January the Longest Month

January. It's dark, it's cold, it's long. Xmas and New Year have passed. Many people (like Alistair) are working like dogs. So how to cheer yourself in this grimmest month of the year?

Here are some of my January Lightening ideas, to stop the month being just about survival and maybe glean some enjoyment from it.

Read Library Books. These winter months are the perfect time to catch up on some reading. Try some new authors and genres!

Spring Clean. It's horrible out. You're stuck in. So make the most of it and blitz the house. Rearrange some stuff and maybe get a few new things. Those old tins, boxes, jars and bowls you are hoarding make great storage. Get stuff out that you have stored away and think about displaying some of them. Buy flowers, which will cheer you up. They are very cheap in supermarkets. My favourites are tulips, I love all bulb flowers somehow, and my Granny used to grow fantastic tulips.

Buy some winter clothes. The sales aren't always that revelatory, so get to some charity shops or on ebay and buy a second hand winter coat. Not a chain store one, a proper old one. Good coats last forever and a second hand one is half the price of something cheap and new. Pyjamas are also a great thing to buy, get a really kitsch pattern like roses or tartan to cheer you up.