Last week, I wrote a (somewhat) sarcastic article about things to do to keep warm in this cold winter we've been having. I thought now would be a good time to give some more realistic suggestions for things to do when it's way too cold to handle life and you're forced to stay indoors all day.

1. Curl up in front of the fire with a book and a blanket. Bonus points if you roast marshmallows. Extra bonus points if you make s'mores.

2. Build a pillow/blanket fort. Bonus points if you invite friends and they bring blankets and pillows to add to make it a mega-fort.

3. Movie marathon. Bonus points if you have a theme to the movie marathon. Extra bonus points if you have a popcorn toppings bar.

4. Host a holiday party! Bonus points if you can put together a Secret Santa or a gift exchange of some sort.

5. Spend time with family. Bonus points if you have a family game night and any arguments or disputes end with laughter.

6. Catch up on emails, work, or whatever show you're currently binge-watching. Bonus points if getting all this done doesn't stress you out and crossing things off your to-do list makes you happy.

7. Treat yo' self. Bonus points if you watch the treat yo' self episode of "Parks and Recreation" while soaking in a bubble bath with candles lit.

8. Get to work on Christmas thank you notes. Bonus points if you have stamps in your house and can get the notes in the mail today.

9. Do all that stuff you're supposed to do way more often than anyone actually does. Bonus points if you do one or all of the following: clean things that seem self-cleaning (dishwasher, washing machine, sink, shower, ect.), back up your hard drive, and/or clean out your fridge.

10. Call your mom (and dad). It's likely you haven't talked to them in a while (assuming you don't live with them) and it's always a great thing to do. Bonus points if you call your grandparents too.

11. Catch up on sleep. It's probably been a long week, and when it's cold outside, there's nothing better than getting extra sleep. Bonus points if... actually, sleep is the ultimate bonus, so no bonus points here.