Winter is upon us! Ok ok… so it is officially autumn, but it feels like winter to me. I mean once we start hitting these single digit Celcius degrees, then it’s WINTER, you hear me!

I know that we all need all the extra TLC that we can get in these cold months, so I figured “Why not share these tips with you!”. I’m sure you will vibe with them and even have your own to add to this list. I’ve even thrown BONUS tip, just because I care about you, boo-boo.

Ok, so, here we go…

1. Get your Zzz’s!
   It seems like a trivial thing to say. It feels like we all know this, but who actually gets 8 hours of sleep on a regular basis? Especially if you are a young professional, if you are building a business next to your j-o-b and don’t even talk about if you have one or more children in the mix. It’s a challenge. However, I didn’t say to over-sleep. Cold, wet and rain months tend to bring out the bear in us as some of us lean more towards hibernation mode. Chiiiiiiild that will have you ‘tyad’ (“tired”, for those who are foreign to Caribbean English). Not too little and not too much, balance is key.
   
2. Take them long hot showers. 
   There is nothing I love doing more at the end of a long day: Hot showers are liiife. Sitting behind a pc or laptop for extended hours stiffens up your neck and shoulder muscles. Yes, even with doing your best to watch your posture. Hot showers also help to soothe sore muscles from (late night) workout sessions. It helps to warm up your body and loosen up those muscles in the morning in order to face the day without squealing from the pain because the cold and muscle ache combo is a…. *hold mouth*.
   
3. Get shower essentials that contain oils.
   Your shower gel or bath lotion need to have some type of oil or Aloe Vera added to it. Besides the cold being harsh on your skin, those hot showers mentioned above will dry out your skin, so you need something to beat the ashiness. Dry and itchy skin is a recipe for misery, we are not about that life over here in these streets. Oooo… if it has a balanced pH you get brownie points! Thank me later, for real, I’m waiting on it :p.
    
4. Switch out your lotion. 
   That summer lotion ain’t going to cut it, honey – Switch out your lotions A.S.A.P. Go for thicker and richer; think mango-/almond-/coco-/avocado-shea oils and butters. Personally, after many lotions, I have have found a year-round Aloe Vera based cream (between a lotion and a butter) that contains oils as well and babyyy, it has been so good to me. I mix in some extra oils in the colder months if I feel like jazzing it up, although it’s not necessary.
   
5. Indulge in your hot beverages.
   You know that I’m biased about tea: if you are not drinking tea, then what are you doing with your life… really?
   —————
   >> SHAMELESS PLUG <<
   Buy your limited edition DTWV Tea Experience Box before it’s sold out!
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   Back to our regularly scheduled blog post… Hahahaha. Chai Latte is a peace of heaven, especially during these months. It warms your body, heart, soul and mind – level LIT. Besides these, Hot Choco with pure chocolate and coconut milk is an option I’d recommend. Personally, I’m not a fan of coffee, but if you are (which most of the world is), then enjoy as well. I’m not going to yuck your yum.
   
6. Invest in smell-sweets
   To make your cozy time even cozier, invest in what my family likes to call “Smell-Sweets”. This entails anything that smells amazing – on your body and around the house. Think about those shower gels and lotions we spoke about earlier. Think candles. Think fragrant oils with dispensers and essential oils. You can up your game by adding essential oils to a humidifier as heating causes the air in your living spaces to become so dry.
   
7. Parcel out your supplements (including Vitamin D) in a pill-box
   We have chit-chatted a lot about the external, while the internal is just as important, if not more important. Tip: Keep your supplements parceled out on in a pill box. You know the ones that have the days of the week on them? Yes, those. It will help you keep track of your intake. Things can get so hectic that I don’t even remember if I’ve taken supplements or not. Keep them where you can see them e.g. in a kitchen cabinet that you’ll most likely be in before having meals. Most supplements need to be taken with a meals anyways so this is a win-win.
   
   BONUS TIP
8. Don’t forget your heels!
   Please, I beg – Don’t forget your feet. Listen. Firstly, don’t forget to wash your feet when you are in the shower. Don’t just let the water run down on them *side eye*. Your feet are in socks getting dried out. They are your extremities that take the most pounding and face the harsh cold. Don’t forget to give them that extra-extra TLC. Let’s keep your socks and blankets from getting holes in them. Keep your feet cuddle friendly. Besides, not only summer bodies, but also summer feet are made/kept in the winter.

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xoxo

~V~