By Chicago standards, we are having a relatively mild winter season. We haven’t had that much snow and the temperatures have been tolerable, for the most part. There have even been a few evenings where a longer walk was possible. But after Christmas and New Year’s leave us, there is a period of lull that exists until spring rolls around. We have Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s to distract us, but overall, the outlook is bleak. So this year, I decided to indulge in the essence of winter. I relish pulling my Ugg boots on and off, covered in snow, still beautifully pristine from my parents’ back deck.

Which makes me giggle even harder at the fact that even in dead of winter … Dan STILL refuses to wear socks!

It’s a great time to make soups as well. We used our Crock Pot to whip up this gem the other day:

Taken From "The First Mess"

As long as I don’t have to drive in it, I enjoy the scenery created by a snowy landscape. It tends to be a bit easier to find in the country, aka my parents’ house.

Penny always wants to romp around in the snow, but usually – we don’t feel like washing/drying her afterward, so she ends up on the inside, pouting.

But when it comes down to it, my absolute favorite part of winter is hunkering down in front of a roaring fire with a great movie and an appropriate beverage.