I’ve hated winter my entire life.

In fact, I’ve never fully enjoyed FALL because I knew that winter was lingering just around the corner.

The day after I graduated high school – my first day of ‘freedom’ – I moved from my home state of Indiana to Florida. I spent five glorious years there – THAWING OUT. I also earned my bachelor’s degree…but mostly just thawed out.

After college…life kept moving me north…and further north.

When my husband and I talked about moving to Minnesota, I’m not sure if I cried or laughed when I discovered that moving to Minneapolis is NORTH OF Toronto, CANADA! Okay, I cried.

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I didn’t know anything about Minnesota except that it was cold – really, really cold. Have a mentioned that I hate the cold?

However, I’ve finally decided that I will NO longer live in survival mode. I’ve decided to learn how to not hate winter.

I did lots of reading, some research, and asked so many people how to not only survive winter, but thrive through winter.

I discovered that it is possible to not hate winter!!

Winter can actually be…dare I say it…DELIGHTFUL!?!?!

So …

HOW do you ENJOY winter? Even a really COLD, really LONG winter?

Here is what I’ve learned:

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1. DRESS FOR IT!

I realized that I hated being COLD more than I hated winter. If I wear the right things…I can begin to ENJOY winter!

My sister gave me a fur-lined trapper hat and it is heavenly. Thank you Krista!

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I went shopping on Amazon and bought a hat for every person in my home. We LOVE them!

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It was probably in Kindergarten when I was taught to wear a hat on cold days, and all these years later…I finally listened. They were right.

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2. ENJOY DOING THINGS THAT CAN ONLY BE DONE IN WINTER!

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Go sledding, skiing, ice skating! Make snowmen, snow angels, and snow slushies!

Learn how to do things that you can only enjoy in winter.

When your kids ask to go sledding, say YES and then JOIN THEM. You won’t believe how much fun you’ll have. I know, it takes lots of effort to get everyone bundled up, but it’s worth it! You will feel like a kid again – laughing and enjoying every second. Sledding down and then climbing back up those hills is great exercise and invigorating.

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Ice skating and snow skiing are fun winter sports.

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Even taking a walk on a cold winter day can be amazing. Just after it snows, put a child on a sled and go for a walk – it’s good for you and great fun for them!

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Bonus tip – There are things you DON’T have to do in the winter – yard work! No weeding, no trimming, no mowing!

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3. TAKE IN THE BEAUTY!

When the snow falls…everything is pristine and beautiful. The leaves are off the trees and you can explore areas you’ve never seen before.

Winter is not something you need to dread. It can be enjoyable, fun, and something you can actually look forward to!

So who’s with me? Who is going to stop hating winter and instead, find the joy in the season?

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Click here to read this post: Minnesota (a.k.a. COLD WEATHER) Must Haves!

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