A moody hike through the Countesswells woods

a new day will dawn for those who stand long,

and the forests will echo with laughter. LZ

Getting some fresh air in chilly Aberdeen

It probably won't shock you to hear that things have been pretty low-key for me since we got back to Aberdeen. Yep! The cold and dreary weather just isn't doing it for me, so I've decided it's better for me to stay inside, in bed, in the bath or under the electric blanket, and wait out the remainder of the winter.

You know, it's been snowing almost every day for a couple weeks here, but until earlier this week, nothing stuck...

How I stay warm during the Scottish winter

Electric Blanket
I don't have a reason to complain about being cold anymore since we got this electric blanket. It makes SUCH a huge difference; sometimes I don't even turn the fire on! Right now, I keep it downstairs in the reception room so that we can cuddle up on the (cold) leather couch and wind down together after dinner.

House Slippers

I know this seems obvious, but a good pair of slippers are key when keeping warm on the cold tile and hardwood floors. I always choose warmth over style!

Heated Under Blanket

You might think this is just another name for an electric blanket, but it's not. Unlike the electric blanket above, this under blanket only creates heat when placed under something like a mattress pad, blanket or sheet. I was skeptical that this would work under our foam mattress topper, but it works like a charm! J and I used to play 'rock, paper, scissors' to see who would get in the bed to warm it up, but now we just turn on the under blanket a few minutes before bed and it's nice and toasty when we both get in!

Ski Socks

My standard cotton socks are NOT cutting the Scottish winter. Inside the house, it's not that bad. I am typically in the bath, under the electric blanket or in bed, but when I leave the house, my go-to rubber shoes provide very little insulation and therefore, very little warmth. Now that I am wearing heavier wool socks, my toes stay nice and cozy no matter what shoes I'm wearing.

Bathrobe

I might be the only person on the planet without a bathrobe, but that's about to change very quickly. My pajama game is seriously lacking in the warmth department, and I am dying for something to throw on when I get out of bed in the morning... Wait, am I actually looking for a Snuggie?

Touchscreen Gloves

Nothing is more irritating than removing my gloves to access my cellphone when I'm out walking in the cold. It's such a hassle, so these e-tip gloves keep my fulangies warm and keep me from fumbling my gloves around. 

Other things I've invested in/use to get warm are: 

- a hot water bottle

- microwaveable slippers (horrible lavender scent!)

- electric radiator

- lots of warm coffee and tea

- hot baths

What are your go-to's when keeping warm inside and outside?

Roadtripin' around the "Grand Canyon of France"

James and I spent our first full day in the South of France zipping around from one end of Provence to the other. Mid-morning we set out from Marseille and headed North East into the Alps-de-Haute-Provence, and subsequently, the Gorges du Verdon.

After two hours of rolling French countryside, we arrived at the base of the mountain. Even at the bottom the views are pretty incredible, but once we caught a glimpse of the bright teal waters of the Le Verdon and Lac de Sainte-Croix, we knew we wanted better view.

Don't make THIS mistake when visiting the Calanques in France

One of the main reasons James and I made the side trip to Cassis was to visit the famous Calanques. Since we didn't have enough time to explore the area on our own, we decided to take one of the highly recommended boat excursions.

There are three options for boat tours; you can visit the first three, five or all nine Calanques. The first three will take you approximately 45 minutes, the first five will take you 65 minutes and all nine will take you 90 minutes round trip.