Ok, ok, ok, I get it! Winter is not it!

It’s cold (sometimes freezing) and dark (sometimes by 4:30pm), and we’re on the other side of sweet summer and all of that holiday cheer. And, not to mention the suspended expectation of “exactly what kind of year are we getting?” heavy in the air until at least March.

Well, you know me– the Queen of the Pivot. The Fresh Look Girl™️. So here we go!

Twelve years ago, it was my first January in my first NYC apartment, and I was coming off of a truly chaotic fall, wrapped up by a romcom worthy NYE in Manhattan. To be honest, I was equal parts terrified and ecstatic about what was headed my way, and then something clicked for me and Father Winter. 

I had a sweet almost ex, almost very much back again bf who coincidentally moved to the city two months after me. **side eye** When he knocked on the door of my fifth floor walk-up apartment on Jan 2, a flurry of butterflies swarmed from my stomach to my heart. I definitely loved this city, and I maybe loved this man again, but I extremely loved my new life. It wasn’t until Feb 1 that I stopped chirping “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” to anyone who made eye contact with me. To quote Michael Jordan, it was a new year and I took that shit personally!

While I have had some dark Januarys since that one (2020 and 2022, I’m looking at you), my January recalibration has mostly stuck. I still exclaim “HNY” until it is literally embarrassing. I have still experienced some butterflies throughout the body moments. I am still equal parts terrified and ecstatic for what is around the corner. And, I obvi still love NYC with every fiber of my being.

So, let’s talk my winter essentials. 

• Christmas decorations up until mid-Jan/MLK Day— just let the take-down unfold as naturally as the put-up. Start with the tree/ornaments, and maybe let the garland and greenery hang out for a bit. I burn the same holiday candles until spring because the olfactory element can really help on some of those truly fucking freezing days!
• Gorgeous Gorgeous Girls love soup! I turn into a “live love laugh” girlie at the start of the year, and start making soup like mad. My chili, minestore and chicken noodle soup are tried and true, but I stumbled on a delicious white chicken chili recipe that has not failed me yet! Soup dinner parties are my favorite because it inherently involves one.pot.one.bowl.
• Fur is mandatory— It can be faux, hand me down, newly bought, whatever! Just break out your fuzziest pieces and wear them day and night. I write this post from my couch swathed in a faux fur blanket (RH is the tops!), sweats and a nubby Pologeorgis lamb vest that is literally my athleisure fur. My most prized possessions are the sassy patchwork fox I bought for myself as a 28-year-old from Macy’s legendary Fur Vault, along with my grandmother’s floor length chocolate mink that has her sweet name embroidered on its interior. Let them throw paint! (Marie Antoinette voice)
• You may be entitled to compensation if you have ever almost frozen to death in the UK, relying on radiant heat alone. My first visit in 2022 was on the front end of the horrific Ukraine invasion, so the entire EU/UK was conserving energy. My Scottish best friend/hostess equipped me with a heated water bottle every night, so between that and a vintage fur purchased in a frenzy, I survived and added a fun element to my evening routine. It is so lo-fi, but effective and made me feel like a true EP (Euro Princess– we’ve discussed this!) I left Edinburgh with gobs of great memories and a cheery pink hot water bottle that has saved me many times since!
• Moisture Mania— I love using a standard night cream and slathering it on a solid half-inch thick, 80’s style. Like most things in life, it’s all about the sink-in! My two faves are Honest beauty standout hydrogel cream and this recent K-Beauty find.
• Let’s hear it for the January reservation— say no in Dec, and hell yes in the New Year. I have about 5 dinners scheduled for the first two weeks of January, and cannot wait! 
• Quick hits— hard workouts balanced with long neighborhood walks, tv binges, reading bad and good books, extremely hot baths, a mini juice detox and extended spa days.

Ok, Winter Warriors, it’s time! Xx