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SURVIVING THE COLD






Despite having lived in Canada for most of my life, being Canadian and undergoing winter every. single. year I still forget exactly how brutal the weather here can be.  In a few short weeks, the temperatures have regularly dropped to below zero and I've had to pull out a few old tricks to protect my everything.

To give context to those of you who don't know firsthand a Canadian winter: Occasionally it gets cold enough that you'll have arrived safely home but the skin on your legs won't warm up for about twenty minutes.

Tip #1 -- MOISTURIZE!
The first sign of winter is the scaliness that happens on my shins -- sure, my skin gets a bit tighter, the area around my nose gets a tiny bit flaky from constant nose-blowing, but it's my shins that take the worst beating.

Tip #2 -- LAYER!
In my second year of high school, we were forced to winter camp and learn the rules of safe winter dressing.
Layer 1: Wear something that wicks moisture away so you don't freeze and die
Layer 2: Wear something that traps heat so you don't freeze and die
Layer 3: Wear something that blocks wind so you don't freeze and die
I live in a city with a five-minute commute so I'm usually okay with a camisole, a long-sleeved tee and a sweater under my coat.  Also, I had no idea that Lululemon leggings would make for such excellent long johns!

Tip #3 - ACCESSORIZE!
Having your hands, neck, head and feet properly covered and wind-protected makes a world of difference.  I'm often tempted to skip the hat on a wavy-hair day, but I always regret it.  I also spent the last two winters (read: Polar Vortex) without any gloves and while I live to tell the tale, I deeply regret that.  I got the pair in the video from Zara Man because my hands are man-sized.

Any tips for surviving the deep freeze?  Be a lamb and share in the comments!

17 comments:

  1. Hahaha, "so you don't freeze and die". So true. In the winter, I prefer to wear dresses and skirts over pants because it's easier to wear knee high boots. I typically wear really thick leggings rather than tights because they're much warmer than dress pants and regular tights.

    blush and simplicity

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    1. Yesssss, leggings have made the biggest life-changer! I wear them under my regular work pants

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  2. The oldest winter I've endured was in was Bournemouth,UK which by Canadian standards you might consider warm but I found wind to be the biggest culprit! It just went through every layer! It took me a while to find the right things to combat it.
    But gloves that can be used on a touchscreen were the best find! :)

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  3. Ok you are officially the cutest and I can't wait to survive the cold this weekend together <3

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  4. Haha, I can relate :-) It's been snowing non-stop here, it just keeps on coming. I love the snow though, but I hate the cold.

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    1. YES me exactly. I love the way snow looks, hate everything else about it. Where are you from??

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  5. Ah, super cute video, as always! Love the idea of layering slim yoga pants underneath my jeans. Will have to give that a go! :)

    -Jen

    www.vibrantbeautyblog.com

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    1. Omg, it makes the biggest difference. Let me know how it goes!

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  6. Love your blog! :) This post is very inspiring, keep up the great work! I'm a fan. :)

    www.officialzalona.com

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  7. hahahah love your layers dance. and YES i totally wear more pants under pants...but it makes my legs so stiff but its that or i 'freeze and die'
    love the video!!!! you do them so well :)

    Jenn
    A Beautiful Zen

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    1. Even slightly looser pants over leggings makes a huge difference!

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  8. ALSO LOVING THE LAYERS/ACCESSORIZE DANCE. I cant wear more pants underneath my pants because I already have chunky legs with one layer on. I remember freezing one time waiting for the GO Bus--it was bad weather day, and I waited over an hour outside for the bus :(

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    1. Omg so awkward. Like, so much awkward.

      Omg the go bus is such a nightmare. I don't even know why they bother with schedules.

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  9. all i can say is canada goose. i just want to be covered in everything they make. but seriously i've never been so warm during winter in my life. like. parts of me are actually not cold, and the jacket actually warms me up. (which is impossible, bc i am the person that will have cold days, where i legit am just cold for a day or days at a time lol) the mr. actually breaks a sweat with his on during the walk from the train to his office.

    but yes. otherwise i heart layering. and i like my northface gloves actually! and beanies haha

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