Warming up the Winter blues

 I've never been one to enjoy the cold and snow. Of course, I look forward to it every fall though. It's romantic to think about snuggling down for a good glass of red and a movie with snow gently falling outside. That sounds nice even now as I type this. But the truth is, winter is difficult for me. Simply getting around, having fun with the kids outdoors, and so many other things become an inconvenience under layers of clothing. So this year (especially with more snow than we usually get), I've been trying to focus on finding warmth in the winter. Positivity has always been one of my strong suits, but so has throwing myself pity parties every once in a while. Comparing the two, positivity feels much better at the end of the day than wallowing!

One thing that has brought me joy and a sunny disposition in the midst of all this gray is adventuring in the kitchen.

Cracking open a cookbook or perusing the internet in search of a new recipe has been one of my favorite things to do. I go through phases of experimenting in the kitchen and every time I do, I'm glad I did! It's fun to try out new recipes and when you're done, you have something to not only enjoy yourself, but share with your family. Brings me a smile every time! Try frowning while eating pasta. Im-pasta-ble.

P.s. - a few of my new favorite kitchen accessories have been from Food 52. I found this brand while wondering Nordstrom a few months ago. I have the silicone oven mitts, apron, and dish towels now and really enjoy all of them! The apron is a beautiful rosy pink with a couple of unexpected surprises built in and the towels soak up messes quite nicely without getting too dirty right away. Worth a try if you're in search for something like that yourself!

Will write soon. - Alex