For most, the winter months can be the pits. Battling the cold weather, no sun and spending the day indoors makes the winter seem to last forever.
If you’re looking to beat the winter blues, check out some activities adults and kids can do to end the depression snow can bring.
nPump you up
At the beginning of a new year, hundreds of thousands of people vow to have a healthier diet and start to exercise more.
But you may be surprised to learn the increase in gym memberships happens about three weeks into the month of January, according to Phil Stublensky, owner of Power House Gym (1500 S. Lapeer) in Oxford.
‘What we actually see is people try it at home for two or three weeks,? he said.
Daily interruptions at home, Stublensky said, lead to them heading straight to the gym.
He said his gym sees a 35 percent increase in their members towards the end of January with those who want to fulfill their resolutions or just feel better during the winter months.
Power House has treadmills, ellipticals, aerobics, Yoga, Pilates, boxing and spinning programs for their members to enjoy.
Stublensky recommends eating right and getting exercise to get out of the winter slumps.
Starting this week, Power House is offering a 70 percent discount off their enrollment fee of $199 and 20 percent off monthly dues for new members.
‘That gets us really close to our prices six years ago,? he said.
For more information on joining Power House Gym, call Phil at (248) 628-0613.
nLet’s go to the movies
The Academy Awards are in March. What better way to relieve the winter blues than to catch up with what’s happening on the silver screen?
Peter Jackson’s version of the classic ‘King Kong? has been turning the heads of critics Although it’s an epic three hours twenty minutes, you’ll get so caught up in the movie you’ll forget about the cold.
Kids have been favoring Disney’s ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? as this winter’s must-see flick, even though the wintry scenes of Narnia can make you shiver while watching.
Joshua Miller, manager of the Oxford 7 Theater (48 S. Washington) downtown said January can be a slow month for cool movies but that it doesn’t keep the crowds from coming in.
‘I think for the time of year they’ll do well just because people are looking for something to do to get away from winter,? he said.
Look for Steven Spielberg’s drama ‘Munich? about the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany where eleven Israeli athletes were taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist.
Miller said the upcoming basketball film ‘Glory Road? and the vampire versus werewolf ‘Underworld: Evolution? will be popular with the younger crowd.
Call the Oxford 7 at 628-7469 to get more movie times.
nDIY home repairs
Who says you can’t do any home repairs in the winter?
Winter home projects are very popular, according to Brad Millen, assistant manager of Grove’s True ValueHardware in Oxford.
‘Interior remodeling is big-time in the winter,? he said. ‘A lot of bathroom remodels, living room remodels, flooring.?
Grove’s sells numerous shades of paint which allow customers to turn a room’s boring beige to a lovely lavender.
Millen said the cold winter months also bring in large sales of humidifier filters for furnaces, heat tape for pipes, water heater blankets and window film. These products are especially useful to those who want to keep gas bills lower. ‘It insulates the windows and (helps stop) drafts.?
Millen warns homeowners not to neglect the outdoor home repairs in the winter time, though.
Grove’s sells gutter tape to melt ice dams that may build up in gutters which could lead to even greater damage to the home. ‘Once the dam builds the water backs up underneath it and ends up leaking behind your sub-walls and getting down into the drywall,? Millen said.
Calcium chloride can be purchased to help melt ice off of your roof’s shingles without destroying the asphalt. Roof rakes ($54.99) will help take stress from heavy snow off of the home’s rafters.
Have a question about your home repair? Call Brad at (248) 628-9335.
nFun crafts
For those with the creative touch, scrapbooking and jewelry making may be the way to forget about winter.
The Scrapping Post (210 S. Washington) is home to 1,500 sq. ft. of scrapbooking heaven.
From albums, to stickers, to decals, to paper, one could spend hours’even days putting together a homemade scrapbook.
Diana Renouf, co-owner of the Post, said kids tend to want to make pages with photos of their pet, while teenage spring breakers put together pages with a beach theme.’There’s a paper for everything,? she said.?
Prices range from 50 cents for an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper to $1.25 for specialty paper. Albums run betwen $16-32.
The Scrapping Post offers classes for the public in scrapbooking, canvas painting and, starting on January 12, cardmaking classes.
Renouf supplies certain equipment, like punch outs, but the public can bring in whatever they own to use for pages.
Although scrapbooking may seem like a mother-daughter project, Renouf said there are men who have visited the Post.
‘I’ve got a guy who does Woodward cruises, a guy who’s finished five years of deer hunting pictures,? she said.
The Scrapping Post has scrapbooking nights for almost anything you can think of. Stop by and pick up a calendar for upcoming events or call them at 236-9642.
Fashion connoisseurs can also spend their long winter days at the Beadifferent Boutique (7 N. Washington) in downtown Oxford.Owned by Mary Lou Bielak and her husband James, the store is draped with more than 4,000 different types and colors of beads.
Semi-precious stones, like amethysts, jasper and Swarovski crystals make the perfect addition to any piece of jewelry.
Wires, clasps and other items used to make jewelry are also available.
Two customers who frequent Beadifferent are Oxford resident Gillian Nix and her friend Lynda Nietling of Lapeer.
They come into the store ‘as often as they can? and spend hours making bracelets, earrings, necklaces’you name it.
Bielak said she doesn’t really notice any difference in customers from season to season because there’s ‘a group of true beaders that come no matter what.?
Inside the shop is a work table with bright lamps to help with those making meticulous pieces of jewelry.
Bielak even offers classes at the request of the customers ‘at their convenience.?
‘Social interaction is an absolutely wonderful therapy for everyone,? she said.
To get more information about classes at Beadifferent, call (248) 969-7777.