Winter has been ever-so prominent in most of the Midwestern and Eastern USA lives over the past few weeks. I was really hoping to have a dry winter like we sort-of did last year (2012-2013), but my hopes were literally crushed by the raging snowstorms that have occurred throughout the past month. Moreover, I refuse to let a little bit (read: a lot of) snow crush my spirits.

The best way for me to stay out of a winter funk {seriously, because I hate winter!} is to shop, listen to music, and spend a load of time with friends and family. This post is focused on the shopping part, though. Well, it is actually leaning towards what I wear to survive in the harsh winters of Michigan (i.e. my winter essentials). I have quite a few things to help me stay warm in the snow and still feel stylish, which can prove to be kind of hard when all I want to do is bundle up in ten sweaters, five leggings, two jeans, three pairs of socks, and some warm boots. It'd be quite the sight to see, but I kind of want to avoid the stares.



a) Any type of oversized sweater (or sweater, in general) is great for cuddling up in the winter cold. Not only can you get quite a variety of sweaters that look adorable, you can also get some that will not break the bank. Sweaters that typically hang off of my arms are kind of the best (that's my preference, however).

b) This entire winter I have been wearing a black pea coat. Neutrals can really be in as well, but I like to stick with black because...well, it's my favorite color. It also goes with pretty much everything. My pea coat has a detachable hood, but at the moment I have it off {which is kind of foolish because it is still snowing crazily}.

c) Earmuffs are very versatile nowadays. They have the type where you can listen to music out of, the neutral kind, and the pretty, extra-furry kind. I have a big, black, extra-furry pair of earmuffs that has a flower design on each side. They are so. freaking. comfy. These especially helped when the degree was in the negatives.

d) Scarves are some of the easiest ways to change the look of your outfit. There are the silk, fashion scarves, infinity scarves, wool scarves, and plenty more. My favorite are infinity scarves because they are so easy to wear - just throw them over your head and boom! The white infinity scarf goes with pretty much everything! I promise you, any outfit that you wish to wear, this scarf will go with it. Plus it is extremely warm. I guess it is a win-win situation.

e) I love combat boots so so so so much. They are very cute and can spruce up an outfit. For example, if you are wearing a girly dress, yet want to kind of up the outfit, just add combat boots. It sort of makes it a little badass-ier {sure, that's a word..}. Tall combat boots are my favorite, though. I wear them almost daily! Even with tall snow you will be safe. {I wore my short combat boots once and was pissed because my school did not shovel good enough and snow got all in my damn boots. Le sigh. So whenever it snows, I wear my tall combat boots or another pair of shoes.}

f) Fluffy socks save the day! Instead of regular socks, I just wear the new pair of fluffy socks that my grandma bought me from Sears for Christmas. (1) They are very, very comfortable, and (2) they are the warmest ever! These socks help especially in boots without fur, such as my daily wear of combat boots or such. I actually even wore them with my Converse {haha, sue me}.

g) Do not get the bootleg touchscreen gloves because those will give out within a few days (or hours) (or never even work). Trust me: get the slightly more costly pair! You do not have to go broke, but don't be a cheapskate at this point because in the long run, you'll have to keep re-buying them, which will essentially lose you more money. Anyways, these gloves help a lot! When it is below freezing point, I do not want to necessarily take my hands out of my gloves just to take a photo on my phone or respond to a text message. These gloves help with that! They are warm and allow you to interact with electronics a lot more than gloves or mittens would (unless the mittens can have the top taken off, but that's still too cold!).

What are some of your winter essentials?