When I was an intern at my hometown newspaper many, many years ago, every day that didn’t have a major breaking news story meant that one of us interns got sent out to write a weather story; usually about how hot it was because, you know, SUMMER. I don’t even remember how many boring articles I typed about people “keeping cool”, strung together with words like sweaty, extreme, Sahara, scorching, blistering, etc. just to get to a reasonable word count.
Today, I’m subjecting you to a weather post…. WITH the payoff that it’s a giveaway too. It’s going to be my short list of favorite things that help me get through the long days of winter. (Already, you’re like, shut up and tell me what I can win.) OKAY, sheesh.
1. At the top of the list: FINGERLESS MITTENS hand crocheted by Just 11 Stitches.
2. Wine tasting during snow flurries while wearing said FINGERLESS MITTENS. (Use of caps lock might be due to me typing in mittens.)
3. Seriously, I hate winter and I married a man who wants to move back to Upstate New York where the favorite form of winter recreation is seeing who gets more snow, Buffalo or Syracuse. (And, for the record, Go ‘Cuse!) Moving to New Jersey was supposed to protect us from extreme winters. It’s seasonal here without requiring a regular amount of shoveling. On the plus side, we’ve got a large woodstove that warms our home nicely. On the downside, all the new windows that were installed in this house were installed without any insulation around them so, every time the wind picks up, we get a gentle breeze through the house. Best way to stay warm on top of fingerless mittens in the house? Adult women’s footed pajamas! WITH POCKETS!
4. Here’s where I should list all the great books I’m reading but….. chirp, chirp, chirp….. I’m basically in the throes of a Pinterest addiction. I’m pinning all. the. things.. especially Perler Bead creations, even though I hate letting the kids play with Perler beads. And who needs those fancy touch screen gloves when you’ve got, proclaim it loudly with me, FINGERLESS MITTENS! (If I got you in trouble at work for that, sorry.) But if you’re a cool mom who’d rather step on Perler’s as opposed to say, Legos (aka Satan’s carpet) check it out! Plus, Perler beads are much easier for babies to poop out.. if you’re worried about such a thing.
Follow Kelly Mantoan’s board Perler Power on Pinterest.
5. Right here, is where I wanted to gush about hot rollers and tell you how great they’ve made my hair look, and for the first 27 minutes after removing them from my head, it is pretty amazing. I’m all
And then by minute 28 it’s completely
Yes, hot rollers; YOU! I neglect the kids for the time it takes to roll you into my hair, stab my head with your metal dagger clips only to have you let me down after getting my hopes, and roots, so sky-high. I just don’t know if I can trust you again.
But not you fingerless mittens, you’ll never let me down.
AND NOW! If you’ve endured by rambling and animated GIFs you deserve a chance to win your own set of fingerless mittens (in your choice of colors) OR $30 in store credit from Just 11 Stitches! You know how this all works. When you’re done rolling the die, swing back to Many Little Blessings and Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers for more lists that may actually help you conquer the winter blahs as opposed to whatever my list does for you. (And if Hallie is feeling better and does a Favorites post, head over there too. )
My heart just got this giddy feeling at the thought of you moving to Buffalo. Really, the snow comparisons are quite entertaining. Plus, awesome Catholic community?!?!?!
Ditto. Move here!
Thanks for a list full of laughs! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I win the giveaway, because you can actually cross your fingers when you’re wearing… oh never mind!
DO IT. MOVE HERE to Buffalo!!! Can’t you SEE??? This is where you belong. You know this.
Kelly, even though I won’t look as good as you in those mittens, I must have my own pair.
I am so anti-cold it’s not funny! Gotta love NY winters >.<
If it’s going to be cold, it might as well snow, right? Upstate NY FTW!
Okay, so maaaaaayyyybe it wouldn’t be nice for me to snag these, because hey: California has no “weather.” But I don’t care! I want those for my photography/Instagram fingers!
Wine tasting blooper reel: my fave photo of you ever.
Micaela! Why? You must travel to the mountains or something and take your pictures there if you win 🙂
One word: mousse. 😉 Seriously, I had the same problem, and the only way I solved it was lots of mousse. I cheered for years and it was the only way to get my curls to last for a game, or competition. Unless you are really crunchy like I am now and avoid chemicals. .. 😉
I adore convertible/fingerless mittens SO MUCH but I destroy them so quickly because the dog’s coats have velcro and velcro kills anything knit. The design makes them more likely to fit my hands because I have small hands (and tiny wrists) but a decent-size palm so gloves which fit me are rare indeed.
We had a -50 wind chill recently….I’m in desperate need!
Wine, footed pajames and fingerless gloves. Could this post get any better?
Lol! I feel the same way about hot rollers. Some gel or mouse will help, though. 🙂
Those mittens look so warm and cozy…and I’ll bet that wine helped warm ya up too! 🙂
As a former Buffalonian, we get wayyyy more snow than Syracuse. Get serious woman. 😉
The key to hot rollers is mousse when blowdrying, then hair spray the rolled hair BEFORE you take the rollers out. Then more hair spray. :0)
I’m more North than you, so I would love some!!
Kelly, even though I won’t look as good as you in those mittens, I must have my own pair. ; )
If I win I will HAVE to go wine tasting, just to make sure the mittens really work.
I second the mousse. Love the mousse. Be the moose. I mean, mousse.
I need fingerless mittens by the way. It’s not a want. It’s a need. (Tell my husband that when he asks, please).
And can we talk about how, just as you’ve finished your Perler creation, the house suddenly becomes a total snot-storm? Why is it that I can’t ever make it to the iron successfully? Huh? Huh? And then it’s all (pingpingpingpingping) of Perler beads hitting the floor and bouncing into all recesses of the kitchen. Not that I know this from (years and years of) experience or anything.
I might find a pattern and buy the yarn, but in the end it would be so much easier if I could just win some.
I live in between Syracuse and Buffalo, so I’m pretty sure that alone means I’ll look fabulous in any type of mitten.