HOW TO ENJOY WINTER
GUIDE ON HOW TO ENJOY THE WINTER FOR NON-WINTER LOVERS | This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart, and one that I’ve been giving a lot of thought as of late. I hear it everywhere from so many different people, all different ages, all different walks of life…”I hate winter” or “Ugh, snow’s in the forecast” or “I despise the cold weather” or “I go to Florida for the winter” …I could go on and on. I’ve been examining not only why other people don’t like winter, but also why I love it so much. So I’ve come up with a guide for how I enjoy the winter, and hopefully it will change a few minds about this season!
“HYGGE” - Noun: the feeling of coziness and contentment evoked by simple comforts, as being wrapped in a blanket, having conversations with friends or family, enjoying food, etc.
GET OUTSIDE
Ok, I’m starting off with a big one. Getting outside in the cold, damp, and snow, is not the easiest advice to take when you don’t like winter. But, this is probably my biggest advice. GET. OUT. SIDE.
A little background on me: I am a southern California native. I grew up in the perpetual 70, 80, and 90 degree temps of Orange County, CA. I never learned to ski, would only ice skate badly at indoor rinks, and we did sledding maybe twice in my whole childhood there. So if there is anyone living in New England who shouldn’t love winter, you would think it would be me. I traded in perpetual sunshine for 5 months of snow and cold out of the year. But, I LOVE winter…
- DO SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN ONLY DO IN THE WINTER MONTHS
When you get outside, make it fun! The best way to enjoy winter is to enjoy doing something only winter can let you do. Try skiing or snowboarding. If you don’t want that much risk, try cross country skiing. If that is still too much, try snow shoeing. Ice skating is one of my favorites, but don’t go to an indoor rink; find a frozen pond that is open for skating! Pick up snowmobiling, or ice fishing. Or better yet, try them all, that way you have a ton of things that you like to do that you can look forward to when winter rolls around.
But there is a very easy way you can make yourself NOT enjoy these winter activities…
- WEAR THE PROPER CLOTHES!
This is a key mistake everyone can make. I see people grab a sweatshirt to go shopping, and its 30 degrees out. You might think this isn’t a problem since you are only in the cold for a few seconds going to and from your car and the stores; but it only helps reinforce how awful the cold can be, in your mind. If you want a mindset shift, this is the place to start.
WOOL > COTTON. Take a thick cotton sweater and a thick wool sweater, wash them, and then lay them out to dry side-by-side. The wool sweater will be dry in a few hours, but it might take 2-3 days for the cotton to dry out. Wool itches, but cotton kills. I wear almost exclusively wool sweaters in the winter. To combat itchiness and to add warmth, I wear a turtleneck underneath! This is my typical cold-weather uniform.
A GOOD COAT. Invest in a warm coat. With wool coats, try to find ones with a high wool content. A good snow coats with fiber down or real down are great for being outdoors for more active things. Good winter coats don’t have to be expensive. Thrift stores always have great coat sections, especially in states with colder climates! I have purchased several wool J. Crew wool at thrift stores, and my mom has found a consignment Barbour wool coat in perfect condition!
SCARVES, HATS, SOCKS, and GLOVES. These are great ways of keeping yourself warmer. Most people have gloves that they wear, but did you know that you will stay warmer if you neck and ears are covered? It always helps me to have a wool hat over my ears and a wool scarf wrapped around my neck. I also love really wide scarves that can cover my nose and cheeks for those really bitter cold days! Cold toes are never fun; I frequently layer socks on the chilly days.
STAY COZY
I gave the definition of Hygge above, and it talks all about being cozy. BUT frequently people take that too far and stay indoors the whole winter with their tea and blankets.
They say the Scandinavians are the happiest people in the world…after all the Danish gave us Hygge in the first place…but I think they stay happy through winter because they know how to LIVE during the winter…
I’ll let you in on a little secret…after a morning of snowboarding, skating, or snowshoeing, coming indoors to warm up but the fire with a blanket and hot chocolate is 100x more cozy than having just been curled up in front of the fire all morning. You can’t really experience the sweetness of cozy without having first gone out and enjoyed the cold. Get outside first, and then embrace cozy. You’ll thank me later.
- WINTER IS FOR COMFORT FOOD. Treat Yourself
Fondue, Truffle Mac-and-Cheese, Waffles, Baked Potato Soup, Grilled Cheese, Hot Chocolate. Part of enjoying the winter is also allowing ourselves to indulge in comfort food. Our body craves fats when we are cold. Feed it dairy. Put a bit more butter on that slice of bread, add more cream to the hot chocolate. But this leads to my next tip…
- Don’t forget to eat healthy!
I support indulging in comfort food during the cold months, but maybe just a couple times a week do a comfort food night. If you don’t also fuel your body with healthy foods during the winter, you can get worn down, and sluggish, and then less motivated to do things.
One of the biggest struggles for me in the winter is not having fresh fruit. It is so hard to eat strawberries that have no flavor, or pale blueberries…so hard. But the answer is always CITRUS! It’s citrus season, so buy all the clementines and oranges! That is what I live on through the winter, it keeps me refreshed and happy, and there is SO MUCH FLAVOR!
Also, try freezing fresh fruits during the summer months so you can pull them out and make smoothies during the winter. I did not do that this year and I know I’m going to regret it soon…
- Keep a list of wintery movies to watch on those snowy evenings!
Some of my favorites are:
THE PINK PANTHER (1963) | This movie starts in the Italian Alps, with ski scenes and winter parties!
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL | One of my favorite movies of all time! I love Wes Anderson, and this quirky winter movie is the perfect thing to cozy up to watch on a cold night.
I MET HIM IN PARIS (1937) | I LOVE this movie! Claudette Colbert stars in this quirky story of a woman who goes off to the alps with two gentlemen, one with good intentions, and one with not-so-good intentions. While there, they do all kinds of fun wintery things, and nothing really goes right…
SUN VALLEY SERENADE (1941) | This is a cute, light-hearted musical-comedy about a piano player in a band who unwillingly gets stuck taking care of a Norwegian refugee fleeing the war in Europe. Lots of ice skating routines, and performances by the incredible Glen Miller and his orchestra, all taking place against the beautiful winter backdrop of Sun Valley!
CHARADE (1963) | Ok, so this technically isn’t a wintery movie, but there is the most fabulous ski resort scene in the opening of the film, so I always watch it on a snowy day in the winter. This thriller, starring Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Walter Matthau could not be more stylish, exciting, and perfect. It’s one of my favorite films of all time!
THE LUCY-DESI COMEDY HOUR: LUCY GOES TO SUN VALLEY | If you like “I Love Lucy” try watching this wintery episode in the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour. Lucy and Ethel go off to Sun Valley without the boys after Ricky postpones their second honeymoon due to work. Fernando Lamas guest stars in this hilarious 50 minute episode, where he gets involuntarily caught between Ricky and Lucy in Lucy’s attempts to make Ricky jealous so he will leave work behind and join her in Sun Valley.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FUN WINTER ACTIVITIES
- Have a fondue party! Invite some friends over for games and fondue in front of a roaring fire!
- Pick up a winter sport or activity!
- Try to get away for a weekend to someplace cold and snowy, but fun! Try Quebec, Stowe VT, The White Mountains!
- Start collecting cozy blankets and mugs!
- Try a warm and cozy outdoor picnic! Throw some vintage wool blankets on top of the snow (they are naturally water resistant, so they won’t soak through), pack hot soup in a thermos, some cheese and crackers, and hot chocolate and cookies for dessert!
- Try making a new comfort food recipe one night a week!
- Get friends together to go do a winter activity like ice skating on a frozen pond! 10-1, one or more people in the group has never skated on a real frozen pond before, and it’s always fun to introduce someone to it, or all learn the ropes together!
- Invite friends over for a good winter movie, and make hot chocolate for everyone! Maybe do a toppings bar with marshmallows, whipped cream, shaved chocolate, cocoa powder, chopped peanut butter cups, peppermint sticks, etc.!
So this post is a bit longer than I expected, but I hope it helps some of you out there who hate winter to reconsider your thoughts about this beautiful season. I mean, snow is probably the prettiest thing ever, we should all enjoy and love it!