I’ve read it 4 times and still come back for more), she talks about becoming a treasure house of memories for her family.
It’s been proven that generally when people reminisce, the mind tends to focus on positive memories, making us feel good. (If you want to read Gretchin’s blog post on making an imperfect picture album, you can find it here: https://gretchenrubin.com/2008/06/why-i-decided-t)
This winter, spend some time looking through special memories with your family. Whether you keep scraps of all their old schoolwork in a notebook or party invitations in shoe boxes, or maybe you make carefully curated picture albums, get them out. And enjoy them together. Your children will love to hear stories about themselves as babies, and they’ll be fascinated by seeing pictures of you in your younger life!
11. Beyond Winter
And lastly, after all that reminiscing, and all that cosy time together indoors, you are ready to look ahead. Gather your family up and take the calendar off the kitchen wall and have a chat together about what you want to do for the rest of the year. Write it down!
Ask your children for bucket list ideas. What is their favourite thing to do in the summer? What parks would they like to visit in the Spring? What do they want to dress up as on Halloween? What friends or family do you want to visit?
Highlight the weeks you’ll be off school and all your family’s favourite holidays. For example, every year, my sons celebrate their own version of Brother’s Day. We make sure to put that in the calendar, so they can get excited beforehand. Our gerbil has a birthday on Valentine’s Day so we’ll plan a pet-themed celebration for that too.
A new idea we have for this year is ‘Favourites Day.’ It doesn’t have to be your birthday to eat your favourite food, listen to your favourite song, or watch your favourite film. So each of us have chosen a day when we’ll do just that.
Put your ideas in your diary and start counting down! Planning fun together is one of the best ways to strengthen your family bonds, no matter what time of year it is.
If you liked these cosy family time winter tips, you might also enjoy my awesome family favourites for January and my really fun Christmas Bucket List for Families.
