Cozy Blankets, Candles, Insulation and Microwaved Tootsies

by K Knapp
(Eastern Iowa, USA)

Living in a cold climate, winter heating costs can really get out of hand. I battle back with my thermostat, setting it between 64 and 66 degrees.

While this seems crazy cold to most of my friends and family, they are the ones complaining every time their heating bill arrives. My family survives just fine at this temperature with a few well placed accessories.

Each chair in my home gets a cozy throw blanket making it very convenient to watch television cuddled under a nice soft blanket. When the weather chills our drink choices warm up. A mug of coffee, hot chocolate, or tea not only warms you from the inside but also makes a nice hand warmer.

I have also found that lighting inexpensive candles adds a glow to the air that makes you feel warmer even though they don’t really change the temperature.

If you get cold at bedtime this can be remedied with some well timed laundry drying. A nice warm pair of pajamas fresh from the dryer helps warm your body and your sheets quickly.

Personally, my feet give me the biggest trouble so I pop a washcloth into the microwave for just a few seconds and put that at the bottom of my bed. This allows me to get my toes nice and toasty.

One super easy winter tip is to make sure you use a humidifier. Moist, humid air feels warmer than dry air.

In addition consider adding insulation, my husband and I rented a blower and added inches of insulation made from recycled phone books to our attic two years ago. Our gas company offered a nice rebate incentive so the added insulation ended up costing us less than $100, we made that back the first very cold winter that followed.

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