The lingering cold of the winter days can be ruthless. Much of the US is now blanketed in snow. The picture is entirely different in El Paso. We barely had snow this year. Yet, the days are cold, windy, and gray. I (dear mom) have a bitter-sweet relationship with winter. I cannot stand cold, yet I love the warm, fuzzy feelings that come with winter. This post is a reminder to me as to why winter is so special.

What better way to create warmth in the harsh cold days than to have a good old cup of hot chocolate. Holding a warm cup itself brings a sense of comfort. To top that, we have a velvety hot drink in the cup. Lately, I have been digging the Nestle Abuelita hot chocolate. Unlike many other brands in the market, this hot chocolate has less sugar, just perfect for me. It also has a creamy texture that I am very fond of.

To our family winter is about having rich, warm food. Winter is the perfect time to relish beef stew, or casserole or hot soup. It is a time for guilt-free indulgence of rich, hearty food.

I love apple pies. The plain, simple kind. I love how the entire house fills up with the aroma of sweet apple pie during winter. We do have pies throughout the year. Yet, only during the winter, I appreciate the heat radiated from the oven as well as the smell. Something about the cold air makes holding a warm bowl with a slice of just-baked apple pie feel so special.

Winter is the only time I can comfortably wear the knitted scarves, hats, mittens. There is something cozy about layering up in fuzzy, warm cloths, boots, and accessories. Since I can barely stand being cold, I put on a lot of layers. I end up filling like a bundled penguin. I love that feeling, as long as I know there will come a Spring.

I love the weight and warmth of the duvet at the end of the day. Since El Paso is relatively warmer for most part of the year, we only get to use the duvet during winter. Sliding under a duvet to end the day can be so cozy and comforting. Getting out of the warm duvet in the morning is equally difficult.

The breath vapor is a cool touch to winter days. It is fun to see our breath as we speak. I love to exhale extra hard just to see those dragon breaths. A fun thing that can only be done in winter.

The gloomy days can bring a melancholy feeling. Yet, I like to look past these gray days and wait for the signs of Spring – temperatures rising slowly, trees getting new leaves, and sun starting to shine more brightly.

Building a snowman, seeing snowflakes melt at the warmth of our hand, or going sledding are some of the other things that winter brings. Since we barely had any snow this season, we did not experience any of these. On the one day when it snowed around half an inch, Dear Son did wonder why the real snowflakes were so tiny compared to the A4-sized paper snowflakes he made in class.

We would love to hear about your winter experience. What do you do in winter? Do you have winter rituals? We hope you stay warm and enjoy the rest of the winter.

Settle in El Paso team

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