5 ways to: combat rainy day blues

Where we live it has rained everyday for the last two weeks, making it feel very much like winter already. I had great plans of being overly productive on my maternity leave but waking up each morning to a gloomy grey rain filled sky has seen me spend most days trapped inside the house. I thought I'd share some of the ways I brighten up my day during the winter months

1. Bright florals: I love having fresh flowers in the house, they lift the mood of the house in an instant. Bright colours and summer scents can take your mind of the pouring rain. I especially love to have Lillys in the house as their scent reminds me of the long hot summer and they have long been my favourite flower.
2. Looking back on old photos: I recently found myself going through our Honeymoon photos and was surprised by how cheery they made me. I thought with us spending our honeymoon in Rarotonga and me currently being 9 months pregnant sitting inside listening to the rain hammer the roof, I would get Honeymoon sick(is that a thing?) Instead it instantly cheered me up, with Hubby and I spending hours reminiscing on our time spent exploring that heavenly island.
3. Pamper yourself: Run a hot bath, use your best bubble bath, apply your favourite face mask, light some wonderfully scented candles and soak away the hours. We are so busy in our day to day lives that we forget about ourselves. When the rain is pouring and you know there is no way you will be leaving the house take that chance to indulge yourself. I love the Lush bubble bar range and for a really indulgent bath I will mix one with a bath melt, which melt into your bath and fill it with Cocoa butter goodness. Fantastic for when your skin is also feeling the effects of winter.
4. Movie marathon: B and I know we don't have much time left to just lie on the couch and do nothing, so we are making the most of it lately by catching up on all the movies we have been meaning to watch. With the weather being as bad as it has been we don't feel guilty for it either. I'm sure if it was summer our final days of being a family of two would be spent with me nagging him to weed the gardens and fix bits and pieces on the outside of the house. Yet we are spending it curled up on the couch together and enjoying it being just the two of us.
5. Adult colouring in: Remember how you would waste away hours as a child colouring in your latest book? Well its just as much fun as an adult. Put on some music, grab a colouring book and some pencils and get to it. The great thing about many of these adult colouring books is the pictures are stunning even before any colour hits them, so gorgeous in fact that you can easily frame them for some cheap, changeable art. You could even use them as wrapping paper or give them framed as a gift.

How do you beat the winter blues?