5 Ways To Make Winter Suck Less

by | Feb 28, 2020 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

5 Ways To Make Winter Suck Less | Uncustomary

People fall into two categories, namely those who love winter, and those who hate it from the bottom of their hearts. If you identify yourself with the second group, you have probably not been very happy with the last months, and the winter is not stepping down yet.

The great news is that spring will eventually come, but it is possible to make the winter suck less. Below, you will find the five amazing tips on how to make your winter more splendid, cozy, green, or adventurous so that you could choose the best option for you. Alternatively, go for all of the tricks below and have fantastic wintertime that won’t be spoiled by any weather conditions.

Simulate Sun

The sun drops fast this time of year, and besides the fact that we don’t get enough warmth from it during winter, there’s not much light either. Fortunately, technological advancements make it possible for people to ease the struggle for sunlight at least a bit.

You can buy a special lamp that simulates sunlight to brighten up your room and help you to deal with the wintertime darkness. Such an item will also improve your mood and create a cozy atmosphere at home. Sunlight is also important for your health since it is a source of Vitamin D. If getting sick is a worry of yours then look for an immune support for winter.

Besides, you can cuddle yourself in blankets in the evening, light some candles instead of the lamp, and watch a fun movie or read a good book. It is essential to take care of yourself, especially during winter months, when everything looks so dull and greyish. If it is cloudy outside, turn on your lamp and wait for sunny days to come.

Purchase Some Houseplants

Houseplants remind of the spring and warm days, so getting yourself some greenery will make you happier and allow for fresher air in the room. It is very relaxing to take care of the plants and watch them grow. Moreover, you can purchase one that will eventually bloom when the spring comes.

If you already have some houseplants at your place, make sure to check if they need special treatment during winter months. Some require more water, while others should be watered less frequently. Also, it would help if you kept them from radiators, as well as cold places, such as windowsills.

If you are just thinking about purchasing some greenery for your home, choose aloe vera or a snake plant that are known to thrive well through the winter. Alternatively, you can enjoy yourself by acquiring one with a bright flower, such as a bromeliad plant.

Go Outside

As recommended by BuzzFeed, just get outside. It may sound awful, as one of the main reasons why people hate winter is because of the freezing temperatures and winds that attack you once you leave your house. You may ask, what’s the point of doing so if you don’t like the cold?

However, nothing is actually more rewarding than doing your best to enjoy your life, even if the weather is against your will. Engage in fun activities with your family and friends, and you won’t notice how the time outside flies fast.

Create a snowman, go skiing or ice skating, visit a park, and enjoy the beauty of nature in the winter. Also, you can do a fun photoset with your closest ones to remember splendid winter days. By wearing several layers of warm clothes and being active, you won’t feel the cold that much as when you get to work early in the morning and hate everything about this season.

Create a Winter “To Do” List

Following the previous point, as recommended by Forbes, create a to-do list of things that can be done during the winter only and set your goals. This way, you will concentrate more on the good aspects of the cold months and more likely to enjoy the weather outside.

For example, you can decide to bake an apple-cinnamon pie and do a winter movie marathon with your family or friends. Alternatively, you can go for outdoor ice-skating or try some other winter sports for the first time. Write down all your wishes and plan them throughout the season so that by the end of the winter, you will complete the list and welcome the spring season happily.

As seen on Washington Post, with the rapidly warming climate, we should cherish the winter because we don’t know for sure how the current cold month will be like in fifty or a hundred years. Instead of spending your time at home and counting days for the spring, it is worth making a step towards this season. Thus, you can turn your wintertime into a memorable experience.

Go to Vegas

There’s no wrong time to pay a visit to Las Vegas, and winter can play new colors in this city. Thus, if you have been thinking of going to Sin City for a weekend, wait no more and buy your tickets. And if you haven’t thought about Vegas as a destination point, it is the right time to consider this city for your next trip. Check out Las Vegas Jaunt for a budget travel guide for your next trip to the Sin City.

As seen on VegasForAll, this place can confidently boast of luxury hotels, spectacular shows, tremendous casinos, and other entertainment. Choose activities to your liking and enjoy what Las Vegas has to offer. Most of the famous spots look fantastic both in summer and spring, and almost all the entertainment is held indoors, so cold temperatures won’t spoil your vacation.

Final Tips

Even if you really hate winter and can’t wait for it to be over, there are some nice things you can do during this season. You can choose to stay inside and make yourself cozy, with greenery, candles, warm blankets, movies, books, and treats. Or you can go all in and get yourself outside to face the weather conditions, try to befriend them, and create great memories during the winter.

Whichever option you choose, note the tips above and organize yourself splendid wintertime. There’s so much one can do in the winter, so follow these recommendations and make your winter suck less.




In Columbia, Maryland, there’s a former grocery store that has been transformed into a department store for mythical creatures, time travelers, and intergalactic tourists.

It’s called DoodleHATCH.

You can groom a unicorn, visit an intergalactic space station, climb onto a giant’s bed, meet guinea pigs, explore an artist’s studio, and discover approximately a million other things that somebody actually sat down and made.

It’s a nonprofit interactive art museum, a community project, an educational resource, and one of my favorite places I’ve ever discovered.

And it could be demolished as part of a proposed redevelopment of the Long Reach Village Center.

But there’s still an opportunity to help.

You don’t need to donate money. You don’t need to live in Maryland. And you don’t need to know anything about zoning laws.

You can start by writing an email.

🚨 Here's what's happening

Developer Columbia Concepts has proposed redeveloping the Long Reach Village Center in Columbia, Maryland.

The proposal would replace existing buildings with new housing, recreational facilities, and other development.

Unfortunately, that puts a whole collection of existing community resources at risk of being demolished, including:

  • DoodleHATCH Interactive Art Museum
  • Maryland Fashion Institute
  • A makerspace used for community education
  • Local restaurants, shops, and service businesses
  • Early childhood education and community programs
  • A 140-foot-long mural created by approximately 100 community members

This isn’t just about losing a fabulous museum. It’s about losing an entire collection of places that people have built, supported, and relied on.

And there’s another possibility!

🌈 Meet The REALM

Lee Andersen, the founder of DoodleHATCH, and her nonprofit ManneqART want to preserve the existing community resources and transform the village center into an arts and culture destination called The REALM.

Imagine a place where artists have studios, children have room to explore, students can learn creative skills, people can attend performances, and local businesses continue serving their neighbors.

There are plans for a performing arts space, more opportunities for artists, and a Witches Kitchen that might serve you a horrible-disgusting breakfast.

Which, personally, I think sounds promising.

The people behind DoodleHATCH are gathering support to oppose the developer’s zoning proposal and advocate for The REALM.

And they’d love your help.

💌 How to help in about two minutes

If you live in Howard County, Maryland

If you’re 18 or older, DoodleHATCH is asking eligible county residents to visit the museum and sign their petition in person.

📍DoodleHATCH Interactive Art Museum

8775 Cloudleap Court, Unit 101
Columbia, MD 21045

⏱️ Museum hours: Friday–Sunday, 10 AM–5 PM.

And while you’re there, I highly recommend exploring the museum. Bring someone who needs a reminder that being an adult doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying ridiculous things.

If you don't live in Howard County

You can still help!

DoodleHATCH is collecting emails from people who oppose the proposed Columbia Concepts redevelopment and support preserving the existing arts and community resources through The REALM.

Send your email to: Lilou@DoodleHATCH.com

Suggested subject: Support The REALM | Oppose Columbia Concepts Zoning Proposal ZB 1132M

You can write your own message or use one of the templates below.

You don’t need to write an essay. A short, genuine message explaining what you support and why is enough to participate in this email campaign.

✍️ What should your email say?

To make your position clear, include these three things:

1. Say what you’re opposing.

State that you oppose the proposed Columbia Concepts redevelopment and zoning amendment for the Long Reach Village Center, case ZB 1132M.

2. Say what you’re supporting.

Express your support for preserving DoodleHATCH, the Maryland Fashion Institute, existing community resources, and the proposed arts and culture center called The REALM.

3. Explain why you care.

This is the part that makes your email yours.

Maybe you’ve visited DoodleHATCH. Maybe you’re a parent who wants more creative places for children. Maybe you’re an artist, an educator, or someone who thinks it’s important to protect the few spaces where people can explore and make things without needing to buy something.

Maybe you live across the country and just learned that there’s a department store for mythical creatures in Maryland, and you think the world would be a little less interesting without it.

That’s a perfectly good reason to care.

💌 Email templates you can copy

Option 1: Short, simple, and effective

Subject: Support The REALM | Oppose ZB 1132M

Hello,

I’m writing to express my opposition to the proposed Columbia Concepts zoning amendment and redevelopment of the Long Reach Village Center (ZB 1132M).

I support preserving DoodleHATCH, the Maryland Fashion Institute, and the existing community services and small businesses, as well as the proposal to create The REALM arts and culture center.

Creative and educational spaces like these provide valuable opportunities for families, artists, students, and the wider community. I believe they deserve to be protected.

Please include my email with the messages of support being collected for DoodleHATCH and The REALM.

Thank you,

[Your Name]
[Your City/State]

Option 2: For artists, creatives, and fellow merriment makers

Subject: Please Protect DoodleHATCH and Support The REALM

Hello,

I’m writing in opposition to Columbia Concepts’ proposed redevelopment and zoning amendment for the Long Reach Village Center (ZB 1132M), and in support of The REALM.

I believe communities need places where creativity, imagination, and play are actively encouraged.

DoodleHATCH is an extraordinary example of what can happen when artists and community members are given room to create something that doesn’t fit into an ordinary commercial space.

Places like this are rare. They encourage people of all ages to experiment, learn, explore, and connect with one another.

I support preserving DoodleHATCH, the Maryland Fashion Institute, the existing community resources, and the vision for The REALM.

Thank you for collecting these messages and advocating for the creative community.

[Your Name]
[Your City/State]

Option 3: For people who've visited DoodleHATCH

Subject: Please Save DoodleHATCH | Oppose ZB 1132M

Hello,

I’m writing to express my opposition to the proposed Columbia Concepts redevelopment and zoning amendment for the Long Reach Village Center (ZB 1132M), and my support for The REALM.

I’ve personally visited DoodleHATCH, and I want to share why I believe it’s worth preserving.

[Write two or three sentences about your experience. What did you see? Who did you bring? What surprised you? What made you want to return?]

DoodleHATCH is more than a collection of exhibits. It’s a place where creativity is something people can actively participate in, and I believe losing it would be a tremendous loss to the community.

I support preserving the museum, the Maryland Fashion Institute, and the other existing community resources through the proposed arts and culture center, The REALM.

Please include my email with the messages of support you’re collecting.

Thank you,

[Your Name]
[Your City/State]

A few tips before you hit send

DO:

  • Use your real name.

  • Include your city and state so organizers can understand where support is coming from.

  • Clearly identify the redevelopment proposal you’re opposing.

  • Specifically mention your support for The REALM.

  • Add a personal sentence or two if you can.

  • Be respectful, even if you’re frustrated.

  • Share this page with other people who might want to help.

DON’T:

  • Pretend to be a Howard County resident if you’re not.

  • Claim to have visited DoodleHATCH if you haven’t.

  • Make up experiences or information.

  • Send threatening, insulting, or harassing messages.

  • Assume your email is the same thing as signing the official petition.

  • Worry about making your message sound impressive. Clear and genuine is better than elaborate.

💌 The Save DoodleHATCH Email Machine

A few clicks, a little personality, and an email that helps support DoodleHATCH and The REALM. No account or signup required.

What's your connection to DoodleHATCH?
Why does protecting places like this matter to you?
✨ Your email preview
To: Lilou@DoodleHATCH.com
Subject:

Your information stays in your browser until you choose to copy or open the message. The email does not send automatically. Emails support DoodleHATCH's advocacy campaign; they are not the same as official petition signatures or zoning testimony. Please review the message before sending.

🐹 Wait. What exactly is DoodleHATCH?

I’m so glad you asked.

DoodleHATCH is an interactive art museum in Columbia, Maryland, created by artist, designer, and professional generator of wildly ambitious ideas, Lee Andersen.

The museum is designed as a pretend department store for mythological creatures, time travelers, and galactic tourists.

There are dozens of installations, and unlike most museums, you’re encouraged to touch things, explore, and participate.

There’s also an artist’s studio full of fabric and handmade garments, workshops, special events, birthday parties, free books, and opportunities for local artists to share their work.

The museum welcomes families and children, but adults are absolutely allowed to enjoy themselves, too.

And the woman behind it has spent decades bringing creativity into the community through fashion, festivals, education, and public art.

I discovered DoodleHATCH in 2020 and loved it so much that I started volunteering.

I’ve been back multiple times, and there are still things I haven’t seen.

That’s part of what makes it special. You can keep discovering things because people keep creating them.

You don't have to live near DoodleHATCH to care about it.

There are Merriment Makers everywhere.

People turning empty buildings into art spaces. People organizing parades. People teaching kids how to sew, paint, dance, or build things. People putting enormous amounts of time into projects that make their communities more interesting.

Sometimes they’re running nonprofits. Sometimes they’re working out of their garages. Sometimes they’re making something weird in a strip mall that you might drive past a hundred times without realizing what’s inside.

I hope you’ll help protect DoodleHATCH.

And I hope you’ll look around your own community, too. Visit the strange little museum. Go to the local art show. Find the person who makes giant puppets or organizes an absurd annual festival. Spend your money at the independent shop with the handmade things.

There are people everywhere creating reasons for us to be curious about being alive.

I’d like them to be able to keep doing that.

Help save DoodleHATCH. Help protect The REALM. Help keep the world interesting.

💌 Email: Lilou@DoodleHATCH.com

🌈 Visit: DoodleHATCH.com

🦄 Share: Uncustomary.org/Doodle