Patch Picks: Ways and Places to Warm Up in Newton

Sip some hot chocolate- Yes, we all need our caffeine fix in the AM, but what is more warming than a fragrant cup of hot chocolate on a frigid day? You can go to any of the many chain coffee shops in town (Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks or Peet’s) or hit one of the local shops like , , or .

Slurp some soup – Comfort food is the order of the day during New England winters, and soup is the perfect warming meal when you’re on the go. has at least six types of soup each day, and during the colder months they also sell chili and chicken potpie. Grab a quart and bring some home for dinner, too.

Sweat away the chill – It’s easy to just develop a few extra pounds to keep you warm during the winter, but why not make a healthier choice? The studios at are heated to approximately the same temperature as your body, so while you’re posing and staying fit you’re also staying warm. Classes are available for all levels, so stop by the studio and sign up.

Butter it up – We often forget that during the winter, movie theaters are a fantastically warm location to sit without layers of coats and scarves, munch on some hot buttery popcorn and lose yourself in a film. is currently showing “The Descendants” which is set in Hawaii and stars the very hot George Clooney. If that doesn’t warm you up, nothing will.

Pull up the covers and hide – Some days, you simply don’t want to deal with the cold weather. You just want to stay in bed or wrapped in an afghan on the couch and avoid even the trip from your car to the indoors. For those days, why not pick up a book at the . It’s under new ownership and is slowly being reorganized to be user-friendlier, but you can still spend a few toasty hours just finding the perfect paperback to keep your mind off the lower temperatures.