Summer is nearly year-round in southeast Texas so it should be no surprise that the free stuff to see and do in the sprawling metropolitan area of the nation’s fourth-biggest city focuses on the outdoors.At some point next month, the idea that winter is really and truly here will hit you like a big, sloppy snowball to the face. And even though it will seem as if a moment ago you were sharing drinks with your friends on the deck or watching your kids frolic through a sprinkler, you’ll soon find yourself hiding under a quilt, worrying about snow shovels, frozen pipes and four more months of gray skies.
Rather than mope, try these techniques to keep the doldrums at bay and keep summer alive in your home.
Go green
Outside, you won’t find flowers or the scent of grass and fresh soil. Don’t let that happen inside, too. Although the days are short and sunlight will be scarce this winter, try filling your home with some low-light, easy-to-care-for plants. Shawn Locker, owner of Blue River Nursery in Columbia City, suggests angel wing begonia or black bamboo.
Brighten up
Tricking yourself into thinking it is summer by switching to full spectrum light bulbs may seem like wishful thinking, and, depending on who you ask, maybe it is. While the jury is still out on whether or not full spectrum light bulbs help regulate sleep cycles or mood during winter months, the bulbs can still provide a cozy little placebo effect – your brain’s version of positive thinking. For extra summertime cheer, add a couple drops of lemon juice to the top of the light bulb, close your eyes and imagine a lemon orchard.
Make a summer menu
After a month or more of chili and soup and pot roast, we begin to long for the light, fresh dinners of summer. Plan a summer time meal – complete with lemonade and key lime pie – once a month. Even if your eyes know it’s winter, your taste buds won’t.
Wish you were there
When all you see from your window are gray skies, a little visual stimulation helps. Postcards from exotic destinations – whether it’s one your best friend sent from Orlando or one you picked up on your honeymoon in Italy – are the perfect companion for a blustery day. Plaster your house with them – frame them, collect several and pin them on a corkboard, hang them on the fridge. Each time you’ll see one, you can pause for a moment and soak up the imaginary sun.
