Autumn Must-Haves

You might not have noticed, but it's getting cold out there! Brrr! Cold AND dark! 

Yup, Autumn is definitely in full-swing. Since I can no longer live in denial about the increasingly depressing weather, I figured its about time I got myself prepared! 

The single most important addition to my wintery wardrobe is a toasty new coat. As the prospect of leaving the house without one gets less and less appealing, I know my coat will become my most vital and most worn item - so I'll want it to be cosy, practical and pretty! 

I think I've ticked all the boxes with my newest addition! The Joe Browns Favourite Parka was perfect for an autumnal trip to the woods. I love me a classic coat style (if it's not a duffle coat or a parka, then what is it?) but this one has those pretty little details - like the floral embroidery and jacquard panels - that put it a cut above similar items. 

Plus, the huge fluffy hood! 

You can find this beauty, along with a range of winter coats and jackets, at JD Williams! 

So now that the most important thing is taken care of, what else do you need to see you through the winter season?

Hot Chocolate - I'm a dedicated tea drinker, but when you start to feel that cold right down in your soul, nothing warms it up like a rich sweet hot chocolate. I have a cupboard full of flavoured options. None of that cheap just-add-water instant nonsense, of course, and it goes without saying that you need cream and marshmallows to finish it off!

Netflix - Even with the new coat, I'm happy to stay in when possible over the colder months, and there's few finer ways to wile away the evenings that with a nice big hot chocolate, and hours and hours of TV. Who needs to go out when there's so much still unwatched on Netflix? We've been working our way through Doctor Who as a family, and I've started American Horror Story once the kids are in bed.

Big Stack of Bath Bombs - I grew up in one of those Yorkshire families where we just didn't put the heating on. You might have been able to see your breath, and there may have been ice on the inside of the windows, but you didn't put the heating on. Now, as an adult in my own house? I put the heating on. But never above a '1'. Somehow though, I manage to convince myself that the necessary energy needed to create a bathful of super hot water comes from a difference source.... so sitting in a hot bath is not only totally ok, it's one of the most pleasant ways of warming up (while simultaneously getting some degree of peace and quiet. I love baths, and a big stack of bath bombs just help make the experience more of an 'event'! 

Basically, winter is depressing so finding a way to make those necessary items more pleasurable can do wonders for your happiness levels. A coat will keep me warm, but a coat with pretty embroidery will bring me so much more joy. A bath is nice, but a pink, lavender-scented glittery bath is so much better! 

Have I missed anything important off my must-haves list? What little luxuries help get you through the cold and dark times?

* Coat was provided, but I do proper love it!