MY TOP 10: THINGS THAT MAKE ME FEEL COZY
“All day the storm lasted. The windows were white and the wind never stopped howling and screaming. It was pleasant in the warm house. Laura and Mary did their lessons, then Pa played the fiddle while Ma rocked and knitted, and bean soup simmered on the stove.
All night the storm lasted, and all the next day. Fire-light danced out of the stove’s draught, and Pa told stories and played the fiddle.”
Everybody’s got them. Those things that make us feel cozy and happy. Or those things that are just fun, guilty-pleasures. It’s been sunny these last few days in Portland, but I’m not fooled. It’s only a matter of time before the weather returns to the typical 48 degrees and drizzling (usually until July).
Winter in Oregon feels like an eternity, so there are things that I try to do at least once a week that fill me up and give me strength to weather all the Portland gloom and cold.
1. The Bachelor Franchise. As consistent as the rain in Portland, every winter, ABC’s The Bachelor or Bachelorette starts in January. I’ve watched the Bachelor on and off since college. I used to pretend that I wasn’t really into it because, let’s be real: it’s the freakin’ Bachelor. It’s smutty TV with a lot of crying and fake love stories. But I love it. I love the whole franchise, with Bachelor in Paradise being the pinnacle of it all. There is something delicious about watching of bunch of “real-life” drama for the sake of finding lots of Instagram followers true love. The other thing about the Bachelor is that, while most guys say they hate it, many will watch one episode and, without fail, end up talking like, “Did you see Colton jump that fence?!”
2. Drinking delicious coffee while looking out the window. One of my splurges is buying high-quality coffee. I make it at home, thus saving myself the $4.5 at the coffee shop, but it’s still on the more pricey side. My current favorite brand of coffee right now is called Nossa. Their Ernesto blend is the best. Also, I love looking out my back window. There is a lady who, no joke, walks her cat every day on a leash and I never get tired of seeing it.
3. Sitting next to the heater. Just like a cat, (not on a leash) I like to come home from work and curl up next to my space heater. On the floor. I sit next to it and look at my phone while I let the hot air wash over me and dry out my eyeballs. It’s soothing, and has been for me ever since I was a little girl. Growing up, we had those heaters in the floor, and I would sit on the heater, covering it with my night gown to create my own internal heater. I’m 35 years old now but still like the heat. Some things never change!
4. Taking a hot bath. I know people have issues with baths. “It’s not sanitary,” and “You’re bathing in your own filth.” But honestly, A) I’m not that dirty – I shower every day and B) it helps relax all my muscles, allows me to reset from the day, and prepares me to tackle whatever the evening holds. Plus, I shower off afterward, thus washing off any remaining filth. So there.
5. Face masks. I love a good Korean sheet mask. (Especially since you can find me sitting by a heater drying out my skin every night.) When I use that sheet mask, it makes me feel like I’m really caring about my skin. I may look like a ghost, but I feel like I’m doing right by my skin in giving it all that good moisture. My favorite brand of skincare masks are Glow (they have a watermelon one that smells SO good!) and Beltune Germanium Oil face mask.
Don’t believe me that these things work? Read this article about a girl who wore a different one every day for a week.
They also make sheet masks for dudes who want to try them but also want to still feel manly. You can order it here.
6. Reading about pop culture. This is one of those things that I do actually feel guilty about because I’m a dentist. Maybe dentists aren’t supposed to like reading about the Kardashians or what a celebrity dog party looks like. But I love to read those things. It’s one of the things I do while I sit by the heater. A website I use to get the latest is called Betches. Their Instagram is pretty hilarious, and their articles, while relevant to pop culture, also provide that tongue-in-cheek, “we know this is ridiculous” type of writing that makes me feel like I’m reading it ironically.
7. Getting all bundled up and going for long walks while listening to a good podcast. It’s important to still get outside – even during Portland’s gloomy drizzle months. I decided after running my marathon that I don’t really like to run, but I do love a good long walk along the Willamette river with a podcast. Going back to that pop culture guilty pleasure, my two favorite podcasts right now are Binge Mode: Game of Thrones (which goes through each GOT episode and discusses it – an excellent refresher for me to be ready for the April premiere of the final season) and Single in Seattle. This podcast is done by two “regular gals” who are single and spoiler alert: live in Seattle. They are hilarious and have a refreshing take on single life.
Even on snowy days, I still like to get bundled up, put on a podcast and take a walk by the Willamette River
8. Using my weighted blanket and eating cookies in bed. Winter/early spring means Girl Scout Cookies! Helloooooo Thin Mints! I love getting all curled up in my weighted blanket (this is an amazing thing – you can get mine on Amazon and read an article about how it works here: link). I was never allowed to eat in bed growing up, so treating myself to a roll of cookies in bed still feels like I’m breaking the rules, and I love it.
9. Taking a hip hop class. I’ve written it once before (and provided a very embarrassing video) but I love dancing with all my heart. I’ve found a studio in Portland called Pulse PDX that offers both Zumba and Hip Hop classes for those of us who are not the best dancers but who still want to get our groove on! When it’s already dark by 5:00pm and I just want to curl up under my weighted blanket and eat Girl Scout Cookies, getting to a dance class boosts my spirits.
10. Wearing my favorite cozy sweater. Last year, a store called Athleta came out with a super-soft clothing line and my life was forever changed. These sweatshirts are so soft AND there are equally soft sweatpants (not super flattering, but so comfy that I don’t care). You can get the pants on sale now by clicking here and the sweatshirt here. After a long day of work, putting on this soft clothing makes me feel like myself. I feel warm and cozy. Combine this outfit with a hot cup of coffee on a Saturday morning while looking out the window, and you have the recipe for the perfect day.
Wearing my all-time favorite sweater from Athleta.
So there it is, folks! That is how I get through those long winter months. It’s been nice to reflect on these things and have gratitude for them. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a real thing up here in the Pacific Northwest, and it’s important to have little spaces of time carved out to just enjoy being cozy.
So what makes you feel cozy? How do you get through the winter months?