Sorry to make your children look like total underachievers, but Ontario resident Chris Marchand has dealt with a month of subzero temperatures by making what is probably the best ice fort of all time. The five-foot wall acts as a noise and wind buffer for a 25-square-foot section of Marchand’s yard, but the important thing is that it’s MULTICOLORED — and translucent, of course, so that when the enclosed fire pit is lit, it glows.

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Marchand made nearly 400 ice blocks using plastic containers and food coloring, and cemented them together with slush. Result: It’s still -13 degrees, but at least he gets to relax in something that looks like a magical castle. Who knew extreme weather conditions could be so beautiful?

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