Somehow we have managed to make it all the way to the first week of November without getting any {accumulating} snow here in Michigan. I feel like this definitely deserves some celebrating!!!
But, alas, the snow IS coming. If the nearly-bare trees and migrating geese didn’t give you the hint, then maybe the weather forecast will…
So, it’s time to put those flip-flops away once and for all and get all that Winter gear ready!
Here are 3 quick & easy steps to getting your family’s gear Winter ready:
1. Sort what you have
You won’t know what you need until you go through what you haveĀ š Time to clean out the closets, garage or storage bins and sort through the hats, mittens, scarves, and boots you currently have.
This is a great time to enlist the help of your kids! Have them sort the gear into piles by type or size and then have them start trying it all on. You can even make it into a silly fashion show, all the while checking sizes and condition and making new piles of gear to keep and gear to donate or store away for next year.
2. Wash & Label
Before your kids head outside to scrape up that first snowfall to make a snowman, be sure to give all your Winter gear a good cleaning. Yes, if you have kids, you’ll be washing Winter gear multiple times over the Winter months, but it’s always good to start the season off with fresh, clean gear!
FYI :: Do you know now often you should be washing your Winter wearables? Real SimpleĀ magazineĀ suggests washing hats, mittens/gloves, and scarves 3 – 5 throughout the season. Winter coats can get a little tricky because of the wide variety of material types. Rule of thumb, always allow them to hang dry, spot clean when you can, and follow wash instructions!Ā
And snow pants? Oh dear! I find myself washing those once every 1-2 weeks! It’s amazing how dirty my kids can get those!!
Then, don’t forget to label all your gear. We literally label every hat, mitten, glove, scarf, boot, and snow pants in this house! I use the Tag Mates Stick On Clothing Labels from Mabels Labels with just our last name. This allows me to just buy one pack of labels each year.
3. Stock up
Now that you know what gear you have, you can make a shopping list of what gear you need. My biggest tip here is to not wait when shopping for Winter gear!!! Stores have already begun to put out Winter gear and they will be packing them away starting early to mid February to make room for Spring clothes.
Tip :: Buy multiples of your kids’ Winter gear!Ā
Buying a few pairs of gloves or mittens, hats, and even snow pants will allow you to have extras on hand for when they get lost, lost again or ruined beyond repair.
We also like to keep an extra set of hats and mittens in a bag in our car during the Winter for the “just in case” Ā moments. Forgot to grab your mittens before leaving for school? No worries, go to the stash in the car. At grandma’s for dinner and want to have an impromptu snowball fight outside? Go for it! Just grab a hat and mittens from the stash in the car! I can’t even tell you how many times our car stash of hats and mittens saved us!
Tip :: Watch for sales during the season andĀ stock up!
Even if I might not need more Winter gear throughout the season, I always watch for great sales and stock up. Especially as the “retail season” ends and items are placed on clearance! It’s a great way to get really good gear at a fraction of the price and you can either purchase the sizes you’ll need for next year and store it away until next Winter OR purchase what you can find and donate it to charities and shelters in your area or donate them to your school. It is always heartbreaking to me when I see little kids running around without the proper Winter wear on. If I can help keep a kid warm by picking up an extra coat, snow pants, boots and more, then that is awesome!
There you have it! One-Two-Three and you’re ready for Winter! Well, as much as anyone can really beĀ ready for Winter š
