Get Ready For Snuggle Weather
We're two days out from the clocks falling back, which means that the days will be getting shorter and shorter. In fact, you might even have your first snow! While there's plenty we're going to miss about the warm weather, there's also a ton to look forward to as it cools off.
1. Coziness
Wool sweaters, flannel bedsheets, sherpa throw blankets—you name it! If it's warm and cozy, we've already cuddled up under it ready to hibernate. Bring on those lazy Sunday naps.
2. Snow Days
Snow days don't quite hit the same as they did in childhood—especially now that they mean online school—but there's nothing like watching the snow fall, knowing you have nowhere to go. It may a pain to dig your car out the next morning, but watching those fat flakes fall from a cozy house is the epitome of tranquility.
3. Fireside Cuddling
Be it gas, wood-burning, or electric, if there's a fireplace going, you can bet that we're going to snuggle up next to it. Get those cozy socks, grab your loved ones (pets included), and prepare to not move for the next 8 hours. And who says you need to cuddle another person? Sometimes a good book is all the company you need.
4. Hot Cocoa
There's no law saying you can't drink hot cocoa when it's warm, but it simply isn't the same when your body and beverage are the same temperature. Every time you come in from the cold is an excuse for hot chocolate. Bonus points if you add marshmallows, whipped cream, and a candy cane.
5. Peppermint Everything
Speaking of candy canes, move over PSL season, it's peppermint's time to shine. Candy canes, peppermint bark, peppermint mochas, we can't get enough of the real reason for the season. Year-round peppermint snacks on demand, please and thank you.
6. String Lights
As the nights grow longer, it's important to put some light back into the world. String lights may be associated with Christmas, but we love to keep them up until February. There's nothing like a snowy evening drive through a neighborhood awash in color.
7. Snowball Fights
You're never too old for a snowball fight. One of the best things about winter is the opportunity to get back in touch with your inner child. This means stomping through crunchy ice, building snowmen, and, of course, conducting brutal snowball warfare.
8. Winter Sports
Lace up those skates, zip up your ski suit, or break out that toboggan. A chill in the air is no excuse to stay inside when there are so many wonderful winter sports to partake in. As a bonus, next year's Winter Olympics will be held in beautiful Milan.
9. Seasonal Produce
The cold weather brings with it some seriously underrated produce. You have hearty winter squash like butternut and acorn, leafy greens, and, of course, citrus. Demolishing a crate of clementines is an unmatched winter ritual.
10. No Mosquitos
One thing we don't understand about snowbirds is why they would choose to live side-by-side with mosquitos when they don't have to! Mosquitos are hands-down the worst part of summer and we certainly don't miss getting eaten alive. Good riddance until next year.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Unsplash
Now that we've covered some of the things we eagerly await each winter, let's reflect on some things we miss with the end of summer.
1. BBQs
Tie on that kitschy chef apron, marinade some meat, and fire up the barbecue. While we love cozy soups and stews—especially when it's cold enough to use the oven without roasting the whole house—nothing compares to a good BBQ. Burgers grilled indoors never taste the same.
2. Seasonal Produce
We know we just said that winter produce is severely underrated, but summer produce is beloved for a reason. Crisp cherries, juicy berries, and succulent cobs of corn slathered in butter...we miss you every day you're gone. Of course, seasonal produce isn't gone, it's just harder and more expensive to find.
3. Fireflies
Not all summer insects are pests; in fact, fireflies are one bug we look forward to seeing every year! Fireflies are a quintessential part of summer that even the most beautiful string lights can compare to. No matter what you call these glowing bulbs of joy, you probably miss them when they're gone.
4. Beach Trips
Sand between your toes, salt in your hair, burying your father as he dozes away...some of our best childhood memories were made at the beach. Even when it's still too cold to properly swim, we still run headfirst into the surf for the first dip of summer. Frozen lakes are pretty, but you can't swim in them.
5. Ice Cream
Like hot cocoa, there's nothing stopping you from enjoying a frozen treat of your choice in winter, but you have to be pretty masochistic. Half the joy of an ice cream cone is trying to finish it before the sun finishes it for you. All we're saying is that there's a reason ice cream trucks don't make rounds in the winter.
6. Endless Daylight
It's easy to take daylight for granted in the summer when it seems to last forever. No matter how much we needed that extra hour of sleep, we'd trade it in a heartbeat if it meant the sun staying up past 4 pm. Hang in there; days will get longer in under two months!
7. Picnics
Why bother eating lunch indoors when you can wrangle your closest friends, fill up a picnic basket, and feast in the park. Food and sunshine are two things that are best enjoyed in the company of others. Picnics are not only great for people-watching, but for spending quality time with those closest to you.
Kateryna Hliznitsova on Unsplash
8. Summer Sports
Sure, we have the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics to look forward to, but watching sports isn't the same as participating in them. While it's important to stay active year-round, the balmy summer heat and blistering sun make it so much more enticing. Summer offers everything from beach volleyball to white water rafting.
9. Flowers In Bloom
There's a stark sort of beauty to icicles dangling from barren branches that we don't want to take for granted. That said, it can be difficult to feel cheerful when everything around you is dead or dormant. The natural rainbow of summer wildflowers is one no artist's brush can ever truly replicate.
10. Open Windows
Not only will we miss that cool summer breeze blowing in through our windows—especially when it's punishingly hot during the day—but we'll miss the sounds it brings with it. Nature raises every voice in its arsenal in the summer from the chatter of tree frogs and cicadas, to the giggles of children running through the sprinkler. And who could forget the scent of fresh cut grass?
