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| light reflecting off of the plastic |
The plastic is officially up on the windows it's snowy outside and winter is officially here! We also put the heat on for the first time last week and decide that maybe plastic on the windows won't be enough. We want to find a way to keep the thermostat set to as low as possible, without sacrificing comfort, to save energy, money, and of course, help out Mother Earth. One solution was the make a Draft Dodger. It was my second attempt at the sewing machine, and it was, well, kind of a disaster. After breaking a needle, I can now say I have completed the project and it is functional (though not very pretty). There are many options for draft dodgers. Renest has some links for ones that are premade -- you just fill them with rice or beans. There is also a make-your-own version that was done with old socks. I cut apart an old t-shirt, sewing it together (kind of in a tube-like shape) and stuffed more old t-shirts in it. Finally, there is the fancy DIY Martha Stewart kind--way too complicated for me, but maybe you have a better relationship with your sewing machine.
Here are some other tips for keeping you warm over the winter:
1. Get a rug for bare floors -- luckily we are in the upper level so ours are heated by the downstairs neighbor -- thank you!
2. Drink something warm - I'm drinking tea right now!
3. Reverse your ceiling fan - since warm air rises, push it back down where you are at. Guthrie and I do not have a fan so we can't do this one.
4. Snuggle! Guthrie and I are looking into another cat to help in that department :)
5. Hot water bottle -- since Guthrie and I do not have a thermostat with a timer (if you have one -- use it!), we turn off our heat at night. Though I am sadly out of shape when it comes to toughing out MN weathers, I am unsure how much our many blankets will keep us warm on those really REALLY cold nights. If it's extra chilly, try this camping trick -- heat up some water and put it in a water bottle. Stick the water bottle in a large sock and put it in your bed with you. Keeps you toasty!
6. Finally, consider heating up just the space you need. Close vents if you can and turn off certain radiators. Sadly, we can't control the heat room by room, but are thinking about investing in a space heater so that we can keep the main heat off if we are only planning on being in one room. I'll let you know if we try it and how it goes.
Peace!
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| t-shirt bits |
Here are some other tips for keeping you warm over the winter:
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| old black t-shirt = new draft dodger! |
2. Drink something warm - I'm drinking tea right now!
3. Reverse your ceiling fan - since warm air rises, push it back down where you are at. Guthrie and I do not have a fan so we can't do this one.
4. Snuggle! Guthrie and I are looking into another cat to help in that department :)
5. Hot water bottle -- since Guthrie and I do not have a thermostat with a timer (if you have one -- use it!), we turn off our heat at night. Though I am sadly out of shape when it comes to toughing out MN weathers, I am unsure how much our many blankets will keep us warm on those really REALLY cold nights. If it's extra chilly, try this camping trick -- heat up some water and put it in a water bottle. Stick the water bottle in a large sock and put it in your bed with you. Keeps you toasty!
6. Finally, consider heating up just the space you need. Close vents if you can and turn off certain radiators. Sadly, we can't control the heat room by room, but are thinking about investing in a space heater so that we can keep the main heat off if we are only planning on being in one room. I'll let you know if we try it and how it goes.
Peace!
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