You might say that winter is the best time to read and write: Both can be done under a warm blanket with a cup of tea or another warm bev at the ready. But even with a towering TBR pile and a work in progress, we all could use some creature comforts and treats to get us through the darkest season. I asked the Porch team for a few favorite ways to soothe the spirit and bring coziness to these short days and long nights.

My picks? 

1. To warm the insides, High Garden Tea's "Haut Toddy" or Understory's "Inner Fire," enjoyed with our without bourbon, depending. This year I'll be sipping from the new Porch tumbler, which is, if I do say so myself, a really fine specimen in a world of "meh" travel mugs. It's the perfect size, boasts a ceramic lining rather than aluminum (better for taste, the experts say), and truly does not leak when snapped shut. I've turned a full one over and not a drip escaped. Honestly, I love this thing—I spent a long time browsing options!—and I hope you'll grab one and love it as much as I do. (Get one at the Porch House next time you're there, or email us at hello@porchtn.org if you're local; we can work out a hand-off.)

2. Peak Cozy Time, for me, looks like: Sitting on the couch, under a quilt my mama made me years ago, near my gas log fireplace with its pleasant hiss, with a record playing and a candle glowing. You'll find me here a lot for the next three months, listening to something moody like Nashville artist Emily Hines' debut record These Days. (Oh, and if it's really chilly, and therefore drafty in my house. I'll probably be wearing my Porch beanie, too.)

3. I got a couple pair of Le Bon Shoppe "Snow Socks" from The Green Ray last year, and they're my current faves. They're on thicker side, with a touch of wool and a decorative detail I can never resist: speckles! (Psst: The Green Ray is a wonderful Nashville spot for a little retail therapy.)

4. For meal time, give me a good Bolognese, like this classic recipe from Marcella Hazan.

Katie: 

1. I love a real-deal, crackle-and-pop, early winter campfire. Nights are longer, temps cooler, perfect for the hypnotic, sensory, age-old experience rooted in the stuff of our evolutionary selves. A blazing fire under a night sky calls forth storytelling, hilarity, smell of smoke, conversational meanderings, cups full of warming libations, occasionally amateur singing… And now I’m conjuring a Porch campfire. Anyone?

2. Here’s my tried-and-true December recipe: Spicy Beef Stew with Carrots and Chickpeas. (Yes, there’s a little dissonance between the Martha Stewart recipe and the Ethiopian spice it relies on, berbere… which, be warned, may require online ordering). It’s also something of a half-day project, but it’s a win every time. FWIW, I’ve made it with Beyond Beef for my veggie peeps, maybe just as good. 

3. This one has more to do with National Book Award season than with darker days and cooler temps. I relished Literary Hub’s recent introduction to the twenty-five 2025 Finalists across the genres.  In the complication of quick Q&A’s with each author and poet, we get a gander into their inspirations, writing habits, and the vibrant voices shaping contemporary literature.

Halley:

1. The best of autumn and winter, creepy and cozy, and innocence and experience combine in Over the Garden Wall, Cartoon Network's 2014 animated folksy fantasy miniseries following half-brothers Wirt and Greg through a strange wood as they attempt to find their way back home. With only 10 episodes at 11 mins per episode, you can knock this wonderfully whimsical and wistful story out in an evening—then proceed to watch it on repeat until the spring comes, shining the Woodsman's lantern light through the darker days. The beautiful score and soundtrack can keep you cozy company while you write, draw, knit, bake, or contemplate the endless yawning existential dread of The Beast. 

2. What better pairing with childlike wonder and gothic horror than a mug of mulled wine? Citrus and spice come together for the perfect seasonal beverage to accompany whatever moody indoor activity you've committed to while the light drains rapidly from the sky and sucks your soul into the dark spiraling abyss of... You know what, the point is that the mulled wine will help with that. It not only tastes great, but looks gorgeous—the perfect blend of style, substance, and a truly incredible smell. Brew your own on the stove with a huge wooden spoon like the wintry witch/wizard you are, and reap the aromatic rewards! 

Bonnie:

1. I LOVE throwing on an old Jazz record as soon as the sun starts to set. Currently, I'm obsessed with Chet Baker Sings.

2. A ritual that keeps me grounded in all seasons, but especially during the transition to Vata season, is a warm Abhyanga with some herb-infused oil. 

3. And lastly, nothing beats a heated blanket, a warm cup of peppermint tea, and a good book! Currently on deck is Unbound: A Woman's Guide to Power by Kasia Urbaniak.

Nina:

1. In Tommy Orange's first novel, There, There, he has as his epigraph a quote from the playwright and poet Bertolt Brecht. I find myself saying thisaloud at night:

In the dark times, will there also be singing?

Yes, there will also be singing.

About the dark times.

So read either or both – Tommy Orange or Bertolt Brecht.

2. And that makes me go to the singing. Jose James’ record 1978 came out in 2024, and I’ve been listening on repeat ever since.

3. What am I sipping while I’m listening? Make some lemongrass-ginger-Thai basil simple syrup. If it’s a hot night, pour it over ice and add sparkling water. For a cold night—and I’m hoping for many of these over the next couple months—pour some in a mug, make some hot ginger or turmeric tea, and add this delicious simple syrup. Or make yourself a cocktail—it goes well with gin. 

Leslie:

1. Every fall into winter, when the old willow oak tree in my backyard and the wind finally agree, hundreds of thousands of golden rust leaves spin down like sardines doing ballet. Last year I captured this remarkable display, the celebration of another year with generous confetti. Beats Times Square by a mile.

2. The Reading Room, Chattanooga's only bar and used bookstore (yep) and my new second living room, recently opened three minutes from my house. It is an excellent place for wintering, aka writing, reading, and hiding, all favorite seasonal hobbies. Think hot tea, crisp cocktails, grilled sandwiches, roasted nuts, cold beer, dark nooks well-lit-for-reading (magic), all surrounded by books you can add to your tab—each $8 or less. All books are sourced from the Chattanooga Public Library Foundation, and $3 of every book purchase goes directly back to the Foundation. Meet me there, Gatsby booth.

3. My favorite winter tradition is putting up a real holiday tree. The cleansing scent, transformative glow,  nostalgia, and art of placing each ornament never get old. Once our tree is up I might not sneak off to The Reading Room so often. Unless...they have a real tree too...

4. Cold, dark evenings mean ramen season. My favorite bowl in town is the Katsu Curry Ramen from Attack of the Tatsu.

Joe: 

1. Heated patios: Every time I’m seated near one of those gas heaters that soften the chill just enough to stay outside, I feel like I’m getting away with something. Shout out to our friends at East Nashville Beer Works who have one of the best heated patios in town and host The Porch’s literary trivia nights.

2. The essay “In Defense of Darkness” by Holly Wren Spaulding: This lyric essay describes seasonal darkness as beautiful, intimate, and rejuvenating. Wren argues that we should embrace the natural cycle of darkness instead of trying to conquer it. Susannah shared this essay with me in 2015, and now I read it every year when the nights start getting longer.

3. Wassail: I never used to like apple cider, but when local poet Joshua Moore first made me wassail—so warm,  spicy, and boozy—I was hooked.