Running club and hot cocoa

I am thankful for my warm clothes, coat and mittens and hot chocolate. It is really cold in SC this week. Braxton had a "fun run" yesterday and we had to sit outside in the cold wind! My neighbors daughter, Abita is also in the running club and her mom had to work, so she and her sister came with us. Poor Ritika was freezing! She had to sit in the stands with me, in our school you cannot be in the running club until you are in the 3rd grade and she is only in the 2nd. On the way to the car, I said when we get home we will make some hot cocoa. Both girls said that they had never had it before and then quickly decided that they had tasted some in 1st grade when they had PJ day at school, but that it did not have marshmallows in it. I asked them if they would like me to get some marshmallows and some cocoa mix while we were at the store so they could try some good cocoa and of course they said yes! We came home and drank hot cocoa with marsmallows in it, not the little ones that are already in some mix, we bought the miniature marshmallows. The girls both seemed to enjoy it, but I think Ritika liked it more.

When we got home I started a fire before I made the cocoa, I think they liked that the best. Ritika kept saying, it is so warm! I am glad that it is getting cold, it is helping me to get into the holiday mood.

What things do you do to help keep warm when it is cold outside?