Southern Belle in Training

Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle Blog || Est. 2012 || Virginia Beach, VA

November 4, 2019

Indoor Activities I Love in Fall/Winter.

     This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TeaProudly #CollectiveBias #FallForBenefitsTea

     This week the low temperatures at night are expected to be in the 20s and 30s here in Virginia... it's only early November but the weather is already feeling more like winter than fall. Brrrrr! In years past, I've had a hard time embracing cold weather and making it through the winter months with a positive outlook. (I wouldn't go so far to say that I had Seasonal Affective Disorder, but definitely some milder form of the winter blues.) This year though I'm determined to have the best winter ever, and I'm changing my mindset by focusing on how to enjoy my time indoors when it's too cold to be outdoors. I'm so excited to be teaming up with one of my favorite tea brands, Bigelow, to share with y'all how their Benefits line of teas is the perfect beverage to enjoy during the colder months. You can shop my favorite teas by clicking on the image below!


As I shared above, I've struggled to have a positive attitude about winter in recent years past. I'm not very passionate about snow or winter sports, and winter to me has always just seemed like a long stretch of time that I have to get to before my favorite season of spring arrives. When I lived in Vermont in 2017/18 I disliked the cold months even more since the weather was so brutal up there compared to the South! As 2020 approaches, I really want to spend the next year being joyful in all seasons, even the ones when the weather isn't my favorite, and I might not be able to enjoy being outside as much.

      I'm trying to prepare myself for what's to come weather-wise by making a list of indoor activities that I'll be looking forward to this winter! When the weather is warm out in the spring, summer and fall, I often feel very guilty being inside in my free time for extended periods. If I'm not at work or working on my blog, chances are I'm outside sunbathing at my apartment pool, reading on my deck, or out for a walk on local trails in Charlottesville. Over the next few months I won't be able to do those things, so here's what I plan to fill my time with instead:



Indoor Activities I'll Be Trying This Fall/Winter:
  • Reading things from my bookshelves and living room: I absolutely love reading, but I typically prioritize reading library books. This year I've been working my way through my goal of 52 books for 2019 (one book per week), so checking out books at the library each month and reading through them has been the fastest way for me to work towards this goal. However,  being so focused on finishing my library books has made me often forget about other fun reading materials I have at home- like magazine subscriptions and coffee table books that I've never opened! This winter I'm hoping to do more reading- not just of books that put me closer to my yearly goal, but also of my magazines, coffee table books, and even cookbooks! 
  • Being creative and crafty: I am not the most talented artist, but I do enjoy a good craft project every now and then! I did a good bit of crafting when I was in college (especially for sorority stuff) and I always had so much fun with that. My work had a pumpkin decorating contest for Halloween last month, and as I was painting my pumpkin I realized that was the first time in over a year that I did anything remotely crafty- how sad is that? Over the next few months I'm hoping to carve out time to try more craft projects or find new creative hobbies- it's so much fun and a great stress relief when I make the time!
  • Tackle needed blog tasks: Between being a morning radio host with crazy work hours for my day job, and spending time with friends, household tasks, working out, church, and more... sometimes it's hard for me to fully keep up with my blog as much as I wish I could! I still try to write 3-4 blog posts each week, but there's a lot of backend stuff with blogging that I often push to the side for lack of time. Once I'm spending less time outdoors this winter, I hope to use some of that extra time to finally tackle some of these tasks! (I listed a lot of them in my 101 in 1001 list!)
  • Wearing and sorting through all of my athleisure outfits: Even though I work in a very casual industry for my day job, I rarely wear athleisure clothes to work. I try to save them just for being home. But in the summer months, it's often too warm for me to wear my favorite leggings, sweatshirts and slippers. But winter is the perfect time! As I'll be spending more time indoors and in my apartment, I can't wait to pull out my favorite cozy pieces of clothing again. These months will also be a great time to re-evaluate what athleisure pieces I own, and what I want to continue to wear or consign/donate! You can see I'm wearing something pretty comfy in the photos in this post. 
  • Enjoy Bigelow Benefits Tea: It's no secret that I'm a huge tea drinker! Tea is my hot beverage of choice year-round. I drink hot tea daily throughout the summer, but my tea consumption doubles (if not triples) once the weather is cold! Drinking tea is apart of my daily routine: I have a caffeinated cup early in the mornings when I get to work, and then usually enjoy herbal varieties later in the day. I've been a fan of Bigelow teas for years! They make all of my favorite classic tea varieties, and they also mix things up in a fun way with with their Benefits line. Also fun fact: a couple months ago I actually got to visit the tea plantation in Charleston, which I learned is owned by the Bigelow company! Anyways, I'm excited to be trying three Benefits varieties as the weather gets colder: 
     The Moringa and Black Tea (Focus)  is caffeinated, so I've been enjoying this in the mornings at work! It  has a very unique nutty flavor to it that is just perfect for this time of year. 

     The Rose and Mint (Stress Free) tea is caffeine-free, and a lovely little pick-me up with lunch when I get home from work, or later in the afternoon before I head to the gym!

     And finally, the Chamomile and Lavender (Sleep) tea is an essential with my schedule. I go to bed between 8-8:30pm on weeknights since I wake up so early for work, so having a chamomile based tea is needed! 

    I purchased these three Bigelow Benefits tea varieties at my local Kroger store! Kroger is already one of my very favorite grocery stores, so it's so convenient that they sell a wide array of these teas at great prices. If you don't live near any Kroger stores, you can also purchase Bigelow Benefits teas at Stop & Shop, Giant, Shoprite, or Market Basket stores.


     I would love to hear if you've tried any Bigelow Benefits tea varieties, and which ones your favorites are! I'd also love to hear any indoor activities you're planning to prioritize in the coming months as the weather gets colder- we will get through it together! 🙂


     God Bless,


     xoxo Annaliese




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4 comments

  1. I am a HUGE tea fan in the winter time! I love how many options Bigelow has. The stress free and focus are two I'll definitely need for finals week!

    xoxo,
    Erica
    whattheclique.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great job on writing 3-4 posts a week on your blog, that's awesome on top of all your other weekly jobs! I'm a big fan of getting crafty in the cosier weather too :)

    Anika | chaptersofmay.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a great post! First of all I LOVE your cat!!!! Those are such great activities to do in the winter months.

    While I usually drink my coffee in the mornings, these past two weeks I've been drinking teas non-stop as I'm getting over an upper respiratory viral infection and they are so helpful! I had no idea about this line of teas. The Echinacea Lemon combination would have been so helpful! I've also been thinking about switching to black or green tea in the morning because when I drink coffee I tend to neglect drinking enough water and I know that's definitely not healthy! I will be checking these teas out for sure!
    Ellibelle's Corner

    ReplyDelete
  4. It has been so cold here lately too. I also get the winter blues, so these tips are amazing! I love doing craft things, so I will have to do that soon. Also Bigelow teas are amazing, I have been drinking them for years. I loved this post!

    ReplyDelete

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