I’m a tried-and-true Vancouverite, a real BC patriot… but we all know the qualms we face when the days get longer, greyer and rainier. I don’t know about you, but for a few brief months over the winter I forget about my lust for the city and spend lots of my freetime finding shelter from the rain. While I’ve been known to indulge in a good Netflix documentary now and again, sometimes you want to try to take advantage of a day-in. I wanted to share some of my favourite rainy-day activities, and teach you how to take a grumpy rain-day, and make it a relaxing staycation.

01 Have a bubble bath.

I’m not talking a regular run-the-tub kind of bath, we’re talking about a light-the-candles, get a bottle of wine, dim the lights, cue the music and most importantly get some amazing bubble bath. I love this Cellucleanse Bath Salt from Saje, it seriously makes your skin feel baby soft. After I’ve dried off, I use the “In the Buff” dry brush (cute name right?). This body scrubber is meant to be used on dry (not wet) skin, and helps remove surface skin cells and support your bodies natural revitalization process.

02 Set-up a games night

There are lots of great board games that you can purchase but there are also some fun games that don’t require you to have a closet full of snakes and ladders. One of my favourites is Scattegories, you can simply google “online Scattegories generator” and it comes up with a game on your phone. Another one of my favourites is Quiplash. This is a game you can purchase on your computer or your TV and play with the whole family, it’s so much fun!

03 Have a spa night

Toss on your favourite tobe, get out your hair mask, buy a new nail posh and make a night of it. Sometimes simply taking some time for yourself can completely change your mindest. Grab a new nail polish colour, actually give it time to dry (for once). I love putting on an at-home face mask. One of my favourites is this hydrating sheet mask by Burt’s Bees.

04 Do some baking

When you’re baking with a tight deadline, it sucks out the fun and makes it a task. I love grabbing icing, sprinkles and other ingredients from the store and making a day of it. I’ll bake cookies or cupcakes and spend time decorating them. Usually after days like these I end up bringing the treats over to friends or taking them into the office. I don’t need to eat 24 heart shaped cookies.

05 Practice a skill

Whether it’s painting, writing, playing guitar or mixing drinks, a rainy-day-in is the perfect time to practice those hobbies you feel like you never have any time for. Making time for hobbies is great for practicing mindfulness and provides much needed time for reflection. These are often the times I put on some music and practice ballet, as it used to be such a huge part of my life and is something I can very rarely make time for anymore.

06 Read a book.

No, I don’t mean 10 pages while you’re falling asleep. I mean actually pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read for months, make yourself comfortable and power through. I always put on my comfiest pajamas, turn on my AromaTime diffuser with my new favourite Saje diffuser blend, citrus dream. I’m working on a special project to share some of my favourite must-read books with you. I can’t wait to tell you more about it.

So here we are, with 5 days of rain in the forecast, and nothing to complain about. Catch-up on your reading, have a bath, learn that song you’ve been practicing for..well..years on the guitar and have a games night with the fam. We’re spoiled with months of the most beautiful sunshiney west-coast (best-coast) so we have to try our best not to let a little grey get us down.

How do you guys make the most of a rainy day?

xx n