I’m taking a little break from mini makeovers this week, so I thought I’d make a follow up to this Summer Fun Essentials post from back in January and share my winter warmers essentials with you. You might need to adapt these to your wintery weather depending on how cold it gets, but these are just some of the things I like to have to keep winter ticking along as I dream of warmer weather ;).
The Essentials:
- Boots or fun winter shoes technically Chuck Taylors are not really the best winter shoes but my shoe cupboard is lacking and I’ll wear them as long as I don’t have to walk anywhere slippery!
- Something to keep your ears warm A wooly hat or a cute headband like these ones over the ears have been great for me so far this winter! (The headbands are particularly great for running)
- Scarves I just love scarves. I have so many now and they are in different weights for different occasions. Sometimes I like a pure wool one, or a chunky knit and other times I like the lighter weight ones that are easy to wrap around your neck and keep under your coat
- An Umbrella and Gloves It’s almost always raining in winter here, so having an emergency umbrella when you don’t have a hood is a must! Gloves for the chilly mornings and watching outdoor sports are a must too! I love these ones with the silvered bits so you can still use your smart phone!
- A Phone and/or Camera for taking photos It might seem silly to want to go on a photo walk in the cold, but it’s a great way to help keep the winter blues at bay and get some shots that you wouldn’t capture any other time of the year.
- A Drink to warm you up and a great Mug I love my hot chocolate and milo in the winter but yours might be a good coffee. They taste better after a walk in the chilly air too!
- Warm Outer Layers Coats, Jumpers (Sweaters), hoodies and lots of layers are all a must for winters round here. They say you can’t leave home without a coat in Melbourne until at least the end of September, so we will be hanging on to them a while yet!
- A Dream of Somewhere Warmer & a Notebook to Plan it This one is a little cheeky, but there are many freezing days where all I can do is search hotels and destinations that are warm and start planning my future trips there. I hear Hawaii is nice year round…
When I think of Winter here I think of chilly mornings with fog and all of the rain. There’s no snow to contend with, which seems sad, but in reality is quite nice to not have to drive in, but it still has the ability to chill you to your bones. Because it’s feels so tough when you’re in the middle of it, I always like the little reminders of how it can be enjoyed (or at least tolerated) so that we don’t lose 3 precious months hibernating. Finding ways to make the most of it can be challenging, but I do like a good challenge.
If you really don’t like getting out there on a cold wintery night, it can be a great time to catch up on TV series that you might have missed or even curl up with some great books that are new to you. If you’re feeling crafty, you could learn to knit or crochet or even sew yourself a blanket or throw rug. Less formal winter gatherings can be a fun way to get together with good friends in a warm place, have some good food and just enjoy the night.
I really struggle with winter so this year I’m trying to make an effort to find the good parts about it. Soon the sun will warm up and the cold days where running without water will be over and I’ll be dreaming of the crisp air and rainbows that winter in Melbourne often brings. I do love running when it’s colder. The years go by so quickly these days and I think it’s worth at least giving this “winter is ok” thing a try. Maybe ;)
What’s your favourite thing about winter? What would you add to this list?