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Maggie Whitley

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / adventures / Bauer blogs / How do you play during the winter?

How do you play during the winter?

February 9, 2021 · 8 Comments
Filed Under: Bauer blogs, seasons

We recently spent a few nights in Petoskey, MI visiting family. A huge snowstorm blew in just as we were arriving. This left us with feet and feet of fresh snow to play in for the next few days.

With all the sparkly winter wonder around outside, we stayed warm inside by cooking meals & baking treats (ribs! meatloaf! chocolate chip cookies!). We colored, played with special family toys, and colored pages and post-its. Oh, and there was a lot of tea in the evenings.

Outside, the kids played by digging a tunnel through a giant plow of snow, skied with daddy, and together as a family we went sledding.

Every time Bauer, our dog, came inside the house his beard was full of snow. I thought it was so cute. It reminded me of our years in Minneapolis and all our winter walks when he was just a puppy :)

One particular sunny morning I walked up & down their steep driveway for some exercise. It was very cold, very bright, and very refreshing. At the end of the day my Fitbit recorded 21 flights of stairs. (Whoa.)

I’m curious about you & your family: how do you celebrate and enjoy the wonder of winter? What are your favorites, your traditions? What are some ways you play during winter?

Growing up, we had a favorite outside game. My best friend’s mom would head to the backyard first and make a maze in the snow with her boots. After about ten minutes, us kids would head outside and play tag by only running through the maze she made for us. It was so much fun. And after 20 years, it’s still a strong, beloved memory.

xx, Maggie

PS. Here are 10 ideas for “field trips” should you feel adventurous this season (but not limited to a particular age) ;)

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8 Comments
Filed Under: Bauer blogs, seasons

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Comments

  1. Hubbs says

    February 10, 2021 at 9:49 am

    I love your recollections of our adventures Magg. We are so blessed to have this history written down. <3

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      February 11, 2021 at 5:44 pm

      Thanks, Mr. Whitley ;)

      Reply
  2. Cindy says

    February 10, 2021 at 10:40 pm

    Blessed with an abundance of snow, food, and a whole lotta love!!! Thanks for sharing the fun memories.

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      February 11, 2021 at 5:44 pm

      XO — it sure was a wonderful visit!

      Reply
  3. Miranda says

    February 16, 2021 at 11:41 pm

    I’m in Arizona (Phoenix area) and during the winter – we are outside a lot! Either going on hikes, sitting around a fire pit at night, or leaving our doors and windows open. It is triple digits for at least 5-6 months of the year so we feel like we can relax during winter!

    Love the recount of your memories. Very special that you do that.

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      February 20, 2021 at 9:49 am

      Hi Miranda. Thanks for sharing a little bit :) How long have you lived in AZ, and what are your favorite meals during the winter months? xx

      Reply
  4. Elizabeth says

    February 20, 2021 at 2:29 pm

    Winter is so mild for us! We bundle up and try to do the same things….play, bike, scoot, etc. when we get snow, we love to build and sled and play. Good gear gets us going!

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      February 20, 2021 at 4:25 pm

      Yes – such good activities! Our youngest received an “all weather” Radio Flier wagon for Christmas and it’s been so fun to use in the snow for long walks.

      Reply

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ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie Whitley weaves her writings around joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith, and simple living. She homeschools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laughter over the challenges & delights of motherhood. Maggie and her husband, along with their four young children, live in metro-Detroit. She has been writing online since 2008.
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We came home and I made “the best dinner ever”. Max specifically announced, “it’s so great you’re launching new meals to the world”. LOL— kids! 🤣👏🏻💓
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So, hello! As you can gather, my name is Maggie ;) 

I started writing online (almost 13 years ago) to share the handmade products I was sewing. My shop was called Gussy Sews. ✂️👛I love the community that has grown from sewing & sharing online.

Let’s FFW to today: Zack and I live in Michigan and have four young children (2 boys & 2 girls). I slowly left the handmade industry and walked right into homemaking, homeschooling, and encouraging women through writing. 💕📝

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Something else I want you to know about me: I stalled for years before acknowledging I have anxiety and depression. It’s hard to talk about this because of course this isn’t forever “my hardship”, but rather because acknowledging this means to heal I have to work through some really difficult things. ✨

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How do you play in the winter? // We had a really How do you play in the winter? // We had a really great time visiting family in northern Michigan. On my blog I share a few ways we played outside, plus I describe a memorable childhood game ❄️☃️. Did you play it as a kiddo?
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What are you reading this year? Currently?

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