As Happy and Warm as Larry Toast

Here's a couple of 擬音語 (giongo - onomatopoeic words) that I have picked up lately:

ほかほか　－ warm
ぽかぽか　－ warm

There doesn't seem to be much difference between them does there? Indeed with 擬音語 people do tend to use them in a rather 適当 (tekitou - as one pleases) way, so whatever subtle nuances there are between these two are hard to pinpoint exactly. However, on the whole ほかほか seems to be associated with hot tasty food, whereas ぽかぽか is used more to describe something such as the weather or exercise that warms the body. There will inevitably be crossover between the two though. Here are a couple of examples:

鍋を食べて、体がホカホカしてきた。
nabe wo tabete karada ga hokahoka shitekita.

ー　Eating hotpot has warmed me up.

マラソンしていると体がポカポカしてくる。
marason shiteiru to karada ga pokapoka shitekuru.

ー　Running a marathon warms up the body.

Amusingly ポカポカ can also be used to describe the sound made when beating someone.