'Tis the season to hit the slopes. Yee haw! But if you're not well prepared, a day on the mountain can be pretty miserable. I have found that if my toes and my ears are warm, I am a happy skier. This is why I was stoked to test some gear a few cold weather gear companies sent my way.

I skied recently on a couple of seriously snowy windy days up in the Lake Tahoe area and was amazed that my toes stayed warm with the Women's Ski Light ($21) by Teko. This is the greenest sock around, made of merino wool in factories powered by wind. It is the perfect combination of thickness and wicking, with a little extra shin padding for your tight boots. This sock is thin, so you can keep your boots tight, but it manages to perfectly insulate your toes from the elements. Though the socks do stretch out a bit easily, I think they will hold up well as long as they don't get thrown in the drier.

As for my head, it was completely covered with the Alpine Hat ($28) by Outdoor Research, made of windproof fleece. This hat is cut to cover your ears, which is essential for the lift time on windy days. The hat fit perfectly under my ski helmet, for it is thin yet warm. My head stayed quite toasty when I went sledding sans helmet too. What this hat might lack in cuteness, it makes up for with practicality and warmth.

Have you hit the slopes yet this season?

Last week I was miserable with a cold — runny nose, zero energy, aches and pains, and horrible congestion. Basically, I was a wreck. Given that the mister was sick the week prior, it's pretty likely he was the giver of my nasty present.

When my loved ones are sick, I usually do my best to take care of them. My mama bear instincts come out, and I totally forget that I'm putting myself in the line of fire. I cook big batches of spicy soups, make sure they have an arsenal of meds at their bedside, and keep them company since they're stuck at home.

A colleague of mine said that the minute anyone in her house gets sick, she wipes down every doorknob and light switch and sticks to limited contact. A friend of mine takes it up a notch and won't even see her boyfriend if he's sick. Everyone else seems to load up on zinc and echinacea in order to protect themselves. Based on these stories, I am now rethinking how I handle sick friends and family. For the record, these two women are remarkably always OK and seem to escape the cold and flu when it's going around. Yet, I always succumb to it even though I keep a very healthy and active lifestyle.

I'm wondering what all of you do when someone close to you gets sick — do you get into nurture mode, practice careful restraint, or banish them to an island?

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If you love working your core doing Boat pose, you're going to love this variation where you hold onto your toes. Aside from toning your abs and back muscles, you'll also increase flexibility in the backs of your legs, and perfect your sense of balance.

Sanskrit Name: Ubhaya Padangusthasana English Translation: Both Big Toe Pose Also Called: V Pose

Since this pose is challenging for those with tight hamstrings, find out how to do an easier variation when you read more