HAPPY BONUS DAY! CONGRATS! You got a whole extra 24 hours of time this year. What are you going to do with it? Go to work, go to the gym, hang with the kids? Yes. BUT on this bonus day, you shall do it with flair. Here are 29 things to do on leap day—aka your super awesome bonus day.
1. Adopt a pet
Do it. Get the puppy. Name it jackpot. Because you won the lottery with an extra day.
2. Volunteer
Why not use your extra day to do some good?
3. Go shopping
Have you gotten your tax refund yet? How about you use that extra cash on your extra day? As Tom and Donna would say from Parks and Rec, TREAT YO’ SELF.
4. Try that new coffee place
You’ve always wanted to go there, but never have. Today is the day. Who knows, it could become your new favorite spot!
5. Watch a new TV show
Have you watched every episode of NCIS twice now? Mix it up. Try out a show you might not normally choose, you could find yourself binge watching something brand new!
6. Actually go to the gym
Just go. Or at least get in the car and drive by on your way to get ice cream. Which brings us to our next fun activity…
7. Try a new flavor of ice cream or fro yo
Do you always get chocolate? Today is the day you get strawberry! Or instead of that vanilla greek yogurt, try a lime flavor! Mix it up, after all today is the day to try something new!
8. Get a haircut/massage/manicure/pedicure
Hygiene and stress relief is important. So is taking some time to relax, go feel good about yourself on your special extra day!
9. Have your morning coffee with your spouse
Is it usually a chaotic morning of getting ready for work, getting the kids into pants, and trying to down as much caffeine as possible? Wake up 15 minutes early and enjoy that magical morning coffee with your magical special someone on this magical special day.
10. Go to a movie/watch a movie
It’s award season. Have you seen the movies you want to? Life is busy and getting to the movies can be hard, take a couple hours and get lost in a good movie!
11. Clean your car
You know you need to do it. You have receipts from 2013 still in a cup holder. You never have time to clean it most days, but today is bonus day. Clean your car.
12. Take a mini day trip
Pop up to the Wisconsin Dells, camp in your living room, go visit grandma and grandpa, plan a staycation at a local hotel! You don’t have to go far in order to have a vacation!
13. Turn your phone off
Unplug for a day and focus on the things that really matter. Family, friends, faith, yourself. Sometimes living life without your phone can really fill up your day with good positive and tangible things.
14. Finish up a house project
Have you wanted to change out your door knobs? Maybe you have a leaky faucet or a loose step? Today is bonus day. Fix up the things you always wanted to get around to, but just haven’t yet.
15. Try a new type of food
Never had thai food? Is there a cool Indian restaurant around the corner? Looking to try a gyro? Broaden your palette on this bonus day with a new cuisine!
16. Call an old friend
Have you not spoken to someone in a long time? Give them a phone call or shoot them an email! Rekindle an old friendship or flame. Today is bonus day, might as well reconnect!
17. Try new makeup or a new facial hair style
Have you always wanted to rock a bold lip or eye? Maybe you want to try a mustache or shave it all off? It’s bonus day! Go out on a limb. You may end up liking the results.
18. Go to a concert or learn to love a new band
Is your spouse super into country and you’re super not? Maybe try looking for an artist you both might like, or go see a concert of someone new. After all, music can be a great motivator.
19. Make art
Glue something to another thing, color, paint, go nuts with your kids markers! Sometimes you just need to doodle.
20. Spend an hour (or two) on Youtube
Why be productive on work at bonus day? Today if you want to watch that cat video you watch that cat video.
21. Make a cat video
Become the next youtube/vine star. Use your internet fame money to adopt more cats.
22. Teach someone something new
Teach your teenager how to change a tire, teach your spouse how to do a burpee, teach your kids how to start a fire in your backyard fire pit and then not tell your spouse about it. Learning is good.
23. Tell your spouse you taught the kids how to start a fire
Lying is bad. Don’t lie on bonus day.
24. Read something
The newspaper, a book, a comic book, the bathroom sudoku book that’s mainly there for decorative purposes, or even more articles on this blog! Stay up to date on current events or have some good literary fun on this special extra day.
25. Get outside
Go for a walk, have a picnic, take a hike or jog outside. When we get busy it’s easy to forget how beautiful it is outside our homes and workplaces (even when it’s cold). Take some time to drink it all in.
26. Balance your checkbook
You know you’ve been lazy about this. It’ll take you twenty minutes…hopefully. And while you’re at it, check out that budget of yours.
27. Update your cover photo on Facebook
Your children are no longer 5 and 10, they’re 8 and 13. It’s been 3 years. Let’s put up a photo that reflects how much your little ducklings have grown.
28. Change the batteries in your smoke detectors
Heaven only knows you should change those batteries before one starts to beep. Because you’ll never figure out which one it is until you change all the batteries at 2 AM. Save yourself the frustration, change them all now.
29. Just love a little more
You don’t have to have a crazy day on a bonus leap day, just have one filled with a little extra love.
…or get a tattoo. That works too.
What do you plan to do with your “bonus” day? What would you do with a whole extra year? (take our fun leap year survey)