Stay Warm Without Breaking the Bank
Warm the Bed
1. Hot Water Bottles. Fill up a rubber hot water bottle and make sure that it is sealed tightly. Place it between your sheets at least 15 minutes before you go to bed. This way your bed will be nice and toasty, and you will feel warm all night.
2. Flannel Sheets. Anyone who has ever tried flannel sheets in winter has instantly fallen in love with them. They don’t feel cold when you move around in your bed, because they lock in your body heat. They are also lovely and soft, transforming your bed into a cosy, warm nest to sleep in.
3. Extra blankets. Add a few extra to your bed, especially weighted blankets. Their benefits go way beyond extra warmth, though. In various studies, these blankets have shown positive results for several conditions, including autism, ADHD and anxiety.
From the Closet
4. Ditch the leggings. Yes, they are comfortable, but they are not very warm. Looser-fitting clothes will trap some body heat, which will help you stay warmer. Sweats, flannels, corduroy and denim are better choices for winter.
5. Slippers. There are few things as uncomfortable in winter as cold feet. Slippers are an absolute must have, especially if your house has tiled floors. If you are not a fan of slippers, try some thermal socks instead.
6. Hats. As with your feet, a cold head is hardly ever a happy one. Wearing a woolly hat in the house will keep your head and your ears nice and toasty.
Outside vs Inside
7. Use the sun. On a sunny day, the heat from the sun will warm up your home. Open your curtains during the day but be sure to close them before the end of the day to trap the heat inside.
8. Seal windows. Curtains with insulated layers or thermal liners will prevent heat loss at night. They also help to keep the house dark, which makes for better sleep.
9. Eliminate drafts. Identify any drafts in your house, especially around your windows. Walk around slowly from room to room with a lit candle or lit incense. Try to stay close to walls with windows. If you find a draft, seal the window with a plastic insulation kit. These are available at any major hardware store.
The Kitchen Helps
10. Cook those soups and stews. These hot meals not only warm you up from the inside, but the long-simmering meals also heat up the kitchen. The hot stove plates combined with the steam from the pots help to warm up the whole house.
11. Be careful with your drink. Whether you prefer coffee, tea or hot chocolate, everyone knows that these will warm you up in no time. If you are looking to stay warm for a while, skip the alcohol though. It sends blood towards the surface of the skin and you may feel warm at first. The problem is, alcohol will move blood away from the main parts of your body, so your core temperature drops.
12. Eat those carbs. Our bodies convert carbs to energy fairly quickly, so some carbs in winter may help you keep warm. Make sure to stick to complex carbs, otherwise you can get a blood sugar crash, which will leave you feeling cold and shaky.
13. Use the heat. When you are done cooking dinner and have switched off the oven, leave the oven door open to release its heat into the kitchen. You have already spent the power heating it up, so you might as well use what is left. If you have small children or curious pets this may be too dangerous, so use your discretion.
Use the Decor
14. Floor cover. Rugs on floors, especially on tiled or wooden floors, will keep your feet warmer and act as insulation as well.
15. Rearrange things. Move your rooms around so that your couches and chairs are not near the walls. This moves seating away from cold walls and windows.
16. Move bookshelves. If you have bookshelves, move them against the exterior walls. Books are a great way to insulate exterior walls from any outside cold, and they will help reduce heat loss.
Work Up Some Heat
17. Do some chores. Nobody has the energy to do major cleaning in winter but do commit to doing small chores at intervals throughout the day. You will get your muscles moving and your house will always look lovely.
18. Choose a room. When using a space heater, don’t try to warm up the whole house at once. This can cause a nasty electricity bill. Rather heat up the room that you are currently in and close the doors of empty rooms.
19. Choose bath time. A warm bath or shower does wonders in heating up on a cold day. If you can, try to bath or shower at the warmest time during the day. This way you will not immediately undo all the warmth you just generated.
20. Snuggle Up. When you’re watching TV, it’s easy to get cold because you’re not moving around. Grab a blanket and cuddle with your spouse, kids, and pets. By sharing body heat, everyone stays warm.
