by Catalogs.com Info Guru Terri Wallace

When the wind howls and the windows rattle, when snow blows into drifts that cause businesses to close their doors…

… it is time to partake of some of the time-honored snow day activities that will make you feel like a kid again!

10. Hot Cocoa

No snow day is complete without a piping hot mug of hot cocoa. Topped with marshmallows or whipped cream, the creamy chocolate goodness will help warm you up after a snowball fight or building a snow man. Just to be safe, plan on keeping plenty on hand for those times that the forecast even hints at a few flurries.

9. Prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse

An unplanned day off is the perfect time to do a little zombie prepping. Take stock of your canned goods and food supplies (taking note of #10 above), inventory your medical supplies, and perhaps even watch a season or two of The Walking Dead on Netflix for inspiration and helpful suggestions.

8. Shop for Swimsuits

Since it is most likely too cold to actually venture outside for any length of time, consider perusing the online sites for a spiffy new swimsuit. The best part of online shopping is that you can try the clothing on later–in the privacy of your own home, without unflattering florescent dressing-room lighting, and without full length mirrors reflecting back horrifyingly accurate images of your pasty white body from every angle.

7. Eat Chocolate

After the humiliation of viewing picture-perfect bikini-clad forms as suggested in #8 above, feel free to bury your feelings of inadequacy with ample supplies of chocolate. Since bathing suit season should, by all rights, be considered an emergency, feel free to crack into your supply of Zombie Apocalypse Chocolate, if necessary.

6. Learn to Knit

The Harry Potter books made knitting seem almost… magical. Inspired by the series, a whole new generation of knitters took up their needles and began to conjure up warm woolens. Even a beginner can knit a simple scarf in an afternoon. As an added bonus, the knitting needles might also come in handy if the undead do ever decide to take over the world.

5. Speaking of Harry Potter…

Snow Days are also the perfect time to while away the day with a good book–whether a print book, an e-book, or an audio-book. Snuggle under the covers and nestle down with a little romance, or adventure, or whatever else might help warm your cockles when the snow flies.

4. It’s All About the Warm

Another winter weather essential is a heaping pile of cozy blankets. Blankets provide not only warmth, but also serve as handy indoor-fort building material–in the event that the wind-chill renders the construction of snow forts unlikely or unpleasant.

3. Cook

When the weather turns wicked, nothing warms you up like a hot bowl of soup. Don’t slave over a stove, though. Unexpected days off are too few and far between to waste on fancy-pants recipes with lots of slicing and dicing. Instead, throw some ingredients into the crock pot and let it simmer for hours, filling your home with the amazing smell of “real” food–not take out!

2. Make a Game of It

When your children complain that they are bored, and there is nothing to do, and they don’t want to go build another snow man, confound them with the following phrase, “Let’s play a game.” The mere fact that you did not suggest that they clean their room might temporarily render them mute, but your kids will love the chance to actually play a real, old-fashion (meaning “not electronic”) game with you. Consider it an investment in their future. Consider it time well-spent.

1. Shop!

You don’t have to venture forth on frozen roads to shop; simply visit your favorite stores online and avoid the traffic, incompetent drivers, and crowded malls. In fact, you can do all of your spring-time shopping all at once and have it delivered to your door—much more productive than a day at work!