Winter is coming, as they say, and I am determined to be prepared this year. Some of my most favorite moments are staring out at a white landscape after a heavy snowfall, with a cozy fire and a warm cup of coffee, maybe with some time to curl up and read a book. But, those types of scenes are rare here in Oklahoma.
Our winters usually consist of some version of freezing drizzle and subarctic hurricane strength wind, with a possible tornado thrown in just for fun. I find myself hunkering down counting the days until any sign of spring emerges. But, my oldest daughter loves to be outside in any type of weather. She will play outside until her fingers are frozen and her whole body is shivering, so we have to be extra prepared for her winter outdoor adventures.
My usual winter prep consists of scrambling at the last minute to find matching mittens when it’s already too cold outside, or noticing that warm jacket that was too big last year doesn’t even cover my kids’ arms this year. Yep, I’m that mom who shows up at the hardware store the night before a snowstorm and gets frustrated the store is out of snow shovels, or is searching in the attic for those faucet covers that I know have to be somewhere….but not this year!
I made a checklist of items to have on hand to help me organize all our winter gear needs, and I hope it will help us stay on track this year. I thought it might also help other parents who would rather hibernate through the coldest of days, but also have little humans to keep warm through the season.
Kids Winter Needs
Mittens or gloves
Waterproof mittens or gloves
Hate
Scarf
Snow Boots
Snow pants
Waterproof Jacket
Home Winter Needs
Faucet Covers
Snow Shovel
Warm Utility Blankets (for covering plants or using in case of a power outage)
Ice Scraper for Car
Battery Powered Lantern and Flashlights (Ice Storm 2020 anyone?)
Ice Melt for Driveway and Walkways
Air Pressure Gauge for Car Tires
Hand Warmers
Mom Winter Needs
Hat and Gloves
Scarf
Portable Battery for Phone
Thermos and Crockpot (My Winter Go To’s for Warm Soups)
Chapstick
Hand Cream or Hand Salve (for dry, chapped hands)
Warm Socks
I am sure there are things missing from this list, and I will probably add more each year, but this feels like a good start! So, to all the other moms who hate the cold as much as I do, at least we can make it through the season without any frantic Amazon purchases or added stress, and we can let our kids enjoy the brutal outdoors in the warmest way possible.
