sunnuntai 5. tammikuuta 2014

How to survive a winter ... for my Mid-Western friends.

So Tiffany asked my opinion on the winter they're currently having over in the Mid-West. Well, the honest opinion? I'm jealous. I'd swap it with this +2 and no sun for a month weather any minute. But if you want to know how to survive it (and how to get your kids out of the house which I think is her biggest question) - here are some tips.

Layers. It's not about the thickness of those layers, it's about the number of them.
If we had -24C as you are having there, I'd wear:

box of woollies

 

my tiny foyer has...

... a cupboard just for winter.

These, among other gear, live in it.

Layers! Layers! (But NO JEANS! Jeans are a mistake, the coldest trousers in the world, your skin is likely to freeze in them.)

Ignore the jeans, pay attention to the layers and trousers tucked into socks!

Tuck & layer in turns so that clothes overlap: tshirt + tights + shirt + longjohns + etc. My snowpants have ventilation for when it gets too hot outdoors - see the zips? :)

One...

...two...

... three pairs of mittens.

Proper shoes!

Important: cover your neck and your ears!


Sleeves on top of mittens, zip up to the top and if it's windy you should wear your hood!

underwear
woolly tights (or other thick tights)
regular socks/hiking socks
thermal underwear/long johns
woolly socks
leg warmers
shoes that are meant for winter (otherwise the soles might break)

The main thing is to overlap the different layers around your ankle so there's no way for the snow to get down to your skin.
 
(thermal) longsleeved shirt (turtleneck is a lifesaver!)
a t-shirt (long or short sleeves)
another long sleeve shirt
something warm like a light pullover/sweater/fleece

snow pants
winter jacket with a warm lining (in these pics I've got a fleece that could also be zipped to the jacket)

a beanie that covers your ears, or even a hood (the bankrobber style) + a beanie
mittens+mittens+mittens
Fingers together are warmer than fingers apart - therefore I wouldn't wear gloves.

If it's windy you can top the whole thing up with a hood. Zip the jacket to the top to avoid wind in your neck.

Remember tissues, your nose is likely to get runny in the cold. If your face is turning red (like proper read, not the healthy red you get from fresh air), it means the skin is freezing and you need to get in for a little bit. Don't do sports like skiing, as your lungs won't love it. Sledding is great, walks are great, playing in the snow is great too!

keskiviikko 1. tammikuuta 2014

Vuoden eka. The first of this year.


Kynttilöistä kiitos Ylioppilaskunnan Laulajille, joiden joulukonserttien jälkeen nämä puoliksi poltetut kynttilät ovat haluttua kamaa kaikkien konserttikirkon suntioiden lähipiirissä. :)

Vuosi vaihtui hyvässä seurassa. Minut kutsuttiin ystävän viimetingan kekkereihin, joissa en ollut ainut, joka oli etukäteen miettinyt

kun siellä on niitä vieraita ihmisiä
mitenkähän uusiin tutustutaan
voikohan sinne mennä?

Aikuisena ystävystyminen on haaste. Tämä oli mukava tapa aloittaa. Kaupunginosan mummokalliolle kiivettiin katsomaan ilotulituksia, sieltä näkyikin komeasti joka suuntaan. Aikamoista näkövammaisurheilua, liukastella olkavammaisen ystävän kanssa pimeitä, mutaisia kalliorinteitä ylös ja alas. Kannatti.

A friend of mine challenged her blog's readers to choose some words for the new year. So I did. Mine are

less

and
happiness

Less stuff in my life, less materia in my home, less time spend in front of the screen, online.
Happiness is something I'd like to be more mindful of. See it in this life I'm living now - not something I recognize in the life I've already lived or hoping to reach in the future while being unhappy and unsatisfied in this moment. Happiness here and now.

Today I've got a cold and tomorrow I'm back to work after the holidays. They just flew by!

I've burnt a lot of candles. I just cooked some porridge with raisins and cinnamon. Some sugar and a whiskey dram on top, there's no better way to finish a holiday!