Squirreling Away Nuts

It's inevitable. Winter's coming. I can feel it in my bones.

And then I woke up yesterday to this headline in the morning newspaper:

Cold, they say. And costly. Break out your sweaters, your sweatshirts, your blankets, your extra socks and your boots. I guess soon it will be time to put on the layers.

I haven't turned the heat on just yet. Luckily, we've been able to manage the little chills here and there with the help of my little faux fireplace. Hopefully it won't drive up the electric bill to have it on low in the early mornings or at night while I'm watching TV. My electric bill from the last humid heatwave was astronomical. I'm so mentally done with high electricity bills. I'm even considering convincing my husband to scale back the outdoor Christmas display.

We have natural gas heat, which also powers our hot water heater. Luckily the news article reported that gas prices will remain stable, although it will be cooler so we will need to use more gas to keep the temperature consistent. Only a 15 percent increase is expected! Yay, said Sarcastic Me.

In the meantime, I have this inner urge to act like a squirrel. Fill the cabinets and the freezer and get out all the winter gear. Big Girl and I already have the boots, courtesy of finding them at Marshall's earlier this year. Big Girl had a similar pair last year and wore them constantly and outgrew them. She's the new owner of the purple pair, which is very fitting for a tween.

I have the black pair, which is very practical for me. For a very long time I have wanted a pair of UGGs, like everyone else seems to have everywhere I look. Fashion peer pressure! But frankly, when it comes down to it, they are kind of pricey for my budget. I can't justify spending $100 or much more on a pair of boots when that could buy groceries for a week or two, or several outfits for my closet when needed. I've tried to scout out some at Marshall's, but the ones I've seen don't seem worth the price tag -- why pay so much for boots that look like a sweater? How will that keep my feet dry and warm? So I never buy them. And for Big Girl? Well, her feet grow like crazy so it's not necessary to spend major bucks on shoes right now. If she was a teen, and put it on her Christmas list? Well, then, maybe...

Instead, our boots are the Bear Paw brand. They are decently made, and comfortable, and affordable ($30-$40 at Marshall's). As soon as we got them, I headed over to our local KMart and picked up a can of this:

I figured it's good to protect our affordable investment during the upcoming months. I know Big Girl will likely be sporting these every day except gym day, so I'm putting a little effort into keeping them in shape ahead of time. Yesterday, I broke out the new boots and gave them two coats of this stuff.

My next job is to take inventory of the winter jackets, gloves, hats, snow pants, etc. I've got a bunch of hand-me-downs that should fit the twins' needs. Big Girl will hopefully still fit in the large snow pants and snow boots I bought last year. My husband and I will likely muddle through another season in our winter gear, and he got new boots last year so he should be all set.

So, are you ready for winter? Although I've got Christmas on the brain, I still think I could relish not having a spot of snow before the holidays. Not after last year's Halloween ice storm.

Mother Nature? Please be kind for a little while. Send Jack Frost on a vacation somewhere else!