Winter Comforts

Winter is officially here in the southern hemisphere. To be fair, it was already cold well before 1 June. Frosty mornings warming to days that barely top 13ºC isn’t something I look forward to and neither does my laundry.

Daylight hours condensed to 9.5 hours leads to more indoor life unsurprisingly. One of my friends from the land of ABBA always remarked how big of a difference to the mood it makes when they get barely any sun. That has now been empirically verified. The darker and colder the weather, the more I try to seek comfort wherever I can. Whereas Nigella sought protection from life solely through the means of potato, butter and cream, I’ve taken the more pragmatic approach by not relying only on carbs. Otherwise I could contain roughly 90% mashed potato by now. So here’s a few things I’ve been into. 

1. Music

Music for me is almost essential. The sheer variety available to suit whatever mood I might be in or want to be in is nothing short of amazing. While I commend my fridge for providing a constant background sound track to my ho hum life (hums, squeaks and wheezing effects), it still can’t hold a candle to the almost limitless Spotify. Chill dinner playlist? Check. Meditation sounds? Check. Shisha lounge vibes? Easy peasy. The current album on rotation on my account is What Kinda Music by Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes. It’s an easy listen and pairs well with that glass of red and the sofa.

Lately I’ve been enjoying more podcast type music playlists where anyone can put together a set of songs. It’s a different take on playlists that use algorithm smarts to predict what you might like. It’s much more organic and akin to a modern take on a mixtape. SoundCloud is a great way to discover some ‘out there’ groovy tracks and ‘real’ song sets. It even inspired me to make my own quarantine comfort set list. The best comment so far was “it sounds like what you play for a yacht party” and truthfully wasn’t far off from my intentions during lockdown.

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2. Comfort wear

Of all the clothing I own, I find myself gravitating towards warm, light and comfortable pieces more than ever. The whole work from home situation has resulted in me blending comfort with practicality. I find myself wearing similar clothes outside of work and around the house. If there was anything to remember me by, it would probably be my jumpers judging by how many I own. Or sweaters if you’re so inclined.

While I won’t go so far to work in gym kit or athleisure wear, I have swapped out my linen tops or ‘Jerusalem’ shirts as my mate nicknamed them. For the record I am not religiously devout. My cosy go-to so far has been a cashmere jumper paired with ankle length stretch pants. It might be a bit too basic and ‘uniform-y’ but it works. Nothing fancy about them. Beige and grey are also my safe bets. For the record, they have lasted me quite a long time and still aren’t looking tired. By no means a minimalist, I’ve noticed my habit of buying less but better quality within my means in order to not constantly replace items. 

Another reason why I like that combination is my fear of being caught out by friends that drop by unexpectedly which sadly and embarrassingly has happened multiple times before. But at least I’ll look presentable when I’m wearing it for work or lounging around at home which is a bonus. If nothing else, the pants will stretch enough for me to drag the bins up my steep driveway after garbage collection day. 

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3. Good reads

I’ll be honest. University absolutely ruined reading for me. Over 5 years, after multiple reading packs and a handful of text books, I did not want to touch another printed page again. The fun was gone. That was a stark departure from my much younger days where I would love going to libraries and borrowing as many books as I could. Fiction, non-fiction I didn’t care. I devoured them all with ease. In fact, one of my earliest memories was being taken to the local library with a trip to the dairy afterwards. Dairy as in the corner store sense.

It’s easy enough to sit on the sofa and watch YouTube and Netflix non stop for the whole day (which I have done satisfyingly) but now I rather spend more time doing something more productive for the mind. Something with a sense of accomplishment other than binging an entire season of Marvel originals before it disappears thanks to Disney. One of my pleasures now is actually finishing a book (currently Happy City) by chipping away at a chapter or two every night before bed. I used to frequent Salvos and op shops to score some good finds but these days I highly recommend second hand book sites to add to my collection where possible. One day I hope to be able to have floor to ceiling bookshelves filled to the brim. 

But not everyone’s into books and I get that. We’re all so time poor these days and the attention span is so short.

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4. Scents

Pfft who would spend money on a consumable like a candle or cologne? But now I get it. Smells can set a mood, evoke memories or incite the feeling of cosiness. In my mind, winter brings me thoughts of fires, smoke, sharp apples, even maybe even some mulled wine? Maybe that’s why there is something a bit primal and soothing about a flickering flame and the crackle just a wood fire. So in line with that, my place has traded up from being swathed in ‘Linen Fresh’ or ‘Country Breeze’ from a can for scented wax in a glass jar. I’m a simple person, I just go with whatever smells good and my mood at the time. Mind you I have no idea how candles can be so expensive. I’m always down to find a bargain and TK Maxx is where I go, eyeing for that clearance sticker.

However when I need that extra feeling of warm insulation, I’ve swapped my summer Sun for a darker, earthier Scent. Imagine being enveloped with dark cocoa, leather and a bit of spice. The warmth it provides lingers like a hug. Yes, very deep and meaningful experiences here. Speaking of spice… 

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5. Rewards

We all need something to look forward to whether it is a mate is coming round for drinks post lockdown or our online shopping is arriving. For me, the simplest thing to do is ensure the availability of some sort of treat during the dark gloomy cold days of winter. Just knowing I have something to look to forward to makes the day instantly more bearable. Usually some type of cake or brownie sits proudly on the kitchen counter and realistically probably gone by midweek. 

The unrivalled treat for me has to be the cinnamon bun. I love the inviting smell out of the oven or bakery. Honestly what’s better or can instantly provide a calming warm sensation? No judgement made to all the various cinnamon buns out in the wild but I have a penchant for the Swedish variety or ‘kanelbullar’. Of course, I couldn’t just be content with the local varieties we have here…

I was first introduced to these beauties many moons ago. I’ve had cinnamon buns before so I wasn’t super excitable as I was handed one. Wowsers! Something so intensely cinnamon-ed, spiced and only interrupted by bits of jagged sugar pearls was a game changer. To this day I’m still on the search for a foolproof recipe close to the original and I will be trying a recipe just given to me. 

Little treats or rewards can be used for something to look forward to give your mind a boost and that little extra motivation to help get you through the day. It might be that 15 minutes you give yourself in the afternoon for a relaxing cuppa or setting aside a night to try that new recipe or dish. Fine, it’s sounding quite food related but it doesn’t have to be! It’s anything you want it to be and what works for you.

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Of the things listed here, they were also born out of quarantine comforts. At the end of the day, I reckon some comfy clothes, good tunes and a kanelbullar (once I figure that out) might still get me through 11 more weeks of winter. 

I’d love to hear what comfort is for you and what brings you that cosy feeling. Do you do anything similar? Share your thoughts, tips and tricks below.