5 Tips For Wintering Well

Photo by Алексей Вечерин

In our home we have two little toddlers dancing about so the hot tea gets spilled on the couch, the candle gets prematurely blown out, and the back door gets Unexpectedly opened to allow a gigantic gust of frozen air to blow in — all making it the most magical season I used to dread. 

Dread no more if you found yourself in those chilly, shorter days. I decided to write about a few ways we make the most of this magical season in our little house. 

Happy wintering to all. 

01 | Lighting taper candles

Our family began a tradition of lighting a taper candle in a glass bottle at dinner many years ago. And now that we have children, simply lighting only at dinner won’t do! So in winter we light taper candles for every meal. We thrift them or find them in bulk and we light candles with free abandon. If we are hosting then we light up the candelabra and let the wave of the flame ignite meaningful conversation!

02 | Wearing fuzzy slippers

Everyone, yes even my two, two year old boys, has fuzzy slippers in our home. It’s the perfect way to start and end each cold day with a gentle hug for your feet. It feels like a simple luxury to acknowledge that your body is colder and stiffer than before and a fun way to incorporate cozy habits to the day.

03 | Eating hearty, classic dinners

I found a few ingredients and recipes I wanted to incorporate specifically this winter. I decided one new ingredient would be farro! The perfect grain addition to hardy up any soup. It’s thick like oatmeal and comforting like rice. It pairs perfectly with veggies and meat and has made winter soups just a little bit extra special.

Along with our new ingredient I decided to really dive into physical cookbooks. We have a stand to keep my books open and dinners become a longer activity that brings the family together into the kitchen as we prepare a not 30 minutes or less meal. 

04 | Romanticizing the weather

I really want my boys to love being outside in all kinds of weather, but maybe more of a difficult task, I really want me to love being outside in all kinds of weather too. So we have decided to make every weather condition magical. Rain is like a drizzly, outdoor shower. It’s perfect to pair with a tea on the go. Snow is the purest fluff aching for some stomping in big boots and a little icy kiss on the nose. The slush is just asking to be jumped in because in winter, muddy boots are in style.

We take family walks no matter the weather. We make sure we have the right gear so we can actually make it past the driveway. We get so excited to adventure no matter the weather, and yes even more excited because we get to eventually come home. 

05 | Finally, allowing extra rest

This time of year I like to prioritize activities that bring my spirit and my body rest. we read in the evenings by the fireplace, play cards, watercolor, and build with legos with our boys. We have about three cups of a warm beverage a day as a nod to slower movements and extra cheer. There is so much less sun coaxing out the door, so for winter we get to sit down, sip our tea, finish an extra chapter of our library books, and throw an extra log on the fire.

In short…

Happy winter, friends! I'm so glad we get to be chilly and cozy all at once.