9 Essentials for Winter Warmth

I call this my ‘birthday suit’ … seeing that the picture was taken on my birthday (December 11th).

Being a December baby, I love winter and oddly enough, we’re actually getting winter early this year in the Okanagan. Hurray!

OK, you’ll only say ‘Hurray’ about winter if you know how to dress for it, so here are the 9 essentials if you too want to enjoy winter weather.

1. Scarf – I didn’t start wearing scarves until just recently and man, what a difference you feel when you keep your neck warm! I now have a collection of scarves, including a North Face Plaid Scarf.
2. Jacket – Your coat needs to be wind-proof, waterproof yet breathable, especially if you plan to use it for sweat-producing activities like cross-country skiing and hill hiking. The jacket I wear is an older version of this
   North Face Helicon Jacket
   which unfortunately wasn’t available for shipment to Canada.
   
3. Coffee – Absolutely critical, especially the Starbucks Christmas Blend.
4. Gloves or Mitts – Having really poor circulation, my hands freeze easily, so I especially appreciate these Liza Lamb gloves
   available from Roots.
5. Thermal Underwear – I prefer to wear silk tops and bottoms.
   
6. Fleece Pants – I basically live in these Patagonia Plush Synchilla Fleece Pants
   from October through to the end of February. Worth every penny and then some.
7. Warm Socks – Warm, dry feet are essential to one’s happiness outdoors in winter. Check out these
   Wigwam Ingenius Snowsport Socks from Outdoor.com.
8. Boots – Forget wearing your Uggs if you want to go for a walk on snow. They’re lovely and warm, but they are awful on snow, unless you don’t mind slipping and sliding all over the place. In the picture, I am wearing a pair of Rohde boots, which are almost as warm as a pair of heavy-duty Sorels — and MUCH less slippery on snow. The latter are available at Zappos.
9. Smile – It’s free!