Winter Must-Haves

I SURVIVED THE POLAR VORTEX!

As you may or may not know, last week a crazy winter storm, known as the "Polar Vortex," swept across the Midwest. With windchill, temperatures got down to -47°! Although Iowa State University always tries to avoid cancelling all classes, it was so bitter cold and unsafe that school was cancelled for two and a half days. These days were quite the experience!

STORY TIME: I tried to spend every possible moment inside, but the cold threw a major wrench in my plans. Before the polar vortex had truly started, I went out to my car to head to church and it wouldn't start. Thankfully, two of my amazing friends were willing to pick me up, take me to church, and then jump my car afterwards. Because it wasn't even as cold as it was predicted to become later that week, this incident made me nervous each time I went out to my car from then after. All was fine until Tuesday night. I drove over to my friend's apartment and hung out with her for around five hours. When I left and went out to my car, no matter how any times I tried, it wouldn't start. Not having access to jumper cables and it being late, my friend drove me back to my apartment and I promised to return to try to jump my car later in the day.

When another friend drove me back to her apartment the next day with jumper cables in hand, my car still wouldn't turn over. The cables had a spark, but my battery was DEAD. I frantically called my mom and walked her through the situation. With my mom and I both calling AAA, we finally got me on a list to have someone come help the next day. The service company was working extremely hard and was able to get someone to my friend's apartment that night. The man took one look at my car and saw I needed a new battery. After he jumped my car with a battery pack, I drove my car directly to the dealership/service center and dropped it off to get a battery replacement the next morning.

All this to say, not only did I survive the frigid temps, but I also learned how to jump a car and deal with some intense car troubles! Today's post is inspired by last week's winter weather. When I did have to go outside, I made sure to bundle up in the best winter wear. These are items that I am truly unable to live without; I have curated them over the years and now want to share them with you!

One | Two | Three

Four| Five | Six | Seven | Eight

Use the links above to purchase each item. The top row of outerwear keeps me warm while walking on campus or studying in my freezing apartment. Whenever I head out to my car, I make sure I have a pair of gloves/mittens, boots, and a hat. My Dad has impressed upon me the necessity of always being prepared, and this more than applies to clothing and accessories suitable for winter weather.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I loved being able to share a story and recommend products. Let me know below if you would like to see more posts like this on the blog. I'm working on my blog calendar in hopes of getting tons of posts out soon. As always, thanks for reading!

#FASHION