On Monday I marked the halfway point of winter by sharing the things that are saving my life right now by making winter—the hardest season—a little more tolerable.
But I’ll grudgingly admit winter has a few things going for it that are more than just tolerable.
There’s no other time of year I get to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea by the fire, or tromp through the snow in my boots. It’s my only chance to eat clementines and pomegranates, and watch college basketball. Early sunsets mean cozy family game nights with hot chocolate and popcorn, a là Farmer Boy.
These are a few of the things I love about winter. For real.
1. Grapefruit. I adore citrus and grapefruit is my favorite. I love it best in February, when it’s dirt cheap. (The best grapefruit I’ve had this year cost 15 cents each at Lucky’s.) Every time I halve a grapefruit I pray for fat, juicy pieces, and then eat it standing up at the kitchen counter.
I wasn’t surprised to read recently that the smell of grapefruit boosts the body’s feelings of energy and happiness. I can sure use more of those in February, so I switched to grapefruit-scented soap and cleaner, too. (More on that in a sec.)
2. Turmeric ginger tea from Rishi. I picked up a box of this on a whim at Whole Foods years ago and fell madly in love. This high-quality herbal blend smacks of citrus and spice and makes me glad it’s cold outside, if only for an hour.
3. Duraflame logs. I can start a fire without employing my Girl Scout skills when I light one of these, which means we’re actually using our fireplace this year.
4. Cozy slippers. I wore out my slippers five years ago and never replaced them. But Will asked for some for Christmas, and when I bought him a pair I ordered one for myself, too. (I’m such a good wife.) My poor toes are no longer freezing all the time.
5. Spotify’s winter acoustics playlist. So good.
6. My silly hat. I love cold weather hats (even though they do terrible things to my hair). This is my current favorite. When I wear it to walk the dog on freezing days, my fellow park-goers are extra-nice to me. Even this introvert likes that in the winter.
7. Candles. If there’s no light outside, make your own. I’m burning candles nonstop this winter to cheer up the dreary days and early nights. My cabinet is stocked with candles I got from ePantry and for Christmas gifts and it makes me feel like a wealthy woman, knowing they’re sitting there waiting for me to burn them.
I’ve been relying on ePantry this year to keep me stocked with some of my favorite wintry things: grapefruit-scented Method soap and cleaner, hand-poured soy candles, the lotion I’m using daily for my 4 minutes in the nude.
I’ve been thrilled with the service: they sell great products at a great value and are a pleasure to do business with, and I’m so happy to give you the opportunity to try it for yourself with a huge discount. They’re offering a special deal to MMD readers so you can get stocked for winter. (And spring cleaning, while you’re at it.)
Here’s how it works:
1. Sign up for an account through this link. You’ll get a free $5 credit plus two FREE products. This deal is good through Monday (February 9, 2015) at 3:00 p.m. EST and is only for MMD readers.
2. To make it even easier—you know how I dread decision fatigue—you can click through this link and start with the basket shown here. It’s fully customizable: you can change scents, add to it, or delete items. Or click “Finish & Pay” and you’re done.
Here’s what’s in the basket:
– Method Dish Soap-$3.89
– Method Dish Soap Refill- $4.99
– Method Daily Shower Spray- $4.07
– Mrs. Meyer’s Toilet Bowl Cleaner- $4.99
– Mrs. Meyer’s Bathroom Cleaner- $4.15
– ePantry 8oz Soy Candle- $9.95
– Method Hand Soap- Free with your offer!
– Method All-Purpose Cleaner- Free with your offer!
With a $5 Modern Mrs. Darcy credit, the total for this basket is $27.04- that’s only $3.38/product.
3. Existing customers: click this link to automatically add a free Method hand soap to your next shipment.
4. To get $5 off, your order needs to total at least $20. Check out and you’re done.
If you have any questions at all, use ePantry’s live chat feature. Their customer service team is wonderful. (Good to know: in the past they’ve given customers free $1 and $2 credits for checking out the FAQ page, telling them your favorite book, and other unexpected things. Keep your eyes open!)
For subsequent shipments, ePantry will suggest items based on your household’s needs and habits. You’ll get a reminder email from ePantry 7 days before each shipment is scheduled to go out. It’s a breeze to log in and modify your order or cancel your subscription at any time.
I’m so happy to share this deal with you. If you’re interested, don’t wait—the free $5 credit plus free Method hand soap and free all purpose cleaner are only available through Monday, February 9. Happy shopping!
What are YOUR favorite wintry things?
This post contains my affiliate links. Thanks for supporting MMD.
45 comments
Team ePantry, love it! Grapefruit scented cleaning products are the bomb. I also like Honest company’s white grapefruit cleaner, but they’re more pricey. They have those oxygen cleaning packs for laundry that epantry doesn’t, and their stain remover is the best I’ve ever tried. I also love the super thick moisturizing cream, everyone in my family steals it from my purse.
I should have added Duraflame logs to my list, too. We’re using them a lot this winter since we have a new house with a wood-burning fireplace! (Turns out, I love fire). Another thing I should have added: body butter. I’ll be 37 this month, and it seems like every winter my skin gets crepier and itchier. But body butter makes me feel like I stole back ten skin years. 🙂
Great perspective. After thinking about it, I realize I like the “permission” to hunker down more as a family. It’s like our time to gear up for spring and summer when we’re a little more strung out in the neighborhood, cook outs, the pool, and travel. (All that is still my favorite, just for the record!)
I love grapefruit too. And just discovered fresh squeezed orange juice at Whole Foods…yum. Cute hat picture!
Cozy evenings at home, BBC Dramas, games with my family, hot chocolate, watching the sunrise, slippers, blankets, sweaters, cozy socks, those little oranges, comfort food, using my oven as much as I want without worrying about what it’s doing to the temperature of the house, fires, Christmas and everything about it, warm scented candles…The list goes on!
I hate winter, but there really are so many things I enjoy because of it! 🙂
Such a great list! Winter is sounding better all the time…
I like grapefruit-scented things too and recently ordered some grapefruit essential oil. Not sure yet what all I’ll do with it, but it smells lovely. 🙂
It is such a boost!! Definitely diffuse it. And if you have high-quality grapefruit oil and want to ingest it, it helps with weight loss, too. And cellulite. I mean, you can’t beat that.
One thing I love about winter is I can order a peppermint hot coca and no one looks at me like I’m a weirdo. At least they don’t look at me that way because of what I order. I give people plenty of other reasons to think I’m weird, though.
Ha!
That playlist! My workday just got a lot better. I love citrus, especially clementines, and being able to use the oven without worrying about how hot the house will get. And boots.
It’s so good! And now that you mention it, the oven is one of mine, too.
So funny, I wrote a post last summer about what I enjoy in MY “hardest season”. When I lived in northern Alabama, I had a friend who hated winter and lover summer. We are total opposites. Now I live in San Antonio and she just moved to Colorado. I’m sure God is snickering over that one. 😉
Ha!
I like having the “excuse” to make coffee in the afternoons. I like wearing my husband’s wool socks (why I haven’t just bought myself a pair, I have yet to figure out…) all day long. I like how the simple act of plopping down on the couch with blanket over my legs seems to invite one of my kids to snuggle up next to me. (Most of the time I like that. 😉 )
Ha! I get that. The kid snuggles part, I mean. 🙂
Do you think that the Turmeric tea has a strong licorice flavor? It sounded yummy from your description, but then I went on Amazon and saw that it has licorice and I’m not a huge fan of that.
I think the anise adds sweetness but it definitely doesn’t taste like licorice to me.
I love your “silly” hat! My grandma knitted me a white and lime green and white hat and I have been wondering where the heck to wear it… of course out walking around my neighborhood with my dog!
But of course!
Your hat and the picture are adorable!
I had to dig deep to think about what I love about winter. I do like that it’s socially acceptable to stay inside and get things done around the house. In Wisconsin, I sometimes feel pressure to enjoy every minute of summer outdoors, and that pressure can be exhausting. This afternoon, I’m taking time to really declutter the house – something I would never want to do during the summer.
“In Wisconsin, I sometimes feel pressure to enjoy every minute of summer outdoors, and that pressure can be exhausting.”
That’s an interesting point. Enjoy your cozy days indoors!
I feel the same way about summer in NE.
My favorites are I have an excuse to drink Earl Grey/Mango hot tea all day, clementines,
lots of quilts and blankets on the bed to snuggle into, making soups and pots of turkey chili, baking bread to go with the soup/chili, baking muffins, my cozy winter pjs, wearing all of my knitted scarves and my ear bands, hunkering down to read a good book, wearing my favorite winter clogs and socks.
Grapefruit is one of my favorite things about winter, too!! Also, satsumas. Growing up, I loved picking them off of my great-grandmother’s tree. So delicious.
Since I’m at home all day, I love wearing my leggings tucked into my furry slipper boots with cute and cozy sweatshirts. Such cute and comfy outfits! I also love wearing my Ugg earmuffs and fur trimmed snow boots. They are so cute and only appropriate during this time of year. I snuggling under a blanket on my couch and just watching it snow. I never get tired of that.
For the most part, I am desperate for spring, but these are the things that make winter bearable.
I’ve never tried a satsuma! Your cuddly winter outfits sound adorable. 🙂
Where did you get that adorable hat??
It came in Book Riot’s Quarterly box.
Definitely just made an order from ePantry! Process was very easy. they need more products.
They’re adding products all the time!
Hi Kelly! Anne is absolutely right. We are working on expanding our product line all the time, and we love suggestions! Feel free to email me anytime at [email protected] so I can bring up your ideas to the team 🙂
Flannel sheets, spicy hot chocolate, chicken soup, cute boots, warm slippers, and Scrabble. 😀
The best thing about winter this year has been taking my kids sledding for the first time! They are pretty little so I just pull them down a very small hill behind our house. But they tbink that hill is SO big and every ride down is full of giggles. It is THE best part of my winter.
That sounds so fun!
I loved this post! Winter makes me feel dead inside. I feel like my whole life is put on pause for months until the world outside melts. Looking at the bright side of winter is a great idea.
Your hat made me smile and I’m a huge grapefruit fan as well! May I add a couple of random things I like about winter? 1) Taking out the garbage is MUCH LESS smelly than in the summer 2) I can put hot things I cooked outside on the patio too cool down quickly instead of ruining my fridge 3) I can trick my kids into going to sleep earlier because they can’t tell time yet. Can you please recommend a good, long lasting pair of slippers?
I asked you all on the facebook page for slipper recommendations for my husband and got him LL Bean’s Wicked Good slippers based on the feedback there. I bought something similar for myself. We’ve only had them since Christmas so I don’t know about long-lasting yet …
I love citrus in the winter! While there are many things that I don’t like about winter, I love the coziness we find inside while we entertain ourselves and move a little more slowly. Great post!
Sitting in a very hot Johannesburg, winter seems far away, but I love wearing my sheepskin slippers, sleeping on flannel sheets, drinking Milo (a fortified chocolate malt drink, made by Nestle, but only really popular here, Australia and Malaysia) and the crisp, cold Highveld days, which seem so brittle that I always imagine that should they break, it’ll be with a ringing ping, like crystal.
I really have to struggle to find things I like about winter. It’s easier on days like these, when there’s been a thick, pretty snow and the sun is shining and everything looks like Narnia. Not so easy when the snow is half-melted and the sky is overcast! But I do like all the hot drinks. Especially when they involve chocolate.
Also, have you heard of satin-lined hats and hoods? Satin causes less friction than other materials. I have two satin pillowcases and I’m thinking of taking one apart and sewing it into the hood of my coat. Plus it’s pink, so it’ll add color to all that gray and black.
I’ve heard the virtues of sleeping on satin pillowcases but I didn’t know there were satin-lined hats! I need one. 🙂
I just HAD to read this post as I don’t think I could ever come up with that many reasons to Iove winter. You helped me look on the bright side. Thanks. 🙂
YAY!
I poked around on ePantry and realized I am just too committed to my coupons!! I know the prices are really reasonable, but I was feeling anxious over them because I know I can do better with coupons and a sale. 🙂 Since it’s just my husband and me, and we have someone clean our house, this is not a pain point for me. I sort of wish it were because I love the concept of automatic deliveries!!