I love winter, but I also love being warm. I love nice things, but I also love not paying ridiculous prices for them. For some years, I’d lusted after flannel-lined jeans. Just thinking of the warmth of that flannel, flannel that turns away cold and wind while still giving me the comfort of jeans, made me happy. But the $50 to almost $100 prices chilled me to the bone quicker than any sub-zero wind chill.
Then one memorable day at Eddie Bauer, I spied with my little eyes a pair of red plaid flannel-lined jeans ON THE SALE RACK! I checked the the size, then headed for the dressing room. They were tight, but jeans stretch, right? And besides, that keeps me honest. So I grabbed a second pair in the same size and went home, happy as a woman in flannel jeans in winter.
Now when I head out the door on a cold winter morning, I don’t reach for sweat pants, I grab those jeans. If it’s really cold and windy, there might be a pair of Cuddle Duds underneath. But either way, those jeans are a few of my favorite things.
OK, it’s your turn. What can’t you live without in winter? It doesn’t have to be clothing and I guess wine could count, too, but chime in and let’s make this fun.
Agree about loving winter but being warm too… 🙂
Hot strong coffee a cold winter day, that’s heavenly… 🙂
I love the smell of coffee, but not the taste, so I have to go with tea or, in the coffee department, a mocha or cappuccino.
janet
I’ll join you with the strong, hot coffee….black, no sugar!
#.sue
Yeah “black without sugar”… 😀
Way to go!
Black coffee and nutella.
Sounds like a winning combination, Jui.
janet
Well this week we were saying that a “hoodie feels like a hug” when it is chilly
So after taking off work clothes – sometimes a hoody in winter has the cozy warmth like your flannel -;)
A good sweatshirt, with or without a hood, is something wonderful in cold weather, indoors or out!
janet
So true ! And actually for yoga – the hoodless ones are better –
I have a pair of flannel lined jeans, and they are the bomb in winter. My thing that I have to have handy are my Yaktrax to strap on so I don’t fall down on the ice. They never fail me. 🙂
I’ve not heard of Yaktrax, but I can imagine how useful they are. I’ll have to look online and see whether they’re the way I imagine or not. 🙂
janet
They are wonderful for ice. They are stretchy and have a top strap with velcro and could go over boots or shoes. Worth every penny. 🙂
I have to have my wool socks!! Although I have been wearing my flannel-lined pants (jeans and khakis) for 3 weeks already!!
Yes, wool socks are great. How do you like your Lapsang? That’s another good thing for winter.
janet
Wool socks, and a nice warm blanket to snuggle under in my comfy chair. With books. And coffee, or wine. I’m not picky.
Great choices, Amy. Thanks so much for stopping in and commenting. It’s great to see you. Hope your pre-Christmas season is going wonderfully!
janet
Warm feet. If my feet are warm and dry, I am totally fine. I also really enjoy when we get a lot of snow over a Friday night and I wake up on Saturday with enough time to truly enjoy cleaning it up. I like running my snow blower, especially when I don’t have to hurry and get to work.
Warm, dry feet are a must, Dan! We had a snow blower when we were in Cleveland, as we had a driveway that went all the way to the back of the house because the attached garage was in the back. As you can imagine, that made for a LOT of pavement to snow blow! But I always enjoyed it when, as you say, I didn’t have to hurry. The driveway of our rental house here is so short that we just shovel it and the Chicago are gets much, much less snow than the snow belt of NE Ohio!
janet
Our layout is as you describe, Janet. Detached garage behind house, lots of driveway but it can’t easily be plowed.
I have a red flannel shirt that I wear around the house. I knit colorful wool socks that I love to wear in the winter 🙂
Laura, those choices both make me feel cozy and warm! Flannel, whether are shirt, jean lining, or something else, is just perfect for winter and cold weather.
janet
Warm feet and a warm core…
That comes before almost anything else, Sue!
janet
😀😀
Hot chocolate, storm-watching, and our back-up generator!
All those sound just right, too, Karen. That generator probably comes in very handy!
janet
Hot mulled wine…mmmmm. Delicious!
And it smells so good, too! Thanks for coming all this way to comment. 🙂 With all these great ideas, it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas and winter. I love it.
janet
Things I can’t survive winter without? Well, there’s my three wonderful flannel-lined shirts – almost as good as your flannel-lined jeans! And beyond that – leather gloves, that don’t let cold wind leak through the way knitted ones do, and HOT tea. Or coffee. Or cocoa. Or soup…you get the idea. Warm from the inside out. 🙂
I get the idea and I’m all for it (or them.) Hope your December is off to a great start, Sharon. Maybe the next time I get to Philly, we can meet for hot coffee/tea.
janet
A good topic, Janet. I like the morning frost on a cold winter day. The way that it scatters light and outlines the edges of things makes for interesting photos.
Ω
Frost makes from great photos, Allan, and I love it when I get to the park and everything is rimmed in it.
I can totally see the attraction to flannel-lined jeans. I mean, who doesn’t love flannel? Yummy. The Mister has about a dozen pair of silk weights left over from the military, so I wear those when I need to be insulated.
I think my winter thing would be the throws and afghans and quilts. Love a good snuggle with a book and a blanky 🙂
Sounds delightful, Joey, although I’ll add a cup of hot tea or maybe a glass of red wine or dark beer if it’s later in the day. A fire in the fireplace wouldn’t hurt, either.
janet
Right on!
Wool socks…but I wear them all year long so does it count? If not disposable hand and toe warmers. I just stocked up, but will most likely need more before Winter is done.
I’ve looked at flannel lined jeans in the past and wondered if they kept one warm. I’ll have to check them out again. I wear “chili’s” and paradox base layers under my clothes to keep warm when outside in the cold.
Deborah, the flannel makes the jeans very cozy and pretty much wind-proof. I love them enough that I’d consider getting a pair at the regular, ridiculous price if I hadn’t scored these sale pairs, and that’s saying something for me. 🙂 I can always layer another something underneath if needed. I have on some wool socks right now!
We’re enjoying our first snow today (at least I’m enjoying it) and as I’ll be going out in a few hours to an outdoor Christmas market, I’ll be bundling up…and wearing those jeans!
janet
So glad you found not one, but two pairs! I am almost nostalgic for my time in the UK where I had to think about proper winter clothes. Here I am checking my supply of sarongs and taking portable fans out of storage. 🙂
🙂 Keeps life interesting, Su. But I must admit I’d miss snow in winter if I lived somewhere tropical.
janet
I totally get that Janet. I prefer colder weather, and do miss snow. Though if I’m honest, the crisp, deep snow I can find a few hours south of here is much nicer than the slushy stuff we used to get in England.
I think this is going to be a bit heavy, as it’s pushed most of our butterfly bush to the ground and is sitting on the tree branches. I can’t wait for my walk in the park tomorrow morning. I’ll be running on joy!
😃 Enjoy!