I’m freezing, are you?

Hindi words of the week:
बर्फ Baraf (buh-ruff) – snow
ठंड Tand (tu-uh-nd) – cold

Hey Raptors, feeling cold yet? I am. I’ve already pulled out my big winter jacket. What ever happened to fall? It used to be my favorite season and now it’s like two weeks. I’ve had it, officially. Get the reference? HAHA. Because of the cold weather I wanted to share some simple tips to make this winter a bit easier.

1. Frosty windshield? Fill a bag with hot water and run it over your windshield. Frost be gone!
2. Keep a spare blanket, sweater, socks, and those crush-to-heat packet things in your car. Oh and some snackables too, like peanuts or ramen!
3. Make sure your tire pressure is not low, if so head to the closest gas station and fill up those tires. If you don’t know how, ask the people at the gas station politely and they will most probably help you. There is also youtube.
4. Invest in a nice thermos cup. Wether you’re a coffee drinker or not there are some days where it just feels nice to walk around with a hot drink in hand. Having a thermos will actually make that possible.
5. Cold hands? Get some gloves now before they’re all sold out everywhere.
6. I always have some extra cold medicine and lozenges in my car too but that might just be my paranoia kicking in from not living in any cold environments for ten years haha.
7. Keep a bag of clay kitty litter in your car’s trunk. If your car gets stuck in deep snow or slick ice, sprinkling kitty litter (non-clumping) at the base of your tires can be just the thing to add some traction and get things moving again. The extra weight in your trunk will also create added pressure on your tires, ensuring greater contact between your tread and the ground.
8. If you ride you’re bike to school and the roads and sidewalks are getting slippery you can give your bike a bit more traction by securing zip ties around the tire every few inches.
9. This is a bit of a crafting tip for those of you who like to make things, you can actually make a decent space heater (clearly this is for a small room) out of a tray some tea-lights and a pot. You can view the video tutorial here.
10. Last but not least, don’t forget to go outside. I know, it”s cold and not enjoyable in the beginning few moments but that passes soon enough. Being outside is important for your mental health and just because the days are shorter and the weather colder doesn’t mean you can’t step outside for a few minutes of fresh air.