Here in the north east USA, winter continues to drag it’s feet. Right now we’re dealing with gross, cold rain and leftover snow and slush. A glance at a weather map shows big white splotches north and west of us. My friend in Florida wonders why all of us up here haven’t all committed mass suicide yet. I guess we are a hardy people.

Well, if cold weather is getting you down, here are some projects to help you get in a warmer mood!

Plants:

Start planting seeds! Maybe it has to do with my “inner hippie”, but there is something  heartwarming about watching these little guys bust through the dirt. It is nice to see some fresh greens growing when so many things are dormant outside. You can buy small kits at stores or customize your own planters. If your new to planting this, I suggest doing a little research on what you would like to grow before running out to buy some soil and seeds. I wrote about recycling old containers into plant potters earlier this month.

If you feel like you want something more advanced, maybe you want to try a tropical type of bonsai that does not need a “wintering period” and thus can be grown in the home. I’m currently trying this out. Here is some basic information on indoor/outdoor contrasts for bonsai.

Fish:

Devoting a corner of a well used room to a bright and properly taken care of tropical fish tank can be a nice pick me up. You can decorate your tank in all sorts of ways with things like rocks, plants (alive or plastic), little castles and bubble machines. The fish themselves come in all different sizes and shapes and can be fun, even relaxing, to watch. Unless you get envious that they get to spend all day in 70-some degree water with all their pretty decorations.

How far you go would depend on your funds, time, and dedication. If you want to go simple, you can set up a little fresh water five gallon tank with a handful of Neon Tetras and a few plants. For the more complex… Well, here are some examples.

If you want something simpler, you can still get a bright tank from betas or goldfish. If your going into fish keeping as a new hobby, make sure you do some background research.  (It is a little more complicated than: Buy fish, put fish in tank, feed fish occasionally!) Like other domestic pets, you want to be able to take care of them properly.

You don’t have room for the fish or plants? Give Plant Tycoon or Fish Tycoon a try instead.

Images:

This one is pretty simple. Surround yourself with bright images of places you love in the spring or summer. Print them out for your walls. Make one your desktop wallpaper. Do you have a bright, warm place you’d really like to vacation? Put an image of it where you can see it, as well as a list of things your doing to make that dream come true, like how much you have saved for it with your goal. If you already have the vacation in the bag, but the dates up beside it!

Food:

Here are a few foods to help you bring that feeling of summer back:

Basil Limeade from the Daily Raw Cafe
Orange Maple Barbeque Sauce, from PostPunkKitchen
Tomato Basil Sandwiches, from VeganYumYum
Coconut Cake from Veglicious!

Have fun!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net