winter gear
in light of the fact that it’s forecasted to stay really cold until the end of next week when it’s supposed to heat up to the 20s (which will feel like a heat wave!), i thought i’d list most of the gear we use to bundle ourselves up to go outside these days.
we start with something similar to long johns. they’re called ‘cuddl duds’ and phil and i really like them (they make men’s versions as well) because they work quite well at keeping your legs warm. their exclusive softech fabric provides soft cotton next to your skin for comfort and smooth nylon on the outside allows clothes to glide on easily.
they say that layering clothes works the best at keeping you warm, so we layer ourselves with the cuddl duds, then warm pants, then a long-sleeve shirt, then a sweater, and then a coat. mikey and allie have to wear layers, too– long sleeve onesie, flannel-lined pants, sweater, down coat.
i’ve managed to get by for most of the winter with a thin fall coat but have busted out the thick, ‘michelin man’ down coat for the past week. it won’t win any fashion awards, but nothing works like down to keep you nice and toasty warm!
and if you plan to stay oustide for longer than the time it takes to run to the car or into the store or into the house, then a scarf is a must. you wrap it around your nose, mouth, and neck because subzero degree air is so cold that you have to breathe through a scarf to keep from freezing your nose (and get frostbite). it also hurts your lungs to breathe in the cold air without the scarf.
a hat is also a must because a lot of body heat is lost through your head. hats with flaps that velcro under the chin are the best for little people because it keeps their ears warm and prevents them from whipping the hat right off.
however, phil and i don’t enjoy getting ‘hat-head’, so we opt for these nifty little ear warmers. they rest just above your neck and stay snugly in place. we love these especially.
they also say that mittens are much warmer than gloves, but mittens are quite inconvenient, especially when trying to buckle a squirming child into her carseat or when trying to fill the car’s fuel tank. so, i have these convertible glove mittens. the flap fits over your fingers to create a mitten, then flips back held in place with velcro so you can use your fingers when needed.
when phil and i first moved here, completely clueless as to what we needed to survive the winter, the first thing we did was go out and buy heavy duty winter boots thinking that everyone wore them to get around in the snow. now we know that true minnesotans will continue to wear their crocs even in the dead of winter. i will say though, that shoes with good traction are a definite plus when walking on slippery ice and snow. you can find your feet flying up in the air and yourself lying flat on the ground quicker than you think when walking on a frozen sidewalk!
and that my friends, is why it takes a good half hour to get everyone bundled up to go outside! 
11 Comments
ChristineSong
In sunny CA, I think people just wear scarves because they’re fashionable. (hmmm. I should get me one.) I guess you’ll be plenty fashionable when you get to CA! : )
bkahng
You know, I can’t find those gloves in Korea. Well, that’s a lie. I was reading a magazine and found them, but since it was a magazine, they were designer. I was looking at the price…$50!! But this cold, Korean weather has made me a firm believer in the long johns.
mrsstellalee
those are some nifty ways to keep warm. those gloves are great! man, i need to pump myself up to leave the house when it’s in the 50’s with my kids and here you are braving the 20’s with your kids. you definitely deserve a medal! 🙂
Starbukk35
that lady makes long johns look so sexy. haha!
i think that down coat is cute!
hehe, fun entry.
Sjohnson0107
I love my down jacket…it feels like an electric blanket.
ohmobile
oh my gosh! how do you muster up the energy to actually make it outside after the whole dressing up business? what a crazy ordeal mama!
ohmobile
just looked at your ticker…allie is 10 months old already???? that is so crazy fast!!! flew by!
jame_o
i hear ya sistah! i get cold really easily, so getting a nice thick puffer down jacket was a definite must! we finally bought a winter jacket for our little guy too. how and why did we think that we could survive this cold winter without winter coats?
baw5t0n
I got those convertible mittens when I first went out to Maryland 11 years ago… I still have them… but I found out on my last trip to NY that they’re not as wind-proof as they used to be… windproofness is SO KEY… those are good for taking pictures, too…
Sjohnson0107
How do you paste those pictures on your post (the pictures of the products)? I try to copy pictures from websites and it doesn’t work? Is it because it’s in html or something?
Kavedissian
brrrrr, not sure how you can do it with 2 kids! i have a problem getting ian to wear his jacket sometimes.