surviving winter: notes from montreal

My news feed is full of winter storm warnings and dry skin complaints. To make it through to spring, here are some cocooning and survival tips from Montréal, Québec--the icy but wonderful city that Dot & Lil calls home. Our temps regularly hit -30 degrees Celsius (that equals -22 Fahrenheit, for our US friends), so we know what we're talking about! Asides from a warm coat and waterproof boots, what gets us through the winter?

First things first, what are the Dot & Lil products that are indispensable for winter skin and keeping up your spirits when you'd rather just go back to bed?

1. Our trio of facial care products--it's the bit of you that even a warm winter coat can't cover. If you need extra moisture (in Montreal in February, you WILL need extra moisture!) try combining a few drops of the facial serum with a pea-sized amount of the unscented shea body butter for super-richness. I also use the serum as an oil cleanser in winter.

2. Soy candles, like this Fresh Fir one below. They burn for 20-25 hours so you can cocoon away for at least as long as it takes to run out of snacks.

3. Anything bergamot scented. It lifts my mood like no other scent can during cold weather. I keep our Bergamot & Shea body butter on my bedside table--winter means chapped hands here!

4. Blankets. And um, more blankets. There are wool blankets hanging over every seat back in my home, and at least one on each bed. I sometimes even drag one into the kitchen with me when I'm eating breakfast (tile floors are a silly idea in Canada!) I am thrift-store obsessed, so most of mine are vintage ones from various Canadian woolen mills. There are so many lovely new ones available now too though!

5. Coffee. It makes winter (and most other things for that matter) better. I have started keeping a bowl of cinnamon sugar on my counter, and add it to coffee when 'm feeling fancy.

6. Big plans. Part of what gets me through the winter is keeping my head down and letting myself get completely absorbed by upcoming projects and new work. Because the holidays are so crazy at Dot & Lil, there's something nice about taking a few months of deep winter to refocus on big plans for the future and really sinking our teeth into the new year. For this to be a good thing though, you have to be working on things you really love--not a problem for me!

7. Fancy winter drinks. Try these recipes below via the Free People blog, for a hot toddy or a not-toddy. It might be cold outside but you'll be distracted by yummy beverages.

8. Woolly socks. Lots and lots of them. And slippers. I caved after years of non slipper wearing and bought these this fall in charcoal. Service and shipping were super fast, too.