7 Fun Things to do when It's Snowing ...

What is more beautiful than a winter wonderland? Not much! So why wouldn't you want to combine nature's beauty with your own by having a little photo shoot in the snow! A good photography tip for taking photos in the snow is to try and shoot when the sun is low on the horizon around dawn or dusk. The sun's light during these times, combined with the cold blue tones of snow, give an amazing photo effect. When snow is falling, use a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of the snowflakes or use the flash to fix the movement of the snowflakes.

The Internet is filled with tons of unique hot chocolate recipes you can try out on a cold and snowy day at home. Everything from peppermint hot chocolate to Nutella hot chocolate and everything in between. My personal favorite that I came across is called Cookie Dough Cocoa. All you need is butter, brown sugar, cookie dough ice cream, and water. Just whisk together the butter, brown sugar, and ice cream over medium-high heat in a saucepan until melted. Add the water, stir mixture until steaming, and then serve with whipped cream on top.

Looking for some DIY things to do when it's snowing? Then why not make decorative ice gems for your yard! All you need are balloons, food coloring, and water! Drop 3-4 drops of food coloring into each dry balloon. Then, fill the balloon with the coldest water you can get from your tap, and fill it slowly. Tie the balloon like you'd tie a normal water balloon. Place the balloon outside in the snow but make sure the balloons rest on a flat surface, since you want the ice gems to have a flat bottom. Leave outside for a day or two. Once it's frozen, cut off the plastic balloon around it. Set it where you want it outside on your porch railing, along your walkway, or anywhere else! It's a cheap and gorgeous winter decoration.

Make a funny or crazy looking snowman to display in your yard for your neighbors and people driving by to see. If you don't have the best sculpting skills, then make a regular snowman and color him in instead. Just mix food coloring and water up in spray bottles and randomly spray the snowman with different colors. It will definitely set your house and your snowman apart from the rest on the block!

The first blog I ever started was during a blizzard and it took up so much of my time that I didn't even mind being stuck inside for a couple days. Think of something you're passionate about (even if it's just writing about your everyday life adventures) and set up a new blog account with Blogger, Tumblr, or any other free blog site that appeals to you. Pick out the perfect theme, blog title, and write a few articles to start you off. Before you know it, the snow will stop falling and you will be left with a new fun hobby that could eventually even lead to some side money making!

Whether it's an indoor or an outdoor fort, doing things that were fun as a kid can still be fun now! If you make an outdoor fort, make sure to be safe by either not having a roof on it, or making sure the roof is not thick enough to do any harm if it collapses. If you make one inside your house out of blankets and pillows, it's even more fun to lay inside of it with your significant other or best friend, drink some hot chocolate, and watch movies. I don't know why, but forts just make doing any activity in them so much more fun!

Okay, maybe not fatten up, but loosen your diet restrictions a little. The best thing to eat while staying warm inside is something sweet and delicious! Make s'mores over your stove top or (if you're lucky enough to own one) fireplace, bake a unique cookie or cupcake recipe from scratch that you found online, or even make a dessert type of alcoholic beverage. You will have plenty of time to get your body back in shape come summer time and a few treats won't kill you! Plus everyone else in your household will love you for cooking.

Of course there are also the normal things to do when it's snowing like sledding, skiing, and ice skating, but most of those things you have to travel somewhere for. I honestly can't wait for winter! It is such a beautiful season and plus I love knowing I don't have to stress about getting into shape to wear a bikini anytime soon! What are your favorite things to do when it's snowing that you can add to my list?

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