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Asheville NC, just experienced its rainiest summer on record. I recall last year being a bit wet as well. Both seasons included a few days where we needed run our generator to supplement the solar power and recharge our batteries until the sun decided to make its reappearance.
I’ll be honest; a rainy day in our tiny house is not our favorite kind of day. We designed our home to make use of the outdoor space by building an outdoor kitchen and a deck so we could enjoy our mountain and our woods. When it rains for several days straight it can become quite frustrating. So, we needed to be good at figuring out ways to keep ourselves from experiencing extreme cabin fever. Here are the top 5 things we do on rainy days in our tiny house.
Photo by Laura M. LaVoie
Play table top games. Other people not as nerdy as we are would just refer to these as board games, but we are that kind of nerdy. They key with games in the tiny house is that they should be small and easy to store. Large game boards and boxes are not as conducive to the tiny life as a deck of cards. Games we enjoy are Fluxx, Munchkin, Gloom, Apples to Apples and the not-safe-for-work-or-children Cards Against Humanity. Many of these require at least three players but there are lots of two player games that only require a traditional deck of cards or even a digital chess board.
I encourage you to click below to read more ideas.
Watch movies. Trust me; there is nothing more relaxing than snuggling down in the loft with a cat, a laptop, and a few fun movies. We try to keep a few new digital downloads on hand so we have something to watch. I am also a particular fan of marathoning a favorite TV show in these circumstances.
Listen to or play music. The only way I know how to play music is to plug in the iPod and pick a playlist. But I am lucky because Matt is musically inclined. He played drums his whole life but over the last few years he has learned to play the guitar, which fits much better in a tiny house. On a rainy day I’ll curl up in the loft and listen to him play music all afternoon.
A project I’ve been working on. It will be out soon!
Write something. While I don’t play music I do love to write and firing up the laptop, wrapping up in a sweater, and making some hot cocoa to sit down and write is a great way to spend a rainy day. More often than not, I’m crafting a blog post for my own tiny house blog or even my beer blog, but sometimes I’m inspired to write a short story or start a novel that will probably never see the light of day.
Curl up with a good book. The loft is the perfect spot for a rainy day. If you have a metal roof like ours you can hear the soft sound of the rain drumming above your head. Blankets, cocoa, and a cat are your friends when the weather outside is less than ideal. I pull out the kindle, download a book I’ve been waiting for, and read all day.
How about a cat nap?
You can always escape the tiny house to meet friends for a few drinks if you like, but if you feel bound to your house on a rainy day these are a few fun things you can do.
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Laura LaVoie
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Ok these are good ideas. However, what I liked best was the games you gave. I haven’t heard of them before and naturally had to go in search of them. Thanks to you I found a card game for my sci fi nuts, Star Flux. Now to get it.
Laura,
You always have great ideas. Thanks for writing for us who aspire to live like you do! Enjoy the sunny ones too!
Living in the Pacific Northwest, if you let the rain keep you indoors you’d have a heck of a time. You need more than one set of rain gear so you can swap out if needed and a good place to let it drip inside (the shower is perfect). You always have inside projects as well as outside ones ready so you can keep going regardless of weather. I like to do sewing and craft stuff so rainy days are great, also for guilt free reading. Hey, if you can’t do the outdoor chores, might as well get stuck in a good book. Or get caught up on your correspondence. Maybe finally get around to organising the tea or spice cupboard. If I’m really desperate I’ll darn socks. A lot depends on how heavy the rain is. If it’s just a light misting you hardly even need rain gear for short excursions. If you can’t see for rain and you’re pretty sure you saw a fish swim past your face, definitely time to head inside.
If you have a laptop computer, you can spend some time doing online learning. There are free sites to learn genealogy to create your family tree, or go to the Library of Congress…they have tons of links to explore, history can be captivating when it’s not in a textbook. Do learn about your state..early history, pioneers & life, etc. Or research birds for birdwatching, & how to make inexpensive feeders. There are volunteer places online, one is Find A Grave. With some basic genealogy skills, you can help by finding out dates for the “unknown” listed on births & deaths. Or read obituaries online and create a memorial to them. If you aren’t keen on these ideas, go to Cyndi’s List. She has links & ideas galore. Also, there are wonderful sites to learn about astronomy, the earth, many sciences. Good luck hunting.
Awesome ideas here Jenifer thanks for pointing it out.