How to Survive a Minnesota Winter.

As you probably know, I live in (and love!) the great state of Minnesota. I’ve been here for over 15 years, which is long enough to get that beloved accent. (I especially notice this in my small-group reading lessons, when I ask children to spell “BOH-t.”) Uffda!

I am convinced that Minnesota is one of the best states to live in!! It’s kind of funny though – we do gripe about the winters! Winter here is absolutely stunning, just like MN’s other 3 seasons – but I admit, it can be a bit rough. Last January, the temperatures went down to a windchill of about -40 degrees. That was pretty intense.

^^ Helping with some farm chores last winter – even the puppy Elsa got a hoodie! This was on the day in January when we heard it was colder in MN than on Mars! ^^

We’ve certainly had our colder temperatures already this winter (a couple weeks ago, we public school teachers had 2 late starts and a snow day!)…but you really can’t beat the beauty in a quiet snowfall, the countryside dusted in white, or having a white Christmas…the list goes on. Even though I kind of have a love-hate relationship with Minnesota winters, I still totally love it here!

And really, it’s not “bad” all the time – tomorrow’s going to be in the low 40s here. That’s jog-outside-in-shorts weather, folks! And this picture is from when Bjorn and I got to spend time outside just last week!

Here’s my advice on surviving a MN winter:

1 // Hustle! Get used to shuffling very quickly from your car to the store, from the house to the car…you get the point. No dawdling!

2 // Wear appropriate shoes! I’m still working with myself on this one. I LOVE wearing boots but I have a certain pair of brown boots (pictured above) that are seriously slick on the bottom! Bjorn’s always asking, “Why did you choose to wear those??” 🙂 And then I end up hobbling across slippery parking lots and icy sidewalks in an effort not to do the splits…which violates Rule #1. 🙂

3 // Moisturize! The icy gusts of wind and having the heat on in your home can be rough on skin! I use coconut oil or Mineral Fusion Body Lotion, as well as a whole slew of chapstick choices!

4 // Keep a winter kit in the car! I have a scraper, mini shovel, blanket, and water in the car, in case I get plowed in, stuck off the side of the road, etc. Another good idea is to have a couple strips of shingles in case you need to get traction!

5 // Wear scarves! I have so many scarves. I seriously wear them almost every day in the winter. This blanket scarf is my new favorite!!

6 // Don’t underestimate the power of hot beverages. As much as dressing in layers is important, sometimes you just have to warm up from the inside out! I bring a hot thermos of tea to work pretty much every day. The extra few minutes it takes to prep that in the morning is totally worth it!

Well, there you have it! These are a few of the ways I get through a MN winter! Let me leave you with this proof of the warmer days we also get to enjoy 🙂

How do you stay warm in (or get through) the winter, friends? 🙂

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