Giveaway Winner! and dressing for the cold… Brrr!

And the moment we've all been waiting for! The winner of the $25 Jade Mackenzie gift card is…..

Michelle Eisele!

I've already emailed Michelle and I hope to see some pics of what she decided to buy! Congratulations and thank you to everyone who participated!

This past weekend I traveled to Chicago, Illinois to watch my brother graduate from Navy boot camp. Never again will I visit Chicago! It was ridiculously cold there! This was the temperature the night we got there… -17 degree wind chill!

The morning of graduation, we had to stand outside in a line for about an hour in about -15 degree wind chill. After about 15 minutes, my feet started burning and very soon after, I couldn't even feel them. Never again will I complain about our 30 degree days here in Texas! Here's my handsome brother after he graduated…

Now as far as dressing for the cold, I think I did a pretty good job. The only part of me that got REALLY cold (and never really seemed to warm up) was my feet. I had two pairs of socks with one being a wool pair. The boots I was wearing were North Face snow boots. Specifically the Women's Abby IV Luxe. They work very well in our 30 degree weather but there in Chicago, I just couldn't seem to keep my feet warm! Maybe some of you who live where it's colder can give me some tips!

My jacket, however, was AMAZING!! I got the Women's Parkina Down jacket from North Face. The website didn't have my size so I searched the web and found my size in red on Amazon. I would definitely recommend North Face to anyone looking for a good warm jacket. They are pricey but they are well worth it. The jackets also have a lifetime guarantee so if anything breaks or comes apart, they will fix it for free. I didn't even have to wear a hat since the jacket came with the fur lined hoodie. It is removable in case you want to take it off.

I was definitely worried about my legs staying warm since I only wear skirts. I had on long johns, fleece lined leggings, and my thick lined skirt. I didn't feel cold at all! Except of course when we had to stand outside for an hour! On top, I only wore long johns and a thin sweater. My jacket kept me plenty warm! Gloves are also a must in that weather. The ones I had on were a gift and they did the job just fine. 

I did get VERY tired of all the layers I had to put on and take off every day. I don't think that I could live in that kind of weather. I am definitely ready for sunshine and flip flops!