#winter-comfort

#winter-comfort

Every one of these items takes up space and energy, but the use of energy here in relation to clutter is actually two-fold. The stuff you own requires maintenance and management, and when you pass, this management becomes shifted along to someone else (whoever is responsible for sorting through your Earthly possessions).

Staying cozy this winter is a must, and while many of us have our favorite self-care routines, a few comfort items can make your time alone or with a loved one even better. We've picked out the best comfort products to help you beat the winter blues, from weighted plushies to blankets. Check out these cozy finds you can shop now.

In this freezing season, we're thinking warm thoughts. Hot chocolate, '90s rom-coms, purring kittens, and the best luxury throw blankets. "Feels like -6 degrees" day after day has us dreaming up cozy blankets speciated for sophisticated lounging. We're talking thick wool that's not scratchy, cashmere not prone to pilling, oversized throws as soft as your favorite sweater. High-quality textiles are of the highest import, and we'll even pay the dry cleaning fee for this level of comfort.

Instead, they practice something called "friluftsliv" - literally "free air life" - and in February, when winter feels endless, this practice becomes almost sacred. It's their secret weapon against the darkness, and after trying it myself during a particularly rough winter, I can tell you it works better than any supplement I've ever taken. The word itself sounds complicated, but friluftsliv is beautifully simple. It means spending time outdoors, regardless of weather conditions. Not despite the cold and darkness, but because of it.

At first glance, the faux fur treasures all look similar, but each has its own distinct perk. For instance, the Lola Blankets pick has a stretchy construction that's perfect for wrapping, while the Cozy Earth bubble blanket is the ultimate reading-in-bed accessory thanks to its heftier weight and tailored look. Since these are quite fluffy, I like to style my faux fur blankets in two ways, depending on my mood. For all-season decor, you can't go wrong draping it against woven upholstery.

When I was 10 or 12 years old, I took a train trip that stretched nearly 2,000 miles between Massachusetts and Colorado. My family and I chugged along the tracks for more than two days, so I packed what I considered to be the essentials: snacks, a deck of UNO cards, and multiple colors of nail polish. My dad, meanwhile, packed what I considered to be a bizarre and unwelcome addition to the luggage: a bunch of fitted bedsheets.

If you're hunkering down ahead of the big winter storm this weekend, we want to make sure you're well prepared. Yes, with batteries, flashlights, toilet paper, and food but perhaps most importantly with good reading material. We looked back through some recent interviews and Books We Love, our annual year-end reading guide, to find snowy suggestions to get you through the storm.

February is here. The "New Year, New Me" energy has officially worn off, replaced by a much more realistic "New Year, Same Me, But Freezing" thanks to a very disrespectful wind chill a heating bill that's starting to look like a phone number.

The alpine luxury aesthetic has been whitewashed with bleached timbers, disciplined schemes in varying shades of snow, and bouclé furniture that politely receded into the background - all designed to quiet the senses after a day on the slopes. It was a look that mirrored the landscape outside: serene and elemental. But something more decorative is carving fresh tracks. A new generation of designers is embracing pattern, color and ornament at altitude, with chintz leading the mountain-maximalist charge refreshingly off-piste.