Thoughts for a Winter’s Day

It’s definitely winter here and all I want to do is curl up with a good book and read until spring. C.S. Lewis summed up my thoughts perfectly.

book and tea quote CS Lewis

What are you doing to stay warm this winter? And more importantly, what are you reading?!

(You can check out my current virtual stack of books by hopping over to my Goodreads page. And while you’re there, let’s be friends!)

Winter Footwear

fuzzy socks

Ladies, let’s talk winter foot wear.

I will never claim to be a fashionista. I like to dress up but I’m also way too cheap and lazy to do it on a regular basis. I have clothes in my closet from high school (in the early 90’s, not the best era for fashion) and despite gaining nearly 20 pounds since getting married the only new clothes I’ve bought have been for necessity (ie I couldn’t breathe in any of the pants I owned.) I try to buy things that are relatively classic but I’ll occasionally splurge on something quirky or trendy…my splurging being at Target. I just can’t stomach the idea of spending $100 for a pair of pants! I’m also a weird size so I struggle to buy things off the rack. My monkey arms and ridiculously long legs have always caused me grief (in Middle School before long lengths were common in the stores I bought most of my pants in the boys section since I could tailor things by waist size and leg length instead of just a one-size fits all approach they used in the girls section.)

And then there are my ski-worthy feet. Super long and gargantuan and ALWAYS COLD!

Which brings me to my topic today. Winter foot wear. You guys, I struggle with this so much. Probably a lot more than I should. So I’m asking for everyone’s input. What do you wear in the winter?

I find myself either klunking around in my pseudo-Uggs or sliding and freezing in a variation of ballet flats which probably looks a little better, but this girl needs socks!

Because my feet are huge I feel like they look even bigger and bulkier in anything other than those ballet flats when I’m wearing skinny jeans.

Athletic shoes are occasionally an option but not for work days. (And again, look rather ridiculous with skinny jeans)

So my blogosphere friends. What do you wear in the winter to keep your feet warm?!  Particularly that would be work appropriate. My popsicle feet are begging for your help!

Picture Book Reviews ~ Wintry Favorites

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

We’re a little behind the curve here but we’ve finally gotten a snowstorm! In celebration (and because we’re all fighting colds and don’t want to actually go out in it just yet) I’m sharing a few of my recent favorite snowy, winter books.

The Snowbear Book Review

The Snowbear

Written by: Sean Taylor

Illustrated by: Claire Alexander

Number of Pages: 32

Age Range: 2-6

Rating: 3.5/5

Iggy and Martina wake up to a world covered in snow and proceed to make a snowbear in their front yard. Then they venture out to try their sled and end up deep, deep in the woods. Thanks to their snowbear (or was it just their imagination?) they get home safe and sound.

A fun tale of adventure, friendship, and the power of imagination (or perhaps a little magic, you decide!) Alexander’s illustrations evoke all the chill of a winter’s day but rather than making you want to stay bundled inside you’ll long to join the kids in their adventures.

Winter Dance Book Review

Winter Dance

Written by: Marion Dane Bauer

Illustrated by: Richard Jones

Number of Pages: 32

Age Range: 3-7

Rating: 5/5

A small fox watches as snowflakes begin swirling through the air. With winter coming, what should he do? All the animals he encounters in the forest have suggestions for him. The caterpillar tells him to wrap up in a shiny chrysalis, the bat tells him to swoop into a cozy cave to sleep, the turtle tells him to bury himself in the cool mud and more. Each animal takes his own advice but the fox knows none of these is best for him. When another fox appears the two join the dancing snowflakes in a dance of their own. Gorgeously muted illustrations are a perfect match for the lightly poetic text. This is a versatile tale that could pair with winter bedtime stories or serve as a precursor to a day of playing out in the cold.

Something's Fishy Book Review

Something’s Fishy

Written and Illustrated by: Jean Gourounas

Number of Pages: 32

Age Range: 4-8

Rating: 4/5

A grumpy looking penguin is trying to do some fishing but he is continually interrupted by all the other polar animals. Each one asks what he’s doing, though the fishing pole dangling in the hole in the ice should make it relatively obvious. And each one is greeted with the same glare. Eventually it seems as if everyone has gathered and they’re perplexed as to why no fish are biting…something’s definitely fishy!

I won’t give away the ending but young readers will surely chuckle. This would be a great classroom read to encourage predicting endings. (North and south pole animals mix indiscriminately here…sometimes I can let that slide, other times it bothers me to no end. Somehow I was okay with it today. Just be aware, penguins and polar bears are NOT neighbors in real life!)