5 Things

School resumed on Friday, yes Friday... We're supposed to experience frigid temperatures this coming week... The snow isn't pretty anymore... I'm still uncaffeinated. But I'm smiling. Life is good. Here are a few things that have helped keep a smile and sanity during the first few weeks of January.

Caffeine Free Herbal Tea. Yep, I'm still on my no caffeine kick, and it's great. My headaches are gone, I feel less anxious/stressed, and I'm sleeping sounder. But I'm COLD. And I can only drink so many cups of cocoa per day (less than one). So my mom bought some great Celestial Seasonings Caffeine Free tea for me! I love the Cinnamon Apple Spice, which tastes and decadent as it sounds--and you can buy here.

Scarves. My Gram is a nurse--and she always swore "if you keep your neck (and ears) warm, you'll stay warmer," and she is right. I love how scarves have evolved from just winter wear, and are completely appropriate (depending on the situation and dress code) to wear indoors. I am partial to the timeless Burberry plaid scarves, because they are a piece I'll you can use forever--you can get yours here! However I've also tried to embrace the pashmina because of it's versatility--you can use it is a wrap, scarf, and so on.  Though it is not as warm as the former, it is much more affordable.  There is a local boutique (Togs) that carries a great selection of them--you can learn more about the store here!

Ginger Chews. I'm not sure why I enjoy the flavor of ginger suddenly--but when I've been craving something sweet lately, I'll eat one of these, and the craving is gone. I love the mixture of sweet and spicy, and the texture of the candy.  I've tried Trader Joe's brand of Crystallized Ginger--which is good, but abnormally spicy--I made the mistake of putting 2 pieces in my mouth, and subsequently drank 2 bottles of water. My favorite type, which you can also get at Trader Joe's, are 'Ginger Chews' made by the Ginger People--I prefer the original flavor--but you really can't go wrong with any of them!  You can buy them here--and if you end up getting some, I'd love to know what you think!

The Steam Room. I don't know if I've mentioned the cold at all--but I don't like it. So, after working out, I spend some time in the steam room--which is anything but cold. Plus the wet heat and eucalyptus have definitely allowed me to bypass not only sinuses but colds too.  

Planners.  I'm not sure if this is a girl thing. But every year I LOVE to buy planners--I am diligent about filling them out for a week or even a month at best, but then I fall of the wagon. I got my current planner at Anthropologie, and I need to finish using it before I buy another one. However, I was just given an awesome 2011 calendar from Paper Source, and they have some amazing planners which you can buy (or just look at because they're awesome) here :).

I hope you enjoyed a few things that have made January, if not warmer, more bearable so far. Is there anything that you're doing or using to make this month fantastic? Is there anything that I should add to my list?