I first wrote a draft of this post when I thought spring had arrived. You know: hot sun, flowers blooming, champagne mangoes piled high at the grocery store. Little did I know we still had plenty of below zero temperatures ahead and even snow in our future. Yikes.

Then I again sat down to finish this post smack in the middle some big changes; 2 cities have to share me this summer, but more on that another time. It was solidly in the 60s with a few scorchers in the 80s (for April, 80s definitely qualifies as just that!), and life was all about flowy sundresses, massive green smoothies, smelling and admiring all the flowers that made it through the confused winter, and taking meditative walks by the river with the pup.

Now here we are, and despite a lot of chillier weather recently, yes, spring has returned — for good this time –, and so has my favorites list. Woohoo!

Note: This is not a sponsored post, but simply a sharing of my very favorite things of this month the winter. If I ever feature a sponsored product, it will be clearly stated. Enjoy!

Vaute Couture‘s Belden coat in apricot – I’ve been dying to have a luxurious Vaute coat to call my own and even tried some on when I attended the Main Street Vegan Academy. But since my budget wasn’t budging, I admired their coats from afar.

My Old Navy hand-me-down winter coat has had a good 10-year run. I noticed in the last couple years that it wasn’t as warm as it once was, and it was showing some serious signs of wear. When the zipper finally broke off, I knew I was ready to invest in a Vaute coat.

For one of their winter 2015 sneak peeks, I spied a quintessentially Marissa apricot color, and I knew it was time to make this happen! Family members chipped in to buy me this as my Christmas present. It was far too warm to wear on Christmas, but it soon got cold and I wore it nonstop. It’s so warm, cozy, sturdy, and stylish, and it fits like a glove. I am completely in love with the color, too, and I get more compliments on this coat than everything else in my closet combined. Heads turn. All the time!

Well Scent Release oil – With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and an Epstein-Barr infection that reactivates then remits in waves, lymph movement is especially important. In the winter, my activity level goes down, and my overall lifestyle is not as optimal for lymphatic health as it is in warmer months. I appreciated this blend this winter, more than words can say.

My teapot – My love got me this cute teapot for Christmas. It was a last minute gift that he spotted in a second-hand store. It was a nice surprise! Both bamboo and daisies have a lot of significance for me, and I drink tons of tea all winter. Small gifts like this are so thoughtful and sweet, you know?

New vegan-friendly eats in the ‘burgh – Being a vegan in Pittsburgh got so much more delicious this winter. With new spots opening like Butterwood Bake Consortium and Mixtape, who both have tasty vegan options, and fully vegan restaurants like Apteka and B52 making their debuts– the latter of which has become my favorite Pittsburgh restaurant to an almost obsessive degree — dining out is a breeze.

So, that’s it for my winter favorites. What are some things that made you feel all warm and fuzzy this winter?