Prepare yourself for the winter days ahead

Illustration by Natalia Lavrinenko.

Winter is coming. It’s already arrived in a few places.

Since it’s a high-maintenance season, you’ll need to winterize several different aspects of your life. We’ve got you covered.

Winterize your car. AAA provides some great tips, as does the Mechanic Shop Femme from Chaya M. Milchtein.

Winterize your home. This Vox article guides you through the process.

Winterize your body. Schedule your flu and COVID vaccines. And being sick is no fun when you’re living on your own, so keep some supplies handy, such as Bayer Aspirin, Advil Pain Reliever, Vicks DayQuil and NyQuil Cold and Flu Medicine and Afrin No Drip Severe Congestion Maximum Strength Nasal Spray. And make sure you have Kleenex Trusted Care Facial Tissues and Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup.

Winterize your wardrobe. If you don’t already, have a good coat, gloves and boots on hand.

Winterize your bookshelf. In case there’s a snow day, stock up on some great titles. We loved “Party of One: Be Your Own Best Life Partner” by Meghan Keane; "The Paris Novel" by Ruth Reichel; “I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman’s Pursuit of Pleasure of Paris" by Glynnis MacNicol; and “The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies” by Alison Goodman. Need a fun binge-watch? “Somebody Somewhere” is excellent.

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