Cooped up while the temps keep dropping? Don’t worry– we’ll keep you entertained!

Apparently, most of us are collectively hitting a pandemic wall. Do you feel irritable? Listless? Maybe you’ve had an existential crisis and asked your partner, “What is even the point of all this?” (Yeah, I literally did this last week). After days of working from home, making dinner, making sourdough, rearranging the furniture, changing diapers, picking up toys, going to sleep and waking up to do it all over again with seemingly no passage of time or end in sight, we’re losing it over here. Without even the ability to go outside because it won’t stop snowing, well, winter madness has set in, folks, with a pandemic twist.

My husband and I have two young kids, and every season we make a bucket list. It helps us enjoy the seasons and remember all the fun things we want to do, especially when we’re getting stir crazy or antsy. Winter is always hard after Christmas — hell, I can plan a million holiday activities, but then February hits and that sixth snow isn’t as magical as the first. This week, after alternating breakdowns every other day (my husband had Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday, and I got Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday — oh, our toddler got every day), we decided we need something to look forward to. Behold, the return to the bucket list.

I’m not going to say it was easy. I Googled lots of things that were, sadly, closed for various reasons, and that was a huge bummer. But I’m here to spare you the bummer and just bring the fun.

Maybe you have kids and your brain is zapped. It’s hard coming up with things to do when your brain is so overloaded with stress and anxiety that you’re holding on to each day, whether you listened to the morning news or not. The goal of this list is to suggest things that are as stress free, and mess free, as possible. Hopefully they don’t take a lot of brain power, so they’re both mindless and fun. Even if you don’t have kids, there are a ton of things you can do on this list, because you deserve fun, too, and I know your brain is fried as well (though we do envy the lack of butts you’re not wiping).

1. Get outside at Snow Creek

Hey, this ain’t Colorado, but Kansas City has its own slopes. Venture up north to Weston (our hometown!) for a day outside in the snow, whether there’s snow in your driveway or not. You can either go skiing, or if you think that requires too much skill, you can go tubing at Tornado Alley (named for the actual tornado that blew through there once). On your way back home, you can swing by Holladay Distillery and grab a couple of bottles of local vodka or Irish Cream (their bourbon won’t be ready for another year — dang!) to add to your hot cocoa and warm you up once you get home.

2. Make a science experiment

And no, I’m not just talking about the sourdough starter. I recently worked on a newspaper story for a couple of working parents who have family night every Friday. They spent the time I was with them doing science experiments with their kids, and it looked like so much fun! And no, I’m not going to suggest slime, because, guys, I know better. You can make something fun and simple (though kind of messy), like a baking soda and vinegar volcano, or even grab a pre-made science kit from Brookside Toy & Science and let someone else do the planning for you! Or get a little more complicated and make a potato battery, fun fluff with cornstarch and shaving cream, or cool crystals with Epsom salt and food coloring.

3. Buffet dinner

I love fixin’s. Sometimes, I call them accoutrements if I want to get fancy and confuse my husband. But basically, take something plain, add a bunch of toppings, and call it a fun dinner. Kids love it because they get to add fun things to their plate all by themselves — and hell, you can call anything sprinkles to get them excited about it — bacon bits are just bacon sprinkles! And I love it because I barely have to cook — I just grab a bunch of toppings from the pantry and set them out, and if I leave them in the bag, I barely have to do dishes. WIN, WIN. Here are some buffet-themed ideas.

Waffle bar: Make waffles in the waffle maker (they have fun character themed ones like Mickey Mouse or Hello Kitty, too!). Don’t have one? Pancake bar, from a box, or heck, frozen waffles. Topping ideas: Chocolate chips, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, whipped cream, sprinkles, fried chicken, maple syrup, hot honey
Mac & cheese bar: Make mac & cheese in the crock pot, or from a box. Topping ideas: Bacon bits, more cheese, fried onions, green onions, pulled pork
Chili bar: Throw your fave chili recipe in the crock pot, vegan or meat-laden. Serve with cinnamon rolls if you wanna be extra Kansas. Topping ideas: Frito’s, saltines, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, jalapenos

4. Make snow ice cream

My kid ~loves~ to eat snow. Like, stick him outside, and he’ll just eat snow for a whole hour and come inside with the reddish cheeks and lips. One of our favorite things to do this winter is make ice cream from snow. It’s crazy easy, and not in the way that Instagram moms tell you something is easy and it’s actually a huge mess (I’m looking at you, bean bins). Literally all you need is some snow, milk, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. And sprinkles, obviously. Sometimes, we don’t get around to making snow cream the day we have snow, but I just pack a bunch in a plastic bag and store it in the freezer until we need something fun to do for dessert. Just, you know, make sure you grab the fresh, fluffy clean snow.

5. Visit the fishes

We’ve been trying to venture outside the house, which can still be hard with climbing virus numbers and closures. Oftentimes, we do opt to go into places — I just try to pick ones with less touch-points, because kids are germy whether it’s pandemic times or not. A fun solution? Aquariums! There’s quite a few options here, actually. We love visiting Cabela’s, Scheel’s or Bass Pro, because my husband gets to look at Yeti coolers we can’t afford, and our kids love looking at the fish tank, taxidermy exhibits, and, of course, the ATVs. Best part? It’s free! There’s also the SEA LIFE aquarium at Crown Center, of course. As with all COVID things, just make sure to book your tickets in advance.

6. Get hygge

For being one of the coldest places with super dark winters, Denmark is still one of the happiest places on earth. There are a lot of reasons for this (looking at you, long maternity leaves), but one of the theories is their concept of hygge. Loosely translated as “cozy,” hygge is a feeling and a state of being — you can read more about it in “The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living.” Being curled up by the fire with a good book is hygge. Surrounding yourself with your loved ones eating Christmas dinner is hygge. Enjoying a nice cup of coffee in your favorite sweatshirt, warm socks and some good conversation is hygge. When winter started this year, we tried to “hygge” our house. I bought a bunch of candles (I particularly love the Kansas City Candle Co. Crossroads Coffeehouse candle), hung up Christmas lights that would stay up all year long, washed all our favorite throw blankets, put out some sheepskin throws, and pretended I was Danish. I didn’t grow to be 6 feet tall or dye my hair blonde, but I feel happier already.

7. Catch a movie

Did you know that movie theaters are open again? There’s nothing I love more than a good movie in the winter, and with new sanitizing and social distancing, I don’t even have to sit next to someone who won’t stop texting because it’s mandated that they don’t sit next to me! Many theaters are offering new releases, but also old runs of favorites. If you don’t want to be around folks outside your pandemic pod, you can even rent and entire theater, and I was surprised that the prices start at $100 for 10 people — perfect for a winter birthday or special occasion! Check out showtimes at the locally-owned B&B Theatres, or one of my favorites, the Screenland Armour in North Kansas City. Still don’t want to venture out? The Screenland is offering online rentals, so you can binge your favorites from your own couch.

8. Make something with your hands

Stop doom scrolling, pause and make something. I find that the tactile experience of just making something with my hands, without caring about the outcome, is lovely. Break out the watercolors and mindlessly paint with your kids. I’ve found that coloring books are oddly calming, and hey, kids love those, too. Driftwood Ceramics in North Kansas City is doing an at-home ceramics video class — pick up the clay from them, make something at home, and drop it off to kiln fire. Grazing KC and I also collaborated on a grazing board video course, and honestly, those graze boards double as making dinner! Hell, I’ve even picked up some of those DIY kits at Lowe’s or Home Depot on my hardware store runs (nothing better than pandemic painting your entire dining room), and my son LOVES them — they’re free, and they make a toy that they can play with afterwards.

9. Get your blood flowing

I’ve rarely been a person who worked out. But after two kids and plenty of at-home options with the pandemic, I’ve started moving my body again. I got a little exercise bike and do some Peloton classes and, honestly, I really enjoy it, which I never thought I’d say. Sometimes my toddler even cheers me on, which I think is super cute. We also love to do Cosmic Kids Yoga together, which has themed classes for whatever your kid is currently into, so you can bend your body like a dinosaur or a dump truck! Lots of local workout studios have at-home classes too– check out this entire guide for ideas.

10. Do a tasting

I really need to stop getting so snobby at so many types of food: wine, coffee, cheese. I miss the days of opening a slice of American cheese without scoffing at it. I’m really the worst. But, a fun way to get snobby more knowledgeable about a food is to compare a bunch of it! Set up a little at-home tasting for yourself. Here are some tasting ideas.

Wine: Wanna try wine? My good friend Kirsten Schofield is a sommelier whose personal goal is to share the magic of drinking well. She shares approachable wine tips on her Instagram account, @lastregawine, and loves shopping at local wine stores Cellar Rat and Underdog Wine Co. (who has their own wine club!).
Hot cocoa: There are few things better than hot cocoa on a cold winter day. Have fun with this by buying a bunch of different packets — whether flavors or brands — and play with it at home! Make your hot cocoa with real chocolate, or experiment with the difference between water and milk. We love to set up a hot cocoa bar for the kids, complete with candy canes, whipped cream, sprinkles and marshmallows, and let them add their own toppings.
Coffee: I lived in Italy and drank daily espresso for four years, but it wasn’t until I worked at The Roasterie as a tour guide that I realized how different coffee can be through a ton of different factors. At the end of each tour, we’d do a tasting, where we’d share a particular coffee bean and brew it two different ways to show how different the same coffee could taste just by how you made it. Different beans, grind sizes, roast levels and brew methods all change the way coffee can taste. The art of playing with these factors is called cupping, and it could be something fun to try on your own at home! Compare different brands, or the other factors I mentioned above, to see what you like best.
Cheese: I’ve rarely met a cheese I didn’t like, but I for sure like some more than others. You can go gourmet with this one, or go to Aldi, and you won’t be disappointed. Stop by The Better Cheddar on the Plaza for the good stuff, and ask for recommendations!

11. Do a themed book run

Is your kid weirdly obsessed with something they want to learn more about? Or maybe you are, and you think your kid would be into it, too. Maybe your kid is really into dinosaurs, or planes, or outer space. Grab a bunch of books on one topic! Some libraries are still closed, but many are doing curbside checkout, like at the Mid-Continent Public Library branches. Or support your local bookstore and load up there! We love Prospero’s and Rainy Day Books, to name a few. I even recently discovered the website Bookshop.org, which offers online shipping for books and sends money back to your local stores!

12. Treat yo’self

Times are hard. While I can’t plan a big vacation or a party, I can treat myself to small luxuries every day, and luxury does not have to be expensive. These small luxuries can be a thoughtfully made cup of coffee in the morning, putting lemon in your water or burning a candle in your home office. Maybe it means booking a massage — in home or in the spa! Whatever it is, do something indulgent for yourself, and approach basic things like eating, moving your body, or sleep in indulgent ways. (yes, I just bought all new beddings and I love it every time I crawl into bed). Take care of yourself — times are tough right now, and we all deserve grace.