I freakin' love winter. As an extroverted introvert, I get a serious case of FOMO when the weather's nice and everyone's at the beach, but when it's icy and cold, it's a perfect excuse to start up a fire and learn how to not be bored at home. If I had it my way, I'd never leave the house between the months of November and March. I tell people it's so I can catch up on all those knitting projects I have planned out, but really, there's something so relaxing about being home alone. The pressure's off, the pajamas are on, and the planned schedule for the night is 100 percent up to you.
That being said, while a night in is my personal idea of heaven, this type of scenario is a last-resort-type plan for a whole lot of people. Binge-watching Netflix gets old after a few hours, your cat has decided to hide behind the couch for the night, and the boredom inevitably sets in. Never fear. There are a whole bunch of fascinating activities you can do when you're bored out of your mind, so staying locked up in the house all winter seems more like a vacation than a chore.
Your New Best Friend This Winter
This little robot named Cozmo might just be your best friend this winter. It's the number one best-selling one of its kind, and it's got a personality that actually evolves the more you hang out and play games together. It syncs up to an app on your phone, seemingly has real emotions, comes with three power cubes and a charger, and learns your name and face while it plays with you. "Cozmo quick-tapped his way into our hearts," says one reviewer.
This Super-Adult Adult Coloring Book
F*ck Off, I'm Coloring, $10, Amazon
Adult coloring books can be extremely therapeutic, and when you throw some eloquent profanity into the mix, no amount of anger goes unreleased. F*ck Off, I'm Coloring is a coloring book by illustrator James Alexander that features gorgeously intricate designs alongside your favorite swear words, so you can stay calmed and entertained for hours.
A Luxurious Science Experiment For Your Bathtub
LULU Mineral Bubble Powder Bath Bombs, $26, Amazon
These LULU mineral bubble powder bath bombs take your stay-at-home spa night to the next level. In fact, they're pretty much like a luxurious science experiment for your bathtub. They fizz, change colors, and smell absolutely incredible while you bathe, and the best part is that they're made with skin-healing, food-sourced ingredients. This set of six also comes with a free lavender mineral bubble bath powder.
Pull Your Doodles Off The Paper
MYNT3D Professional 3D Printing Pen, $70, Amazon
Don't settle for two dimensional doodling. This genius MYNT3D professional 3D printing pen takes your creations off the paper and elevates your imagination. It melts all different colors of ABS plastic filament to bring your drawings to life, and you can personalize the speed and temperature settings to fine-tune your projects.
Peel The Roughness Right Off Your Feet
Baby Foot Deep Exfoliation Foot Peel,$18, Amazon
Another fascinating addition to your night-in beauty routine, Baby Foot deep exfoliation foot peel is a kind-of-gross-but-mostly-awesome way to remove all the dead skin from the bottom of your feet. Simply soak your feet in water, put on the plastic booties, wear them for an hour, and wash your feet again. Within a few days, the dead calluses will start to strip off in sheets, leaving you with baby-soft skin.
Sand That You Can Shape, Squeeze, And Mold
Kinetic Sand, $45, Uncommon Goods
For hours of creative entertainment, you've got this Kinetic Sand. It looks like your basic beach sand, but it's actually a three-dimensional building toy that you can shape, squeeze, and mold to create whatever you want. It's also surprisingly mess-free, so long as you have a tray for it, and most of the reviews mention how the adult gift-givers were as amused as the kids.
Genuinely Enjoy Staring At Your Ceiling
Sega Homestar Planetarium Star Projector, $150, Amazon
You'll never get tired of staring at your ceiling with this Sega Homestar planetarium star projector. It uses LED technology to project 60,000 stars onto your walls, and it's got some awesome features like a built-in timer, focus adjuster, shooting star function, and optional discs. People also say that the motor is really quiet and set-up is incredibly easy.
Learn To Knit Your Own Mini Throw Blanket
Make Your Own Super Soft Mini Throw, $30, Uncommon Goods
It wouldn't be an at-home activity guide without a knitting project, everyone. This Make Your Own Super Soft Mini Throw comes with everything you need to create a two-by-two tiny blanket for some extra warmth, including sticks, yarn, and easy-to-follow instructions. It's ideal for the beginner or intermediate, and there's an accompanying YouTube video, if you get stuck.
Quit Leaving The House For Your Coffee Fix
MiniPresso GR Espresso Maker, $60, Amazon
One of the only things that can force me to leave the house in the dead of winter is the promise of a good, hot cup of coffee: No longer. The MiniPresso GR espresso maker is a handheld gadget that makes quality espresso without batteries or electricity. It's got a sleek and intuitive design that people cannot get enough of: "Makes Great Espresso!... All the flavor the coffee has to give. For the occasional espresso at home and for the campfire - what a treat!"
A DIY Salon-Quality Manicure Design
Reusable Nail Art Stencils, $13, Amazon
Doing my nails is one of my favorite at home activities, and these reusable nail art stencils keep things interesting. The 16 intricate designs give you a professional salon look without any of the money or effort, and because they're simple and reusable, the reviews section is filled with people's impressive pictures, even though they claim to have zero nail-painting skills.
Turn Your Kitchen Into An Italian Cheese Shop
Italian Cheesemaking Kit, $25, Uncommon Goods
A home-cooked meal is one thing, but turning your kitchen into a fully functional cheese shop is something entirely different. This Italian cheesemaking kit comes with everything you need to make ten different kinds of cheese (including mozzarella, ricotta, and mascarpone), and all you need to do is add milk.
If You Always Wanted To Be A Mermaid
Maxchange Mermaid Tail Blanket, $18, Amazon
Surf Pinterest while under this Maxchange Mermaid Tail Blanket, which is not-so-coincidentally trending all over Pinterest. It's crocheted with imitation cashmere, comes in your choice of five bright colors, and can be washed in the machine. "Stitching is solid, and I even washed it on delicate and let it air dry, no fuzz!" says one reviewer. "My little salt water heart is happy!"
Create A Yarn Tree To Hold Your Jewelry
Craft-tastic Yarn Tree Kit, $30, Amazon
Winter time is craft time, as far as I'm concerned, and this Craft-Tastic yarn tree kit isn't just for kids. It comes with everything you need to create a colorful wire-tree design that replaces your jewelry boxes, so you can beautifully display your earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. It's surprisingly big, easy to make, and comes with an assortment of colors.
Forget Leaving The House — Don't Even Leave The Couch
All-New Echo Dot, $50, Amazon
If you're going to be spending the entirety of the winter indoors, you're going to need a friend like the All-New Echo Dot. It's voice-activated with Alexa to play your music, control your smart accessories (like speakers, lights, and thermostats), help you make do-to and shopping lists, and can even order you a pizza or read the news.
Turn Your Phone Into A Professional Video Camera
Beastgrip Lens Adapter & Rig System, $140, Amazon
This genius Beastgrip lens adapter & rig system is a universal tool that works with any and all smartphones, so you can use your device as a professional-level camera. It's ideal for adding tripods, convenient grip, professional lenses, and sound and light accessories, so that YouTube web series you always wanted to film? Yep, get on that.
This Next-Level Game That Gets Your Brain Working
This is one video game that I never feel guilty about playing for hours on end, because it really gets my mind working. Portal 2 is an ingeniously-executed puzzle game with an engrossing future/dystopian storyline. You can play in single- or multi-player mode to solve puzzles with the use of portals, and the humor, characters, and game play are truly next-level.
Match Colors For Palettes Or Online Shopping
Color Muse for DIY Paint Match, $50, Amazon
For the artistic mind, avid online shopper, or just bored human, there's the Color Muse. It's a tiny little gadget that scans over any real-life object to match and save its exact color. It can be used to create inspirational color palettes or shop online for textiles, paint, footwear, accessories, and clothing in that exact shade, and even professional designers trust it to be reliable and accurate.
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