Inspire Appreciation for Winter 2018

It's important to note that this blog post contains Amazon affiliate links. By purchasing the products featured in the post, you are helping me financially as a blogger through the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Thank you in advance for your support. 

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Lorelai Gilmore in "Gilmore Girls" (photo/pinterest.com).

"Everything is magical when it snows. Everything looks pretty. The clothes are great; coats, scarves, gloves, hats," Lorelai Gilmore says on one of my all-time favorite television shows, Gilmore Girls. 

She is standing outside in the beginning of a snowstorm, and she finds beauty in the scenery around her. She isn't annoyed by the snow. Instead, she welcomes it, invites it into her heart, and believes it's her little present.

I'm guessing most of you reading this post don't exactly feel the same way when it begins to snow, if you're even lucky to live in an area that receives snow. Sure, we feel excited when the first flurry falls to the ground and we behave like school children again, racing to the window to watch.

But, after the initial excitement wears off, we typically grow tired of the snow and want it to go away as soon as possible. Some don't see the beauty, but rather only talk about the inconvenience. Winter weather might delay travel plans, but there are also a few reasons to appreciate the season.

1. It's easy to warm up. 

(photo/servicechampions.net)

This might just be my own opinion that I'm taking from experience, but it's easier to warm up than cool down. You can pile as many blankets, hats, gloves, scarves, etc. on your body to stay warm during the winter season. Feeling cold? Make a delicious cup of hot chocolate! Snuggle up with your favorite blanket by the fireplace and you'll be fine.

It's harder to stay cool during the summer months. You can only remove so much clothing (while being modest), and even when you're wearing shorts and a tank top, you're still sweaty and gross from the heat. You can use a fan to cool down, but it's nothing like loading on the winter clothing.

Below are some suggestions for winter accessories to purchase this winter season (remember: I'm part of the Amazon affiliate program).

• Try the microplush fleece blanket. You can get lost in this blanket. It's a soft throw blanket and you can select whichever size you prefer. This blanket can become your perfect companion this winter season, so don't hesitate! 

           

• Don't want a super heavy blanket? Try this rustic throw blanket with an old-fashioned look combined with a modern twist. It's not as heavy as the microplush blanket, but it'll still keep you warm wherever you are this season--at home, camping, and more. 

          

• Everyone needs hats. Luckily, there are multiple options for selecting the perfect hat for you. Below is a selection of hats you may purchase. I fully recommend these hats to keep you warm during the winter season. You must keep your forehead and ears protected from the harsh wind! 

    

• Next, gloves! My fingers are always the first things to get cold when I'm outside. I wear gloves, but I'm including a few mittens as options for you to consider, as well. 

    

• Finally, you need a scarf to cover your mouth as you walk so you're not breathing in the cold air. Can you tell I went to college for four years in northwest Ohio where we have an area on campus called "the tundra"? Our mascot was the polar bear, so it was cold there. I learned how to brave the winter weather. When I had bronchitis one year, my scarf was my life saver. I wasn't breathing in any cold air, so I wasn't coughing as much. I could walk to my destination without feeling like I was going to fall over from coughing. My scarf helped me--possibly saved me. So, here are my recommendations for the best scarf to use. 

     

2. Food, food, food.  

Later this month, I'll be uploading a winter recipes post (stay tuned!), but I just want to take a quick moment to say that one of the other reasons I love winter is because there are great recipes to try.  One of my absolute favorite meals is having breakfast for dinner. When it's cold outside, I crave french toast, pancakes and scrambled eggs. I almost prefer to have "breakfast food" for dinner, rather than actually for breakfast. Is that weird? No? I didn't think so.


3. It's beautiful. 

(photo/Madison Indiana Photography)

Snow is beautiful (at least before it begins to melt and turns into that mushy stuff that is no longer beautiful). It transforms the trees. The air is frozen and the sky is washed with grey, wintry light. Everything seems like glass and transparent. It's just...beautiful.

I encourage you to appreciate this season. Blizzards aren't pleasant, but try to find happiness. Not everyone has the opportunity to witness snow, so be fortunate you have changing seasons. The winter season can be good, if we allow it.

Stay warm out there, friends. And, smell the snow.

-KJL-