50 Shades of Winter

50 Shades of winter…

Now before I launch into 50 reasons why winter will be awesome this year I just want to acknowledge a couple of things privileged people tend to overlook when romancing winter time. While winter is a magic time for some for others if offers a whole other set of challenges.

People on low incomes or living in poverty in winter go cold, are hungrier and worry more about their themselves and their families for good reasons. Winter brings with it cold nights and mornings, physical  Illness and mental illness such as (Seasonal Affective Disorder SAD)depression just to name a few.  If you have ever experienced living below the line then you will know winter means worry about how to keep your family warm and safe without creating more debt. Power bills rise every year and people’s income or job opportunities don’t. Some people have to worry about how to keep the cold roof they have over their heads, something that must be on your mind all day and night, especially if you have children to take care of.

So before I start banging on about what makes winter great I just want to acknowledge all the families doing it tough this winter? Do what you can to help out, cut a load of wood for a neighbour, cook some meals for a single parent, anonymously pay someone’s electricity bill for winter, I’m pretty sure there are a 100 other ways to help someone out this winter just try it.

I count myself lucky this winter I am lucky enough to have a warm home and food on the table for my family something I will never take for granted.

Every Winter I get a case of the Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) It’s a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter (or summer). Around July and August I feel the black dog sniffing around my heels and I know it’s time to take preventative action; trouble is I often leave it too late to prevent the dog latching on big time. The reality is Winter would be romantic if you could do what you wanted in winter, but usually we are not reading books on a bare skin rug in front of an open fire on a Monday morning. Usually for us mere mortals we are cracking the ice of our windscreens with hot water and trying to get the fire going.

This year I’m attempting to find 50 things about winter that makes me smile, 50 Shades of winter I know I know not original at all. I have tried to take most of the photos myself but not always possible so my apologises up front for any Google images. So here go’s 50 reasons we can smile this winter.

1. Winter may have frosty mornings but the sunny clear crisp days are something worth inhaling.

2. A crackling fireplace warms the cockles of our hearts.

 

 3. Life appears to slow down a bit so we can stop and enjoy.

 

 

 

 

   4. Hibernation all day if you have a day off.

 

5. No Mosquitoes and flies to contend with.

6. Romance in winter xx

7. Warm mulled wine on a cold winter’s night.

8. Sexy time under a warm blanket with your loved one.

9. One pot wonders casseroles.

10. Movie night.

11. Soups and crusty bread

12. Netball and Footy Season

13. Long warm showers before bed.

14. Rain on a tin roof

15. Bed socks

16. Not shaving – legs, underarms or faces to stay warmer.

17. Wearing PJ’s until midday because the sun hasn’t come up yet.

18. Not having to done a bathing suit in public (woohoo)

19. Hot baths

20. Looking as daggy as you please going to bed with thermals on.

21. Changing into your PJ’s straight after work.

22. Game days inside

23. Pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast if you please.

24. Snuggles under the blanket.

25. Kids can go to bed earlier because you can fool them that it’s later (if they can’t tell time that is.)

26. Winter makes us appreciate summer more.

27. Indoor crafts like scrap booking (which I’m crap at by the way should be called crapbooking!)

28. Nude Winter Solstice swim

29. Seeing the sunrise at a reasonable hour

30. The many shades of winter

31. Did I mention Mulled Wine?

32. Winter festivals

33. Warm Apple Pie and cream

34. Has anyone mentioned mulled wine?

35. Being able to see the stars clearly.

36. Storm clouds rolling in.

37. Long hot showers with Zac Effron!

38. Movie marathon nights

39. The very unsexy Ones.

40. Toasted Marshmallows.

41. Reading in bed.

42. Beautiful snow-capped mountains

43. Wool clothing

44. Beanies

45. The perfect family snuggling in bed!

46. The first snow fall

47. Learning a new skill

48. Chillin on a bare skin rug!!

49. Christmas in July

And finally…

50. Uggies, anywhere, anyhow and any time.

So there you have it 50 Shades of Winter now where the hell is Spring?