I’m far from old, but I’m sure older than I used to be. I know this because for the first time in my life, I’m beginning to feel the effects of the cold weather on my body! I live in the Northeast so we got a big blast of freezing temperatures this fall and I was really not ready for it. Believe me, I’m not complaining. All I have to do is think about those poor people in snow-covered Buffalo to know how lucky we are down here. But, it’s just way too early for the cold and my skin is rebelling. I’ve got cracks on my heels and sandpaper hands and we haven’t even reached the heart of the winter yet.
I’ve always been one to promote the fresh air.
“Go outside and play!” I’ll say to my kids even when it’s super cold. And I’ve always gone with them. We’d take walks in the woods, ice skate on frozen ponds, sled down snow-covered hills. We would just bundle up and go. I love that winter feeling, breathing in the arctic air so deep that you feel it in your lungs, your cheeks rosy-red and your mind sharp as a tack. But then this year I found myself cringing about the cold just because of a little bit of chapped skin.
I found my solution completely by accident. I was cleaning out my linen closet (I’m not going to admit how many YEARS it’s been), and came across a memory. Yes, that’s exactly how I felt when I saw the half-full jar of Aquaphor® Healing Ointment back behind the crumpled pillow cases. I opened it up and smiled, remembering my kids as babies as I rubbed a dollop of the ointment into backs of my weary-worn hands. I used to use Aquaphor® for everything! I remember putting it on the tops of their chubby little thighs to prevent diaper rash and dabbing it on their faces when the drool from teething chafed their chins. And as they stumbled into toddlerhood, Aquaphor® was the go-to ointment for their minor scrapes, cuts and little burns.
Now, I have a brand-new jar of Aquaphor® Healing Ointment next to my kitchen sink and one in my bedroom. I use it on my hands, my lips and my face before I go out to play with the kids. And, I’ve gotten the kids into the habit of using it preventatively as well. They love the silky, rich feel of Aquaphor® and even my daughter with the super-sensitive skin can use it without getting a rash.
So, now that I’m armed and ready for winter I say, “Bring on the cold! Bring on the snow!”
Thanks to Aquaphor® I can be me again, refusing to act old in the cold!
What’s your favorite way to have outdoor wintertime fun?
Image ©iStock.com/Bolot