Your Winter Survival Guide
Life in the Bell Jar is a drip and a drag. For those of us who live in cold climates, winter can really hang you up the most. Carbs n’ dry hair. Depression n’ layers. Those extra 5 pounds sneaking their way around your tummy, and the excuses to miss trips to the gym that get pretty creative. It mostly sucks. No wonder so many New Yorkers move to Los Angeles. The Christmas season keeps you jubuliant and excited to get presents, but once that’s over you are left with dead trees and a hangover. One good snowball fight doesn’t take the edge off of the post-Xmas cold. So once the presents have been unwrapped, and the hot toddy’s have been imbibed – use our Winter Survival Guide to keep the Billy Holiday blues away.
Don’t consider another snowy winter without the following:
A DAMN GOOD MOISTURIZER:
Don’t let your elbows get ashy, girl. Keep it soft and supple with a really good natural lotion. We love the “Charity Pot” from LUSH ‘cuz it keeps us smoother than a piggy’s tummy, and every penny of the retail price goes directly into a charitable fund to support animal rights, environmental protection, and humanitarian concerns. Plus the subtle ylang ylang, geranium, and marigold essential oils scent us up so our better half wants toget close and keep us warm.
A LITTLE BLACK COCKTAIL DRESS:
GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. We repeat: GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. It’s so easy to become anti-social when the weather outside is frightful. Make sure you get to a party or some sort of social happenstance once a week, if possible. Even if it’s just meeting a friend for hot chocolate. Better yet, go to a fabulous Benefit! Nothing solves the winter blues like remembering those much less fortunate than you. Force yourself to get dressed up – take your time putting on your make up and doing your hair. Shave your legs, cavegirl. Then throw on a LBD (little black dress, for those of you not down with abreviations) like this Chetta B. Jackie O number below (which happens to be pretty outstanding in person, and marked down from $378 to $83 online here). It’s crucial that you stay social. Commiserate with all your friends about how crap the weather is. Wear high heels. Take a cab if its too cold for the train, and don’t beat yourself up about it. This is your treat night.
A NETFLIX SUBSCRIPTION:
You probably already have a cue longer than “War and Peace,” but go to a well respected film critic’s site (we like the brainy broad reviews at flickfilosopher.com) and check out their TOP 100 list. Make it your winter’s goal to get through half the list. That will make you feel like you accomplished something remotely impressive come Spring. At the very least it will broaden the discourse of your film repetoire, and you’ll have something to discuss over bourbon with a that cute indie filmmaker you know. May we also suggest reading every night before bed? We like BookMooch.com where you can trade your old books for new books you want to read.
THE WORLDS COZIEST ROBE:
Don’t skimp when it comes to your Robey. This baby will be your BFF for Months. You’ll practically live in it. Make sure yours is cushy, has big pockets (to hold phones, tissues, remote controls, vitamins, etc), and is machine washable. Don’t have $200 to spend on a fancy robe? Hit stores like Daffy’s and Filene’s Basement for the same robes you’d find at the high end department stores for a fraction of the price.
A FIREPLACE:
You may not have one in your house, but get somewhere stat where you can lounge by a fire place and watch the snow fall for a weekend. A fireplace just makes everything better. Chloe just stayed at this precious house near Woodstock, NY (mention GirlieGirlArmy and you’ll get a great discount for your stay) for about $100 a night. This isn’t a week in St. Barts, darlings… but it will do for a winter wonderland getaway weekend. Optional additions to this weekend are: long bubble baths, a scrabble set, good friends, organic red wine, and delicious soup.
TEA FOR YOUR AYURVEDIC TYPE:
Figure out your ayurvedic type. We just had our first ayurevedic massage in NYC at the Chopra Center, and we hope it doesn’t get an ego when we say, it was our best ever. During winter, try and get a massage once a Month. If you can’t afford a fancy massage, go to a massage school in your area where you can get massages dirt cheap by students, or ask a friend to come over and rub your shoulders. It’s important to stimulate your body and warm it up! Touch is more important than anything in keeping yourself from feeling depressed. Right after the massage at the Chopra Center, our therapist Julie Tudor handed us a cup of “Vata” tea. It was as if we’d died and gone to heaven. This is the yummiest tea ever, it truly warmed us from the inside out.
Please add your “Can’t live withouts” for winter in the comments section below, we need it. Only 62 days til spring!!!!!