A Perfect Snow Day Itinerary With Hot Chocolate, Sleds And More
You remember how it went: You'd pray your hardest to the snow gods that a blizzard would unleash its wrath upon your town. You could barely sleep and wore your pajamas inside out (thanks, urban legends).
Come morning, you knew even before your mom or dad walked in. There was a glowy white light emanating from behind your blinds and a blissful, school-free calm outside.
Not much has changed, except that instead of watching the bottom scroll on the local news channel, you're refreshing your inbox incessantly.
We know the feeling well, so we took the liberty of dreaming up the perfect snow-day itinerary, from crumpets topped with chorizo and maple in the morning to sleigh rides in the afternoon to roasted chestnut hot chocolate and cozy blankets at night.
7 a.m.
Wake up and get the much-anticipated email declaring work cancelled. Roll over and doze. When you finally rouse, slip into a cozy pair of Minnetonka booties.
Photo: Courtesy of Minnetonka
8:10 a.m.
Leisurely brew your favorite roast, and pour your coffee into a Teddy Roosevelt mug—the man knew a thing or two about the great outdoors. And since this isn't any ol' day, top it off with Dave's vanilla coffee syrup.
fishseddy.com, $22; oldfaithfulshop.com, $16
Photos: Courtesy of Fishs Eddy and Old Faithful Shop
8:30 a.m.
Before getting sucked into morning television, make yourself something nice for breakfast. Today isn't the day for granola and yogurt. We'd go for crumpets topped with maple and chorizo.
10:15 a.m.
Oh, right, there's snow outside. And no work to be done. (The perfect snow day does not include shoveling.) Bundle up, and don't forget your tartan scarf and chapstick that tastes like Mexican hot chocolate.
orvis.com, $79; stewartandclaire.com, $6
Photos: Courtesy of Orvis and Stewart & Claire
10:30 a.m.
Scope out the neighborhood. A hill? Great. The grassy knoll of an exit ramp? Eh, be careful. A golf course? Pure gold. Grab a Mountain Boy Sledworks' Ultimate Flyer Sled and get on your way.
shophorne.com, $160
Photo: Courtesy of Horne
Noon
Frigid air has a way of working up an appetite. Take a time out from the wintry wonderland and defrost with the perfect grilled cheese—the secret is painting each side with mayo before cooking (trust).
12:45 p.m.
Before you venture back out, brew another pot of coffee—you'll need your energy—and pour it into a thermos for the road.
woolrich.com, $18
Photo: Courtesy of Woolrich
1 p.m.
These outdoor adventures are fun and all, but a roaring fire will be the ultimate end to the day. Chop some wood while the sun's still up with this limited-edition, handmade ax with a handsome leather case.
bestmadeco.com, $140
Photo: Courtesy of Best Made Co.
2:15 p.m.
It's not time to retire inside quite yet. Return back to your sledding hill—it's bound to be icy by now. Use a saucer-shaped sled to zip down it. Pro tip: A spritz of cooking oil on the bottom makes for an even better ride.
llbean.com, $40
Courtesy of L.L. Bean
3:30 p.m.
Normally you'd be just trying to get through the afternoon slump. Now, you're wiping your snowboots on a grizzly mat and contemplating your next activity.
izola.com, $45
Photo: Courtesy of Izola
4:15 p.m.
Time to think about dinner (the important things, people). Vietnamese beef stew sounds like just the thing.
5 p.m.
Round up your neighborhood pals. The warm smell of the stew bubbling away should be more than enough to get them over, but a few rounds of Scrabble will sweeten the pot.
restorationhardware.com, $199
Courtesy of Restoration Hardware
8 p.m.
Dinner's done, the fire's dying. Keep the woodsy scent going with red cedar incense.
domesticdomestic.com, $14
Photo: Courtesy of Domestic Domestic
8:30 p.m.
What's the only dessert that goes with a snow day? A steaming cup of hot chocolate. Skip the packaged stuff and make a batch of this roasted-chestnut version topped with vanilla bean marshmallows.