Hi friends!
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends! I’m spending Black Friday today at my aunt and uncle’s house in Iowa, and we’re spending the day playing games, watching football, and eating lots of yummy leftovers! Since I’ve been in Iowa, though, the temperatures have definitely plummeted, and I’ve realized that it’s time to get serious about the cold weather. It’s time to share some of my favorite cold weather hacks to help you get through these crazy cold temperatures that you might be facing wherever you live, along with one of my favorite photo shoots by Katie Prestemon Photography.
1. Lots of Layers
This is kind of a given during the cold weather seasons, but, I’ll reference one occasion where this was absolutely vital for me. While I was studying abroad last semester, I backpacked through Europe for about three weeks. During this time, I was in some pretty toasty climates, and would then transition to countries that were absolutely freezing. One instance in particular, in Copenhagen, it was absolutely vital to be so heavily layered, yet I had to also incorporate my clothing from the warmer weather places. For my favorite layering outfit, I wear a turtleneck tucked into a skirt with leggings underneath that. Over the turtleneck, I wear a leather jacket, and if it’s really cold…I wear a winter jacket and scarf thrown over that. Don’t forget to see my other outfit ideas on the Hanger app (+ friend me with username @oliviableeker).
2. DIY Boot Cuffs
I’ve had several sweaters that I’ve tried to sell at secondhand clothing stores, but they’re too worn to sell. So, an easy way to recycle the sweater is to simply cut approximately six inches of sleeves off and wear them right above where your boots end as faux boot cuffs! This way, you not only don’t have to purchase them, but also, you don’t have to deal with the bulk of full length boot socks!
3. Keep Your Legs Toasty
On those particularly cold days, what I’ve done to stay warm is by wearing leggings under my jeans. I’ll do this on frigid days when I have to scoop my driveway or walk a far distance around campus. I’ve found that either Under Armour leggings or PINK leggings can be some of the most thermal leggings that I’ve worn so far. Do you have any leggings that you find to be ultra cozy?
4. Drink Up
One of my favorite things about the winter is simply the coziness of the season. There are plenty of yummy drinks that are my winter favorites like chai tea, hot chocolate, or apple cider. All of this can be topped off perfectly with some candles, string lights, and Christmas music to really bring about the holiday feels.
Well, that’s all for now, but I want to hear from you. What are some of your favorite ways to stay warm during the impending cold months? I want to know, because I’m always looking for new tips and tricks, since it is absolutely brutal walking across campus in the ice and snow!
Happy Black Friday!
Olivia