The Mama-Approved Capsule, Part Three
There’s a secret every parent needs to know: it’s not just the big things—like coats and boots—that keep everyone comfortable outside. It’s also the little things. The accessories. The hats, mitts, scarves, and socks that stand between you and a meltdown (yours or your child’s).
Something I learned early in my parenting journey is that children don’t truly know if they are warm enough until almost twelve years of age. That’s where we, the parents, come in. Adults can easily check by feeling their hands and feet—if they’re the same temperature as the rest of the body, their core body warmth is reaching all the way to the fingers and toes. From birth, we help our children regulate their body temperature, and by the time they finally sense warmth for themselves around age twelve, they know deeply, in their bodies, what it is to be warm. Being aware of warmth is learned through experiencing warmth early on in life.
And as every parent knows, fall weather is full of surprises. One moment it’s cozy, the next the temperature dips to single digits. One moment you’re shivering, the next you’re peeling off layers. That’s where the right accessories make all the difference: soft, light, pocket-sized wool/silk pieces that are easy to tuck away when the day warms, and just as easy to pull back on when the chill returns.
Here are a few capsule favourites for babies, children, and adults:
Hats: Warm heads = happy bodies. A simple wool/silk cap can turn “I’m cold!” into “Let’s play longer!” And when the temperatures really dip, a heavier wool hat does the trick.
Buffs & Loop Scarves: Small but mighty, these protect little necks (and grown-up throats) from sneaky breezes. We carry wool/silk from Pickapooh and cozy wool from Disana.
Mitts: The true heroes of fall adventures. We especially love BMS mitts—durable, waterproof, and ready for everything from puddle splashing to pumpkin picking. Parents, you’ll wish they made them in your size! We carry both lined and unlined. (The unlined pair beautifully with Pickapooh fleece or boiled wool.
Socks: Never underestimate them. Dry, warm feet keep the whole body happier. Wool socks work in boots, in sneakers, or padding around the house when you’re still trying to get out the door.
The beauty of these small-but-mighty pieces is how they make adventures last longer. They slip into your pocket, weigh almost nothing, and mean you don’t have to call it a day just because the breeze picked up.
So here’s the Mama-Approved encouragement: stock up on the little things. Because sometimes, it’s not the jacket that makes or breaks an outing—it’s the missing mitten.