This is the most snowfall I can remember seeing accumulate in my back yard in the 9 years I’ve lived here. My neighbors trees are weighted down with snow and making cracking noises frequently.

Here in Seattle, we don’t deal with snow well. There’s not enough equipment to keep the roads clear; our drivers are great at rain but idiots at driving in snow; and we have large trees that like to topple on our exposed power lines.

My teenager and I have been snowbound for four days now. (She isn’t exactly crying into a hankie at her missed school days).

The first three days have been fun – watching movies, drinking hot cocoa, walking our snow-loving dogs on long hikes, playing board games with the neighbors, reading books and inviting neighbors over for a cocktail party.

I threw a pretty effortless cocktail party last night, using things we had in the freezer and pantry (appetizers, olives, goods we spent the day baking); opening our last bottle of wine; and improvising with the dairy and produce we stocked up on in between storms. We invited our closest neighbors who also have cabin fever and were glad to come visit and see fresh faces!

Now on day four, however, we’re a bit bored and restless. Time to get some winter projects done. Then we’ll feel useful, accomplished, and maybe begin to appreciate book reading and movie watching again! We don’t want to just do regular housekeeping (vacuuming, window washing, dusting, etc) – we feel like we want to get some actual big projects done, not the kind you do every day.

Here’s my suggestions for Snow Day projects:

• Sorting and organizing old photos
• Downloading new photos off our various cameras and organizing them digitally. Maybe even printing some out onto photo paper.
• Sorting our clothes closets, trying on each and every thing we own. Since we’re unable to leave the house safely due to ice, we probably have plenty of time to do such a big task.
• Alphabetizing books, DVDs, our music collections or other entertainment related projects.
• Backing up our computers.
• Emptying email backlogs and cleaning out old bookmarks.
• Total overhaul on kitchen cabinets.
• Baking and cooking experimentation, using up odd things in the pantry.
• Taking time to write long paper letters and dash off greeting cards to relatives.
• Sorting old boxes in the attic, basement or garage.
• Finally finishing that knitting or crochet project.
• Actually using our craft supplies to create something. (Scrapbooking, cardmaking, etc).
• Rearranging furniture to try something new.
• Going through old magazines and catalogs, finally reading, then recycling them.
• Sharpen or hone/rebalance your knives and scissors.
• Organizing our cookbooks, recipe boxes, and recipe clippings from magazines into binders.

What are some of your favorite Snow Day projects?