10 Great Things about Winter
We’ve been pretty lucky this year with our (usually amazingly shit) weather. An actual proper summer that lasted for more than a week and a very mild Autumn. Sadly this madness all stopped a few weeks ago and it began to feel a lot colder. I’ve had to de-ice my car before work and can no longer get around with wearing just a cardigan on my lunch break. Now I’m bundled up in a woolen coat with numb fingers. But though dark and freezing times inevitably lay ahead, winter isn’t all bad. Here’s a list of some of my favourite things about the season:
1. Cosy nights at home
Such an important one. Whilst laying on the sofa last Saturday night, under a blanket and watching my third quiz show of the evening I actually took a moment to think how happy and content I was. I love sitting around at home wearing comfy clothes and doing nothing and when it’s cold and dark outside and everyone’s skint in the build-up to Christmas – there’s far more excuse to do it. Which makes me very happy!
2. Winter clothes
Cardigans, ankle boots, pyjamas, woolly tights, jumpers, socks, scarves, an extra cardigan just in case, hats, faux fur coats, gloves, ear muffs. I just love winter clothes.
3. Ice cold water straight from the tap
This is actually a an in-joke between me and a friend because she said it once and for some reason I found it really funny (we’re not professional comedians). But there’s an important truth there. I love fruit squash and luke warm water is never good. Ice cubes don’t cut it and usually in summer I resort to using bottled water from the fridge. But in winter all that unnecessary expense, labour and stress is taken away, because you get ice cold water …. straight from the tap (my friend said it kind of like that, with a pause in the middle).
4. Hot water bottles
Having a hot water bottle to take to bed is my idea of luxury. LUXURY! And during the coldest nights I like to use two – one for my feet and one to cuddle. There’s something very comforting about a hot water bottle and it’s something I reeeeeeally appreciate about winter.
5. Christmas (and time off work)
As anyone who has left school and began full-time employment will tell you, the real meaning of the festive season is Time Off Work. But of course Christmas can still be marginally fun too. I enjoy the build-up more than the day itself (which tends to be a massive anti-climax) and I like the lights, the films, the silly music, tacky decorations and an excuse to drink booze every day (“it’s Christmas!”). And this Christmas I’m off work for ten days. TEN DAYS. TEN FUCKING DAYS!!! That’s ten days in a row. Ten days. Happy Christmas to me. But how I’ll feel in January is another matter.
6. My birthday
My birthday is in December which is fairly inconvenient and ironically, also officially ‘the shortest day of the year’. But the show must go on and it’s still exciting (and mildly annoying for everyone else) when the time rolls round.
7. School might get cancelled
One for the kids really, but I can still remember how much I wished, prayed and hoped for a snow day in the winter time, so we wouldn’t have to go to school and I could sit around eating cereal and watching cartoons all day instead. A snow day is the best feeling in the world (when you’re thirteen and school might get cancelled).
8. Soup
The main reason I put soup on the list is because tragically I really enjoy making it, but it only feels right to eat (or drink) when it’s chilly. I could literally hear my street cred plummet then. I enjoy making lots of different types but my favourite (and dare I say, signature) has to be leek and potato.
9. Hot baths
I love a bath in the same way as I love hot water bottles. It must be the lazy, cat-like creature inside of me but I never feel quite as content as I do when I warm and rested (and well fed). Though I shower for convenience, nothing can beat lying in a hot bath just chilling the fuck out and I’ve always said I could never live somewhere that didn’t have a bathtub.
10. Snow
I’m not even sure why I’ve put this on the list, given that when you’re not nine years old anymore snow is more just an annoyance that makes it hard to drive, put the rubbish out, get your washing dry and indeed many more, mundane tasks. But without snow, well, lots of good Christmas songs would never have been written – and I’m suppose I’m lucky to have built a snow man and been sledging before. Despite the inconvenience, it’s still exciting to see those first drops come down and there’s something very magical about snow (until it gets trodden into dirty mush on the pavement and becomes a deadly ice rink of course).
emmakwall (explains it all) 
Reblogged this on Claudette Melanson, Author of Dark Fantasy and commented:
Reblogging!
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Oh yes…I love everything in this post, except #3! I can’t drink water that cold! But I do love hot ribena on these cold nights instead 🙂
– Allie
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Oooh hot ribena!! I haven’t had one in ages but now I really want one 🙂 I LOVE ribena anyway, the strawberry one too! Thanks for reading Allie 🙂
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Ha ha! Love your post. So here’s a thought: for my Christmas there are the lights, the tacky decorations, the faux snow, the music and films….but all in the heat of the summer! Yes…Christmas Day with all its wintery feel is slap bang in the middle of summer. The overseas guests never get over the “feel”. Ha ha! Love it! Christmas Day in the pool!
As for your winter reasons…I’m so with you. Especially the hot water bottle – nothing like it (and it has to be the real water one, not those electric new things). And those cosy nights…ahhh… 😉
Have an awesome day and keep warm. Regards from a not-so-sunny-today-but-warm place!
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Wait…there’s electric hot water bottles?!! No way! I’ll stick with the classic 🙂
Ooh I must admit I’d LOVE to be in the pool over Christmas, man who wouldn’t!! I’m jealous!! And I love the idea of a fully decorated Christmas tree, tinsel, lights, the whole shebang, on a really sunny day! It does sound great 😀
You too and stay cool! From a bloody-grim-today place! X
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Ah Emma, thanks so much for that wonderful response. You’ve just started my Tuesday with a smile.
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Oh that’s so wonderful! I’m so glad! 🙂 your comment has really, really made me smile, on a cold slightly rubbish day. So thank you very much 😀
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Aww! What a lovely list Emma! I’d just add in sipping hot cocoa too.💁🏻💕
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Ooh yes Miss Kims! With whipped cream and marshmellows!! XOXO
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Yum!
#hugsforyou
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I don’t like anything about winter. It’s too cold, the gloomy weather makes me feel sad and all I wanna do is sleep. PS – it doesn’t snow where I live in Australia either 😞 Yuck!
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How cold does it get where you are, out of interest? I must admit that’s one thing I HATE about winter, the gloominess of it all. Definitely harder to get out of bed and feel motivated (or even happy some days!) though hot water bottles and nights on the sofa make up for it 🙂
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It gets cold … but it never reaches minus temperatures – thank goodness!
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Thank goodness indeed! 🙂
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What an awesome post, Emma! I’m such a winter person and I so relate to all your favorite things. I have to say your first paragraph made me envious as hell! We don’t have real winter here in Israel, and it’s such a shame. It’s November, yeah? It’s hot!! Tomorrow the skies might throw us a bone and rain but that’s about it. Anywho… have a blast with those hot water bottles, sweets. Sounds truly great!
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Aww, thanks so much! What a lovely comment. I’m really glad you enjoyed this post 🙂 I’m sorry you don’t get a proper winter, maybe one day you could come and stay somewhere chilly and stay in a log cabin! (my dream!!)
It’s rains A LOT here, the stereotype is true lol. And winter can be a real pain in many ways, it can feel a bit depressing all dark and cold. Though the hot water bottles do make up for that!!! 😀 thanks again 🙂
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Snow days aren’t just great for kids. 🙂
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They are bloody great all round!
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I might have guessed that you would be the one to see the positives in Winter, Em.
There are some things I like too. Log burner blazing, (when it works properly) eating casseroles, chicken soup, and other Winter foods that don’t seem right in Summer.
But I miss wearing shorts, light evenings sitting outside, and those long days that are still light at 9 pm. And I don’t enjoy having to spend so much money on central heating, walking in mud with Ollie, or having to wear three layers to feel normal.
That said, I have just bought a new Winter-weight heavy duvet, and I am as snug as a bug under that!
As ever, Pete. XXX
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great list Ems. Actually miss living in a colder climate, but have gotten use to the one snow day a year (and lots of rain) 🙂
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Sounds like here to be honest lol and thanks very much Rob 🙂 🙂
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I love snow. I’m going to be very sad if it’s not a White Christmas. Last year in Ireland I had a wet Christmas and it was downright depressing.
In my own list is “cold,” I like the cold weather, the colder the better.
I have only 5 days off, because I decided to take them. As a contractor I can technically have as many holidays as I like, the issue is I can’t charge for those days. But I haven’t had holidays in over 14 months, so if I don’t take those days off, I will probably have a psychotic break
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You MUST take those days off! And five days is still amazingly awesome 🙂 what do you do during the day?
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a white Christmas in Leigh for us 🙂
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I’m a software developer.Right now, thankfully I’m working from home most of the week but that’s bound to change after December.
How’s the job hunt going, by the way? I have a good memory 😉
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