5 Ways to Enjoy Winter (At Least A Little More)
My family moved to Las Vegas when I was six, so I spent the majority of my childhood without any real winters.
(I remember visiting some cousins in Utah once during the winter and helping them shovel the walks and salt the steps and they thought we were nuts because we all though it was SO cool).
After Bart and I married, we spent nine years living in Texas and Arizona, which meant winter was the best time of the year where you could actually go outside without being fried into the sidewalk.
We spent a single year in Massachusetts and I could hardly enjoy the spectacular fall because I was so panicked about the true winter coming my way. After one year, we quickly moved back to Texas and forgot all about coats and snow scrapers.
So when we moved to Utah, I knew I’d need to change my (admittedly bad) attitude about the cold and snow and learn to enjoy winter.
I didn’t want to spend my life dreading and hating a solid 1/3 of my days!
Now, in the middle of our fifth winter here, I can truly say I’ve learned to enjoy winter.
Here are some things that have helped me.
5 Ways to Enjoy Winter More
- Invest in a pair of slippers. This is such a little thing, but having a really great pair of warm slippers makes my life better every single day. I wear slippers year round in the house and once the cold weather rolls in, I pull out the serious slippers. They are so warm and just the absolute best (when I eventually need to replace them, which at this rate will probably be in a decade – they last FOREVER – I’ll probably do this style instead so I don’t have to deal with the laces coming untied). UGG slippers are also top-notch. Whatever you choose, having warm feet really makes winter a whole lot better.
- Look for outdoor winter activities. When we moved to Utah, I knew I wanted to learn to ski and I just finished my fourth year of ski school. I’m not great by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m decent enough to keep up with the girls and it’s been so fun to have something to look forward to in the winter AND that gets us outdoors. Some people love snowshoeing, sledding, snowball fights or just taking a walk every winter morning. It makes a huge difference to not feel trapped indoors for months on end.
- Lean into the coziness. The best part of winter is the coziness and if you can optimize that, it makes winter MUCH nicer. We turn on our fire, I burn a candle at my desk every afternoon while I work, and I drink a whole lot more tea and hot chocolate (I’ve been enjoying this mushroom hot chocolate – I know it sounds weird – and it’s surprisingly delicious!). We also got all the girls (and me!) a Minky Couture blanket for Christmas last year and it’s so great to have something super soft and cozy to curl up with while we read or watch a movie.
- Move your body. It can be so easy for the winter to mean you don’t do much physical activity, but that’s a quick way to make winter even more depressing. Moving your body is such a great way to pick up your mood! We have a hand-me-down treadmill in our basement that I walk on several mornings a week, Healthy U TV has great classes you can do from your bedroom or living room, and a quick dance party to blasting music is a fun way to get everyone jumping and dancing around!
- Pick up an indoor hobby. You can already guess that our two big ones at our house are puzzles and games. But while we enjoy them all year long, winter is when we really lean into them and spend a lot more time as a family doing these things together. Sewing and embroidery are popular options, reading independently or aloud is always a strong contender, diamond painting is super fun, or watercolor painting are all great indoor winter hobbies.
Any other great suggestions for how to enjoy winter? I’d love to hear!
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Photos by Heather Mildenstein
Invest in good winter gear. Manitobah Mukluk boots are amazing (also beautiful!!). I can’t believe I went so many winters without knowing I didn’t have to be frozen to be outside! Down parka. Cozy gloves. Warm toque. Keeping warm outside makes a huge difference, and I’m way more likely to go out when I am not freezing cold!
Yesssss – this makes all the difference!
Cold weather gear for adults and kids is such a struggle for me. This is my first winter in the midwest and being from Texas I have no idea what to look for in good gear.
I also believe in investing in good winter gear! We live in southeast Wisconsin, and it is currently 8 degrees. Buy a jacket long enough to cover your tush! Also, Costco sells amazing Ugg-like boots that are super warm and last for years.
For inside, we like the Annie’s Kit of the Month Club. My daughter’s subscription includes 2 craft kits and my subscription includes 1 craft kit. We pay about $30/month for each. It’s like getting a surprise in the mail each month!
We also love baking during the winter!
I love this list! I spent a year studying in Montana when I was 20 and the winters in the US are no joke! It was -27 celsius the day I arrived in January! But I loved all the outdoor activities that came with a snowy winter – ice skating, skiing & sledding. Here in the UK and especially where I live, the winters are mostly cold and rainy so its hard to get outside as much – I’d love to live somewhere with yearly snowfall again!
So I have those exact LLBean slippers. I just had to get a replacement pair this Christmas and considered the non lace version that you link to. They are not as fluffy! I did a side by side comparison and there was no question the ones you have with the cuff and laces have more plush. I would definitely check them out in person before switching!
Those L.L. Bean slippers really are the best! I had the lace-up ones for years until I got these ones: https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/503422?originalProduct=23777&productId=4152&attrValue_0=Brown&sku=0F42604080&pla1=0&mr%3AtrackingCode=FAE89902-BFE7-E511-80ED-00505694403D&mr%3AreferralID=NA&mr%3Adevice=c&mr%3AadType=plaonline&qs=3125148&gclid=CjwKCAiArOqOBhBmEiwAsgeLmfA0MRuxzDCU0-8gxJcsnIYjqUq_Hmd94XIzpen_VK-io5vIhnEAeRoCuGQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&SN=flyout_test05&SS=B No laces to deal and the higher sides keep you even cozier!
Any recommendations for how to not freeze your tail off at church? Particularly with footwear. Cold cold cold cold!
I got a nice dress coat that I could wear with my Sunday clothes and then I often wear a pair of boots with tights and a pair of warm ankle socks so they’re not showing.