Reasons to be happy and shake off the winter blues

January and February are two of the most depressing months of the year. Well, it is for us Brits who are stuck with cold and miserable weather, dark evenings and unpredictable snow storms. And the summer still seems so far away...

I’ve been obsessively stalking my friends and family in Australia and drooling over their sunny beach photos, their tanned limbs and their blue skies.

Ahhh, blue sky. Do you remember that?

A photo posted by Jayne Gorman (@jayneytravels) on Dec 26, 2014 at 7:39pm PST

Yes, @jayneytravels, I'm talking to you!

I’d usually go abroad at this time of year and catch some rays but with 5 weeks left to go of my pregnancy I’m sticking close to home.

I’ll admit that I spent last week moping and longing for the future to come faster. I want the baby to come sooner, I want the summer to come sooner, I want my next holiday to come sooner, I want my new house to be finished sooner.

This moping and longing isn’t healthy so I had a word with myself and decided to shake myself out of it. I’m wishing my life away here and I really just need to sit back and enjoy the moment. Moping doesn’t help anyone so it’s time to shake off the winter blues and start being more positive.

Here are my reasons to be happy…

• Snowdrops – I love these pretty, delicate flowers. And they’re a sure sign spring is on the way!

Spring is here! #100happydays A photo posted by Monica Stott (@thetravelhack) on Feb 17, 2014 at 6:26am PST

• January is gone for another 11 months

• The days are getting longer – even the clocks will be going forwards soon

• Cosy fires and evenings spent under blankets are awesome – you can do this guilt free in the winter but it’s a bit weird in the summer

• Flannel PJs – They’re not sexy but who doesn’t love cosy PJs?

• Bubble baths – Again, another weird thing to have in the summer

• Frosty mornings – We don’t have many of those clean, crisp, clear winter mornings, but when we do, they’re beautiful and well worth stopping to appreciate.

Frosty walks 

A photo posted by Monica Stott (@thetravelhack) on Dec 30, 2014 at 7:01am PST

• Wrapping up warm – I hate the cold but I really, really love layering up and heading out for a winter walk. I love being inside my little cocoon of warmness.

• Broadchurch – And TV box sets in general. What did we do before Netflix?

• Books – There is no better time of year to wrap yourself up in a blanket and curl up with a good book.

• Tiny baby socks – Can I get an ahhhhhh? There is nothing in the world that is cuter than new born baby socks. Fact.

• And, of course, the biggest and best reason for me to be happy right now is this ever-growing bump which will soon turn into a baby! A baby!

What are your reasons to be happy in February? Come on, share them so we can all have a reason to share them during this dreary month.