This year I’ve been determined to change my likes and dislikes about the weather.

I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like being outside.  Loathe it, actually.  Hot = sweat = washing my hair more often.  Cold = uncomfortable = snow = messy, wet house from tracking snow inside = dangerous roads from ice.  I’m just not a fan of weather in general.  Then there’s autumn, which is fine, except it means winter is coming.

But I do like spring.  Unfortunately we get about 45 minutes of spring here in Virginia.  We can go from blizzard to 90 degrees in a matter of a week.

This past year, though, I’ve been determined to change all that.  My kids are getting older (5 and 6 years old now!) and I don’t want them hanging out indoors all the time.  I want to spend as much time together as a family as possible, and it gets boring being inside all the time.  Bulgaria was my turning point.  We went last February to bring him home.  Josh and I found ourselves in a foreign country with two kids, one of which we barely knew and he had intense medical problems that we didn’t even begin to understand.  We didn’t know the language and couldn’t even read signs because we didn’t know the Cyrillic alphabet.

But we did it!

And I realized that I want to keep going on adventures with my family.

Except… I hate the weather.  Anything below 65 degrees or above 80 degrees was just not my thing.  So I’ve spent a lot of time working to get over that.  I go running/jogging/walking a few miles almost every day.  I get sweaty.  We go to the waterpark every chance we get.  I jump in the pool, sook in a tub which may be accompanied by those Hot Tub Pumps, we take picnics to the beach, and bike rides… oh my goodness we ride our bikes as a family just about every day!

It’s great, and I’ve really enjoyed this summer, even in the heat.

And now I look toward winter.  I’m determined to like winter, but man oh man I really hate winter.  Being cold, wearing coats, keeping up with gloves.  Don’t even get me started on car seats in the winter.  We usually just don’t wear coats.  Run to the car, buckle in, put your jacket over you, and you can put your jacket on when you get out of the car.   Too much of a nuisance!

So that brings me to my question: For those of you who love winter… what supplies make your life easier?

I’m a minimalist at heart, and I think that’s part of why I didn’t enjoy summer.  I didn’t have a cute swimsuit cover up, so I always felt ill-prepared at the beach.  When I bought a $15 cover up this year, I felt like a million bucks!  I just needed one, and it has absolutely changed my attitude about wearing a swimsuit.

It was the same for going in the ocean.  I hate stepping in the ocean.  I can’t see what’s under the water– and ick– what if I step on something?  So I spent $10 on Amazon and bought some water shoes.  They are the best!!

See where I’m going with this?  If I can find a few key things– perhaps a coat that fits well that I love, and… I don’t know what else.  I always wear the same jacket or get one at a thrift store for $8.  I never feel cute, and I definitely don’t want to play in the snow.

Tell me already!  What gets you through the winter?