I am so sick.
Like, the kind of sick that makes you wish you were dead.
The kind of sick that makes you pull the car over every half hour or so to take a quick cat nap so you don’t pass out and kill the cute little Christmas elves in the back seat.
The kind of sick that makes you climb into a shopping cart and make said elves push you around Toys R Us, because you sincerely cannot stand for more than 2 minute intervals. And yes, the other Toys R Us patrons really loved our little show.
Sometimes I forget how strange our family must seem to other people. . . we kind of just do what we do and never think a thing of it until we see someone else’s reaction . . . but I digress. . .
Richie has been out of town for the last week (aside from Wednesday night), so I’ve been flying solo with the crazies. Side note: check out this darling cell phone pic (Instagram: NatalieNorton, find me!) of the boys at their Christmas dance recital on Friday. Love them.
So today, Richie was home again (jiggity jig/huge sigh of relief), so I sent him to church with the boys, while I took a 4 hour nap. . . and after a full 8 hours of sleep last night, I’m very impressed with myself. The sleep was great (and the HUGE dose of Advil wasn’t bad either), but let me tell you the thing that rocked my world harder than anything else.
Hello, Columbia’s awesome baselayer.
Earlier this fall, Columbia Sportwear sent me a bunch of winter gear to review. Can I just say, I love working with Columbia?! Unlike other vendors that send me their products for review, Columbia has NO EXPECTATION whatsoever that I’ll blog or otherwise promote their products (which is good, because if I don’t love something, there is NO WAY I’m writing about it anyway). What makes Columbia even cooler, is that they SPECIFICALLY ASKED me that if I did decide to share my thoughts on the gear, that I would be completely honest (even if that meant a negative review). Gosh. Talk about integrity. What an amazing company they are.
Happily, I only have a 5 star review for them thus far.
Enter: The Baselayer. It’s essentially long underwear, only a thousand times cozier and not nearly as sticky and sweaty when you’re wearing it indoors. It has this weird, alien looking, metallic lining they call Omni-Heat® + Omni-Wick™ that actually works to reflect your body heat back to you in the areas you need it most and to wick away sweat in high-perspiration zones. Beyond all that, it’s comfy as can be, totally easy to move in, and has some kind of “antimicrobial treatment” that keeps the fabric feeling and smelling fresh through high exertion or when. . . saaaaaaay . . . you’re sick and don’t shower or change your clothes for 3 days straight (whatever you do, don’t tell mim). What? Don’t judge. I said I was dying.
I have the bottoms pictured left as well as a matching top, that I’m not finding online. The closest match I’ve found is the Men’s version that has gray stitching instead of red. Richie has plain black. Sleek meets cozy. Love.
I’m probably the only psycho on Earth who would ever do this, but yesterday night I actually wore them outside (yes, JUST my baselayer). I had to run out to the car really quick and wasn’t willing to change my clothes. It was 35 degrees out, I had a fever of 102, and guess what? I did not even feel the chill, not at all. Bam! You go Columbia, you GO! Thanks for swaddling me through this funk.
I’m excited to wear these bad boys (and the awesome jackets they sent Richie and I) skiing in Park City next week.
Wish me well. I’ve got to kick this thing by Wednesday morning or Christmas is ruined. RUINED I SAY!
xo, N