Free (Or nearly free) winter pleasures!

[Terri]

Trying out new recipes. Cookies are expensive to make, sweet rolls are NOT! *;D

Learn to make sprouts for chinese cooking or for salads. Most seeds sold for sprouting do not seem to sprout, but, the bags of lentils at the supermarket do.

Looking at the wonderfull seed catloges, with their growing instructions, and making up a list.....to be bought at the dollar store at 25 cents a pack! (Drink hot chocolate while reading this). The selection at the dollar store is not so good, but, they WILL have a few types of tomatos, some corn, cabbage, yadda yadda yadda. Plan your garden.

Feed the birds. Watch for the sales on seeds and knock yourself out!


And, write an article and send it out for publication. They might bite on it and they might not, but, winter is a good time for writing! (With hot chocolate with artificial sweetener, a dash of vanilla, or whatever).

[Junie]

When I lived near a zoo, there was no admission in the winter. I loved to go there and go to the bird house or other indoor exhibits. The bird house was especially nice, with its exotic plants, water features, and beautiful birds. It was like a tropical resort.

Surprisingly, many of the animals are more active in the winter than in the summer, like the polar bears (all the bears, really), lions, and tigers.

[mtwildflower]

We like to geocache. You can go to http://www.geocaching.com to find caches in your area. We have a GPS that the hubster did some horse trading to get. We love *playing with it. He also had one when he was stationed in S Korea and he's left caches there as well.

[gwhilikerz]

We like to geocache. You can go to http://www.geocaching.com to find caches in your area. We have a GPS that the hubster did some horse trading to get. We love *playing with it. He also had one when he was stationed in S Korea and he's left caches there as well.
That is one cool hobby. I think I would love to do that. I especially like the idea of taking something but leaving something. LOL I know where two caches are now. I check them every so often to see what has been added.

[hillbillygal]

We like to geocache. You can go to http://www.geocaching.com to find caches in your area. We have a GPS that the hubster did some horse trading to get. We love *playing with it. He also had one when he was stationed in S Korea and he's left caches there as well.


That does look really cool. *I checked our zip and there are quite a few around us. *If I had a GPS, I would like to do this with the family!

Update: I found a gps we can use. My brother has a gps that he only uses during deer season and he has agreed to let us use it. This is going to be a fun adventure!

[mtwildflower]

And the beauty of it is that when you do it with kids, it gives them practical knowledge and activity OUTSIDE.

I have a geocaching family outing description on my webpage www.downtoearthwomen.net. Look for it under "togetherness"

Yeah yeah....it's been awhile since I updated it. I'm working on some stuff. ;-)

[swampyankee]

If you don't have a gps I remember a friend of mine was into something like that, called letterboxing. Don't remember too much about it, but he would find boxes using map and compass. He'd find a position where a box would be hidden with a book, and he had to stamp the book. Never tried it but sounded fun.

[GoodDaughter]

No g.p.s. here, although I do sometimes use a m.a.p. ;)

Winter pleasures.... seed and poultry catalogs, as mentioned. Making a quick quilt by tying instead of quilting. Fiddling around in the greenhouse where it's warm when it's cold outdoors. On days that are not too cold, bundle up and sit outside with a hot cup of coffee or Earl Grey or cocoa (with sugar) where you sit and let the sun shine on your face and listen to the birds. Go visiting. Walk in the woods or at least around the perimiter of your yard or property and make note of the differences in the flora and fauna during winter vs. summer.

[Catalpa]

I LOVE geocaching...in fact that's what my sig line is talking about. It has taken me some amazing places that I never knew I was driving right by all the time, and we've learned a lot of interesting history. It's not always cheap - I didn't cache much when gas was $4.00 - but if there's someplace you have to go anyhow, why not find caches on the way? I got my GPS cheap off eBay, and we've had a load of fun with it. What's amazed me is how useful the thing is in my job. Where I work, there's almost never a road sign at an intersection, so if I lose track of how many miles I've come from the main road, I lose track of which road I'm at but with the GPS it's easy. Also once I was in Saginaw and couldn't find the place I was looking for. It had been a couple of years since I'd been there, but I could have sworn it was right here! until I plugged it into the GPS and found out I was on the wrong side of the river. :-[ Geocaching is also a great way to get my kid to pay attention to where we are and which direction is north. ;)

As for frugal winter fun, we do jigsaw puzzles. I can get nice ones pretty darn cheap off eBay or craigslist, and then we cozy up by the fire putting them together. We glue our favorites and use them as pictures on the walls, rotating them with the seasons. I have cardinals in a snowy pine tree up right now, over Christmas we had the one of a lighted Christmas tree in a gazebo by the woods (my favorite) up over the mantel, and right now we're working on one of bluebirds with a birdhouse that will go up for springtime.

Cross country skiing is good, too. The state park maintains a trail, and it's only $6.00 to park.

I also enjoy bundling up and sitting out on the porch watching the sun go down and the moon come up. Winter landscapes are heartbreakingly beautiful, with the lattice of trees dark against the pinks and golds of the sunset, or the moonlight scattering diamonds on the snow, stars so close in a crystaline sky one can hear them sing. Utter peace.

[sbemt456]

Free or nearly free winter pleasures???? A fire in the fireplace, bear skin rug and bottle of wine. ;) Kentucky is debating having a bear hunting season.
Which way did he go? Which way did he go?

Maybe not free but darn good, a kettle of stew on the stove, bread in the oven, a hot drink, and the freedom to choose your pleasures. If you have good food and heat in the winter and a roof over your head then you really have pleasures that many in this country dont.

Stay well and have a great day!


stella

[duckidaho]

Cuddling with my sweetie and the cats.

[Northern_bushrat]

Walking the dogs, snowshoeing, x country skiing, moose watching, howling at the wolves, re-reading a favourite book, writing a long letter to your best friend, star gazing, northern lights viewing...

[Maranna]

I catch up on my reading, do simple crafts and play free games on the internet.

I have no transportation, so can't go any where. We have no zoo either.

[walls0stone]

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