Winter survival technique #3 (after #1 Central Heating and #2 Hot Drinks):
Think about birds, flying north.
Their migration begins in February [yes, soon!] and indicates the coming spring more definitively than a groundhog emerging (or not emerging) from its barrow.
It is arguably more impressive, too.
Take a bath!
But first, get the right supplies:
1. Clever bathroom decorations.
[You] vs. [Something else]
If these brackets describe your life right now, take a look at the following photos of hikers conquering mountains.
Their athleticism and joy might inspire you to persevere and conquer.
If not, they’ll at least give you an opportunity to mentally escape.
Win-win:
An official ‘Made in Alaska’ stamp exists for items that are totally made in Alaska. Like the ‘Fair Trade’ and ‘USDA Organic’, the ‘Made in Alaska’ stamp evokes a mixture of pride and vague optimism about the world—or at least about Alaska.
‘Made in Alaska‘ has also become a parody, screen printed on t-shirts and underwear. (The phrase may refer to Alaskans themselves, after all.)
Of course, there are a number of Alaskans who design and produce items without the official symbol. You can search for these artists on Etsy.com or simply view the artists featured here:
Pancakes, like porridge, are at risk for dullness.
To keep breakfast exciting…
1. Color the pancakes with food dye.
Soap? Exciting?
It’s possible.
Check it out:
1. Cheesecake soap –
a clean way to rub dessert all over your body if, per chance, it ever crossed your mind.
Brussels isn’t a tourist-magnet, but it’s still got charm—an endearing, down-to-earth sort of charm.
Whether you’ve visited or not, here are fourteen sights one could attribute to Brussels with laughter and appreciation:
1. A disorganized skyline – evidence of either a large anarchist population or a government with soft spot for chaos.
When the Dutch canals begin to freeze over, the ducks take to walking on the ice, right next to the bicycles and cats.
According to Wikipedia, la galette/gâteau des rois is called a ‘French king cake’ in English, but a ‘French King Cake’ isn’t as impressive as a ‘gahlet day wah’; we are therefore going to use the French version, even if no one understands us.
We’re suave like that.
This New Year’s might be an ideal time to dispose of the leftovers of your past relationships—or give them to this Croatian museum:
The Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb displays an eclectic assortment of mementos donated by people who have endured a break-up and want to share or get rid of ex-memories. Each relationship is anonymous except for its original location, length of duration and final summary of events, both tragic and hilarious.
One doesn’t know whether to cry or laugh at the end of the exhibition. Shakespeare would probably love it.
A few examples…