my top 5 (simple) things to do...

now that winter is here...

whilst most people's top 5 list would include such things as romantically sipping glasses of red wine in front of a fireplace, or escaping to the maldives for lingering summer days, for me it's all about the simple pleasures of life...

1. wake up early

   go to work early – i enjoy the crispness of the air as i step out of my front door, the darkness of the early morning hours enveloping me, and the golden hues of the sunrise touching the skies as i drive to work. there is method in my madness too – not only does the sun rise later in winter making a 6am front door exit feel like you’re actually doing it at 4am, but the winter air is far warmer before sunrise than after! oh and traffic rocks early on a winter morning!

2. make porridge

   winter is the time to stock up on morning warmers – comfort food rules in winter, and porridge is underrated in this category. i tend to make my favourite porridge in the microwave at work because i leave home early, but the best sight (and smell) is a pot full of warm goodness gently bubbling on the stove. in case you were wondering my fav’s are tastee wheat and maltabella, yum.

3. go for a walk

   work up some heavy breathing, heat, and an appetite to boot! – there is nothing like the fresh feeling of a winter’s breeze on my face, gently tugging on my hair, as I stroll down the open road. a walk gives me some time to reflect on the hectically rushed goings on of my life, and to appreciate the flora (& some fauna) of the neighbourhood. even better if taken off the beaten track in a nearby nature reserve or park.

4. hot chocolate

   another winter warmer winner - i’m unable to drink more than one or two caffeinated drinks a day without bouncing off walls so i turn to hot chocolate for a little mid-day warmth. mmm… chocolaty goodness… to avoid the associated winter padding i tend to mix my cadbury’s hot choc with boiling water and a little milk for creaminess. for a very special treat try pure belgian chocolate ecstasy at your favourite chocolatier – mine is pretoria’s von hapsburg – for the capetonians out there, yes i would drive all of 40km (one way) for it!

5. snuggle in

   comfy and cosy - i tend to get up early every morning, even on weekends (because i have to rather than want to), however winter affords the perfect excuse to snuggle deep into my duvet in the evenings! the perfect thing to do on a friday evening along with a good movie or book…

problogger has been running a "top 5" group writing competition this week - 5 days of top 5's - and although this is late for submission, which ended yesterday (or today - it's confusing), i thought it would still make a good meme! so i tag the following people to blog their top 5's:

1. my number 1 - aquila
2. the other chief chili - paul
3. my first blogger buddy - martin
4. the friendliest chic blogger i know - carly
5. that guy who can like to dance at the next 27 dinner - groogle