Spinoff: Keeping Warm in Cool Homes

[myfatherslily]

Can you all give specific ideas on being warm in winter? Specific types of clothing, where you find them, what kind of head covering might be most comfortable inside the house, patterns for hats (I have a few skeins of wool), etc. Specifics!!!

I NEED to save money this winter! Thankfully I've been able to keep the heat off all month, turning it on briefly just a few times, and still maintain at least 62 degrees (I'm in AL), which made for a nice power bill this month. In past winters, I've kept the air at 67-68, so... that needs to change!!! I'd like to bump down to 60 and still be warm.

Oh, also, what do you put the babies in at night? My 1 1/2 year old has figured out how to pull the blanket onto himself, but still whenever I check on him, he's uncovered, so I'd rather he just be dressed warmly.

Thanks!!!!

[Sihaya]

I find that it is most important to keep my feet warm. 1-2 pairs of socks (I like wool best) with hard-soled slippers over keep my feet toasty. I bought some slipper-socks (muk luks brand) online because they look like an awesome choice, but they were a size too small and I haven't been able to exchange them yet, so I can't say how well they actually work.

Next I keep my hands warm with some fingerless gloves a knitting friend made for me. They reach all the way up to the middle knuckle of my fingers and the top can be rolled down when I need to type or have more finger dexterity for whatever reason. I was really surprised at the difference keeping my wrists and hands warm has made in how warm my whole body feels.

I only wear a hat if I'm still cold with socks, slippers, the fingerless gloves with another pair of thin gloves underneath, jeans with long underwear underneath, and 5 layers of tops (nursing tank, ls tee, ss tee, sweater, and hoodie - w/the hood on). Since I'm in MI and you're in AL, I can't imagine you needing that many layers to be comfortable, but you may like wearing hats more than I do

We cosleep and DS is my little space heater, so I can't really help you there.

[Noelle C.]

Wear thermal long-johns to bed as well as socks. This helps me. We don't keep the heat on at night (we're in an area where it's milder now in the winter), but it worked pretty well when living in cold areas. Nothing could be done about the sore throat I'd get in the morning, but at least I was warm. Add sweat pants and such over the long-johns if needed for added warmth, and don't underestimate the value of old-fashioned night caps.

[amyamanda]

Woolen socks and long johns if you can afford them. You can sometimes get good deals on Smartwool, and if you take good care of them they can last many years. Yes, expensive, but not as expensive as oil to heat our house with, and for me, with four kids, one pair of long johns can get a lot of mileage. Some people say the Duofold ones are cheaper and quite good.

My kids wear wool socks and long johns (tops and bottoms) inside fleece footy pajamas (we like the Carters ones - they go on sale cheap every September, not helpful this year but good to know). Before we had woolens, they wore cotton long johns and double cotton socks inside footy pajamas. Also they have warm fleece slippers and robes to wear in the house.

Bedcovers are a good place to put money if you have any. Down comforters are really warm, wool blankets (I loved the idea for recycled sweater quilts), flannel sheets, etc. But I think the most important thing is just to do lots and lots of layers. Or sleeping bags if you have them, which can be warmer than bedcovers in some circumstances.

I get wool sweaters for myself at the thrift shop. I wear skirts a lot and made myself a flannel petticoat a few years ago (very warm!). Pre-woolens, I wore leggings over tights or cotton long johns over tights under a skirt or under pants.

Fleece is generally quite warm for layers - the kids and I have fleece sweatpants, which are cozy and warm.

If you are knitting hats, ear flaps are really really nice.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Don't be afraid of layering, layering, layering.

[JTA Mom]

I'm in Cali, so it doesn't get *too* cold here either.

Ds hates blankets & throws them off, just like Dh.

Ways to keep warm:

Thermal pants and tops. I got mine from Walmart. I've seen some in Target. Right now is the time to get them. They only appear for like a month in the stores, then they're gone. Dunno why.

Ds has the Gerber ones with 'growth cuffs'. I like these. The growth cuffs allow you to get one more year out of them before they are too small. I used the 24month sized ones last year when ds was 1. He still fits in them right now, at 2. I just bought some 3T ones with growth cuffs too, so he can wear them now and next year.

On top of the thermals, I put regular cotton pj's. And socks. Ds runs warm, and no matter how cold, fleece makes him sweat, which is bad.

For myself, I wear thermal bottoms & tops, a long sleeved top, pants, and a big old sweatshirt hoodie. Plus socks. I'm usually really warm by this point too.

Ami

[karne]

You want to keep your core warm, so think about a good insulating layer for your trunk-silk or a wool/silk blend long johns work for me. Warm socks-smartwool, if you can wear it is great. Pair w/wool clogs and you have toasty toes! Generally three layers on top-long john, turtleneck and sweater, and two on the bottom-long johns and pants, work well.

Here's what I did for my babies when they were little. I found sweaters of wool or wool blend, or fleece, and cut the arms off of them. The functioned like wearable blankets, so that when the covers got kicked off their core was still protected. An elderly woman gave me this tip, and it worked well for us, on top of being cheaper than anything else out there that I could buy.

[amyamanda]

Originally Posted by karne

Here's what I did for my babies when they were little. I found sweaters of wool or wool blend, or fleece, and cut the arms off of them. The functioned like wearable blankets, so that when the covers got kicked off their core was still protected. An elderly woman gave me this tip, and it worked well for us, on top of being cheaper than anything else out there that I could buy.

That is a fantastic idea! Also, wool sweaters can be shrunk/felted easily in a washer and dryer, making them super warm and toasty. Also you can cut off the sleeves and use them as baby legwarmers.

[frugalmama]

we're in south texas here, and so far haven't turned on the heat yet. It is starting to get a little chilly for us in the mornings - 60's in the house - 40's and 50's outside.

How does everyone deal with taking showers & keeping the house cooler? We tend to get sick if it's cold when we get out of the shower - just a family quirk.

[Pumpkin_Pie]

One trick I learned from an ex-boyfriend who kept his house at 49 all winter was to drink hot liquids all winter long. He drank hot water, which I ended up aquiring a taste for, but I would also drink tea, hot water with lemon, cocoa, etc. It is amazing how much warmer you will feel with hot liquid in your belly. It seriously warms you up super quickly, and if you keep sipping it, you will start to need to take off layers it keeps you so toasty.

Oh, and my biggest splurge that I will never, ever regret is my wool comforter. It is stuffed with wool and is super heavy and warm. My bedroom can get down into the lower 50's and it is the only blanket I need on my bed. Seriously. I have other blankets, cotton thermals, and regular wool ones, and I don't need them.

Definitely keep heavy warm blankets on the couch if you spend any time on the computer or watching tv there. Snuggling under them will keep you toasty.

Wool slippers are pretty fabulous too. I have a pair of sheepskin ones that my feet sweat in no matter how cold my hardwood floors get. I LUUUUURRRRVVVVEEEEE them.

[gentlemango]

Basic winter indoor clothing: long johns, wool socks, pants, turtleneck, wool sweater. That's your basics. If you're too hot in that, you're keeping the thermostat too high.

If you want to go lower and save money, add a vest under the sweater, or a thinner sweater under the wool sweater, or wear your coat if you're sitting down & not moving around, or add gloves or a hat.

Drink hot tea all day long. You will get toasty & start peeling layers off.

Kids sleep in pajamas (long john style) under blanket sleepers, not flame retardant if you can find 'em.

Kids wear pajamas or long johns, pants & turtleneck & sweater & socks. My kid pulls off his socks & sweater but at least I tried right?

Get up and do something. Vacuum or something. You get real cold just sitting around on your butt.

[artemis33]

I completely agree with many of the ideas here - esp. layering, wool socks, and drinking warm liquids.

I hate turtlenecks, so to keep me warmer indoors and out I often wear a scarf. I have a few lighter weight ones I wear if I am inside all day, and heavier ones for if it is really cold outdoors.

[cristeen]

We spend most of the winter locked in the office, which is the warmest room in the house. We have a space heater that we set at 60, and then the electrical equipment will usually get it up to 65-70.

For the mornings, before it's warmed up though, I start with a hot shower, wool socks and sheepskin slippers, bathrobe over sweatpants/sweatshirt, hot tea. Fingerless gloves would probably be good, but for me my feet are a bigger problem than my hands... there are times that I wind up popping a rice bag into the microwave, wrapping it in towels and putting it under my feet.

Baking or making a long-cooking roast are great if your kitchen will retain heat (mine doesn't).

For the bed, we have a heavy blanket (why are these so hard to find?), plus a down comforter and flannel sheets. If you put the blanket over the comforter, it's warmer than if you put it under, and we have microwaveable rice packs that we preheat the bed with. For the babe this winter, I knitted him a wool sleep sack that should last him a good long while, quilts and wool to keep him warm during the winter, and plenty of skin-to-skin time with mama.

[bluestorm]

Thanks for all the wonderful tips. I'm taking note of a bunch of these. I really want to buy us all wool socks and blankets but they are very $$$.

[staceychev]

I carry a hot water bottle around with me in the evenings, and take it to bed with me. I'm going to need to get another one, though, because DD has been asking to sleep with it at nights!

[velochic]

Originally Posted by frugalmama

we're in south texas here, and so far haven't turned on the heat yet. It is starting to get a little chilly for us in the mornings - 60's in the house - 40's and 50's outside.

How does everyone deal with taking showers & keeping the house cooler? We tend to get sick if it's cold when we get out of the shower - just a family quirk.

Cold itself can't make you sick. You have to encounter a virus/bacteria/etc. when your immune system is low, which is what cold can do (tax your immune system). I'd just get dressed in the warm bathroom before venturing out into the colder areas of the house.

[Sarah W]

Someone mentioned waterproof mattresses pads in the other thread. OMG do these things work! We bought one because our dog would have accidents in her sleep. It made the bed so much hotter at night it was shocking!

[highlandmum]

Great thread!!!
I need some advice too, but one thing we do is keep a pot boiling on the stove--adds heat cheaply, but smells nice if you add in orange rinds and cloves

[Purple*Lotus]

I am having the opposite problem here. Now that I live in the attic part of my parent's house I am roasting. My Dad is the type to crank the heat up to 75. I am sooooooooo miserable!

When I lived in my own place I kept it around 55 all winter. The key for me was two layers of socks. If my feet were cold, the rest of me was cold. I had thermal long johns. I am plus sized and I found nice ones at womanwithin.com. Then long pants. I usually wore a tank top, layered with a long john shirt with a sweater or sweatshirt on top. I am allergic to wool so I had to use all synthetics.

Plus I try to keep moving. That warms you up pretty fast.

[frugalmama]

Originally Posted by Bunnyflakes

I am having the opposite problem here. Now that I live in the attic part of my parent's house I am roasting. My Dad is the type to crank the heat up to 75. I am sooooooooo miserable!

When I lived in my own place I kept it around 55 all winter. The key for me was two layers of socks. If my feet were cold, the rest of me was cold. I had thermal long johns. I am plus sized and I found nice ones at womanwithin.com. Then long pants. I usually wore a tank top, layered with a long john shirt with a sweater or sweatshirt on top. I am allergic to wool so I had to use all synthetics.

Plus I try to keep moving. That warms you up pretty fast.

I do the same when dressing & am plus size - I find the thin long sleeved shirts from old navy work really well under a sweatshirt for warmth.

[Tizzy]

Mannnn I wish I were a sheep some days!


We love our polar fleece sheets in the winter, for other reasons (old mattress) we put an old wool blanket on the mattress under the fitted sheet and it makes the bed that much warmer too. Drink LOTS of hot fluids which is healthy for you as well

Ahhh I hate showers in the winter though with a cold house so sometimes when I'm feeling particularly whiny, I'll use the little $10 space heater to warm up the bathroom for me. And always always bring your change of clothes into the bathroom with you!