Brrrrrr!!!! Entertaining can get a little bit tricky in the winter!

It's fun to have a night out on the town once in awhile, but I'm really the type of person who prefers entertaining friends at home. There's something so cozy and personal about the home atmosphere that allows you to really strengthen important friendships.

Unfortunately, entertaining can get a little bit tricky in the winter. Summer picnics and barbeques are no longer possible, so you're stuck sitting cooped up inside. Without a little extra planning, get-togethers can end up devolving into those long and awkward weather discussions that Minnesotans are so fond of. Here are a few of my favorite indoor activities for cold winter days:

Movie Marathon

One of my old friends from high school has taken to hosting an annual “Star Wars” movie marathon. It usually takes place around the second week of January. Everybody comes over to his house to watch all the films on his massive flat screen TV. We eat themed foods, drink an adult version of blue milk and attempt to answer trivia questions. I've been thinking about copying the idea with a different series. I think that a “Lord of the Rings” movie marathon would be pretty awesome.

Game Night

I'm lucky enough to have a huge collection of game equipment stored in my basement. Every once in awhile, I'll invite friends and family members over for game night. We usually end up playing blackjack, as this seems to be the game of choice in my circle of friends. But we've also used game night as an excuse to play hearts, rummy, craps and even Monopoly. I’m currently in the midst of planning a game night that will be centered around one of my favorite games of all time: Cranium.

Wine Tasting

I'll admit it: I'm no wine aficionado. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the occasional wine tasting event. Wine tours are nice and all, but it sometimes is just as fun to sip wine in the comfort of your own home. For a fun and laid-back party, prepare some food and then ask each attendee to bring some wine of his or her choosing.

Hot Tub

My neighbor has both a hot tub and a pool in his backyard. The pool doesn't really get used that often, but the hot tub seems to be occupied pretty much every night. It doesn't matter if it's 20 degrees below; my neighbor always manages to spend some quality time relaxing in it. I've been over there a few times and it's actually pretty fun. There's nothing like enjoying the relaxing feel of a hot tub while be surrounded by piles of snow.

You don't have to visit all the hottest nightclubs to have a good time. This winter, have a few friends over for a relaxing night in.