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!