Prepare yourself for a long, cold and bitter winter - stuck inside all day. But is it really that bad of a winter? Are you really stuck inside all day? Gosh, it's so easy for us to feel that way. I know that I can get the "winter blues" from time to time, but this is your time. It's time to start having fun in that snow. This is your opportunity to maybe even try something new - make new family traditions. You, my friend, are fortunate. So many of my former Wisconsinite friends are missing the very thing you get to experience every year - winter.
Here are a few ideas I want to share for all you lucky Wisconsin families out there:
Strap on some skates. Odds are there's a homemade ice rink near you - after all, we do have a lot of lakes in Wisconsin. Don't know how to skate? I'm sure some fellow skaters would love to teach you. After all, you know what they say, "Wisconsin has some of the most helpful and nicest people around."
A winter date night. Been there? Done that? Well, scratch the restaurant and head to a ski hill ... but not on skies, on a snow tube. Take a picture because that is something your kids will have to see. Who says mom and dad can't have fun?
X-Country fun. I'm in love with the idea of youngsters getting out on cross-country skis. Wisconsin has over 700 groomed cross-country ski trails. It will be a fun little adventure. How many squirrels will you see? Can you identify some of the birds singing to you? Or just count the number of times you fall down, like I do.
Trophy hunting. Fishing isn't just for guys (or summer) anymore. Girls are coming out of the woodwork to join in on the excitement. There are even pink tip-ups. Show up those boys and fish on one of the many Wisconsin lakes.
Take the plunge. How about jumping in an ice-cold lake? No? How about for a charity? I'm in. Many areas of Wisconsin have plunges. It's a great way to raise money, and c'mon. What else do you have going on? Get a team of friends and family members to do it with you. Feeling creative? Dress up and do the jump as your favorite cartoon character or superhero.
Snow Fort. Enough said. Doesn't even cost a dime, and you can't compete with that. Some of my fondest memories from when I was little are inviting my friends over to make a fort complete with tunnels. (Not to mention some of my most creative work went into hand-making snow refrigerators and snow furniture.) Encourage your kids to do it or get out there with them. They will love the time you spend with them. It's those memories that they will keep.
Now if you're one of those who complain about winter. Stop. Get up and get out. Go have some fun ... and maybe I'll see you at the local rink.
- A northwoods gal, Abbey Maillette hails from Sayner, and currently lives with her husband and their three children in Eagle River. When she's not chasing her kids around, you can catch Abbey on the ice pond with a hockey stick in hand or singing along to one of her favorite country jams at one of Wisconsin's many music festivals.
Here are a few ideas I want to share for all you lucky Wisconsin families out there:
Strap on some skates. Odds are there's a homemade ice rink near you - after all, we do have a lot of lakes in Wisconsin. Don't know how to skate? I'm sure some fellow skaters would love to teach you. After all, you know what they say, "Wisconsin has some of the most helpful and nicest people around."
A winter date night. Been there? Done that? Well, scratch the restaurant and head to a ski hill ... but not on skies, on a snow tube. Take a picture because that is something your kids will have to see. Who says mom and dad can't have fun?
X-Country fun. I'm in love with the idea of youngsters getting out on cross-country skis. Wisconsin has over 700 groomed cross-country ski trails. It will be a fun little adventure. How many squirrels will you see? Can you identify some of the birds singing to you? Or just count the number of times you fall down, like I do.
Trophy hunting. Fishing isn't just for guys (or summer) anymore. Girls are coming out of the woodwork to join in on the excitement. There are even pink tip-ups. Show up those boys and fish on one of the many Wisconsin lakes.
Take the plunge. How about jumping in an ice-cold lake? No? How about for a charity? I'm in. Many areas of Wisconsin have plunges. It's a great way to raise money, and c'mon. What else do you have going on? Get a team of friends and family members to do it with you. Feeling creative? Dress up and do the jump as your favorite cartoon character or superhero.
Snow Fort. Enough said. Doesn't even cost a dime, and you can't compete with that. Some of my fondest memories from when I was little are inviting my friends over to make a fort complete with tunnels. (Not to mention some of my most creative work went into hand-making snow refrigerators and snow furniture.) Encourage your kids to do it or get out there with them. They will love the time you spend with them. It's those memories that they will keep.
Now if you're one of those who complain about winter. Stop. Get up and get out. Go have some fun ... and maybe I'll see you at the local rink.
- A northwoods gal, Abbey Maillette hails from Sayner, and currently lives with her husband and their three children in Eagle River. When she's not chasing her kids around, you can catch Abbey on the ice pond with a hockey stick in hand or singing along to one of her favorite country jams at one of Wisconsin's many music festivals.