Today we had a snowstorm of the variety where everyone started cancelling things the night before in a full-on we-are-not-as-brave-as-Boston panic. It’s been snowing all morning, but maybe not enough for the fear that gripped this city. In case you don’t have a calendar handy, let me remind you that we are nearing the end of the first week of March. And while I jump in the drifts to make snow angels with the best of them, I feel bothered by how winter both starts and ends later every year. My solution? Get the whole world to just agree to let August last about three weeks longer one year. Then, September would feel a little more in line with seasonal Starbucks beverages, December would be more frequently blanketed in white, and the snow would stay where it belongs in February. Please join me in writing strongly worded letters of suggestion to congressional representatives, letters that will be briefly skimmed by a weary intern and/or liberal arts graduate before hitting the trash — BUT STILL. We would have done our best.

Anyway, in an effort to both will some karma on spring’s (impending? maybe?) arrival, I’m rounding up some of my winter favs before shoving them back in the depths of the closet for next year. Yes, this post would perhaps make more sense in the middle of winter… unless you are like me and this is the time of year where you buy most of your winter stuff because, hello sales! All these things together make me enjoy winter, make me love tromping through the snow, make me excited to curl up inside on those cold nights, and make me appreciate the things the winter months bring. They not only get me through, they help me love it.

• This coat. Ok, so a disclaimer. I never want this to be one of those blogs you stop reading because it pushes too many pricey things on you. This coat is one of those, so please know that yes, I did find it on a crazy sale, and yes, I did still have to sell half my plasma for it, and YES IT IS WORTH IT. I’m going on my fourth happy and warm winter in this bad boy and I cannot sing enough praises. Long enough to keep my tush warm! Removable rain shell that I wear in spring and fall too! Doesn’t make you a shapeless winter blob!
• These boots. Or really, any waterproof slip-on boot. Yes, I know that some of you (Boston, I’m looking at you) have a whole variety of intense lace-up winter boots that strike fear into my heart. But there is nothing I hate like having to spend ten minutes getting my snow-caked boots off while they drip all over my floor. While these might not be quite as warm, they are the perfect commuter boot, running errands boot, dashing out in pjs to the car because you can’t find your phone boot.
• Winter citrus. I’m over here giving nature the slow clap for producing some of the best citrus ever during the bleakest months. It’s like summer in your mouth. I’ve been crushing on these pictures of roasted winter citrus lately.
• These candles. Those of you with fireplaces, I envy you. Hard. But for us city folk in little apartments, these candles are a close second. They give you that authentic fireplace pop and flicker enough so that if you closed your eyes halfway and squinted… it is like a fireplace. If you were 12 inches tall.
• A good scarf. I love my blanket scarves, but I also burrow down in my thick knit cowl scarf from Gap a couple years back (similar). It allows me to duck inside and ward off any and all winter winds that dare approach me neck.
• Thick tights in allllllll the colors. Winter is gray, but our legs need not be! I still like to wear dresses and skirts during these cold months and tights make all the difference. Plus, what doesn’t go with bright red legs?
• My Fitbit. It is entirely possible that I would never leave my apartment some days if it weren’t for my Fitbit. I only teach and go to campus three days a week. The other days I am tucked away on my couch, chugging along on my comp exam reading list. Not only do I not need to move, I actually need to stay put to study. But then I get to the end of the day and feel like Jabba the Hut. Thanks to the not-so-gentle tyranny of my Fitbit, I find myself heading outside even on the nastiest days to trudge through all my steps. It has made all the difference in winter being a time of developing better health over my usual habit of turning into a sloth.
• Tea and lotion. Obviously not together. But both of these are things I consume semi-constantly to plow through these cold months. My favorite teas are this one and this one, and along with the generic lotion I keep at home, I have a tube of Crabtree and Evelyn that I ration out at my office.
• Good shows to watch, books to read, and games to play. Unlike in summer, where you are all pressured to get out and enjoy the world, winter lets you gather the ones you love close and stay in. James and I have been ending lots of evenings with an episode of Brooklyn 99 or Parks and Rec, and we’ve been enjoying many game nights with friends around our aforementioned fireplace candle. Along with the games mentioned here, we’ve been loving this one.

What were (or are… if you are currently having a delightful March snow day) your winter essentials?