List: What Mandy Loves About Winter

I'll use this list as an excuse to step away from Christmas because *whispers* it's already EVERYWHERE.

With fall and spring already spoken for, the next season I will find lovelies for shall be winter.  Or... I mean, the stereotypical winter that anyone outside of California is experiencing and what I remember of it from living outside the sunshine state.  It can get mildly chilly here by the bay but not as COLD as the last states I've lived in: Nevada and Wyoming.  (Ever heard of windchill?  Ouch.)  Shout-out to the east coast and all that snow, goodness!  An immanent work trip to the Washington DC area has me borrowing gloves and warm socks in preparation for a version of winter I haven't experienced since diaper days, so cross your fingers I survive.

Regardless of where I am, here's what I love most about the winter season:

• Those holidays and such that involve quality family time, presents, food, and all the holiday-related funzies.  I told ya I'd step back, so... holidays!  Generic.

• Hot cocoa of all sorts.  The marshmallow kind and flavored Land O' Lakes ones are my nostalgic winter beverages.  Mint is my ultimate winter go-to in cocoa, so if anybody wants to buy me some...?

• Layers and layers of clothing and blankets for snuggles.  Since I have no snuggle buddy (Jimmy doesn't count when it's against his will), my alternative is a love for layers against the chill.  I'm cold easily everywhere - I swear I can tell when it drops from 70 to 69 when I shiver - but that doesn't stop me from adding a few extra blankets to my bed and wearing around more layers than necessary.  It's scarf, hat, and boot season!  Accessorize and cozify like a pro, yo.

• That white fluffy stuff that falls from the sky.  I love looking at it from inside a toasty warm house, looking at it on TV or online, and occasionally touching it for snowball fights outdoors but that's about it.  Spending more than a few minutes around it in the cold, cruel outdoors is just miserable and the WORST to drive in.  But it looks pretty.

• Fireplaces.  Or in my parents case their stove.  Or in my apartment's case the heating system that never gets turned on.  Just put me in front of fire when its cold outside and I'm pleased.

• Paper snowflakes.  I'm a wizard with scissors so I can cut me up some gorgeous ones.  It may look silly up on California windows but WORTH IT.

• My day of birth!  Mostly the looking-back at the year I've had and such along with some of that special attention, extra presents, and birthday song singing before the New Year's ball drops.  (Does anybody else hate their birthday more and more every year?  I'm getting so old, guys.  A quarter of a century!)