OT - Living with snow

So you know I am giving "authentic" advice :) I live in North Central British Columbia (Canada). :) so we get snow and cold. Yes you will need snow pants/snow suits. Probably one snow coat per kid (it will be puffy, warm, lined) and two pairs of snow pants. You really can wait until you move and check out second hand stores, walmart, or buy online. you can expect to pay roughly $60 per snow suit (as a minimum). Fleece is good -- my kids wear regular pants (jeans, sometimes with long johns under them) to school and then put on their snow pants to go out to play. Up here if its MINUS 20 degrees Celcius its still an "outside" day so the kids learn to be prepared. Hats are very important (I would go for fleece, or stretching knit hats) as are gloves. DO NOT USE those little knit gloves -- you need lined, waterproof gloves. Be prepared each kid will probably need 3 pairs as a minimum. And will lose half of them in the first two weeks :) Good boots also important -- get the ones that are lined. Removable liners some like, but I dont. Sorels are a good name brand for boots, but pricey. My kids dont like scarves or ear muffs. A good hat, coat, pants, gloves and boots will do you ;) For yourself? Buy lined pants, for longjohns (thermal underwear) for those cold days. A good winter coat. And good socks. For the baby? My babies are 17 months and 7 months -- they both have snow suits and warm boots. One piece is better for the little ones, two for the olders. Good luck :) My kids always say they hate the start of spring because "there is nothing to do" they LOVE the snow.

All three of my kids (5, 6, and 11) have warm winter coats that we are already wearing. (It has been around 35 degrees most mornings at the bus stop.) They all three have snow pants from Target that we use for playing outside, but not for getting to and from the bus stop. If you are walking a distance you may need them for the walk. A little depends on how cold a winter it is this year. In addition to Target, Walmart, Kohls, etc., resale shops and thrift shops are good for finding snow pants up here as well. Just like you don't have them there, everywhere carries them here. Personally I don't care for one piece snow suits except for babies and non-walking toddlers and only buy separate coats and snow pants. Just easier in my opinion. All three have regular knit hats and then my grandmother knited them hats with face masks last year for the really blustery days as the bus stop. Personally I find scarves a pain, but my daughter loves them. (A fashion statement!) We tend to use knit gloves until it gets super cold just because they are easier to get on and off and cheap. Waterproof ones are a necessity for being outside in the snow though. Knit ones get soaked fast. Like snow pants, you can buy boots pretty much anywhere here that sells shoes. Target, Kohls, etc. I don't spend a ton of money on them as they tend to outgrow them from one year to the next. I have snow pants for sledding, building snowmen, etc., but don't use them on a daily basis. I do fine with just jeans or cords. But I have lived here most of my life so I am used to it. You may want some long underwear or fleece lined pants for your walk. And definetly some snow pants if you are going to 'play' outside. Boots, hat, gloves, and a warm coat will be a necessity. Hope that helps! ETA: Here the kids have inside recess if it hits 15 degrees (I think, it might be higher) F, including the wind chill. I can think of one time school was closed because of the cold, but it was something crazy, at least for here, like -20F with the wind chill. I wouldn't last long where Jensboys lives!!

Thanks so much, Debbie and Jensboys! Your replies are very helpful! Now, this will make me sound really dumb, I know, but what can I do?? Questions - Do the snow pants go OVER regular pants when we walk to the bus (I anticipate it will be about a 7 minute walk) if they are needed? I am thinking if the snow is blowing, they will need them? If it's just for the walk, do they then change into regular pants or can they wear them at school? Also, the boots - do they just wear boots instead of other shoes, or are these boots the type that go OVER shoes, like rain boots?? I will definitely be writing down all the info you have given me for my shopping expeditions. I have a feeling I will be shopping quite a bit those first couple of weeks!

Not dumb at all! The snow pants go over the regular pants. Here is an example [url=http://www.landsend.com/pp/ReinforcedKneeSquallBibs~149462_7.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::ADB&CM_MERCH=IDX_00003__0000000338&origin=index]Kids' Reinforced Knee Squall Bibs from Lands' End[/url] (Though I wouldn't pay Lands Ends prices. I would go to Target. ) The boots go on alone and then you need to remember to bring shoes to school. (Would you like to know how many times my I or my kids have been some where with only boots and no shoes? ;) EASY to forget!)

Debbie, thanks for the link! I looked around the site, and this is fascinating! It's like I'm planning a trip to Mars or something ;) Totally clueless! Hey, would you believe my DH just got a job offer from a place in GA that he had interviewed at some time ago??? If it was in Atlanta I would go in a heartbeat - LOVE Atlanta. But it's in central GA, not a nice area. I'll take my chances in Michigan!!!

ROFL! You seriously made me laugh out loud at that! Hopefully Michigan will turn out to be better than Central GA! The first winter will probably be a bit of a shock (ok, more than a bit!) but I bet the kids will enjoy the novelty of snow. Hopefully it won't be too bad a winter for you to ease into!

Dear Journey, We moved from Florida to Northern Indiana. Right across the Michigan state line. We live in the country and find Carharts are very warm for working out of doors. You can find snow clothes though in Florida at The Burlington Coat Factory. They have a nice selection. The baby really should have a snow suit too. Last year we had 6 no school days due to snow and cold weather. Which mean, you can't plan any vacation right after school is out because they tack those days on to the end of the year. We got caught up in that. We actually love the snow though. Its the thaw that we hate. Good Luck Saj

Yes, I thought you might get a laugh out of the Mars comment - but really, it seems like a whole 'nother world! Okay, I found out that Target has all these items online. Tell me, are the snow pants sized to fit over the regular pants, or do I need to buy one size larger? And do you think I should buy us all one set of this stuff before we leave, so we are prepared? Or is it not too bad in late November? I was thinking that to save some money, I could get the first items at Target online, then when we move up, I could scout the thrift shops for 2nd and 3rd items. This stuff is big and puffy - now I know what we'll be putting in our basement! Oh, our realtor in Lansing said that the winter this year is supposed to be "mild". Hmmm.....still thinking snow gear!

Saj, thanks for the tip about Burlington Coat Factory. We actually live in SC right now, since about 4 yrs ago. But I lived my first 43 years in Florida, born and raised in Miami! I'm glad to know that you like the snow. I'm kind of excited about it, and the two older kids are WAY excited, and can't wait to get to Michigan! I'll definitely get a snowsuit for Olivia too. You know, it's funny that we are moving to MI now - I spent 3 weeks last year in early November in the Detroit area, while waiting for the paperwork to clear ICPC. Olivia gets to move back to her home state!

Yes, mild to her and mild to you are probably slightly different definitions! There will be plenty of snow. Where you will be usually gets more snow than we do on the east side, but not as much as the western and southern parts of the state. Just kind of the 'track' that the storms seem to follow. We usually average one or two snow days a year. Typically when it snows late at night or early in the morning and they can't get the roads cleared in time for the buses which are running by 6:00/6:30 AM. There are snow days built into the school year. In my 13 years of school in Michigan and now my oldest's 7 years, we have never had to add any days on to make up snow days. Generally they are sized with the expectation of they are going over other clothes. So the size they wear in clothes should be the size they need in snow pants. Larger doesn't hurt for layers and for making them last longer before they are outgrown. I like the bib style as you can make them shorter in the beginning and then let them out to get more time out of them. (Can you tell I am cheap?!) This is just my opinion, and I will probably live to regret saying this . . . . it is cold, but there usually is not that much snow in Nov. (if any.) I would make sure they have a warm coat as well as gloves (at least some knit ones) and a hat before you get here. And then buy boots and snow pants and any extra hats and gloves you think you need once you are here. They will be on sale by then and there should still be plenty available. (Again, my cheapness showing!) If you think you will have too much to do with the move and getting settled and won't want to deal with things like that in Nov. then get them now. Personally I find one coat and one pair of snow pants enough. And then a couple hats and pairs of gloves. Trust me. That basement will somehow fill up before you know it!

I don't live in MI, but I do live in a winter cold weather state. My kids like the snow pants that are just pants better than the bib overall style snow pants as they are easier to get on and off. As easy as it is to buy sweaters, I find that those thin long sleeve mock turtle necks with a tshirt over it in layers is better for them at school. If the schools are anything like they are here, it's HOT inside the school and if they don't have layers to peel off, they are miserable during the day.Boot socks over the regular socks on the really cold days are great too and they just peel those off as well.Layer, layer layer is always my motto in the winter!:)

Crick, good advice about the layering. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Not sure whether to get the bib style, or without bib. It will probably take some trial and error before I feel really confident! Debbie, I tend to think like you - get a couple years' use of everything! We try to be very frugal. Honestly, after 3 adoptions, we have to be! Since I'm new to this, I will probably just go with what's available, and what seems to work the best. Probably we'll wait til we move to buy most things. Yay, sales!

Target makes the snow pants style as well as the bib style so you can compare prices that way. If it's to be a "mild" winter then you likely won't use the pants that much so certainly would make more sense to go with the style that gives you a couple of years out of them.I like frugal too! My use of the pants style stems from 4 kids who are off school the whole month of December and if there is enough snow to romp in, it can be an all day process of in and out! Takes forever to get them all ready to go only to have them tell you they have to go to the bathroom so you get them undressed again, they go, get back in the gear and then of course the next child has come inside saying it's too cold and they want hot chocolate. Rinse, repeat....;)

Crick, I am laughing as I imagine such a scenario with my kids this winter! I'm sure that I'll be wishing for whatever is easiest and quickest! Thank you all for your good advice - I am taking this all in, as we get ready to experience this strange new world of SNOW!!!!

LOL! Crick is right. The pant style are easier for on and off. My kids are never out that long that it becomes an issue, but if your kids end up loving the snow and want to be out all the time, the pants are probably a better choice. Just make sure their coat is long enough that they don't end up with snow up in their coat where the snow pants aren't. Everything is so big and oversized these days, and longer coats seem to be the style anyway, but I am of an age where I can remember the short, to-the-waist ski jackets, and snow getting up into my coat above my snow pants! Probably just highlighting my age though!