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Author Topic: Keeping Warm, Heating Tips & Tricks  (Read 8266 times)
Amy Joy
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« on: August 20, 2008, 02:36:30 PM »

Moderator's note: This thread started as the result of an elderly wife (husband going senile and bed-ridden) who was concerned about getting expensive and sufficient heat into her house for the winter. 

About ten years ago, DH and I watched some videos by a man who claimed to be a cold-weather survivalist.  He said something to the effect of:  Houses don’t mind being cold.  People do.  So, warm up the people, not necessarily the house.  It’s cheaper to warm people and, then, people can ‘be warm’ wherever they go (in or out of the house)! 

One of the videos showed how to make inner thermal liners out of a pajama pattern, ½-inch, open-cell, polyurethane foam, and mesh-material covering with Velcro or snap closures.  Soon, everyone in our family had inner thermal liners that were worn under our clothes.  They really worked!  They’re hilarious, but they’re great!  You look a little bit like a parade balloon … but you’re comfortable, mobile, and warm.

I can’t remember the guy’s name right now but I’ll as DH about it.
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bluestripe
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« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2008, 03:41:38 PM »

How about this:  Jim Phillips at http://www.jimsway.com/aabout1.html
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Amy Joy
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« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2008, 05:21:26 PM »

Sorry, I just saw this and, yes, that was him.  Thanks bluestripe. 
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BJ_BOBBI_JO
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« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2008, 12:45:43 PM »

-Closing off the upstairs and having everyone sleep downstairs in the living room all sharing blankets.

-Collecting blankets over the years at garage sales and other cheap places. Having tons of blankets for the winter time in an old cold house is a must.

-Making sure there are extra blankets under the person as well as on top of the person.

-I find that sleeping with bare legs (not wearing sleeping  pants) works better because a person can rub thier legs together real fast to create skin on skin friction and heat which will help keep them warm.

-Wearing as many layers as needed.

-Putting the already dry clothes that you are going to wear for the day in the dryer just so you can take them out right away and put on nice warm clothing. Works well with coats and gloves too.

Those are a few things we do during the coldest of cold times in the winter to help say warm.

We have always heated our home with 1 wood burning stove. Just last winter we borrowed someones Eden Pure which is a great little electric heater. So that is how we will heat our home again this upcoming winter. Wood and electric heater.

Even then our house can be extremely cold and miserable when the weather is very cold. We live in a very old farm house. Even with plastic on the windows  and new siding on the house it is still freezing. When the kids were babies we gave them baths in big pans of warm water by the wood burning stove to help keep them warm during bath time.

I am even considering buying one of those big rubber tub thigns that ppl use to put toys or whatever in and filling that with heated water by the wood burning stove for the kids baths this winter only during the real cold times. Because our bathroom is utterly freezing. But I am afraid  that will create a big mess on the floor and I hate to use up all the towels. Ug Im not looking forward to winter.
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denim&lace
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« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2008, 10:15:04 PM »

Soup and warm drinks (tea/coffee/hot cocoa) are great for warming the bones in cold weather too.  Keeping a pot of soup simmering on the stove and the kettle on the stove (or wood stove) do a couple of good things.  It add's moisture to the air to help your sinuses and they are ready and waiting to warm you up when you need it. 

As far as the "houses don't mind being cold" quote...  that may be true, but water pipes DO mind being cold!  And if you aren't handy with plumbing it can be very expensive to let them freeze up. 

Our wood-burning fireplace insert has been a great investment in our home.  It has a top to use for cooking if needed and a couple of years ago when our heater died it did a fine job of heating the whole house.  Most of all I LOVE having something warm to back up to when I come in from shoveling snow.

 
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Amy Joy
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« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2008, 04:36:03 AM »

-Closing off the upstairs and having everyone sleep downstairs in the living room all sharing blankets.
BJ, what great memories you must’ve built!  I’m going to ask DH if we can do the exact same thing this winter.  What a great idea!  Taking a yucky thing (freezing cold nights) and turning them into a family adventure or bonding experience!  That’s too cool!  (Oops.  Wrong terminology for this thread, probably.) Roll Eyes

Soup and warm drinks (tea/coffee/hot cocoa) are great for warming the bones in cold weather too.  Keeping a pot of soup simmering on the stove and the kettle on the stove (or wood stove) do a couple of good things.  It add's moisture to the air to help your sinuses and they are ready and waiting to warm you up when you need it. 

denim&lace, Now, why didn’t I ever think of that?!?  I won’t ask DH about this one:  I’ll just do it!  Great idea and it’ll make for a perpetual nicely “warm, cozy” ambiance even when it’s c-c-c-o-l-d!  For sure, I’ll score some points with DH and kids on that idea.  Thanks! Smiley

Great ideas.  Can we keep ‘em coming?  Anyone else?
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herbalmom
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« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2008, 01:58:56 PM »

One thing I have done before is to cut pieces of cardboard to fit just inside the window frames & cover them with aluminum foil. The foil reflects the room heat back into the room & the cold out. The cardboard blocks drafts coming in the windows & slows down heat loss out the windows. Since they fit kinda snug inside the window frame you want to have a loop of string at a corner or something so you can tug on it to get them back out. They completely block the light so it isn't good for daytime but it REALLY helps at night.

If you can afford to spend a little bit of money, there is a insulation that you can get at Home Depot called Relectix. It's basically bubble wrap with foil on each side. It does the same thing as the foil covered cardboard I mentioned only it does it better & because it can be rolled up you can staple it to a board that gets inside mounted in your window to make a roll up blind. Here's a link for Relectix & DIY directions to make a roll up shade. The shade directions include a lining fabric but if you were making a shade from Reflectix you would just cut one piece of it- the link is mostly for the basic idea I'm talking about.

http://www.reflectixinc.com/basepage.asp?PageIndex=741

http://www.diyideas.com/howto/sewing-fabric/rollupshade_1.html

Another thing that helps is honeycomb window blinds. These are VERY expensive to buy new but I do see them sometimes at thrift stores & have gottent them free on Craig's List. Because they trap layers of air next to the window they slow heat loss out the window.  Some are blackout blinds & won't let light in but most do let light through which makes it nice during the daytime. They can be cut down & although it's not the "recommended" way of cleaning them they aren't hard to figure out how to disassemble them so all the parts can be thoroughly washed (I do it in a bathtub with a hand held shower head) & put back together. MAKE SHURE ALL PARTS ARE THOUGHLY DRY BEFORE REASSEMBLING. If anything is wet you are liable to end up with mold in your blind.  Tongue Tongue

If your air is dry raising the humidity makes you more comfortable at a lower temp.

If you haven't tried wool sweaters, etc & you aren't allergic give them a try. My mom was allergic to wool & I grew up in So. California where it didn't get very cold anyways so I never used wool growing up. As an adult even though I was living in PA & CO I never bought wool just because I wasn't used to it. DH had grown up in OH/PA & was used to wool but since I didn't buy wool he just didn't worry about it & he HATES scratchy ANYTHING so it just wasn't something we used much.

Then a couple of years ago I bought several wool sweaters at the thrift store to make jackets for Thumper (our Dachshund) & the kids tried some of them on & 'claimed' them b/c they were so warm. The kids & I were SO surprised at how warm it was since we weren't used to it. So I ended up going back to the thrift store & buying more so everyone had a couple of wool sweaters. Some wool is very scratchy but much of it is actually really nice. The heavier sweaters are warm enough to throw on to take the dogs out to go potty even when it's pretty cold out & they are nice to wear in the house when you're cold also. 

That's what I can think of right now. Blessings ~herbalmom
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Amy Joy
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« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2008, 03:08:59 PM »

herbalmom,
If both options were available, what do you think would work better?  The homemade Relectix roll up shade, or good second-hand honeycomb window blinds?
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andiki
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« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2008, 04:20:48 PM »

Great and warm ideas!!  Cheesy

I have a friend whos house is very cold in winter and also my parent's house.  I remember wearing lots of clothes during the cold season in my childhood. Another thing that is helpful too is BAKING!! it keeps your house warm and gives you something special and warm to treat yourself and your family.

My grandma told us that she used to wrap her toes with newspaper. That helped keeping the warm in your body. Have you ever wonder why homeless people cover themselves with newspaper in the parks or streets? It's because newspaper is really warm when you try to keep the cold in the out.

HTH,
Andrea
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herbalmom
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« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2008, 05:48:13 PM »

The Reflectex will reflect heat back in to the room AND slow down heat loss through the window so it would work better BUT it completely blocks the light from outside during the daystime if the blind is down. The honeycomb blind isn't opaque (unless it's the blackout type) so it allows light through but only slows the heat loss through the window, it won't reflect the room heat back into the room. So it depends on how important daylight coming into the room is.

One option is to use both- the honeycomb blinds & at night to put either pieces of Reflectex or the foil covered cardboard behind the blind at night which is removed during the daytime. Either one will stay in place between the blind & the window. Night is when it's coldest anyway & then you get the daylight coming through the blinds which helps prevent depression. 

HTH Blessings ~herbalmom

Quote
herbalmom,
If both options were available, what do you think would work better?  The homemade Relectix roll up shade, or good second-hand honeycomb window blinds?
« Last Edit: October 13, 2010, 01:07:31 AM by Amy Joy » Logged
Amy Joy
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« Reply #10 on: September 18, 2008, 09:19:07 PM »

My grandma told us that she used to wrap her toes with newspaper.
 
LOL!  Makes perfect sense, though, as I think about it.  I guess you'd crumple the paper a bit to trap the heat?  Or not?  Did your grandma say anything about that, Andrea?Cool 
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Amy Joy
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« Reply #11 on: September 18, 2008, 09:37:38 PM »

Andiki, your grandma’s footwear made me think of my grandpa’s headwear.  When we are really cold and miserable indoors we just put on a winter hat.  It’s usually enough to do the trick!  Heat escapes through your head primarily.  Then hands and feet are next. So cover your extremities.  Start with your head and go from there.  You’ll probably be surprised at the great result you’ll get and it really helps indoor comfort. 
« Last Edit: September 18, 2008, 09:43:18 PM by Amy Joy » Logged
denim&lace
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« Reply #12 on: September 18, 2008, 10:44:03 PM »

My momma has lots of pictures of my dad sitting around the house with a stocking cap or a fur lined work hat on his head.  He has always hated the cold and wears his old dirty insulted cover alls in the house all the time.  I remember taking naps in his chair when he wasn't home because it smelled like him (his dirty coveralls.. Tongue )

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Amy Joy
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« Reply #13 on: September 18, 2008, 11:06:31 PM »

My momma has lots of pictures of my dad sitting around the house with a stocking cap or a fur lined work hat on his head.
So those illustrations, of mamma in her 'kerchief and papa in his cap who’d just settled their brains for a long winter’s nap, were probably more than quaint old-fashioned modesty!  I confess that we’ve actually slept through the nights wearing winter hats in bed.

I remember taking naps in his chair when he wasn't home because it smelled like him.... Tongue
 
That’s a sweet picture.   
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boysmama
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« Reply #14 on: September 20, 2008, 09:04:52 AM »

Reflectix works both ways- to keep heat out in summer and to hold heat in winter. Fasten to the ceiling joists in the attic.
 Insulate the foundation of your home with straw bales to keep the drafts out and the floors warmer. (During coldest months only)
Putting plastic on the ground in a crawlspace reduces the humidity in a house and makes the "cold" more bearable. Nothing like damp, cold air to chill you to the bone.  Tongue
Wear layers of loose clothing. A little air space around your toes will keep you warmer than a thick layer of tight socks.
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Amy Joy
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« Reply #15 on: September 20, 2008, 01:40:19 PM »

So Reflectix sounds like a really good thing to have, all around!  boysmama, you mentioned straw bales for the coldest months only.  Would there be harm to leaving them there all winter long?
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boysmama
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« Reply #16 on: September 20, 2008, 03:15:31 PM »

Quote
  boysmama, you mentioned straw bales for the coldest months only.  Would there be harm to leaving them there all winter long?
Yes, they can stay there all winter but this depends on the definition of winter in your area. Strawbales help because they reduce air transfer from the crawlspace.  Reducing air flow is going to cause moisture buildup and accompanying problems unless it's very cold. One rule of thumb "If it's too cold to mold, seal it up." Now strawbales do breath so it's not exactly sealed up....In a southern states it may be rainy and cool, but not COLD and windy until Jan.  Other zones it's time to winterize in Oct.
Does that help?
 With insulating the foundation with the strawbales you are also preserving any of the heat released from the ground under the house. It may not seem like much, but compared to having subzero wind whistling under the floorboards; it's a huge improvement.
Now if your house is fairly new  with a solid block foundation just go around and close all those vents. Straw may not be worth the bother.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2010, 01:08:34 AM by Amy Joy » Logged
Amy Joy
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« Reply #17 on: September 20, 2008, 05:01:01 PM »

boysmama, thanks!
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Amy Joy
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« Reply #18 on: September 20, 2008, 05:12:14 PM »

Regarding the inner thermal liners (ITLs) mentioned in the opening post: 

At Night:  DH wanted to “test” the ITL’s to see if they were truly viable for long term use.  So for two winters, he usually kept the thermostat at 42 degrees at night.  Just enough to keep the pipes from freezing.  Our family slept great and we were not uncomfortable when making nightime trips to the freezing cold bathroom. 

Daytime:  We lived in a drafty, old, cold farmhouse like BJ’s.  DH worked in his ITL from a home office.  He could leave the house in winter or drive to town without adding to his garments.  An repairman was shivering in his heavy-duty commercial outerwear when he saw DH comfortably working outdoors.  Repairman asked about DH's ITL and said he was going to buy one ready-made since his wife didn’t sew.   

Cooking:  Since ITL’s are constructed of open-cell polyurethane foam, we made certain that no ITL undergarment was sticking out from under our clothes when cooking or when around fire of any sort.

One winter, we read of some old people died when the heat got shut off.  They could not pay the bill and they were ashamed to tell of their need.  By the time relatives checked up on them, they were dead.  I remember thinking that a pair of ITL’s could have likely saved their lives.  Cry
« Last Edit: October 26, 2010, 12:12:17 AM by Amy Joy » Logged
andiki
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« Reply #19 on: September 21, 2008, 03:52:15 PM »

Quote
My grandma told us that she used to wrap her toes with newspaper.
 
LOL!  Makes perfect sense, though, as I think about it.  I guess you'd crumple the paper a bit to trap the heat?  Or not?  Did your grandma say anything about that, Andrea?Cool 

She made straps with the newspaper and then wrap her toes.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2010, 01:10:01 AM by Amy Joy » Logged
herbalmom
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« Reply #20 on: October 18, 2008, 12:13:50 PM »

I ran across some good ideas on Craig's List Frugal Living forum. I'm just going to copy & paste it here so it may seem a little broken up in thought but the ideas are good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just perused a site where they suggest to use heavy drapes for the winter.

A good idea, but those drapes are expensive.

So, thinking cap on. Ahaa!
Use old blankets, turn them into drapes. Easiest is to pin them onto your already hanging drapes on the back side, use safety pins.

The idea came from my black out drapes. I used the black out lining from some old ugly drapes. Sewed them into fitting curtains, then pinned a "front curtain" on (nice patterned sheets) and it looks fresh and I can change the look when I like to without having to spend money on new expensive black outs.

Also time to bring out the blankets to put on the couches and chairs, save on turning the heat up. Fleece pants,woolsocks, and slippers. If chilled, warm up those buck wheat sacks in the micro, cheaper than hot water I think.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 buy styrofoam sheets at Home Depot and duct tape them over your windows.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Count Dracula!!  Excellent idea if you dont like day light!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 and those window insulation kits  are-good-too

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Company-2141-Indoor-Insulation/dp/B00002NCJI

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Careful with the weight

Residential curtains and rods are usually barely adequate for the job. You can't generally add much weight, or things will start coming off the walls. I've done that!

The other person who suggested construction foam has a great idea. You can purchase it relatively inexpensively from a big box store, in two inch thicknesses. I once used it to line the back side of a garage door and the garage stayed notably warmer in the winter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 How did you attach the insulation to the garage door? Most tape doesn't work well in wet, cool conditions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Silicone glue But there is now a VERY aggressive double-sided tape sold in the paint dept at Home Depot that I might try.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Windows drafty?  If your windows are single pane and drafty with leaks you are better-off sealing the windows somehow. A tight plastic wrap or fitted insulating board will be better than a loose hanging blanket that would only deflect drafts and not eliminate them. If you seal up your house tight, make sure to air it out on warmer days. Also, leave one window to open in an emergency.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 If you want light but don't care about view get bubble wrap and cut it to fit over the pane of glass. (Lable for reuse in future years) and spray window cleaner on the window then place the bubbles aginst the glass ( the solid plasic side towards the inside of the room). The glass cleaner will hold the bubble wrap onto the glass. If you're not worried about the finish of the window fram you can add blue painters tape to seal the edge. fast cheap double paned windows.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Buublewrap - smooth side to glass. Spray water  will-hold-it-fine

Been doing this for 2 years. Cheap and easy. Recover cost in two months.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 I just thumb tacked the curtain insulators to the-wall-behind-curtains

Curtains don't move.

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Aura
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« Reply #21 on: November 12, 2008, 11:54:01 AM »

Now that cold weather is hear, I've noticed that our new house runs on the cold side. I've bumped up the heat twice today, and my nose is finally not cold anymore.   Cheesy  I'm wearing cold weather clothes, but I don't have many clothes along these lines--I live in Georgia after all!   Wink

We have lots of windows. I love the bright and open feeling of the house, so I haven't worried about curtains except where necessary (like bedrooms, etc.) and most of these are lightweight. I can't keep bumping up the heat, so I'm figuring I need to do one of two things.

(1) Do I invest on heavier window coverings that will help insulate against the cold (right now, that would probably be blankets or something)?

or,

(2) Instead of spending the money on curtains (blankets) do I go ahead and invest in warmer clothes (like leggings, heavy socks/slippers, sweatshirts/sweaters--we really don't have much of these clothes! We do have heavier outwear for when we (mainly the kids) go outside in the cold, but not everyday wear that you wear all day Roll Eyes )

Which do you think is the wiser investment?
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Larry
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« Reply #22 on: November 12, 2008, 12:02:42 PM »

Do you run the AC in the summer? If so, you could be getting paid 12 mo out of the year to spend money on the house.

Why not request an "energy audit" where someone from the utility company comes out and helps you decide what you need (Window caulk, Insulation, heavier wire for the Heat Pump etc.)
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hollyolly123
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« Reply #23 on: November 12, 2008, 12:33:41 PM »

We had this problem and it was because our heat/ac unit was about to kick the bucket.  It didn't finally die until the summer when it was ninety eight degrees and I was pregnant, though.  The unit was a cheapie and was like 15 years old.  We got a York to replace it and its great.  $3500 with installation.
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ladyhen
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« Reply #24 on: November 12, 2008, 12:45:59 PM »

Our house is very old and the many lovely windows have a few drafts. 

I just bought some really nice, heavy corduroy at WM for $2.50 a yard and put it on spring rods inside the curtains for extra insulation.   We also have leggings, flannel jammies, sweaters, down comforters for beds, and flannel lap quilts to keep the people here cozy.    Due to our tight  budget, the thermostat is set at 60 - 62* in the daytime and 50* overnight and when we're gone. 
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burlsgirl
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« Reply #25 on: November 12, 2008, 01:03:22 PM »

Now that cold weather is hear, I've noticed that our new house runs on the cold side. I've bumped up the heat twice today, and my nose is finally not cold anymore.   Cheesy  I'm wearing cold weather clothes, but I don't have many clothes along these lines--I live in Georgia after all!   Wink

We have lots of windows. I love the bright and open feeling of the house, so I haven't worried about curtains except where necessary (like bedrooms, etc.) and most of these are lightweight. I can't keep bumping up the heat, so I'm figuring I need to do one of two things.

(1) Do I invest on heavier window coverings that will help insulate against the cold (right now, that would probably be blankets or something)?

or,

(2) Instead of spending the money on curtains (blankets) do I go ahead and invest in warmer clothes (like leggings, heavy socks/slippers, sweatshirts/sweaters--we really don't have much of these clothes! We do have heavier outwear for when we (mainly the kids) go outside in the cold, but not everyday wear that you wear all day Roll Eyes )

Which do you think is the wiser investment?

If I had to pick one of these options, I'd definitely go with the clothes. Then everyone can layer as much as they need to achieve their own personal level of comfort.
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Mrs. B
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« Reply #26 on: November 12, 2008, 01:50:23 PM »

Now that cold weather is hear, I've noticed that our new house runs on the cold side. I've bumped up the heat twice today, and my nose is finally not cold anymore.   Cheesy  I'm wearing cold weather clothes, but I don't have many clothes along these lines--I live in Georgia after all!   Wink

We have lots of windows. I love the bright and open feeling of the house, so I haven't worried about curtains except where necessary (like bedrooms, etc.) and most of these are lightweight. I can't keep bumping up the heat, so I'm figuring I need to do one of two things.

(1) Do I invest on heavier window coverings that will help insulate against the cold (right now, that would probably be blankets or something)?

or,

(2) Instead of spending the money on curtains (blankets) do I go ahead and invest in warmer clothes (like leggings, heavy socks/slippers, sweatshirts/sweaters--we really don't have much of these clothes! We do have heavier outwear for when we (mainly the kids) go outside in the cold, but not everyday wear that you wear all day Roll Eyes )

Which do you think is the wiser investment?

If I had to pick one of these options, I'd definitely go with the clothes. Then everyone can layer as much as they need to achieve their own personal level of comfort.
I agree with Burlsgirl....  I am also in GA and basically if you give it a few days it will be in the mid70's and you can open the house.  The yo-yo weather thing has always made me nuts, but that is besides the point.
We homeschool and are all home in the day so I just make a point of stocking up on things like fleece jackets and pants.  I actually just bought a bunch at old navy pretty cheap.
I also make sure we are all wearing socks, and if I get really cold I wrap up in a blanket too.
I was never big on fleece, and don't personally care for it, but it is so warm and cozy on those cold, damp GA mornings and days like today.  So I've gotten to the point to where I have a couple of pairs myself to put on for the day.  I also wear a light fleece jacket thru out the day.
Personally I try to get things that look nice so I don't feel like I'm sitting in pj's all day.  I try to stick with fitted items in black and grey for myself with a trendy tshirt so I don't feel like some big frump all day.
I also stock up on sweat pants at w-mart for my son as they are about $3.50 a pair for the kids.  I buy them big so that they can wear them a couple of years, and they do seem to hold up well.

In GA I find that it is still pretty sunny in the winter and I don't like to block the light out of my house... I like to enjoy my views.... I have also found that on most days if the sun is out it really helps to warm our house so covering the windows would only make it more dreary.
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Aura
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« Reply #27 on: November 13, 2008, 09:11:09 AM »

Thanks everyone. (Mods--sorry for starting a new topic on this.)

Do you run the AC in the summer? If so, you could be getting paid 12 mo out of the year to spend money on the house.

That's a very good point, but so is...
In GA I find that it is still pretty sunny in the winter and I don't like to block the light out of my house... I like to enjoy my views.... I have also found that on most days if the sun is out it really helps to warm our house so covering the windows would only make it more dreary.

I hate living in a dark and dreary world! I like the light and views from the windows...just not the cold (or heat in the summer).  And "yo-yo weather" describes GA perfectly. So... I guess I'm going to try stocking up on some warmer clothes.  Grin
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denim&lace
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« Reply #28 on: November 13, 2008, 09:22:04 AM »

Warm socks.  If that's all you can afford, it's the BEST cold weather wear investment.  You'll be surprised at how cozy warm you can stay with a nice warm pair of wool socks on in a chilly house. 
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all2Jesus
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« Reply #29 on: November 21, 2008, 05:59:48 PM »

this may sound obvious, but keep you closet doors shut, no since heating those up.
and, does your bathroom really need heat? Maybe shut that vent off.
i wear my ski hat, too.
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