Change to Winter

On October 1st this year, I turned on my heat because it was cold enough. A sign that winter is coming sooner rather than later. I love winter for its comfy sweaters, curling up with a blanket and a good book and hot mulled cider. I don’t like winter for dry skin, the need to run a humidifier every night, and summer fruits like peaches, plums, and watermelons are no longer in season. At a certain point a tire of apples and pears.

This blog-letter will tell you three things:

1.    How to switch over your closet from summer to winter

2.   How to start a family book club

3.   How to make sure your skin is hydrated/moisturized

#1

I have a bin in my under-bed storage for out-of-season items such as sweaters, bathing suits, and long underwear. This makes it easier to swap light summer sweaters for bulky winter sweaters. Since I store t-shirts, short and long sleeves in dresser drawers, they can stay out all year. The key thing is to maximize the organization of your closet space, and this may mean that you need to filter out items altogether. “To wrap up, keep your basics, white button-downs, workout wear, night wear tops, scarves, even lighter pj's, swimsuits and cardigans in your closet all season. When winter approaches move in the heavy coats and bulky jackets and take out the beachwear. It's all about organization. No matter how small your wardrobe is, the way you pile things and use up every inch of space wisely will make a hell of a difference. “ — Forida Abdel Malek, Fustany

#2

You can create a family book club no matter the age your kids are. For younger kids, you can read books, especially chapter books, aloud and discuss them. For older kids, you can all read the same book and set up discussion times. You might even prepare a snack for the discussion that’s related to the book. Over the years, my mother has picked to read a book her granddaughter is reading, so they can discuss it. “You could even pair a chapter book for your older kids with a similar picture book title for younger children. This will allow you to have children of various ages participate in the singular family book club, while also encouraging the older kids to be reading role models for younger ones.” — Jodie Rodriguez, Scholastic

#3

Drinking water is just as important in the winter as it is in the summer. In the summer, we can sweat it out. In the winter the cold air outside plus heat inside can dry out our skin. It is all important to moisturize and use sunscreen all year long too. I use a daily face cream with SPF to make sure that I am doing both for my face. “Moisturizing your body while your skin is still damp after a shower or bath is an effective way to keep skin hydrated. This is because moisturizer traps existing moisture in skin. Why not use the same moisturizer on your face and body? Facial skin is thinner and more sensitive, so many face moisturizers are designed to be a bit thinner and less likely to cause acne. They may also have more expensive anti-aging ingredients added to them. Keep in mind that more expensive skin care products are not necessarily more effective.” — American Academy of Dermatology Association I tend to shower at night and rub down my body with coconut oil before getting out. In the morning, I put on body lotion. This helps to stave of dry skin all winter long.

So now that cold weather is upon us, it is time to pull out the cozy throw blankets, make a cup of tea and watch the leaves change color as winter approaches and we adjust to being indoors more.