From Cindy's Porch: Rainy Day DO's
 It's one of those cold, dreary, grey days - the kind where the kids are bored and you feel like going back to bed. Not today! We're going to DO something. Something fun. Something that lets you "SHOP at home FIRST" and something that lets you "DO instead of BUY."
Keep an eye on this page, during the weekend, I will be adding our reader's ideas for those Rainy Day (and Snowy Day) DO's that don't cost a dime!
Have fun with this,
Cindy
Setting the Mood
- When my kids were little we did crafts and baked and just spent time together. They are now teenagers but on a rainy day they still like to be with their parents. My daughter looks at a rainy autumn day as a snuggle up and read day. She loves it when we all grab books and relax infront of a toasty fire. If we are lucky she makes us some of her "famous" spiced apple juice to sip. My son will sit and read but he really enjoys playing a board game or card games. We still back but that really only involves my son and I. The other two enjoy the eating more than the prep! - Catherine
- Light a candle. Head into your stash of candles - yes the ones you have been saving for a "special occasion" - and choose a couple. Light them up (in a safe place) and enjoy the "natural" light. Just remember to blow them out when you leave the room!!
- Put on some great music. We all have them - CD's, cassettes, records (we're going back to the "good old days" LOL. Choose an album you haven't listened to in awhile and enjoy! I just pulled out "Dire Straights - Brothers in Arms"
- Have a spa at home - run a hot bubble bath, turn the lights down, and ahhhhhhhh. Remember to use the great big fluffy towel when you are done!
- Hi Cindy...rainy, yukky and cold (45 degrees) here in central Indiana,
too. Today is the perfect day to decorate for fall while sipping some
hot cider or hot chocolate. No kids here, but later I will be shopping
at home for Christmas. Yes, time to list all the people we exchange
gifts with and find the deals I've tucked away all year long and assign
them to the receivers. Next make another much shorter shopping list for
ingredients to make cookie mixes in jars for gifts, or cookies for those
we will give them to. Other than perishables, my Christmas shopping
should be done by tomorrow afternoon. I've already bought paper, bows,
tags and cards last year on clearance, so I'll pull them out and start
wrapping one of these days soon.
Enjoy your day on the porch!
Sandra
Get the Home Fires Cooking - or Something Cooking!
- Dear Cindy, You forgot the hot chocolate. Rain, snow, yucky weather, and hot chocolate go hand-in-hand! Karen
- Make applesauce. - Patti in MI (Note from Cindy: We made applesauce a couple of weekends ago - I was amazed by how simple this is. Add a little cinnamon and nutmeg to a couple batches and let the delicious smell fill your home!)
 Start the Holiday baking eat some and put the rest in the freezer or maybe just bake cookies or cupcakes to eat or maybe share with a neighbor who could be feeling the Rainy Day Blues too and let the kids help and 1/2 the fun is decorating them then fixing and basket and cards to share. - Mary Ann
- Bake cookies or sweet breads and take around to the neighbors (after taste testing them WELL) - Pam
- Make a couple batches of popcorn, add your own flavors (I like parmesan cheese on mine) and sprawl in front of the TV for a movie marathon - Pam (Note from Cindy: we like dried dill on ours)
- Note from Cindy: OK, I am convinced - I think I am going to bake cookies today! Here's another one: One thing we like to do on dreary days is to bake cookies. Nothing
cheers us up like a warm kitchen and a house full of good smells.
Filling the cookie jar fills our spirits, too. - Ann
- Make a pot of soup.
- If you are going to make soup, you may as well bake some bread. This isn't as hard as you may think. It takes about 15 minutes to mix up and knead the dough (faster if you blow the dust off the fancy mixer on your countertop), then wait a couple hours, then shape the loaves, then wait an hour or so again, and then bake. You home will smell wonderful! I'm about to make a light rye/caraway loaf. Remember, I am the cooking-challenged one here LOL. If I can DO it, anyone can - Cindy
- Bake something with items in your cabinet. Share with neighbors.
- Picnic in the living room complete with a movie. Spread out a blanket on the floor and eat a meal there instead of at the table.
Curl Up with Something Quiet
- Write a letter - a real letter - to an old friend. Perhaps get the kids to write one to their grandparents and include a picture of them writing the letter.
- Call up a friend or family member.
- Curl up a great book. As soon as I saw that today was going to be a rainy "in-day" we headed to the library and loaded up our basket with books, magazines, and even a couple movies. Right now, my littlest one is curled up in her favorite chair with a new book. She's not sure she likes Dire Straights though LOL.
- Take a nap!
- Spend special time with God in prayer and Bible reading
- Start drafting a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's letter
- Make Christmas presents
(I am crocheting cotton dish cloths for family and friends)
Blow the Dust off Your Hobbies and Crafting Supplies
- Get out the crafts and do them with the kids. My son and I are putting together a fall wreath. Loads of fun! - Julie
- Knit - Patti in MI (OK, hands up! Who has knitting supplies and hasn't knitted in years? Who has yarn just waiting to be made into toques, mitts, or scarves? Who has a half-knitted sweater gathering dust in a bag in the closet? Been there, done that. Drag it out - who knows, maybe one rainy day is all it needs to get it done. - Cindy)
- I have squirreled away in a shoe box, Coloring books for all seasons and Crayons, dig out the Halloween/Fall ones and color then use the pictures to decorate the house
I buy them on sale after the season or the Dollar store I have about 4 or 5 and 2 big boxes of 64 ct crayons I bought back during School Supply sales.. 4 years ago and we are still using them - Mary Ann
- I find car models at 2nd hand shops or yard sales ( always 2 hid in the top of my closet) if nothing else works I pull one out the boys including the DH pull out the card table and work on the for a couple of days....... I get to sit and read or crochet.. Mary Ann
- Work on a craft or other project that is already started and try to finish it. Cover a pillow that is old or worn .
- Organize and enhance your photos on your computer. Use them to create postcards and calenders to send to family and friends. Especially nice if you include a photo of your recipients. And if you have been on a cruise, trip or a wine tour :) then make a calender for yourself and one for each of your fellow travellers. *Include a menu plan that compliments a favorite wine! From Helga, South Surrey, Canada (Note from Cindy: I have to DO this!!)
- Exercise your right brain--paint a picture
- Sew a quilt, curtains, a dress, or whatever you might need with fabric you bought on sale
- Read a good storybook with your husband and children
- Do stretching exercises regularly and get limber
- Break out art supplies on rainy days: noodles, paint with water books, finger paint, etc.
- Make christmas gifts with art supplies etc. My son loves to get out his weaving loom to make pot holders.
- Just finished first Halloween doll only 2" tall so take no time (1hour
to knit, 1 hour to sew and embellish) another 5 to go they go to school.
one for each class. For a child who has tried hard. Then onto Christmas
dolls. They get sold at Christmas school sale so I do as many as
possible. Never had 1 left so far.
Chris in Fr
The Gang's All Here
- If you have young children or grandchildren, get out every quilt, blanket and pillow you can find. Build a big tent house, maybe under the dining room table or in the family room. Move the furniture close together and drape blankets over everything....remember to put something snuggly on the floor to sit on too. Bring in the flash lights! Maybe have lunch in the tent or maybe everyone will take a rainy day nap in there :-) Enjoy every precious moment. Grandmamma
- Movie Marathon - clear the area in front of the TV. Spread a quilt on the floor, have everyone dress in comfy clothes, grab their pillows, and pop a HUGE bowl of popcorn, crackers and cheese, chips and water bottles placed in the center of the quilt and all sit or lay around and watch movie after movie. Clean up is easy because you all stayed on the quilt, just fold it up and dump in the trash and put quilt in the washer. - Mary Ann
 When was the last time you played a LONG game on Monopoly, or put a 1000 piece puzzle together...we go to the kitchen make a FINGER Food buffet and play and nibble for hours.
- Make a puzzle with your family. Play a board game.
- Plan a party.
- Have a sing a long. Note from Cindy - I love this idea! We were recently at the home of a 94 year old. She dragged out an old piano book, my daughter played, and everyone sang along. And we're talking - oldies! 1940 music - huge grin!
- Have a "sock party"
Dump all socks on the bed.
Pair socks and distribute to rightful owners.
Save orphan socks for a minimal time.
Socks with holes either get mended or become cleaning rags.
This is more fun if everyone in the house helps.
My orphan socks are sent to a bag in the laundry room and come out for such a day as this.
Montana follower, who had frost the first week of Sept. and a low of 7 degrees last week.
Lots of time for sock parties.
- Hide treasures throughout the house and then have kids go on a treasure hunt. SOmetimes I just hide old plastic easter eggs that are empty. They don't care and love just hunting for the eggs over and over again.
- Build a fort with sheets. Use flashlights. Read stories or listen to them on tape/CD. - Dawn
- Put together puzzles.
- Play Charades!
Last night I got out the Alphabet picture flashcards so even my youngest who can't read could play. They each drew a card and acted it out. The kids didn't want to stop.
I've also organized and prioritized my Christmas sewing list and one by one began to tackle each project.
Tackle Some Projects Around the Home
- if it's a warm-ish rain, put on your swim suit and wash the cars -- dirt is already loosened, doesn't take much work to get all that dirt off and the rain will rinse the soap off for you ...it's a win-win! - Pam
 Design next year's vegetable garden.
- Clean out your closet. Sort the sock basket.
- Rearrange the furniture.
- Change your sheets. There is nothing cosier than climbing into a freshly made, clean bed! (Especially with warm flannel mmmmmmm!)
- Do some mending.
- Wash the windows(inside!) and mirrors while you are at it.
- Make your Christmas card list.
- Make an inventory of your pantry, freezer or fridge. (Note from Cindy - I like this one!)
- Go through your clothes and weed out all that you don't wear.
- Organize the "junk drawer".
- Give the dog a bath
- Plan next year's garden
- Declutter so you can shop at home :)
- Weed out your file cabinet
- Call or write an old friend, or someone who needs encouragement
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