Staying warm in the winter!

The wind is shaking the windows and howling through the fireplace. You look outside and it is not inviting. The chatter in the house is restless and you want everyone to feel safe and warm regardless of the mayhem outside.

The West Coast is getting snow and the weather patterns are heading to the heartland. Anyone in the East is already well aware that when it snows – it snows hard. Even the southwest is experiencing cold weather. We are well past the “winter is coming” phase – it is here, regardless of what the calendar says.

Let’s make sure you are ready, when you gotta be ready, to respond to the dark days of Jack Frost. Here are some areas I made sure to have ready and prepared for this winter.

Electric blankets and electric throws.

I love sliding into bed at night with the sheets already warm. We have a dual-controlled electric blanket in our master so my girlfriend and I can each have our own temperature. She prefers “surface of the sun,” I prefer, “partly cloudy with smatterings of sunshine.” Electric blankets are super affordable and will allow you to turn down the thermostat over the night so you aren’t burning through your utility budget while your household is visiting the sandman. We set our thermostat to 64 degrees because, one, we’re not monsters, and two, we don’t want the heater to have to work overtime to get us back to a non-shivering temp in the morning.

Electric throw blankets are just smaller versions of the bed option and are great for the couch. We each have our own, of course, and we are also mindful to not dress like it is July. Long sleeve shirts and flannel bottoms are my preferred. Look, I don’t want to leave my office and immediately be shivering but I also don’t want to see a $500 bill arrive.

Space heaters

I have a space heater in my office. The girlfriend has one in hers. The thermostat is set at 68 during the day and we will max it out at 70 most days. Our office heaters keep us toasty for sure. I keep mine at just below “sweltering day on a Florida beach in August.” We tried one from Costco for the living room but the vaulted ceilings and space is just to big – thus the electric throws. Space heaters are super cheap in comparison to heating the whole house that we are barely in during the day anyway. 

Fire wood

For those with a fireplace then you know all about prepping winter wood. What I am mindful of is to keep the storage of it away from my doors as I notice how bugs set up camp rather quickly. I tarp it so the rain doesn’t drench the wood and then I bring some into the garage (bug free) and lay it out on the garage floor so there aren’t hiding spots for pests and critters to shelter for warmth. If you have a huge supply in your yard, covering it will keep it ready for use, and moving a days supply into your garage or porch area means you can have it near without having it all over your living room floor. I don’t want to have to bundle up for six pieces of wood and going out in house slippers is a fall waiting to happen.

Weather-proofing

Our home has super awesome windows. Double-pane is an understatement. I think our windows are better than some of the glass in our doors. If you have old windows then get some weather-proofing at your local hardware store (orange, blue, or red one is surely near you) and watch a couple videos on how to apply it on YouTube. On our social media, @myreadyplan, we made a quick reel showing how easy it really is. Letting out your internal heat when an afternoon project can save you money and keep y’all warm is a no-brainer. 

These are some of mine. This isn’t a comprehensive list but I am also not trying to write a book here. No doubt you have ones that are important to you when you plan and prepare to keep your home warm in the winter. Share your ideas in the comments. 

Let’s build one another a list so everyone in the community can be warm and toasty, by our fires, under e-blankets, and in our bedrooms. We go further together than we ever will apart.

Get ready, so you are ready, when you gotta be ready!

Get ready, so you are ready, when you gotta be ready to prepare, respond, and recover!