Embracing Vanilla: Friday Favorites

We have been stuck in what feels like a never-ending ice tunnel with no light in sight. With forecasts of negative anything for a high, it's hard to be optimistic - not only about the weather, but pretty much everything else.

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Today I overheard someone say, "Life's too short to live somewhere where you're miserable most of the year." True, I thought, so I guess my options are to move or to adjust my attitude. I can't exactly pick up and move at the moment, so I tried to think of all the good things this season brings, and here is what I came up with!

Winter clothes and accessories. I love scarves, mittens and boots, I really love that for five months out of the year I can get away with leggings and giant shirts and sweaters, and I reeeallly love layering so much people at Target over the weekend can't tell if I'm all dressed up or just wearing what I slept in:)

A picture from high school!!

Dogs in sweaters and booties!

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Comfort foods - bad for the waistline, amazing for the soul.

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The holidays, of course! The best time of the year during the worst time of the year? It can't be coincidence.

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The glorious feeling of a rare 30-degree day.

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The fact that ice cream is delicious year-round:)

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The perfect excuse to do nothing but cuddle up on the couch under piles of blankets and just veg out. Suddenly everyone wants to be cool like me and stay in.

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There are actually a lot of fun outdoor activity options, from skiing and sledding to snowman making. Remember playing in the snow for hours as a kid? I need to find where that courage/energy came from and get out there again!

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The beauty of snow. If you can take a step back from looking at it as an annoyance, a hazard, etc. (I know it's a long list), snow is really kind of cool. It is so pretty, and there is almost a reverent stillness about it. Go outside alone sometime when it's snowing, preferably dark, and where it's quiet. Just standing there listening to nothing but the snowflakes falling can bring an overwhelming feeling of peace you wouldn't expect.

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Snow days and cancellations of things you didn't want to do in the first place!

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Feeling grateful for the fact that you actually have a car or home to warm up in.

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Winter Olympics!

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Caring even less about leg shaving. You know it's true!

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Awards season in celeb-land. Some (okay, most) of the awards may be turning into more of a joke, but if you're all about celebrity sightings, it's a great time of year.