The other day I was so desperate for some summer vibes that when High School Musical 2 flew up on the screen during my channel flipping, I stopped and not only listened to "Summertime," but actively got up to dance and sing along (♫ IT'S OUR VACAAAAATION ♫). While I'm sure this lapse in judgment could happen to me at any point in the year, I know it hit especially hard this time: I miss summer the way people pine after long distance loves—I know I'll see it eventually, but that doesn't make the anticipation any less intense.
But I'm not here to rub salt on our summer-sized wounds, because the truth is, we don't have to suffer through these months. There are plenty of ways you can make it feel like summer, even in the bitterest cold. I mean, there's always the tried and true Beyoncé method of commissioning your own private jet and heading to a tropical island for the week, but those of us without a bajillion dollars lying around aren't totally outta luck. Give winter the figurative finger this year and go on and do all your warm weather stuff anyway. The cold isn't stopping you from indulging in any of these summer activities:
Make a Pina Colada
And then maximize the fun by continuing the time-honored tradition of getting that damn song stuck in the heads of literally everyone you encounter that day. If you need some more inspiration, here's a whole slew of summery drinks you can enjoy any time of the year.
Cook With Pineapples
Slice them, grill them, put them in a kick-ass homemade guac—you do you. Pineapple basically tastes like sunshine, so you can't really go wrong.
Revisit Your Favorite Beach Reads
The sun doesn't have to be out for you to blow your entire Saturday on a beach read, and if you read one that you already know and love, it'll take you right back to the original beach you read it on (minus all the sand in your orifices and your bikini workin' its way up your buttcrack).
Rock Beachy Hair
Bring some summer hair glam to the office this week, and save all that time blowdrying and styling for fifteen extra minutes of much-deserved sleep. Now when everybody looks at you, they can pretend it's summer, too! (You're SUCH a giver.)
Winterize a Summer Outfit
Just because your snot is practically freezing in your nose doesn't mean you have to retire all your favorite summer clothes until June. Pull on a pair of wool tights under your favorite high-waisted shorts, or wear a funky, patterned, long-sleeved shirt under a bright summer dress. It'll add that extra spring in your step that you need until actual Spring.
Blast a Summery Playlist
I highly recommend Leighton Meester's cover of "I'm Just A Summer Girl" from Country Strong (the way I aggressively recommend anything to do with that cinematic masterpiece), but the Ultimate Summer 2014 Playlist also ought to do the trick.
Make S'Mores Indoors
Perhaps the most perilous Christmas gift my family received this year was a mini indoor s'mores cooker. Approximately 90% of my caloric intake in 2015 has been s'mores-related and I can tell you from personal experience that it's as close to summer as I have ever felt in six degree weather. (Also, sorry I just wrecked your day with that blatant gif of s'mores porn.)
Spend The Whole Day In The Movie Theater
You do it in the summer to escape the blistering heat, so why not do it in the winter to escape the blistering cold? I personally already have plans to scar myself for life by watching The Last Five Years and Fifty Shades of Gray back-to-back on Valentine's Day and I invite you all to follow suit.
Blow Some Bubbles In The House
Bubbles are like the summertime version of Christmas. I passed somebody blowing bubbles on a street corner last week and it filled me with enough summer whimsy that I only hit the snooze button like four times the next day.
Start Planning Summer Road Trips
Did you know that the boost of happiness you get from planning a vacation can actually outweigh your happiness while on the vacation? Dream big, y'all. Also, winter is a great time to start feeling out your friends for a fun road trip to see if you can all get off work at the same time.
Paint Your Toenails Ridiculous Colors
Summer is undeniably the season where we are inhaling most of our yearly supply of ethyl acetate, but there's always that one electric shade of yellow or daring nail DIY that we're too scared to try when our toesies are on full display. What better time to try take a nail risk than right now, when your feet will be jammed in boots anyway? You'll still get that summer contentment of getting your nails did with none of the fear that people will be judging your less-than-classy attempt at cheetah print.
Play With a Puppy
Puppies have NO IDEA it's not summer, so they act like it's summer all the time. Not sure who you can borrow some puppy love from? Log on to Facebook and scroll down your dash—99% chance you will find someone with a puppy within five minutes. That's your new best friend.
Images: martinak15/Flickr; Giphy (9)
