50 reasons to love winter.

finally. the assignment is over. (well, until they send it back and ask me to fix things...) and i'm in huge blogging debt! so here is a nice chunky one to make up for it! inspired by Sunday magazine's Living column this week, i find it's really hard to love winter. it's just so cold in auckland. and usually wet. it's not the best combination. some years, it's actually just miserable. this year, touch wood, has been okay so far. so here's 50 reasons to love winter. a combination of mine and Sunday's.

1. soup. gorgeous, warm, hearty, winter soups.
2. going to Piha-St Kilda- New Brighton to get wind blasted and play with sea foam (Sunday's)
3. anticipating summer + planning holidays (mine and Sunday's)
4. snow. a and i went on a snow trip in beautiful Queenstown a few years back, what an amazing trip it was. the day i arrived, we almost couldn't walk back from the shops because the snow came on hard and strong. but it was beautiful.
5. soup (Sunday's- deserves two mentions, i think)
6. saturday morning sport (Sunday's, though i get to experience this with the flow of customers coming in for last minute mouth guards or post-sport injury first aid...)
7. indoor pools (Sunday's). i say indoor everything.
8. boots. the only thing making me brave enough to leave the house on a raining morning.
9. thermos. keeping your drinks warm.
10. the smell of a stack of macrocarpa in the log burner. (Sunday's)
11. finally the lawns stop growing.
12. a genuine excuse to never get out of bed.
13. no flies. (could not agree more, Sunday)
14. butter (and a lot of other things) can live out of the fridge
15. winter drinks. (lemon ginger and honey for me. mulled wine and beer for Sunday).
16. the LURE of Rarotonga or Samoa. or anywhere tropical really.
17. electric blankets. enough said.
18. hot pools on a cold day. day trip to Waiwera!
19. the $10 winter coat you bought on sale last season. i am loving the mustard coloured coat this season.
20. cuddly clothes (this would be up in top 10 for me. only 20 for Sunday)
21. coming home from work to slow-cooker stew, ready to dive in to.
22. mid winter christmases (honestly, i have trouble understanding how this works, but lots of people seem to 'advertise' it?)
23. spending all week/end watching soaps/dramas.
24. lazy-day dvd's with friends. or the bf.
25. Ugg boots. i love the pair mummy bought me a few years back.
26. fluro woolen socks. (Sunday's, but i have to admit i always wonder if people can see them under my boots...)
27. fireplaces in bars. the Mac's bars, Sugar bar in newmarket, Bluestone room in town just to name a few.
28. blogs. i've been following cupcakes and cashmere, hellogiggles, beautifullysuddenly, goop, my several worlds and am-lul.
29. libraries, hours of free inspiration under one warm dry roof.
30. porridge with brown sugar. yum.
31. board games. a tradition for me and two close friends.
32. on my trip with a in Queenstown, we sat by the fireplace in our little apartment and ate pasta. yum best pasta ever.
33. appreciation for socks.
34. ditto scarves.
35. and gloves. and Kathmandu down jackets.
36. winter skin care. Trilogy Rosehip oil. Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm. Clinique Moisture Surge. Lucas Pawpaw and good old Nivea creme.
37. The South Island (Sunday's)
38. winter veges. in casserole. yum.
39. video rental. or movie theatres.
40. noms in the name of keeping warm for winter.
41. the winter sun coming in your window. and you don't have to worry about it fading your furniture.
42. running in the rain. you look tough and your face doesn't go bright red. and it's a bit like being a kid splashing through the puddles. (agreed, Sunday.)
43. 70-denier tights. mine and Sunday's winter must buy. i fork out 20 bucks every year for a pair of Voodoo ones that last all winter.
44. every 4 years, the Olympics (for our side of the world anyways. gosh i still remember watching them last when i was in my first year at university. where have the years gone).
45. tea. keeping me warm and cools down faster so i can drink it faster.
46. steaming desserts, like apple crumble and cream.
47. fluffy red and black Canterbury rugby socks (Sunday's)
48. huge baggy knits. comfy at home and perfect with leggings, scarf and boots for a day out.
49. sitting inside while the weather goes haywire outside.
50. reading in bed.... here are a few that i'm reading now....

the food of spain. this book has really inspired me. perhaps after a cafe, i'll be looking at opening a small tapas bar. spanish food is so simple yet wonderfully flavourful. the best part is they're made to share.

just brought these home. can't wait to get into them later with a cup of coffee. have a good winter everyone.

love, h