Monthly Musings - Winter Respite

This isn't a photo of my cat, Merida, but there's a resemblance. I wish I had a window like this - doesn't it look inviting and cozy? It's kind of what I'm looking for in a cozy spot to get a little me-time in the winter, which is the subject of the month's Monthly Musings. It's been a minute since I participated, but I'm going to do a quick run-down of the questions for this month's Monthly Musings about looking after ourselves during the winter season. Holly at Pink Lady and Patty at Good Better Best co-host this monthly sharing of tips, tricks, and conversation starters. 

1. What do you do to stay warm in Winter?

Mostly I stay inside these days. I almost always wear a flannel or sweater inside, and at work I have a small space heater in my office to take the chill off. I'm really glad my car has heated seats too!

2. Favorite wintertime activity?

I do enjoy winter walks and birdwatching, but haven't been able to do much of either this year. I'm much more likely to watch TV during the winter. I guess my favorite seasonal thing is watching hockey, whether it's on TV or going to a game. We have tickets to the upcoming Stadium Series game in Columbus and I'm really excited about that!

3. Any different beauty routines in Winter?

I do a lot more moisturizing during the winter. A night cream for my face, and I make liberal use of hand cream, body lotion, lip balm, and even moisturizer for my feet! I wish I had a good solution to combat static electricity in my hair though.

4. Skating, sledding or skiing?

Oh goodness, my skating and sledding days are far behind me! I only went downhill skiing a couple of times in my youth and truly hated it. I used to like skating but haven't had skates for years and years and it probably wouldn't go well if I tried it again. I wouldn't mind sledding though! Also, I'd be game to try cross-country skiing. 

5. Favorite winter recipes?

Chili is a favorite during the fall and winter. For winter get-togethers like New Years or SuperBowl, my family always likes this Ham and Swiss Dip Bread Bowl recipe shared at my old Homeschool Coffee Break blog.

6. Favorite Winter hot beverage?

Coffee, as always!

7. Best Winter memories?

I have lots of great memories of sledding and skating when I was a kid. We went sledding several times a week throughout the winter whenever there was enough snow on the ground. We skated on the lagoon at one of the city parks, and there were usually a couple of small bonfires around to get warmed up a bit. A lot of years my dad made our backyard into a skating rink so we could skate any time we wanted. One year my brother and I did our darndest to build our own igloo in our backyard, but we were pretty young and had no idea what we were doing! Not like today when you can pull up a video tutorial on your phone and at least have a method to try! 

A more recent favorite winter memory is going to a winter cabin at Deep Creek with the family. We just holed up in the cabin and played games, read, and visited.

8. Coldest day that you remember?

Well, I spent one year at college in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and it can get pretty cold there! I don't remember the actual temperatures but it wasn't uncommon for it to be twenty below during the day.

It was about ten years ago that we had a really cold snap in Maryland, and our pipes froze and burst and boy was that a mess! It was so cold that the insurance companies and water damage cleanup companies were having trouble keeping up, since so many people had the same problem.

It's easier to remember when we got lots of snow than it is to remember when it was the coldest!

9. How are you practicing self-care this Winter?

I'm trying to do a better job of getting better sleep, and eating well. And I'm giving myself permission to take it easy and do a little bit of hibernating on a very small scale. My Word of the Year is Practice, and that includes practicing disciplines for my health and well-being, and disciplines for getting stuff done without panic and overwhelm. I consider that self-care, I think - breaking up projects into manageable chunks and being good about maintaining order helps me feel more at peace.

10. Flannel sheets . . . yes or no?

Definitely yes! I love them in the winter!

The following photos are my cat, Merida. Figured I needed to include her!

How do you practice self-care during the winter? Leave a comment and let me know!

I'm linking up with Monthly Musings hosted by Holly at Pink Lady and Patty at Good Better Best.

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