Hi there!

​

I hope this newsletter finds you and your family safe and warm. This week I’ve found myself in colder weather than I’ve ever experienced and I’m incredibly grateful that we were fortunate enough to have electricity and running water.

Sending a lot of love to our fellow TFGs in Texas and other parts of the USA that have been impacted by the weather.

​
​

​

​
​

With three back to back winter storm warnings and lows of about 10 degrees Fahrenheit, this month in Louisville, Kentucky has definitely been a new experience for me including a last minute panic and grocery run at the realization of my level of unpreparedness. I try to chase the sun and here I‘ve found myself in one of the coldest places I’ve ever been to.

​
​Fortunately, I still have some of my cold weather gear from my time living in the UK. I’ve spent day and night in both my silk thermals layered under my merino wool thermals, topped with my newly purchased Halogen cashmere sweaters (this and this one) and the tried and tested Zella leggings. Thanks to the TFG readers for recommending the warmest winter socks, my feet have been nice and toasty indoors, too.

​

I finally left the house for the first time in two weeks to go for a socially distanced, masked walk in the local park and was so happy to have my Columbia Carson Pass 2 and the rugged hiking boots I bought to hike Everest Base Camp yet never ended up using.​
​
​

​

I absolutely love the Columbia Carson Pass 2 winter waterproof jacket! It kept me dry in winter in Paris as it poured non-stop while I waited for 2 hours in line to see the catacombs. In the USA, the Omni-heat technology continues to keep me warm even on the coldest days. Read my full Columbia Carson Pass 2 review!​

​

The key to keeping the warmth under your jacket is to wear moisture-wicking thermals next to your skin. I donated my beloved Ibex thermals when I moved out of England so I bought a pair of Minus33 Thermals last year in the US. They’re warm but the fabric gets baggy so I now have a pair of Icebreaker Thermals on the way. Read this post to learn more about these and other thermals!​
​

As for my hiking boots, they are the Meindl brand and definitely hardcore! They’ve proven their durability (and cost) keeping my feet warm and dry while trudging through the snow. I’ve also worn them to go on regular hikes and while they’re awesome in the mud, ice, and slippery surfaces, they’re too heavy to wear for regular weather so I plan to buy lighter hiking shoes for the summer. I bought them in the UK in 2014, but can’t find them online to share with you. However, we do have a post filled with other hiking boot recommendations from our readers!

​

The snow in Louisville looks absolutely beautiful and the icicles make it look like a winter wonderland - a novelty for a Los Angeles gal like me. I look forward to enjoying more socially distanced winter walks in my new cold weather gear shown below!​
​
​

​

Because I plan to stay here for another month or so before moving into my new place in Playa del Carmen (more info coming soon), I started craving cozy clothing and went on a bit of a cold weather online shopping spree.

​

I started my search for new items by using the reader recommendations in our cold weather articles on the blog, and then I realized they needed a little updating. So the TFG Team and I have been working hard to update all of our winter gear posts and I’m super excited to share the new stylish and functional items we’ve found! Wear them now and use them on future trips to chilly destinations! We’ll share all the updated articles as soon as they’re published.​
​

​In the meantime, this is a link to my recent winter shopping haul (shown above) and a sneak peak at the summer clothes I’m taking back home to Playa del Carmen, too!​
​
​I’ll also be sharing pics and mini-reviews of what worked and what didn’t in the Facebook Group and in Instagram Stories soon!

​

​

​

Everyone’s Talking About ​

There are so many fabulous winter sales taking place this weekend! Here are a few we’ve got our eyes on:

​
​

​Featured Blogger of the Week:

Vaycarious.com interviewed 12 women who have taken a career break to go traveling. They each shared their own individual stories but they all had some lessons in common that might help you in making your decision to take a sabbatical to travel in the future. Check it out here!

​

Community Corner

Amy started THE most popular conversation this week in the TFG Facebook Group. She’s looking to replace her toiletry bag and asked for everyone to share their favorites. Check out her thread here!

If you also need something to pack your toiletries in, check out these top picks for the best toiletry bags!

​
​

Till next week,

Safe and stylish (local) travels! :-)

alex

​

P.S. We’ve been slowly redesigning the blog over the past couple of months! What do you think about the new home page? Hope you like it!

​

Support TFG by using our links to shop. We receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you), so we can continue to create helpful free content. Thank you, we appreciate it!​​​
​​
​



Unsubscribe | Update your profile | Wilson Ave, Glendale, CA 91206