I was thinking about this post on my way to work this morning while I was marveling at how toasty warm my hands were in my thick mittens that I haven’t worn since last winter. I splurged on a pair of Burton Favorite Leather Mittens last year when it was clear that we were in for a brutally cold chicago winter. One of my roommates in college had a great pair of rabbit fur-lined leather mittens that I fell hard core in love with and they obviously made an impression on me. I have a condition that gives me very poor circulation in my hands and feet, so I’ve cycled (no pun intended) through hundreds of pairs of mittens and gloves in my life, and I know that mittens work best for me. I found this Burton pair online, and even though they looked a little bulky, I figured it was worth the trade off of having warm hands. BEST DECISION EVER. My hands stay so so warm for the 5 mile commute, even when its 10 degrees and sleeting, and they broke in after one ride. It also deserves a mention that these mittens have a built-in snot wiper on the thumb, made of extra soft material….. genius.

Before we dated, brian was anti-“anything that keeps him warm” including gloves, hats, boots, thick socks, scarves, etc. We used to do monthly 2-hour bike counts (he still does) that would just be the WORST during the winter. I would plan my outfit days in advance and stock up on handwarmers just to survive. Brian would stomp into work wearing a lightweight flannel, skinny jeans, and his vans, half frozen. It took some serious convincing, but I’ve brought him around to the wonders of  cold weather gear. He now wears hats, gloves, and one of our newer favorites, the Buff Merino Wool Gaiter. Slow and steady wins the race, someday I’ll get him to wear a pair of these Burton mittens too!

I’m starting to realize that most of my favorite things that I own are made out of leather…. coincidence? I think not. I love that it’s natural and not synthetic, and it really does the best job of insulation and durability. Have you ever noticed that companies that sell great leather products stand proudly behind all their workmanship? Brooks, Frye, Burton, Ugg…. I’m sure there are many more, but a strong and proud company is one I’m happy to support.