Old Fashioned Ways to Stay Warm(er)
I'm lucky that my area (West Plains, MO) is not having the worst weather this week, but it is still cold this morning. Zero degrees with a minus 19 wind chill!
We are not in danger of losing power, so far as I know, and I have the heat up to 70. But this apartment has NO insulation, and the floor is cold!
I've had the kitchen cabinet doors open for days now, and the faucets dripping a bit.
Today I'm not even opening the door. I'm staying in my fleece PJs, with a light weight fleece cap on my head, and good warm socks with my winter slippers.
I think there was a reason that our ancestors wore bed-caps, and I'm going to wear this cap all day and all night until it warms up a bit.
Coffee, hot tea, hot chocolate, hot buttered rum...pick your warm beverage and drink as much as you like.
Kidney wraps - I'm using an ugly school bus yellow fleece scarf, doubled up over my kidney area.
And I'm spending quality time on the couch with my warm, fuzzy Christmas throws and the cats.
Anything else you have found to be helpful in these extra cold temps?
Comments
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@Mary Linda Bittle, West Plains, Missouri
It sounds like you are prepared for the cold.
Knowing cats, you will surely have lap warmers every time you sit down. If they don't make body contact with you, find out where they are, and that location will be the warmest place in your apartment.
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@shllnzl Yes, I try to always be prepared for the weather.
I have lots of weather appropriate clothing, and walked comfortably home in a minus 2 wind chill the other evening with a backpack of cat food and a few necessaries. I did decline to walk home last night at a minus 9 wind chill, because I was super tired after work.
Tired people do stupid things, and Uber is 10.00 with tip.
My motto is, "Don't die stupid".
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Well, from a place that saw -57°C including the windchill and is still very cold, but improving...oh my, has it lasted long this time...I think you have everything covered.
...No! Wait! You missed one thing. Get a soapstone bedwarmer. There is a place in the US that sells them. We want to get some yet. I think that will help you stay warm, especiallyat night.
Oh...if I asked my husband, he'd say that you missed one other thing. He swears by pork giving him the energy to stay warm outside in the winter. It's the only meat that has that power. It helps generate a lot of internal body heat. I think you need either good pork chops or awesome real pork sausage (our choice would be traditional homemade farmers sausage) to go with your warm beverages. 😆 Actually any form of pork, especially if it is fatty, will help.
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That soapstone bedwarmer sounds lovely! I'll have to look into that. The cats generate a lot of body heat, and they have been sleeping close these past few nights.
I also just located my wool wrist warmers, so I've added them to my...unusual outfit. I've never followed fashion, but I expect I'm not it today. And that's OK.
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@Mary Linda Bittle, West Plains, Missouri
The older I get, the more practical my outfit. At my age, it is better to avoid the most current fashion -- I am odd enough as it is.
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@LaurieLovesLearning I found these online, and may have to place an order! In the past, if the power went out, I've put my -35 sleeping bag under the covers on the bed and zipped myself in. That worked well, but it's a mummy style bag, and it bothers me to be wrapped that tightly.
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Yes, I used to care how I looked when I ran to the store. I've never worn make up every day, but until this winter, I refused to go in public wearing sweat pants. No longer. I am free to just not care how others think I look!
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@Mary Linda Bittle, West Plains, Missouri Yes! That's the company!
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Hot water bottles are great in cold temps!
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Hot beverages in general are good, but I've found some strong homemade chai to be particularly warming. Or just plain ginger tea.
edit: and @shllnzl , I totally agree on following the cat. When our heat cycles on, my cat Ari run to the bathroom, because she knows the vent in that room is in the wall just above the floor, so she can sit there and have the heat blow on her. When it's almost off, she trots to the family room, where the largest floor vent is, and sits on it until it cools down.
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@blevinandwomba my heat vents are in the ceiling, so the poor cats can't enjoy that at all. We once had a boxer dog that spent the entire summer blocking the AC vent for his own personal use.
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This is why when I rented I would get a fireplace if possible and a gas stove. New electric stoves are useless when the power goes out.
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Candles...we use them to take the chill out while we are awake. It's amazing how much they help.
Fix all those foods you don't make in the heat of summer because you don't want to heat the house.
Layers...(not the hens lol) make a world of difference in how warm you can stay.
Hats are great but don't forget to have something warm around your neck. A lot of blood flows through close to the surface so by keeping that area wrapped you prevent a good bit of body heat loss.
These are the things I can think of while sitting in my recliner with candles going, oven door open after use, in my layers, scarf around my neck and under two lap blankets.
We are so not used to this kind of cold in most of Texas and it's pushed our power grid and our water sources past their limits. I'm fortunate, power is on and I have water, just not full pressure.
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I have heard of a kidney wrap but don't really know anything about it. What is it exactly? What does it do?
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I made one of those terra cotta heaters with candles just to see if it worked. Wow! It gets really hot! I made a small one so it doesn't heat the room but it does take the chill off. Pretty cool little heater.
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Homemade hand warmers filled with rice, heating massage stones in hot water and rubbing over your body or using as hand warmers, and drinking warming herbs/spices like ginger, cayenne, cinnamon... bone broth too, with plenty of quality fats keeps me warm somehow... I always try to keep my extremities warm too, of course. Dressing in thermals and wool helps tons!
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You will frequently find me around the house with my down jacket or my heavy wool coat in the house during the winter. I also wear my long wool underwear.
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Here's Marjorie's video on them. https://thegrownetwork.com/kidney-wrap/
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Thank you!
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I was thinking about that, if it came to It. Hmmm...which plant would be removed...😂. Seriously, very glad to hear that thanks!
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Great ideas in here!
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😂😂 @seeker.nancy - Central Texas!! I love that!! I bought my terra cotta pots last fall when they marked down all of the garden supplies at Walmart!
I just realized you're in Texas. I hope you have power and are staying warm! I've seen all of the winter weather warnings and the blackouts on Telegram.
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There are some handmade ones on sale in the store right now too.
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You could always just temporarily give it a vacation in a bowl. Just helping out a little.
I think those terracotta pot heaters are a great idea!
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Rosalee de la Foret just posted these soup recipes to keep the cold at bay. Apple Curry. Astragalus Miso. Hot & Sour Burdock.
https://delaforet.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/WARMING-SOUPS.pdf
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I keep reading stories of how conditions are down in parts of the US, and I do know it is unusual & many were very unprepared. :(
Stay smart about your warming choices and as you can, make sure you help others stay safe as well.
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I sleep with my clothes on when I visit my son. So much warmer than having to change into flimsy night clothes. I even wear a sweater or coat sometimes and change into other clothes in the morning. Consuming a bit of kelp loaded with iodine helps my thyroid thermometer keep me warm. Getting anything wet is a no-no so dry it off quickly. Eating warming foods like oats or pumpkin works, but also keeping away from cooling foods like cucumbers and coconut helps.
I think I'm in a good place in Virginia - it's right between freezing my bum off and so hot I'm melting.
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You reminded me of a trip I made to Scotland. For those who don't know, the UK tends to be cloudy, damp and cold.
Anyways, I spent the night at a bed and breakfast. After my bath, I returned to my room in a chilled state. I jumped under the covers and almost leaped right back out again! While I was in the bath, my landlady had placed a freshly filled hot water bottle under the sheets at the bottom of the bed. What a kindness that was; I slept beautifully that night.
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Children! When Kimber and I went to Idaho and the temps got very low, we were super comfortable in a small tent with our sleeping bags doubled together so we could snuggle. Kids throw off a LOT of heat.
I aslo recall reading in a book "The Good Earth" (about a Chinese farmer - great book by the way) the grandpa whined to his son to get a wife and children to 'keep his bones warm at night'. The small children slept with grand dad to keep him warm.
Oh yeah, and I do love hot water bottles...
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and I practically live in my kidney wrap in CO in the winter...
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