Danica McKellar Takes a Dip in the Frigid Pacific Ocean Ahead of 49th Birthday: 'Cozy Is Overrated'

"Just took a dip in the ocean. It is cold, but felt so good and refreshing, and [it was] a great way to ring in the New Year," shared the actress

Danica McKellar is stepping outside her comfort zone for the new year.

The Wonder Years alum — who also celebrated her 49th birthday on Wednesday — shared a glimpse at her spontaneous dip in the freezing cold ocean to kick off 2024.

McKellar captured the moment in a series of videos posted to her Instagram Story on Tuesday, starting with a shot of the ocean at sunset, which she captioned with, “Breathe in deeply this new year for 19 seconds as we gaze upon the Pacific Ocean....” She added that it was “probably pretty cold in there....”

But the freezing temperatures didn’t stop her as in a follow-up video, she showed herself walking into the ocean in a bikini as other beachgoers were wrapped up in jackets, sweaters and pants. “Notice the people walking on the beach, bundled up,” she wrote alongside a “Baby, it’s cold outside” sticker.

Related: Danica McKellar Celebrates 10th Anniversary of First Date with Husband Scott Sveslosky

Ignoring the chill, McKellar splashed in the waves and fully immersed herself in the water. “Yep, that’s me,” she wrote over the video, which was set over the instrumental version of “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid.

“Just took a dip in the ocean. It is cold, but felt so good and refreshing, and [it was] a great way to ring in the New Year,” McKellar, who wore a cheetah print swimsuit, said in another video following her swim. “You know what? I’ve been really cozy for a lot of this break and I decided that cozy is overrated.”

She concluded the video with a New Year’s message encouraging people to “jump in that cold ocean” and even added a sticker of Rosie the Riveter saying “We can do it.”

Related: Danica McKellar Reveals Which '90s Star Overlapped Teen Romances with Her and Candace Cameron Bure: 'Tsk Tsk'

The actress revealed on Instagram that she rang in the new year with her husband Scott Sveslosky and son Draco McKellar Verta (whom she shares with ex-husband Mike Verta) along with her sister Crystal, her brothers and her parents.

McKellar opened the Instagram carousel with a snap of her and Sveslosky posing together to take a selfie. She wore a silver celebrate headband, while her beau wore a tinsel garland around his neck. She also took a sweet photo beaming cheek to cheek with her son.

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She concluded the post with some family group shots of her and her siblings with her parents sitting on a couch, and noted that “somehow my dad kept sinking into the chair and looking awkward, so we had some fun with that one. 😅”

“Happy New Year!! 🎉🌟 Feeling blessed to have spent it with family...,“ she captioned the set of photos. “Sending love to you all for the new year ahead!! 🌟🎉 #2024”

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