Saturday, October 3, 2009

Welcome to Fall

(By Various Contributors)

When turning the heat down at night, I put hats on my baby and toddler, and slipped on their wool longies and their fleece pullovers, with a long sleeved onesie under all that. Yes, technically, it's not pajamas, but unlike me, they didn't know how to pull the covers back over themselves. Longies were my friend during the day too. They are incredibly warm. Even if they get wet they are warm. Longies are sold on eBay, Etsy, or you can make your own. There are patterns online (free to knit or serge/sew) and thrift stores always have plenty of sweaters. You could even buy a super cheap one in an ugly color or pattern - it's just for home and/or nighttime.
I plugged in a hot pad and put it at the bottom of my bed. Not touching my feet, just keeping that whole area warm. Plus I wore my wool hiking socks to bed.
We also shut vents off in rooms we weren't using, put the magnetic sealers over the vents, and kept the doors closed. They make draft stoppers from fabric tubes that are filled with sand, but a rolled up towel works pretty well too.
One of our writers notes that old fashioned water bottles or rice packs heated in the microwave warm up the bed well. Using materials that wick moisture away from the body also keep you warmer, these include polypropylene, micro fleece, and wool.
This same writer makes "window quilts". Measure the interior portion of your window, cut up old blankets, quits, or sew together pieces and attach them to cheap wood trim cut the size of your windows. Push them into the interior of the window as a cheap thing to do instead of replacing your windows or buying expensive heat/cold blocking drapes.
If you really want to go hard core, and are willing to maintain the system for safety (lint fires can be dangerous) then you can vent your dryer indoors during the winter. We don't use our dryer much - I hang stuff on a drying rack and put it in front of a vent to humidify the air and also dry the clothes quickly. But if you DO us the dryer a lot, you can get equipment to vent it indoors for under 20 bucks. Just search for "Indoor Dryer Vent Kit" on the internet. Several companies sell them. One of our writers reminds us that when venting a dryer for a supplemental heat source, keep in mind that one should not do this with a gas dryer. It releases carbon monoxide into your home.
Keeping throw blankets, lap quilts, etc around the house is always a good idea, and I once saw someone post a small sign above their thermostat that said "We need to make rent and buy food this month too. Sweaters are in the hall closet. Thanks!"
I believe there is a company that makes a micro fleece all in one slip on blanket too, that leaves your hands free. It's sold on TV, but you likely could buy them online too. You probably won't get any hot dates while wearing one, but if you've already got someone lined up who loves you for your mind - it's definitely an option.

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