Lightin' Up Downtown 11/29/24 - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Hunker Down, and Go Downtown!

It’s getting to be that time of year again. You know the one – after the holiday hubbub and headlong into the long, cold, grey days of winter. It is time to “forage” for those things that will make a successful hibernation! Happy to say that Downtown Kenosha has everything you could possibly need for a cozy, comfortable and creative nesting season.

During the winter months, everyone’s resistance is low and it’s good to stock up on those things that keep good health on the radar. A stop at House of Nutrition gives you a chance to stock up on Elderberry Syrup to boost your immunity and beautifully tasting teas to soothe, warm and help you sleep better. Next stop?  Scoops! Of course, ice cream is great any time of the year and Scoops has all the best flavors, but they also have wonderful soups, sold by the quart. Pick your favorite or, better yet, ask for a recommendation! Try their tried-and-true chicken noodle; it’s the perfect soup for long winter days – seasoned right, piping hot and loaded with good stuff!

Of course the long days do require some activity and Blue House Books offers the tools for one of the best winter activities…reading! Plus, Blue House Books has their very own Book Club! On the last Tuesday of every month, a group gets together to discuss a book that is usually based on cultural holidays, current events or the latest popular titles – and it is guaranteed to provide you with lively conversation with other enthusiastic readers.  For the month of January the selection is “Ordinary Monsters” by J.M. Siro. It is perfect because it’s a long book but also a very exciting story that will keep you captured in a magical, Victorian world for weeks!  While there, pick up some East View 664 coffee – an amazing medium roast blend that tastes of cocoa and cherry. It’s roasted right here in Kenosha and, for every bag sold, East View donates $1 to local charities. That alone warms you right up!

Sometimes reading and drinking tea or coffee just isn’t enough to get through the winter blast.  You need something fun, creative, and maybe a little quirky. A quick stop in Donovan Scherer’s Studio Moonfall loads you up with all the right things! Learn something new and grab the book “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” by Betty Edwards. If you love to sketch and draw, this widely known book will help you with your perception and increase your confidence as an amateur artist. If that doesn’t keep you busy enough, get the “Everyday TAROT” – a small Tarot deck and instructions on how to use them will access your inner wisdom. Then, for those gray days when you’re just longing for summer, check out another book to give you ideas for a haunted summer Wisconsin vacation! “Haunted Wisconsin: Ghosts and Strange Phenomenon of the Badger State” by Linda S. Godfrey should give you plenty of ideas, if not nightmares! Lastly, just for fun, pick up the latest Color of Kenosha coloring book too. Coloring is creative and a great, relaxing meditation tool. Donovan’s latest coloring book features local businesses and wintry scenes and there might be a Color of Kenosha coloring contest coming up too! It’s just a rumor right now but watch for future announcements.

Hopefully you can find goodies for your winter hibernation haul to get you through at least mid-February! Depending on how long the frigid cold lasts, you might have to venture out again to restock on winter supplies. That’s okay. Bundle up and be happy knowing it’s a short trip because all of this and so much more is available right in Downtown Kenosha! Happy Hunkering, everyone!