#AMonthofFaves: 5 Must Haves for Winter Survival

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I'm in Canada. I feel I must let you know that piece of information before I tell you my Must Haves for Winter Survival. We had 549 cm of snow last winter on Prince Edward Island. (Go check your conversions, that means 18 ft. I'm not lying.) So thinking of survival can literally mean survival - enough food and water if your street doesn't get plowed for 4 days. Four Days! And the only reason it got plowed that day was for a medical emergency (not overly serious, but ambulance was needed) down the street. We were lucky - we had food, were prepared, never lost power, and can live peacefully together. But the following can make winter somewhat bearable:




#stormchips
Storm chips became a thing on social media last year, but they have always been around. When a storm is forecast, Islanders head to the stores (grocery and liquor) to stock up for a few days, in case. Milk, beer, butter, bread, the essentials. But people also get a treat or too (maybe that is the beer?) like chips. Personally, to make it a real treat means to buy some Kraft Onion Dip, but that brings to mind babysitters from when I was a kid. Sorry, I digressed 
Some nights before storms, the chip aisle is pretty depleted. I think everyone always bought them, but it became a tweet, sort of letting people know we were ready. For another storm. And last year, there was always another storm.
Favourite brand - Lays Ripple Wave (if dip is planned), or sour cream and onion



tea
In trying to cut down on pop (diet has the aspertame, regular has the sugar: you can't win) I started drinking tea in the evening. Caffeine free herbal teas, or roobois, or green tea. Nice warm cuppa.
David's Tea is a Canadian company that keeps me in fancy teas.

mittens
I always have cold hands, so I always have mittens. I keep a pair of mittens or gloves in the pockets of every coat and jacket I own. I am never without mittens.

garage
We bought my parent's home when they downsized to an apartment last year, so inherited a garage. Garages are the best! No clearing off the car in the morning, no scraping the window. Between the garage and the heated seats in our latest vehicle, I am a much happier winter camper.




Roots Tuff boots
Gotta wear the Roots Boots, with all the time I spend in a rink. (Two girls, each on two ringette teams. Plus, I mentioned the snow, right?) I got my boots seven years ago. They are warm, comfortable, and fashionable.

Funny story. My son was in grade seven and not interested in boots. I knew from teaching at high school that these boots were the kind teenagers might wear, if they wore boots. Since his feet were exactly the same size as mine at that point, I offered to buy him these boots. He wore them (lots of other kids have these boots, he mentioned one day) and then his feet grew. Lucky me! The next year his feet were his father's size, so we got son another pair. His father and I are stocked in boots for a long time. The only problem now is daughter has same size feet as me, so sometimes we both want to wear them!

What are your winter survival items? (It was understood that books are required, right?)