What I've Been Doing While Most of the Country is Snowed In

Most of the country has been snowed in lately, and around here it’s been a mix of real life and real winter. I’ve been juggling my college classes, working through the steps of setting up my LLC, homeschooling, caregiving, and everything else that doesn’t pause just because the weather does.

The boys have been right in the middle of it with us. They took turns clearing the driveway each time the snow piled up, and my husband and I handled the rest to keep it manageable.

Once the driveway was under control, the kids finally had a chance to turn the snow into something fun. My oldest spent the next couple of days building an igloo in the yard. His friends came over to help expand it until the top eventually caved in, but they already have plans to try again. My younger one had his own version of winter entertainment - snowball fights, climbing the big mounds the plow left at the edge of the road, and for reasons only kids understand, taking turns burying each other in the snow.

While they were outside burning off energy, I was inside catching up on assignments and paperwork; the behind‑the‑scenes parts of trying to grow a business in the middle of everyday life. After a while, even I started feeling a little stir‑crazy. Between school, work, and the weather, I’ve definitely hit that point where you just need something different to break up the routine. Getting through the work and having a chance to finally focus on the blog a little bit was part of the needed break up.

I’m sure a lot of people are feeling the same way right now.

So I figured I’d share a few things that have actually helped us stay productive, entertained, or just sane this week.

• Lavazza Dolcevita Coffee - my go‑to when I’m trying to stay awake while working through assignments or paperwork or just want a warm caffeinated boost. https://amzn.to/4qcgvrU

• Monopoly - we play house‑rules style, so it takes forever, but it’s one of those games that keeps everyone busy on long snow days. https://amzn.to/3ZIMDZk

• My dual laptop screen attachment - the thing that saves me when I’m switching between schoolwork, research, and everything else. I use one screen for notes and the other for whatever I’m working on. https://amzn.to/4kcF9Y4

• Hand warmers - these warmers are great for keeping our hands warm while we're out in the snow, especially after all the shoveling, igloo‑building, and climbing the plow piles. https://amzn.to/4tcyjWy

If you’re also snowed in, I hope something here helps you get through the week. Winter slows everything down, but sometimes that’s when the small steps matter most.