Helpful Hints to Stay Warm This Winter

Winter, which is arguably the worst season of the year, is rapidly approaching. Between regular treks to the Snowager and daily trips to the Advent Calendar, you and your Neopets will be freezing your buns off by the time the month of Celebrating is over! To that end, we've taken the liberty of compiling a list of mildly unusual items to protect you from the cold. We want to warn you to beware of handling fire if you have any Ice or Snow pets, as we are not responsible for any melting that may occur under your supervision. Furthermore, please remember to invest in some fireproof clothes prior to following through with our advice; we don't want any accidents!

Clothing:

It is common sense to bundle up prior to venturing out into the cold, but we encourage you to think outside the box when it comes to winter clothes. For example, Fiery Wooden Wings would give off much more warmth than any other wings would. On the other hand, you should also take into account how quickly wood can burn. Similarly, Fiery Mittens can also provide extra warmth, especially compared to something like a pair of Frost Gloves. And if you want a little extra flare to your outfit, you should look into a Fire Boa!

Alternatively, there are several edible articles of clothing that are worth consideration. They could keep you warm by virtue of filling your belly. As an Artists on Vacation Day item, the Bologna Pimento Glove is one of the most unappetizing things I've ever seen, but beggars can't be choosers. Sour Apple Gummy Gloves, on the other hand, definitely look delicious, but might not be intrinsically warm. Just make sure your hands are clean before you put them on.

Furniture:

You might think that lugging cumbersome furniture around Happy Valley wouldn't be the best idea, but you would be dead wrong. After all, your inventory bag is a lot bigger on the inside, right? For one thing, there are several bonfire, campfire, and fire pit items that are available for your usage. When it comes to these items, we recommend the Gigantic Bonfire, the largest of them all. If you start feeling too cold to continue, you could simply plop your bonfire on the ground and start roasting marshmallows. Or chestnuts--that's festive, right? However, if you would like a fire with a little more personality, you might invest in a Disco Fireplace or even a Rainbow Fireplace. It also probably wouldn't hurt to have a second fire going, for those inordinately cold days. Finally, you might consider a Fire Faerie Canopy Bed. With this in your inventory, you'll be able to take a toasty nap in the middle of the Ice Caves, or if you're daring, in the Snowager's Lair! Be forewarned: if you plan on trying this, you might want to have someone keep an eye out for snowball-wielding passerby. Actually to be fair, if we saw someone sleeping in the middle of the Ice Caves, we probably wouldn't be able to resist either...

Petpets:

Petpets are great companions and can be invaluable in keeping your Neopet warm during the wintertime! Having a little buddy to pal around with can help almost any pet beat the cold. For added warmth, you might even want to consider the possibility of picking up a Magma or Fire Petpet Paint Brush and taking a trip to the Petpet Puddle. Don't have enough Neopoints for a fancy paintbrush? Fear not! There are several basic petpets that are perfect for keeping your Neopet warm, such as a Baby Fireball, Hoggir, Magmut, or Melton. If you don't have any of these petpets on hand, you can even resort to using your petpets as wiggly little hats. Or just cover yourself in a fluffy little petpet blanket as you rest in front of the Snowager.

Food:

Obviously, hot soups and teas would aid you in your mission to stay warm, but again, we urge you to think creatively! For one thing, Fire Jelly would be a brilliant choice given that its fiery nature will quickly warm your belly. Not to mention, you get two servings per jelly.

Cards:

Collectible cards and trading cards might be used for kindling for those who left their bonfires at home. Honestly, who really collects those cards anyway? There doesn't seem to be any sort of tangible reward for collecting trading cards, and collecting collectible cards for a trophy just seems rather hopeless. Additionally, trading cards are rather hard to sell. In fact, the only one that people actually seem to care for is the MSPP (TCG). Accordingly, in a pinch, you should burn the spares that you have. Be careful: they catch fire rather quickly.*

Books/Scrolls:

Along those lines, you could also burn books and scrolls, but we don't actually recommend this. Unless, of course, you've just received your billionth copy of Maraquan Bed Time Stories from the Koi Warrior and you're really running out of places to put them all. But if you're just looking for a quick read to warm up your pet, you might consider picking up a copy of Fire Faerie Magic or Fire Pet Guide. Be careful not to burn your hands while you're reading through them though!

Toys/Plushies:

Plushies are a great way for your Neopet stay warm during this season. Most of them are made from relatively warm material, so surrounding yourself with them can be quite effective. Many plushies are relatively inexpensive, so it would theoretically be possible for you to place them in a paddling pool and swim around in them. But if you think that would be too ridiculous, then you could always wear them as hats--unless you already have petpets occupying that space atop your head. While you're at it, you could also use various hand puppets (in lieu of gloves) to keep your hands toasty warm. If this still isn't enough, then we suggest going to the Trading Post to pick up your very own Razul Plushie with Real Fire Action! They're the most firetastic toys around!

Hopefully we were able to give you some good suggestions to help you beat the cold that inevitably comes with the month of Celebrating. The cold can appear from out of nowhere--like Meepits--so it's best to start preparing now. With a little ingenuity, you can enjoy everything that Terror Mountain has to offer, without catching Sneezles.

*Remember not to play with fire, kids! Always ask for adult supervision.