January is a biatch.

The holidays are O-V-E-R. The bills have arrived. (Uh, Yikes. Just spied mine from J.Crew.) And the weather is a mixture of pouring rain and heavy winds or snow and sub zero temps. In RI anyway. 

Am I Right or Am I Right?

So scroll down and find out how to kick your winter blues (It's OK to wear blue, just don't be blue.) to the curb. Here are the three things that'll help you not only survive, but thrive this January:

1. Leg Warmers...Yes, I said LEG WARMERS.

Now's your chance to pull those leg warmers out of the back of your closet and wear them out (aka, not just to exercise) with all your booties and leggings, skinnies or jeggings. Not a fan? I wasn't either - until recently. Picked up this grey pair (along with a black one) at Target for only $10 a few weeks ago and realized how perfect they are for this time of year. When you're bored with everything in your closet and you need something new. A cozy kind of boost. And did I already mention how great they look with all those high heeled booties that absolutely everyone's wearing this winter? (Btw, bought the high heel booties I'm wearing here for only $29.99 at Target back in the Fall.)

Tip: If you're iffy about something like, say, leg warmers, find an inexpensive version at a discount store before investing too much of your hard earned cash.

2. Go Green. (Here's where the kick comes in.)

So many people I know are sick right now. I, however, am not. Ergo (#FiftyCentWord), I MIGHT know something about how to stay healthy in the winter. My advice: Get into the habit of having a green drink with a kick - like this one called "The Alkalizer", made with apple, lemon, cucumber, ginger and cayenne, and available daily at Wildflour Bakery & Juice Bar - once in a while. Or how about all the time? Especially when almost everyone in your house has come down with something and is currently mainlining cold meds. My non-scientific theory is that it's the ginger and cayenne that help  A) keep you healthy or B) get rid of a cold faster because they are 2 hot, powerful spices. 

Tip - If you can't bring yourself to go green, then at least jump on the hot water with lemon bandwagon. It's a surefire way to stay hydrated (Forced hot air heat, for example, has been known to dry out throats and skin big time.) and get the benefits of the lemon, which is a fab source of Vitamin C. And my brother told me that when he goes to NYC on business, all the women are ordering hot water with lemon. So you're being super healthy and super current. Yay!

3. It's OK To Be Sensitive, But Not Red And Blotchy.

Yeah, everyone thinks their skin is sensitive, but mine really is. (And I bet yours is too.) And it's feeling noticeably drier these days. (Bet yours is too.) That's why I bought  Evercalm day cream by REN at my local neighborhood Sephora. It's supposed to keep your skin calm and moisturized. That all sounds good to me. Plus, "they" are against animal testing and do not include mineral oil, parabens, sulphates or synthetic fragrance in any of their products. Also, I used to use their Anti-Aging Concentrate and LOVED it. It didn't make me break out like most of the other anti-aging products I've tried tend to do. Not sure why I ever stopped?

PS - I ended up buying a bottle of the Concentrate too. #VIBRouge and proud!

Ciao for Now, 

PattyJ

Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of me and my I-Phone