My winter favorites

Lastly, we come to winter, the coldest season. While I’m not a big fan of winter, I always try to focus on the details I like. Such as snowy days, more time for reading books because the days are shorter and not needing an excuse to snuggle up with a mug of hot chocolate. But let’s face it, after New Year’s Day, winter is all about counting down to springtime. Nonetheless, there are certain things I like about this cold season. So let’s hop to it and see what my winter favorites are!

BOOK

Whenever winter rolls in, I just want to snuggle up and lose myself in the books of Charles Dickens. While everyone knows the holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, I wanted to instead choose my favorite Dickens novel. In fact, Nicholas Nickleby is the very first novel by Charles Dickens I ever read. It was love at first chapter! While it’s true that I haven’t yet read all of his novels, this one has stayed with me for years. Then again, I haven’t yet found a Dickens novel I dislike either! But there is something about this particular story and how invested I found myself in the characters. I know it’s a long one but trust me, it’s worth it!

MOVIE

When it comes to Christmastime, I do have a separate blog post on that subject. But once the holidays are over, I find the cold days perfect for nestling in and re-watching some of my favorite Woody Allen movies. And I have a lot of favorites in this case! First off, there are many that make me laugh out loud, like Zelig and Broadway Danny Rose. But then there are other ones, the films that feel comforting. While I equally love Stardust Memories and Crimes and Misdemeanors, Radio Days would be my top choice. A movie that genuinely feels like a cozy blanket thrown over me. It’s full of hilarious moments, oddball characters and profound nostalgia. Told from the perspective of a child remembering his childhood interwoven together with the golden radio days during the 1940s, it’s bursting with wistfulness. As Roger Ebert perfectly phrased it; “What actually happens isn’t nearly as important as how we remember it.” And that is exactly why this is my favorite movie to curl up with on a cold afternoon.

MUSIC

When it comes to my musical winter favorites, they tend to be quiet. Even though I continue with my hour-long yoga sessions every day during winter, I have less energy and generally feel slower. Consequently, since I don’t feel like jumping around, I’m in the mood for slower songs. Something relaxing and unhurried, so basically all the sad songs I know! Joking aside, most of these songs are simply full of softer melodies that put a smile on my face.

ACTIVITY

I’m not going to lie, there aren’t many outdoor activities I like during winter. I know many would agree with me! But I’m a big fan of snowy walks with Miles while the sun is setting. Winter is never more colorful than a few hours before the sunset. And because it doesn’t happen every day, it’s even more special. Actually seeing the sun as it sets is rare during mostly cloudy Belgian winters. So we love going out for a walk or a bit of playtime in the snow with Miles. And we all know he’s the happiest when these outings occur!

PLACE

I’ve always considered winter to be the perfect time for visiting museums. Once the weather turns colder, nobody really feels like spending much time outside. And there are so many museums out there that we can discover. In fact, every time we visit cities during the warmer months, it almost feels like a shame to visit a museum, even if I absolutely adore them. There is just so much to do and see when the sun is shining and the days are long. Winter, on the other hand, gives us the opportunity to warm up inside museums and enjoy their collections. Those boring rainy afternoons are simply meant to be spent inside museums!

CLOTHING

With regard to clothing, my winter favorites are always wool skirts. There’s nothing warmer than vintage wool skirts over tights. My whole life I’ve had people ask me if I’m not too cold while wearing dresses. The same people that wear only one layer of jeans. While I wear thermal tights and an extra layer of wool on top. The only time I am ever cold outside is when I take my dog out while wearing so-called sports clothes. But otherwise, thanks to layering natural fabrics, I am always comfortable during winter outings. So that would really be my best advice regarding clothing during wintertime – wool and layering! I honestly find winters to be more bearable since focusing on those two things and don’t find it that cold to be outside anymore. And this blog post on my winter favorites concludes the series of my seasonal picks!

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