Winter wonderland: win a Circa Home pack worth $300

A winner has now been chosen for this giveaway: Sandra with this comment: “Over the years I’ve developed my own cold weather routine, it consists of most or all of the following
* Everyone gets new slippers or bed socks or pyjamas for Easter
* Late April I bring out the woolen and fleecy throws onto the lounges
* Two cane baskets are brought back inside to sit next to the wood heater full of wood because up here in the Mountains it can be warm during the day but freezing come 4 o’clock
* Our staple breakfast from Autumn onwards is overnight porridge with a choice of toppings
* Every Sunday I make a big pot of soup to just have on hand for easy lunches or if friends of the girls drop in…soup is like a big warm hug that says “welcome to our home”
* The pets’ bedding gets brought closer to the heater

It’s also bonfire season at our place, so whilst this doesn’t keep the house warm, it is always so nice to have some friends over to roast marshmallows and enjoy some mulled wine or cider round the fire…”

All that talk of Hygge and home comforts yesterday I got to thinking about all the things that make a home so cosy and comforting in winter.

Yep, all those things. A warm bed, couches with rugs, soups and toasties and bowls of hot porridge. But of course I think the main thing would have to be flickering low light. Lamps and candles, lots of candles.

And to help you guys achieve that lovely candlelight I have a fabulous giveaway for you guys today thanks to Circa Home. I have used these products through the years and loved the scents that they have in their range…and I’m lucky that they were happy to give away a great Winter Warmer Pack that will most definitely keep things nice and cosy at home this winter.

The Prize consists of:

1 x 260g Classic Candle – Vanilla Bean & All Spice
1 x Diffuser – Vanilla Bean & All Spice
1 x Hand wash – Vanilla Bean & All Spice
1 x Melts – Vanilla Bean & All Spice
1 x 260g Classic Candle – Narcissus & Patchouli
1 x Diffuser – Narcissus & Patchouli
1 x Perfect Spaces – Narcissus & Patchouli
1 x Mini candle – Narcissus & Patchouli
1 x Electric Warmer
1 x tea set

And is worth over $300! All you have to do to enter is leave me a comment below with your best winter warming tip as well as Liking Circa Home on Instagram and Facebook. Giveaway is open to Australian residents only and will close this coming Sunday 18th June 9pm AEST. You can read the rest of the T&C’s here.

So tell me…what’s your best winter warming tip at home? We are in the hygge zone my friends!

Comments

  1. I have sunshine streaming in for hours every morning. However, once it goes about 3:00pm, the warmth often goes quickly too. Around 5:00 pm, I shut the blinds in winter. I would prefer to have them open so I can see out, but when there is an interchange of heat between warm inside and chilly outside, a draught is set up and I can actually feel the warmth going through the glass to outside.

    A fairly prosaic hint but I have found it makes a big difference if blinds are shut at the early approach of darkness.

  2. Ooooh I love Winter!! It’s slightly different now we live in QLD and not in Tasmania!! My best winter warmer go to tips are, set the slow cooker early with a hearty winter beef & veg stew, pop on your slippers, make the bed with fresh flannel sheets, pull out the wheat packs to keep the lap warm & light alllll the candles!! We are moving house this weekend (both myself and hubby are sick as dogs) this gift pack would be wonderful in our new home once we can actually smell again!!

  3. My comment seems to have been eaten so I will try again.

    I get a lot of lovely sunshine in winter into my lounge room, but it disappears around 3:00 pm. Things cool quickly. About 5:00 pm, just before dark descends, I shut the blinds. When it is warm inside and chilly outside, a draught is set up between the two and it can be felt near window. I would prefer to see out, but I want to be warm and this is a sur[risingly big aid in warmth. It may not seem much, but I notice the difference if I am slow in shuttin blinds and/or curtains if you have them

  4. Fiona O'Connor says

    I love woollen under blankets on the bed. That comfy cosy softness that cushions you when you get into bed makes me breathe a sigh.

  5. Glorious sunshine, comfort food, red wine, fires, campoven dinners, bonfires and winter woolies!

  6. Sunshine filled rooms, comfort food, fires, red wine, bonfires, friends, winter woolies

  7. Straight home from work, PJ’s & Slippers on.
    Soup warmed up, and then served with crusty bread with layers of butter.
    Fire on.
    Candles lit.
    Netflix.
    Couch.
    Bed.
    Repeat.

  8. I love winter ❄️
    Perfect time to have the slow cooker bubbling or the oven roasting up a delicious dinner or baking to keep us warm and snug. I also love our fire and have candles burning throughout the house and the lights are low.
    We Love to have family movie time, all snuggled under throw rugs and my made by me quilts . I love that’s it’s stay in all together family time .

  9. We’re in Brisbane, so not too wintery but it does get chilly in these Queenslander houses that are built to stay cool! My best tip is a warm bath, warm jammies and a snuggle under a warm throw on the lounge. And a roast chicken dinner with lots of gravy for my 10 and 7 year olds!

  10. the best winter warmer is a big cosy blanket & someone to snuggle under it with. Hot chocolate & a good movie wouldn’t be bad either

  11. Michelle says

    My ultimate winter warmers are definitely a roaring fire, mohair rug, pot of soup bubbling away on the stove and my beautiful children playing together on the floor. Warms me and my heart. ❤

  12. Best tip to stay warm and cosy in winter? Fly to Hawaii!!
    Ok seriously… set my fire early in the day after opening all blinds to catch as much sun in the living rooms.
    As the day turns to xxxx light the fire.
    Light a candle with lemongrass so I am tricked into thinking I am actually in Thailand .
    Make sure there’s red wine to heat me from the inside.
    And a well cooked meal brewing away… finish with chocolate.
    And some crap tv.
    Winter done dusted.

  13. This winter I am enjoying quilting my king size hexie quilt signed by ladies all over Australia . It keeps me warm as well as entertained reading all the names , accompanied by a green tea or glass wine of course , I love winter

  14. Close the doors and windows early afternoon as the sun belts in. Cosy up on the couch with your favourite PJ’s, cup of tea with some chocolate of course, a good book & fluffy blanket over your legs as you settle in for the night. Slow cooker bubbling away in the background and a great candle flickering & releasing some beautiful scents. My perfect winter night 🙂

  15. Best warming tip…for food it’s definitely a dash of cayenne pepper in every hearty casserole and soup. For the home, it’s having a light on near the front door, like a beacon drawing me in from the dark. For the body, it’s having ugg boots at the ready as soon as I shut the door. And for the soul, definitely a mantle with favourite pictures…so all my people are gathered around me all the time.

  16. Danielle Stephenson says

    Flannelette everything?

  17. Simone Dora says

    Winter in Brisbane lasts about 2 weeks – so we pop on the ugg boots; flannel pj’s and eat ? ❄️☔️?

  18. My winter warming tip is definitely to have the wood fired oven on and of course baking – my mum always told me to never waste a good oven fire and to have many things on the go, making good use of the heat – so generally a savoury dish, followed by a loaf of bread or cake then roasting along quietly in the background a roast – keeps the house warm all day from mid morning to dinner – and of course the house smells divine!

  19. Claire Stewart says

    Winter for me is my 2.5 year old in a snuggly bonds onside cuddling up to me on the couch, reading her favorite books before tucking her into her bed of soft cozy sheets and blankets. Then I get to enjoy red wine and a soft candle to give me the strength to get up 500mcmillion times to put her back to bed again and again, every night regardless of weather! Candles have amazing powers of calm that mumma’s can absorb to carry on through all of toddler greatness xo

  20. Homemade crumpets, eaten while sitting in the pretty winter sunshine, complimented by endless cups of tea, with a cat/dog/small person on your lap….plus candles burning and the crackle of the fire in the background.

  21. My winter warming tip is lots of cuddles under a wonderfully soft throw rug with babies, kids, partners and fur babies all to the glow of a warming fire with a tall glass of red wine in hand?

  22. Catesol5 says

    House closed up dog at your feet nice blanket and some sticky date pudding yummm……..

  23. Currently deep in the depths of a comfy hygge winter which consists of:

    ~Wool socks (the soft kind, not the scratchy kind)
    ~Stretchy pants (or “no pants” as I like to call them)
    ~Flannelette linen on the beds (is there anything better than the smell of flannel!)
    ~A constant stream of smoke from the chimney (and red wine in front of the flames. If no wine then insert coffee here)
    ~Pumpkin soup with a dash of coconut cream and plenty of cracked pepper
    ~Lots of cuddles under nanna knitted blankies with my beautiful newborn twin daughters (and first born fur baby, Iggy Pop)

  24. Winter in the Southern Highlands (yep fellow highland resident here) … is freezing! But I don’t need to tell you that ha! Wood fire on at all times if possible, even better if I don’t have to chop the wood. My fun tip is roasting marshmallows on the fire – yep the fire inside! We’ve even cooked toast on the fire and it’s so much fun.
    At least 2 pairs of socks on at ALL times, and dressing gowns are LIFE – and an absolute necessity, the fluffier the better.
    It’s the one time of year I can get away with and justify buying more throws/ blankets … do I use them? Not really. Do they make the lounge room look cosy? Absolutely.
    Lamb shanks in the slow cooker, never ending supply of wine red or champagne for the days when the sun is out and we need to pretend it’s summer for just a sec.
    Also melted cheese on EVERYTHING! X

  25. Cosy fires come night, slow cooked anything, red wine, candles, hot baths, pjs, ugg boots & cuddles with my loves ???????

  26. Cosy fires ??, slow cooked anything ?, red wine ?, hot baths ?, ugg boots, pjs & cuddles with my loves on the lounge ???❤️

  27. A cup of earl grey in a pretty tea cup (with saucer), ugg boots, wood fire inside, bonfire outside with long sticks and toasted marshmallows, and babies in hand knitted woolly jumpers – squeeeeze!

  28. The best winter warmers are two five year old twin boys and their 2 year old sister while watching a movie with popcorn! Throw in a glass or two of bubbles and a wonderful husband and we are set!

  29. The warmest, cosiest and comfiest slippers! I find if your feet are snugly the rest of you feels instantly warmer. Then heating from the inside out with a nice bold red wine.

  30. The smell of baking bread and then having that loaf proudly waiting for lunch! The scent/sensation of smell is so powerful. I especially love baking bread when we have visitors at the farm as it adds to the romanticism of country life. The smell of bread baking (or any delicious food) is a reminder that the simple things in life make a home.

  31. Michelle says

    Soup, soup and soup….. makes everyone happy, lunch, lazy dinner, gift for a neighbour and sustenance for my aged father! This week I made chicken and vegetable with tiny soup pasta – definitely a winter hygge!

  32. Home from work, play with dog and catch up with husband of news of his day. Change into raggy dags and slippers and put heating on. Warm the pot of your amazing chicken pasta soup you put up on your blog the other day with added parsley and ground pepper as you suggested accompanied by warmed crusty bread. Get snuggly under a blanket then prior to bed a lovely warm shower, lashings of moisturiser and into our beautiful bed beneath gorgeous linen and snuggly doona with my darling.

  33. Layers! Honeycomb blinds for the windows, flannel sheets for the bed, fluffy socks and ugg boots for your feet, blankets and purring snuggle cats for the couch and chunky knitted cardies. Add plenty of warm rich food and a bold pinot noir to warm your heart and see you through to spring time.

  34. My Granny used to put an onion in the oven before she even thought about what she was going to cook because the smell would bring an allure of contentment to hungry tummies. I do pretty much all the above suggestions usually, but not this year. This year has no hygge. Renovation of the kitchen means outside frigid bbq cooking till August… in Adelaide foothills!!! The warm glow of candles would definitely disguise my reality. ?

  35. Cosy couch, red wine, casseroles and endless cups of tea x

  36. Winter is our relief from 9 months of humidity! And we love it. We light the fire pit and sit around under blankets, or sit in the sun with a cup of twinning tea eating warm banana cake, or the girls finally get to wear cute little boots! Warm scones and watching the cows wander past, mum’s crocheted blankets come out while the girls watch movies, eucalyptus and lavender in the diffuser – winter is the best time of year!

  37. My favourite winter warmer is a great big bowl of my grandfather’s hot veggie soup, yum!

  38. I also purchased a flanelette​ doona cover a couple of years ago, so cozy and warm.

  39. Kristine McLean says

    Oh Beth I just love winter! Although we don’t get a REAL winter here in QLD I feel my inner Sydney sider start to sing the second the temp drops. I crack out the slow cooker and start a beef stew, pull out the big dooner for the beds( is there anything more winter than the weight of a proper quilt or dooner???) light all the candles I can find so I can trick myself that the fire is on and put the kettle on for many, many cups of tea!

  40. Cuddles; children, partner, dog, guineas. It doesn’t matter who, cuddling warms you physically and emotionally. (oh and ugg boots too!)

  41. I don’t think anything can beat a pot of loose leaf tea!
    I have around 6 pots a day, different sizes depending on whether anyone is joining me for a cup.
    The difference in winter are the beautiful
    tea-cosies that hug my teapots and keep the tea warm for a few cups!

  42. Living in the NT, North Qld and now Brisbane we don’t get the chilly weather as you would receive. What I do to keep us all warm is to open up the blinds in the morning to get as much sunshine as possible and then close them up before sunset to trap that warmth inside. Also anything cooked in the oven to help warm the house a little and the bellies. Long PJ’s and the reverse cycle aircon on heat to knock the chill out.

  43. Catherine says

    I have tiles and gas heating! But my parents have wool carpet and a wood fire. So when I go to visit I wear a soft pant (elastic waist of course) jumper, bed socks and cosy up on the lounge with a glass of red and a movie. Fab competition, thanks Beth!

  44. Best winter warmer? Someone to cuddle of course x

  45. Love bed socks, electric blanket and flannelette sheets –
    But all you need is a giant hairy golden retriever to lay on your bed for a little while and it is super toasty when you get in!

  46. Leeanne Boyson says

    Jammies, socks, big comfy couch, kids either side, super fluffy warm blanket over all of us, our kitten Lottie sleepy on our laps, dog Zoe has snuck up on the couch in a dark room, fabulous movie and chocolate of course!!! Xxx

  47. Layers of clothes here. I’m like an onion…Singlet, long sleeve tee, short sleeve t over the top, chunky cardies and or coats and scarves. and the best bit is I don’t have to wear a bra all winter long! ???

  48. Winter warmer – mad dash home from work but hubby had kids bathed, fire on, glass of red poured, pumpkin soup with sourdough. However, hubby bought a new stick blender, and forgot to take the plastic off the blades (poor bugger, took him ages to pull together) so, toasted cheese sandwiches for all and for me that glass of red wine, candles lit in front my dear friend, Netflix!

  49. Racheal Kamer says

    A cup of tea, slippy socks on my feet, warm fleecy pj’s, my dressing gown, a heat pack, my doona and our couch filled with the people I love. The Hubster and my two little ladies ?

  50. We don’t have a fireplace or heater but through winter I crochet lovely big rugs which keep me warm while I make them and the hubby and kids and dog snuggle under the ones that are already made, except the dog prefers the fake fur (of course) throw rug it makes her like a malate.

  51. It’s ridiculously simple, but I make sure I change over my candles with the seasons. Winter means woody warming cosy scents, a rich vanilla is my favourite. Spring brings a gentle floral like jasmine. Summer needs zesty citrus like a pop of lime, maybe even some coconut. When the heat dissipates and autumn arrives, its back to some cinnamon as we begin the hibernaertion all over again.

    One exception though – my daughter’s room always has the Circa Home jasmine & magnolia. Light that candle and it take me back to the cool winter day when we first bought her home four years ago…. smell is such a powerful memory sense!

  52. Gabrielle H says

    Heater blaring
    Yearning for spring
    Games nights with the kids
    Gorge myself on homemade warming treats
    Everybody cosy

    (Yep, I’ve confirmed today my acrostic skills are still at a grade 3 level – where I last left them!)

  53. Annette Luchich says

    I am a very happy and extremely lucky cancer survivor – each time I left the chemo treatment the fabulous nurses would say – don’t forget – “burn the beautiful candles” – meaning don’t let them gather dust – and that’s exactly what I do – wonter or summer – I also – drink the wine and buy the shoes xxxxxx

  54. Clean Sheets, homemade quilt , open fire , good food and an interesting book , a glass of red os always welcome as well

  55. Sally Bray says

    The best thing about this winter has been watching our ewes, lamb (we only have 3) The lambs jumping and dashing and bouncing around the paddock is pure joy making and their little tales wiggling whilst they suckle reminds me in these dark, difficult times that life goes on, joyfully, as it is meant too! Leaning in at home – pure Hygge

  56. My best tip is some Gluhwein……favourite movie……fire roaring and candles….can’t get much better than that! Thanks for the wonderful giveaway Beth !

  57. Wine (preferably mulled – made in my slow cooker!), roasted chestnuts (in my imaginary fireplace), hot water bottle (preferably with a kitsch fluffy hot water bottle cover on top), polar fleece (so glamorous) and an obnoxious cat!

  58. I love my nice cosy home in winter. I love that when it’s cold, raining and miserable outside you can lounge around at home and not feel bad that you aren’t doing something more exciting, or doing some work around the home. I love nothing more than bringing the quilts out to the lounge, settling in with the kids and watching some movies (or getting them to bed early so hubby and I can have a good binge watch….we’re nearly finished Orange and then will be onto Big Little Lies). Always with a big bowl of hot popcorn and assorted hot drinks. I’m looking forward to our cosy weekend now, bring on 5pm!

  59. Allyson Wolhuter says

    Oh winter. I love my homemade chicken soup, blinds drawn, heater on and a lovely warm blanket with my Charlie dog curled up beside me. All I need now is some flickering candlelight and it’s perfect?

  60. Best winter warming tip…so many to choose from. I think it would be the little people – they are little hot water bottles and so good to snuggle with under a throw or my personal favourite, a patchwork cuddle quilt. And then once the little ones are in bed, stay under the cuddle quilt with hubby and a cup of tea or hot chocolate.

  61. Over the years I’ve developed my own cold weather routine, it consists of most or all of the following
    * Everyone gets new slippers or bed socks or pyjamas for Easter
    * Late April I bring out the woolen and fleecy throws onto the lounges
    * Two cane baskets are brought back inside to sit next to the wood heater full of wood because up here in the Mountains it can be warm during the day but freezing come 4 o’clock
    * Our staple breakfast from Autumn onwards is overnight porridge with a choice of toppings
    * Every Sunday I make a big pot of soup to just have on hand for easy lunches or if friends of the girls drop in…soup is like a big warm hug that says “welcome to our home”
    * The pets’ bedding gets brought closer to the heater

    It’s also bonfire season at our place, so whilst this doesn’t keep the house warm, it is always so nice to have some friends over to roast marshmallows and enjoy some mulled wine or cider round the fire…

    • Hi Sandra! Congrats you are the winner of the giveaway – I do ALL of these things too! I’ll shoot you an email – enjoy!! xxx

  62. Two words, Beth – mulled wine! Or as my parents like to call it ‘Spiced Pinot’. Last weekend it was warm gin punch with lemon grass and ginger, medicinal!

  63. my favourite part of winter is coming home from kids sport played early Saturday morning and reliving the game highlights with soup and toasties or (then) crumpets with lashings of Lurpak and honey

  64. Amy Hannah says

    Flannelette sheets are my ultimate Hygge in Winter. Not only are they warm and comforting for me as a 40 year old mummy, they give me beautiful memories of visiting my Granny’s house in the Winter school holidays. Nothing beats getting tucked up in Granny’s spare bed with a kiss and cuddle from the wonderful lady herself!

  65. A husband on late shift that stokes the fire while we’re all in bed and a daschund or dog to snuggle with you and the kids, under the blankets if he has his way!

  66. Hygge for me is snuggles on the lounge with my boys for Family Movie Night each Friday. Fire on, hearty dinner and yummy dessert. Perfect.

  67. Danielle Craig says

    Winter here in the Macedon Ranges
    ( victoria) is cold, and long….. with the wood fire burning non stop from early april until mid november most years. My best winter warming tip is to plan so that your daily woodpile at the back door is refilled early in the day ( never engage in outdoor tasks after 4pm!!) The last thing you want to be doing is having to go outside afterdark to source more wood after you are settled for the night!!

  68. Kel Montano says

    Cosy knits, blankets and books, with the heater (Lord, how I wish it was an open fire) and slow cooker on is winter to me. But the B E S T thing, an excuse to make pudding: bread & butter or chocolate self saucing ❤️

  69. Winter my fave! I love how the chilly conditions outdoors means more time bunkered down together as a family creating memories. Freshly washed and pyjama clad little babes in front of the heater, some slow cooked comfort food and of course something delicious like a freshly baked brownie for dessert. What’s not to love?!

  70. Curling up under the blanket I am crocheting for my son with a glass of red and season 5 of house of cards

  71. Is there nothing better to warm you right through you soul than snuggling under a blanket on the couch with your family? Telling stories about everyone’s day and looking forward to what The Weeknd ahead holds. Love these family times. It’s when life long memories are made. ??

  72. My favourite season is Spring but I love the routine I create myself in Winter.

    At around 4.30pm the ducted air conditioning goes on and I go from room to room throughout our home closing blinds, turning lamps on, lighting candles and turning the flame effect on, on our fireplace.

    Baths are had after dinner and then we huddle in together under blankets on the lounge for some TV before the kids go to bed.

    In the morning I love going from room to room opening the blinds up again and making beds. A cup of tea in our morning sun-soaked kitchen/dining/lounge room is also a must!

  73. Every year at Christmas time, I become so homesick as I read and hear all about the cold and dark days from my family and friends back in Holland. Once the weather cools and the misty mornings start appearing here in the Yarra Valley, I celebrate the colder seasons. I bring out the autumnal scented candles (anything with cinnamon or spices will suffice), wash all the handmade rugs on eucalyptus wool wash ready to snuggle under and change the bed linen from crisp whites to the winter themed tartans. Afternoon tea blend changes from lemon and any other fruity flavour to cinnamon and licorice or licorice peppermint. My whole family celebrates the colder weather by playing board games on dreary afternoons. How I love this season!

  74. Hi Beth, Love to read your posts every day with my cup of tea – yours is the only Blog I follow. My favourite winter warming tip to take the warmth of home with you is to give my three girls a hot water bottle each to cuddle after their winter gymnastics, ballet sessions, netball or whatever activity takes you away from the home fires. If it’s swimming then I wrap the towels around a hot water bottle and voila a hot towel after your swim. How comforting! x

  75. Dianne Whittle says

    My best winter warming tip is to spend the day in my nice warm bed – unfortunately this is not possible no matter how much I want it. So, alternately, a stinking hot bath is my go to to warm the chill in my bones followed by my very unsexy flannelette nightie and some equally unsexy thick socks and my dressing gown. This is my usual uniform from about 5 o’clock onwards. Probably doesn’t do much for the romance in my marriage but it’s far too cold to be naked.

  76. Best winter warming tips
    Wood heater roaring listening to the wood crackle and watching the flames dance while eating slow cooked lamb shanks on a bed of mashed potato (my favourite ) and washing them down with a noice sweet red vino ?

  77. Nothing beats curling up on the lounge under a cosy throw with a cup of tea at night.

  78. For hubby and I, nothing goes passed a delicious slow cooked lamb shank and mash dinner with a glass of a good red. He’ll have the fire burning low and I’ll have the candles burning.
    The kids love nothing better than a big bowl of their favourite soup and lots of hot buttery toast, pjs warming in front of the fire after their hot showers. They love to drag the large mat over to the fire and spend hours playing with their Lego

  79. My mums beautiful handmade quilt she made for me ,a husband ,cosy couch and a series like Crown ,or Big Little Lies and maybe a little Preseco .

  80. For me, it would not be a cosy winter in Tasmania without drawing the blinds at 4.30pm, the heat cranked up. A hearty soup gently simmers away on the stove, locally made baguette sliced with lashings of homemade butter at the ready…or soft and gooey brie cheese for the 10 year old, followed by homemade apple crumble. As much as I love champs, my drink of choice in winter is a warm gin punch…it hugs you from the inside out. At night, I love a warm *heavy* blanket because waking up cold is just not fun. Nothing beats the extra snuggly cuddles on a cold evening or early morning from the kids though….

  81. A hot cup of tea while sitting under a blanket. Oooh yes.
    I’m adjusting from 3 years in the WA desert to a Sydney winter – a big shock to the system!

  82. i’m all about hygge here too! thanks beth.
    i’m actually all about comfort first and relaxing in one’s own home!
    I love to make many cosy vignettes, where we can sit and read or doodle or pinterest!!!
    and have a nice cuppa! … all depending on the sun streaming in!
    love the smell of a freshly baked anything and pasta with garlic, pots of soup with naughty bread! … pan fried thick slices of ciabatta in the winter.
    must have plenty of throw rugs too and uggs!
    here’s to hygge! … and not too much cleaning up if people drop in!
    much love m:)X

  83. We love Hygge in our house…the BEST thing is when I come home from work at 8pm…and my darling daughter has…closed all the blinds…switch on the lamps…and has my favourite scented candle burning for me…then I know I’m home.

  84. My best tip while warming our house is to leave my upstairs bedroom door open and all that lovely heat flows from the fire downstairs flows into my bedroom – love a cosy warm bedroom…

  85. Cashmere bed socks (indulgent but so worth it), pj top tucked into pants (nothing worse than a cold back), and a wheat pack/hot water bottle. Does it every time.

  86. I struggled through many winters with a freezing butt. Once I got on the fitness path, I grew me some glutes and BOOM no more cold bum-bum!!!

  87. Surviving winter time in freezing Berrima for me means two hot water bottles in bed (one up top and one down at the feet) I also like to get my two sausage dogs in bed with me!

  88. Shantelle Stroumos says

    First time commenter on your blog Beth but long time follower!

    I have loved reading everyone’s winter warming tips. To add to the pot of ideas I contribute having a piping hot cup of ginger tea with a squeeze of lemon and honey on the frosty mornings. Dressing gown and ugg boots too are a must have!

    Please do more Over The Back Fence podcasts, it has been far too long!

    Would love to win this beautiful pack x

  89. Sal McDonnell says

    Oh these candles look lovely!

    Being in QLD our winters don’t last very long – but I know it’s getting cold when the socks come out for bedtime. Better yet – when my husband is home (FIFO), I take great delight in warming my icy toes on the back of his calves in bed! Hah! He really is just like a giant hot water bottle.

  90. Ali Read says

    Slippers

  91. Anna Vinfield says

    Flannie pjs, glass (or two) of Pinot, slippers, soft lighting and a cosy snuggle on the couch with my bubba, husband and puppies

  92. Dressing gown on at all times in the house! A fire on, beautiful candles, a cup of tea, puddings, a good book. Dress for the weather and embrace it!

  93. Kelly Cvitanovic says

    My favourite times during winter are in the evenings when I put the lights on low, light the fire, put my twinkle/fairy lights on, my kids in fluffy dressing gowns keeping warm, scented candles flickering, the cat warming up near the fire….just makes my heart happy!

  94. Gezelig is the Dutch equivalent of Hygge; having lived in Holland I try but can’t quite find the words to capture the feeling. Cosy is just not close enough. This C.S Lewis quote about friendship nails it:
    ‘Those are the golden sessions; when four or five of us after a hard day’s walk have come to our inn; when our slippers are on, our feet spread out toward the blaze and our drinks are at our elbows; when the whole world, and something beyond the world, opens itself to our minds as we talk; and no one has any claim on or any responsibility for another, but all are freemen and equals as if we had first met an hour ago, while at the same time an Affection mellowed by the years enfolds us. Life — natural life — has no better gift.’
    Just gorgeous x

  95. My best winter warming tip is cuddling up on the couch with a thick blanket & my kids.

  96. Cosy blankets, red wine, baby Mac on my iPad and big little lies on Spotify! Need some good news””…….did I make the deadline ???? Finger and toes crossed in anticipation xx

  97. Knitting! The activity itself warms you up and the progress sits in your lap like a blanket. The end result, of course continues to keep you cosy. Great for little new-born babies right through to the oldest member of the family. Must have a fire roaring nearby and soup on the stove….oh, and nothing other than pure new wool!

  98. Getting dinner cooked early. I am a Crockpot Queen. Smells great, looks like I did a lot when really it cooked itself!

  99. I tripped over in the garage at home and broke my shoulder into about a million pieces, and am this week having surgery to put a plate in. My Mum has moved in with us, as I am completely disabled and cannot be left alone (can’t pull my own dacks up or down, can’t get toothpaste on my toothbrush, can’t open a bottle .. you get the drift). Her presence has warmed the whole house, she is cooking, cleaning, washing, making me cups of tea and toasties, supervising homework, listening to piano practice, changing the kitty litter (which is above and beyond any call of duty!).

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