Baby It's Cold Outside

Though winter isn't officially here until Dec. 21st, I've certainly felt Jack Frost nipping at my nose. Here are a few things we do to negotiate the cold at our house in an effort to keep ourselves toasty warm. . .

Rice Bags. If you haven't heard of these, you're missing out. To make a rice bag, you simply need a piece of fabric (we used a piece about 2 ft by 1 ft) and some rice. Sew the fabric together around the edges, being sure to leave an open spot for the rice. Turn it right-side out. Fill it up with rice and sew up the hole. Whenever you feel a chill, simply put the bag in the microwave for approximately three minutes and then snuggle up with it. It's also great for tummy aches. If you choose a cute Christmas fabric, it will magically turn into a great Christmas gift for friends and neighbors.

Hot Cocoa. My youngest girlie is the hot cocoa maker in our house, thanks to a great gift given to us called the "cocomotion" (thanks Sara!). Simply put your cocoa of choice in the cocomotion (we use candy cane cocoa), add milk, and push a button. In moments you'll be warming up from the inside out!

Ironing sheets. This is a trick I learned from my mom as she did it for me when I was a kid. Simply plug in the iron near your bed and then iron the sheets (while they're on your bed mind you). Be sure to get way down low where your feet go, that's the best part. Then jump in (being sure to unplug the iron so you don't get REALLY toasty in the night with a house fire) and drift off to dreamland where you'll dream of yourself on sandy beaches.

Drying clothes. This trick is one of my favorites and helps the kiddies be motivated to get their clothes on in a hurry. All you gotta do is put their clothes they've picked out for the day in the dryer and run it about ten minutes. Then get them out and put them on in an instant. I highly recommend the socks go in too as keeping the tootsies warm is of the utmost importance.

Snuggle. A super great way to keep warm, and probably my favorite, is a good old-fashioned snuggle. Not to be confused with the "snuggie," a snuggle is where you and someone you really like sit right next to each other. Arms are wrapped around one another and heads are nuzzled into necks. Legs are entwined and body heat is shared. You'll find that once the snuggling has begun, the heat in your heart will increase three-fold and the love that you feel will likely keep you warm for hours on end.