10 Helpful Things to Check Off Your List on a Rainy Day
When the weather feels right for staying inside, try one of these pleasant to-dos
Stock up on teas and treats, polish your copper pots, fill a bowl with beautiful fruit. These are just the sort of things to think of on rainy, windy days when you’re in the mood to cocoon or looking for something to do around the house. Up ahead are 10 fun ideas and light household tasks.
2. Decorate With Beautiful Produce
Orchard-fresh apples, juicy pomegranates and sunny citrus are frequent subjects in still-life paintings with good reason: Given their rich hues and appealing shapes, you can consider fruit nature’s decoration. Mound your selection in a pretty wooden bowl, and call your decor done.
Find wooden fruit bowls in the Houzz Shop
Orchard-fresh apples, juicy pomegranates and sunny citrus are frequent subjects in still-life paintings with good reason: Given their rich hues and appealing shapes, you can consider fruit nature’s decoration. Mound your selection in a pretty wooden bowl, and call your decor done.
Find wooden fruit bowls in the Houzz Shop
3. Get a New Umbrella
Rainstorms can wreak havoc on umbrellas, so it’s smart to keep a spare on hand.
A sturdy umbrella stand in the entry keeps floors dry and umbrellas within reach.
Entry Refresh: Brace for All Kinds of Weather
Shop for umbrella stands on Houzz
Rainstorms can wreak havoc on umbrellas, so it’s smart to keep a spare on hand.
A sturdy umbrella stand in the entry keeps floors dry and umbrellas within reach.
Entry Refresh: Brace for All Kinds of Weather
Shop for umbrella stands on Houzz
4. Freshen Up Table Linens
Get ahead of hosting duties by sorting through your linen stash. Donate, mend or recycle worn-out linens, and purchase new napkins and tablecloths if needed.
Clever Ways to Rethink the Linen Closet
Find a decluttering specialist in the Houzz pro directory
Get ahead of hosting duties by sorting through your linen stash. Donate, mend or recycle worn-out linens, and purchase new napkins and tablecloths if needed.
Clever Ways to Rethink the Linen Closet
Find a decluttering specialist in the Houzz pro directory
5. Stock Up on Teas and Treats
What’s better on a blustery day than a hot pot of tea and a warm biscuit slathered with jam? Be prepared to ride out unfriendly weather with a good stash of your favorite coffee, tea and treats in the pantry.
Simple Pleasures: Indulging in Teatime
What’s better on a blustery day than a hot pot of tea and a warm biscuit slathered with jam? Be prepared to ride out unfriendly weather with a good stash of your favorite coffee, tea and treats in the pantry.
Simple Pleasures: Indulging in Teatime
6. Dig Out Favorite Board Games
Whether for staving off boredom during a power outage or enjoying the simple pleasure of a family game night, board games and cards are a good thing to have in your entertainment arsenal. Dig out your old favorites, or treat yourself to a new game.
Simple Pleasures: Game Night Done Right
Whether for staving off boredom during a power outage or enjoying the simple pleasure of a family game night, board games and cards are a good thing to have in your entertainment arsenal. Dig out your old favorites, or treat yourself to a new game.
Simple Pleasures: Game Night Done Right
7. Freshen Up the Bar Cart
And remember, bar carts are useful for more than just booze: Try turning yours into a hot cider-mobile, rolling library or record-playing station. Even if you are using it as intended, spruce it up with a potted plant or a small sculpture, or frame it with a textile on the wall behind.
Photo Flip: Bar Cart Bonanza
Shop for a bar cart that suits your style
And remember, bar carts are useful for more than just booze: Try turning yours into a hot cider-mobile, rolling library or record-playing station. Even if you are using it as intended, spruce it up with a potted plant or a small sculpture, or frame it with a textile on the wall behind.
Photo Flip: Bar Cart Bonanza
Shop for a bar cart that suits your style
8. Enhance Your Dressing Area
Make getting ready in the morning more of a joy by tidying up your dressing area and adding a few fun tweaks. Perhaps some twinkle lights to twine around your mirror, or a pretty tray to display your favorite jewelry?
Make getting ready in the morning more of a joy by tidying up your dressing area and adding a few fun tweaks. Perhaps some twinkle lights to twine around your mirror, or a pretty tray to display your favorite jewelry?
9. Curate Your Book Collection
When the rain is pouring down, it’s natural to gravitate toward the bookshelves. Before you settle in with that new mystery or beloved classic, take a moment to scan your shelves and pull out books that you don’t love. Keeping your book collection well edited means more room for new works!
‘Not My Precious Books!’ — Pain-Free Ways to Declutter Your Library
When the rain is pouring down, it’s natural to gravitate toward the bookshelves. Before you settle in with that new mystery or beloved classic, take a moment to scan your shelves and pull out books that you don’t love. Keeping your book collection well edited means more room for new works!
‘Not My Precious Books!’ — Pain-Free Ways to Declutter Your Library
10. Do Some Big-Batch Cooking
Stuck in the house? Use your time to give your future, frazzled weeknight-self a hand and cook up a big pot of something yummy (think soup, stew or chili) to stash in the fridge or freezer.
Or make a meal component (like homemade stock or piecrust) that can be frozen and used in any number of ways in the weeks to come.
Tell us in the Comments: What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy weekend?
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Stuck in the house? Use your time to give your future, frazzled weeknight-self a hand and cook up a big pot of something yummy (think soup, stew or chili) to stash in the fridge or freezer.
Or make a meal component (like homemade stock or piecrust) that can be frozen and used in any number of ways in the weeks to come.
Tell us in the Comments: What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy weekend?
More on Houzz
The Anti-To-Do List: 10 Things You Don’t Need to Be Doing
Find a professional for your home project
Shop for home products
If you have copper saucepans that get a regular workout in the kitchen, they will darken over time. Why not take a moment to restore their shiny-penny luster? Use copper cleaning cream or a natural alternative, like ketchup (yes, really!) to get your cookware looking all shiny and new.
Shine On: How to Clean and Care for Copper