As I'm sure you've all seen (and got a sneak peek of this post last week on my Instastory), LA has been hit with some heavy rains lately. Last week in particular, our own pathway completely flooded and our swimming pool overflowed! We don't get rainy days very often in southern California, so when they do happen I tend to treat them like snow days just like back home on the east coast. I do not really like to drive in the rain so I am one of those who will typically stay home on rainy days, and also because LA drivers are SCARY when there's any kind of precipitation. My cats go into psycho mode whenever it rains (seriously, their pupils turn into some form of alien dilation!) so when I am not busy getting dizzy from watching them circle around my living room 57 times, I have listed my favorite rainy day activities below. [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="10997,10996"][gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="11019,10995"] Read a good book It should come as no surprise that I am a bookworm, especially with nonfiction and history books. Our upcoming home renovation post will prove to you all just how many books I have! With that said, rainy days are the perfect excuse for me to curl up with a new book or even a book that I have read before that I love (I typically read all my books 2-3 times). In London last month, I picked up four new history books that I couldn't wait to dive into so the crazy rain storms that hit LA was the recent excuse I needed to curl up on my bedroom chaise with a blanket and indulge myself. The books currently on my coffee table for reading are: Elizabeth the Queen: Life of a Modern Monarch; Crown of Blood (about the Nine Days Queen, Lady Jane Grey); Young, Damned, & Fair (about Henry VIII's fifth wife, Catherine Howard - not available yet in the US but can be preordered); and The Private Lives of The Tudors. Obviously you can see a royal theme here! Make hot chocolate I learned how to make authentic French hot chocolate while in culinary school in NYC, and it's the only hot chocolate recipe I use to this day. It's very simple - Pour 3 cups of milk (almond milk is a good non-dairy substitute) into a medium pot. Add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Heat until simmering (do not let boil!). Stir as the chocolate chips melt. Next, add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Add 1 spoonful of cocoa powder and stir until all are mixed together. Pour into a mug and enjoy! [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="10998,10999"] [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="11016,11001"] Organize my closet I tend to go through my closet every 3 months, but actually setting aside a day to go through it becomes somewhat of a challenge. Rainy days make that decision less difficult. There's something about rainy days and organizing that goes perfectly well together, in my opinion. I sort out my clothes based on what I am keeping, what I am selling, and what I am donating. [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="11017,10994"] Bake banana bread The scent of banana bread baking is one of my favorite scents ever. It's one that can't quite be replicated in a candle - it has to be made to truly enjoy the aroma. Food Network has my favorite banana bread recipe, however I like to add 1 teaspoon nutmeg into my spice mixture and sometimes I will also add 1 tablespoon flaxseed. Have a spa day at home Why not have a day to pamper yourself? Put on a nice face mask (I'm currently obsessed with my algae mask from Iceland), lather up your bathtub with hot water and bubbles, and enjoy! There's also this Bobbi Brown algae mask and this Origins rose clay mask that are also very good. [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="11018,11007"][gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="11004,11005"] Then there are some days where I just put on my Hunter rain boots and go splashing in puddles, much to the satisfaction of my husband who never judges me on my silliness. What are some of your favorite rainy day activities? Photos by Torrance Coombs. Petit Bateau rain coat (also available here and available in stripe), ASOS dress, Hunter boots (also love these navy ones), Umbrella (similar here), Gucci bag

As I’m sure you’ve all seen (and got a sneak peek of this post last week on my Instastory), LA has been hit with some heavy rains lately. Last week in particular, our own pathway completely flooded and our swimming pool overflowed! We don’t get rainy days very often in southern California, so when they do happen I tend to treat them like snow days just like back home on the east coast.

I do not really like to drive in the rain so I am one of those who will typically stay home on rainy days, and also because LA drivers are SCARY when there’s any kind of precipitation. My cats go into psycho mode whenever it rains (seriously, their pupils turn into some form of alien dilation!) so when I am not busy getting dizzy from watching them circle around my living room 57 times, I have listed my favorite rainy day activities below.

Read a good book
It should come as no surprise that I am a bookworm, especially with nonfiction and history books. Our upcoming home renovation post will prove to you all just how many books I have! With that said, rainy days are the perfect excuse for me to curl up with a new book or even a book that I have read before that I love (I typically read all my books 2-3 times). In London last month, I picked up four new history books that I couldn’t wait to dive into so the crazy rain storms that hit LA was the recent excuse I needed to curl up on my bedroom chaise with a blanket and indulge myself. The books currently on my coffee table for reading are: Elizabeth the Queen: Life of a Modern Monarch; Crown of Blood (about the Nine Days Queen, Lady Jane Grey); Young, Damned, & Fair (about Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard – not available yet in the US but can be preordered); and The Private Lives of The Tudors. Obviously you can see a royal theme here!

Make hot chocolate
I learned how to make authentic French hot chocolate while in culinary school in NYC, and it’s the only hot chocolate recipe I use to this day. It’s very simple – Pour 3 cups of milk (almond milk is a good non-dairy substitute) into a medium pot. Add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Heat until simmering (do not let boil!). Stir as the chocolate chips melt. Next, add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Add 1 spoonful of cocoa powder and stir until all are mixed together. Pour into a mug and enjoy!

Organize my closet
I tend to go through my closet every 3 months, but actually setting aside a day to go through it becomes somewhat of a challenge. Rainy days make that decision less difficult. There’s something about rainy days and organizing that goes perfectly well together, in my opinion. I sort out my clothes based on what I am keeping, what I am selling, and what I am donating.

Bake banana bread
The scent of banana bread baking is one of my favorite scents ever. It’s one that can’t quite be replicated in a candle – it has to be made to truly enjoy the aroma. Food Network has my favorite banana bread recipe, however I like to add 1 teaspoon nutmeg into my spice mixture and sometimes I will also add 1 tablespoon flaxseed.

Have a spa day at home
Why not have a day to pamper yourself? Put on a nice face mask (I’m currently obsessed with my algae mask from Iceland), lather up your bathtub with hot water and bubbles, and enjoy! There’s also this Bobbi Brown algae mask and this Origins rose clay mask that are also very good.

Then there are some days where I just put on my Hunter rain boots and go splashing in puddles, much to the satisfaction of my husband who never judges me on my silliness. What are some of your favorite rainy day activities?

Photos by Torrance Coombs.

Petit Bateau rain coat (also available here and available in stripe), ASOS dress, Hunter boots (also love these navy ones), Umbrella (similar here), Gucci bag