So far, it’s been a pretty mild winter for much of the U.S. – and if you live on the East Coast, it’s been downright HOT – but there’s no doubt that cold weather is on its way. Don’t you think it’s time to get ready? Even if you’ve already had to deal with snow and ice, it’s never too late to make the season a little easier. Buzzfeed recently put together a list of tips and tricks, which inspired us to round up our favorites. Check it out and make this winter much easier with just a little effort!
- Learn some new warm beverage recipes . . .
- Hot chocolate is great. Three months of it, though, gets a little boring, so use this winter as an opportunity to try out different kinds of warming beverages like Sweden’s blueberry blåbärssoppa, Canada’s London fog, Russian sbiten or Vietnamese coffee.
- . . . or update your old ones!
- If, on the other hand, you can’t get enough of hot chocolate, use the extra time indoors to update your favorite recipes.
- Stop slipping and sliding . . .
- Make your own ice melt using only three ingredients . . .
- . by making your own ice melt.
- While we’re on the subject of ice, there’s an object probably floating around your home that makes the perfect, DIY ice scraper: old CD cases!
- Keep drafts out the DIY way.
- Repurpose a favorite summertime toy – pool noodles! – and keep cold air out and warm air in with this DIY draft guard.
- Save your floors from wet, messy boots.
- Make a homemade boot tray to give your winter footwear a safe place to drain. All you need are some baking trays to upcycle and cheap river rocks!
- Store your summer and autumn clothes without wasting space.
- Those winter sweaters need a lot of room, so make some space by storing your summer and lighter fall clothing in vacuum-seal storage bags.
- Reorganize your scarves . . .
- Another space-sucking winter item? Scarves! Keep them organized and kind of pretty by repurposing a shoe-organizer.
- . . . and all of your winter accessories.
- Don’t have an extra shoe-organizer handy? Use a curtain rod! It works for hats and gloves, too, and it’s a great way to dry them out when they get weighed down by all the winter water.
- Look forward to spring with winter plantings.
- Have some plants like spinach, parsley, soapwort or primrose that have to be started when the ground is white, not green? Plant them in recycle milk jugs for perfect miniature greenhouses!
- Prep for colds before they hit with a DIY tissue trash can.
- Let’s be honest with ourselves— we’re going to get sick, and it’s not going to be pretty. And that sometimes means tissues everywhere, especially if you have kids. Make trash collecting a little easier by simply attaching an empty box to a full one for easy tossing.
- Keep your bike working for you.
- You might not be able to ride your bike in wintertime, but you can still make it work for you! Mount it on a sturdy wall and it can function as an extra clothing or curtain rod.
- Snow-proof your bike tires . . .
- Determined to keep riding your bike even in the snow? Make some DIY snow tires by wrapping zip ties around them.
- . . . AND your car tires.
- Be sure you have the right car mat on hand to slip beneath your car tires if you ever need extra tracation.
- Insulate your windows with bubble wrap.
- It’ll block your view, but it WON’T block the light. (After all, there’s not much to see when everything’s hibernating, right?) Get the large bubble version for as much sunshine and clarity as possible, and then just attach it to your windows using water. It won’t stain or damage your windows, and you can reuse the same bubble wrap winter after winter.
Feeling encouraged and looking for more ways to prepare?
Head over to Buzzfeed and check out their original list for even more ideas. Have you used any of these tips yet?
Which one will you try first?
