Escape the Winter Blues

The cold weather sucks and i know it makes me kind of gloomy...i found this in Redbook and thought that yall might like it too...just some things to keep in mind anyway

5 Escapes from the Winter Blues

By Leslie Yazel

1. Desert blooms bring the outdoors in

It might be the dead of winter, but you can still brighten your home with blossoms. Succulents, such as the shapely crassulas and sedums shown here, are like the Energizer Bunnies of the plant world. With little care — and even occasional neglect — these tiny plants provide year-round color, striking textures, and blooms in a season when nothing else seems to thrive. All this, and each mail-ordered mini costs less than $6 from gosucculent.com.

2. Escape stress with an audio vacation

A spa trip not in your immediate future? De-stress on the go with a quick download from iTunes's vast collection of nature sounds.

"Ten minutes is enough to have a calming effect," says Jeffrey Rediger, M.D., medical director of McLean Hospital Southeast in Brockton, MA. Choose any theme that appeals to you (we like "Sounds for Life: Ocean Waves" and "Relaxing Rain: Tranquil Forest Rain"), or one that reminds you of a favorite vacation to conjure up the relaxed state you were in the last time you heard those sounds. At six-plus minutes for 99 cents, this is truly easy listening.

5. Bottled bliss for the bath

The sophisticated scents of Boots' Original Beauty Formula collection bring a touch of luxury to your bathtime. And the glass bottles are so chic, you won't want to hide them behind your shower curtain. The apothecary-style vessels might be posh-looking, but their Target price tag is downright populist: Bath Oil with Rose & Lavender, $12; Bath Foam with Bergamot & Clary Sage, $13; Skin Tonic with Damask Rose, $10.