five things Friday: winter is coming edition

I'm aware that it's November. In Michigan. But, man, it feels too soon on it being this cold! Current situation on the ground here is piles of leaves topped with piles of snow. And all of us digging out the scrapers from our car trunks and the boots from the basement (and frantically Amazon-ing new ones for the kids who have grown out of them). With winter coming imminently, I thought I'd share 5 of my tried-and-trues for getting through the coldest of the season to help us all prepare...

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We have: the best socks that are warm but also breathable and last a long time (even better when you can find them on sale at places like Nordstrom Rack); a parka with a smooth outer layer (helps one not look like such a marshmallow) and a must-have hood that is pretty reasonably priced for how many seasons of use I've gotten from it already; and boots that are basically a down coat for your feet/calves. Have done lots of dog walking and shoveling in these, with no cold toes.

Then if you're lucky enough to not have to leave the house and step into the snow, I recommend this space heater and this plug-in heated throw blanket for staying cozy indoors!

But now I am in search of tried-and-trues from others: in the gloves/mittens department. I cannot for the life of me find something to keep my hands warm enough aside from actual ski mittens, which are not exactly conducive to daily life things like trying to buckle your kid into the car. Any suggestions?

Stay warm out there, friends!