A Few Tips For Those New To Snowy Winters

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Pikes Peak in Winter with Garden of the GodsI was raised in Michigan, and have never spent a winter in anything but snow. So, while winter here is a little more mild, I am used to snow. But I remember being a student at the University of Michigan and seeing all the kids from warm, sunny places. We natives were always amused when they would break out the down coats when it hit 60 degrees and run to dance in the first faint flurry, because we knew what was coming. So, for those of you that are new to Colorado and might be experiencing your first real winter weather, here are some quick tips and a few of my favorite things as you enjoy your first snowy winter!

First, and foremost, driving…..

My rule of thumb is if you don’t have to go out-DON’T!! It’s amazing how many people don’t know how to drive in winter conditions. I’ve been doing it since I was 15 (many, many years ago as my kids like to remind me!), and if I can avoid driving in the snow and ice- I do!! It’s a little scary out there. Please remember, all wheel drive does NOT equal all wheel stop! Give yourself and the others around you a little extra room, expect that you’re going to slip and slide-and so is the person in front of you and the person behind you. So give yourself and those around you the room to deal with it.

Layers are a beautiful thing.

The weather around here can change a lot in a day. It can be 20 degrees in the morning, feel like 60 in the afternoon and be 30 by the time you are picking kids up from school. That Colorado sun is fantastic, take advantage of it! Eddie Bauer’s First Ascent fleece is a staple in my wardrobe. Layered with a t-shirt underneath and a vest over top, I’m ready for whatever my day brings! Fashionista I am not, I like being warm and cozy. So, old man winter can bring it on!

My favorite footwear in winter…

is my fleece-lined Merrell clogs. I slip into those and go everywhere with nice warm feet! I save the boots for sledding with the kiddos when I might end up with snow in my shoe or lose one on the hill. But for everything else, unless it’s a warm afternoon where I’ve broken out the flip flops, it’s my fleece-lined cozy shoes! Around the house, it’s the Uggs slippers my husband gave me for Christmas a few years ago, they are to die for-so warm! I’ve even been known to wear them to drive the kids to school. Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone I’m still in my slippers in the school drop-off lane!

Blankets in the car

I know this is an odd one, but for years I’ve carried baby blankets in my car-the thick fleece ones. It’s not safe for babies to be in car seats with the thick, heavy coats and snowsuits. So my (not so) little guy is buckled in with a blanket over him. When the kids got bigger, they became lap blankets. Which is great when you’re getting into a cold car. And, (shhhhh, don’t tell!) but along with my slippers, I might occasionally get caught with one on my lap too….. Hey! Don’t knock it til you try it! I LIKE being warm when it’s snowing out!

I don’t rush to shovel….

Unlike the other places I’ve lived, where winter weather hits hard, around here when the storm passes the sun comes out and melts everything quickly. If the weather report says it’s going to warm right up, I don’t worry about that shovel. I make sure the sidewalk is clear, but let the sun take care of my driveway. I’d rather put the effort into some cookies for my kids to enjoy when they come in from playing in the snow. Or, even better head out there with them!

If I’ve got cookies, it’s all good…

snowman (1)Many people frantically head to the store with a storm warning. If your cupboards have enough to hold you over for a few days, you don’t need to panic. Very rarely have I headed to the store with a storm warning. There is very little that my household can’t manage without for a day or two. If we’ve got something for dinner, milk, hot chocolate, and cookies, then we’re good. And, I guess, we could do without the cookies. But, seriously, what beats hot chocolate and fresh baked cookies when you’re coming in from playing in the snow?

So, when the winter weather hits, watch for the school-delays, bundle up in your fleece, make those cookies and hot chocolate and have a blast enjoying all that Colorado winters has to offer. I recommend the sledding in Monument. Just make sure you make that snowman before the sun comes out, because the flipside of not shoveling is your snowman material doesn’t last long!

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Kristin, Senior Writer
Once Upon A Time, in another life, Kristin graduated from the University of Michigan with a plan to teach high school math. But then, life happened when she wasn’t looking…. She married an Army guy and 23 years, 3 kids, a few dogs, 7 homes, and 2 continents later she’s now a single mom living here in Colorado Springs. Along the way she volunteered for the Army, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and several schools; managed volunteer organizations, coached judo, trained to be a whitewater rafting guide, biked down Pike’s Peak and even managed to teach some high schoolers a little math before forging new trails writing, teaching and financial planning. She never knows what’s coming around the bend, but she’s learned to handle whatever life (and the Army!), throws at her with a smile and a laugh. She’s pretty sure you can get through anything with those, even if you have to fake it occasionally!!