Questions if you are cold-natured and keep your thermostat set at 68 or below

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

How do you keep warm!!!!

 

It is now hovering between 68 and 66 in the house and that is probably how it will stay till next spring, and I'm cold.

 

I have on socks, shoes, sweat pants, longsleeved tee, and a fleece vest. I'm just barely comfortable.

 

Last night I woke up aching from being cold and put another blanket on the bed. That makes 4 layers I slept under, plus a flannel nightgown and socks (I know it's not romantic, but I'm cold!)

 

I feel like such a wimp. I would prefer to keep the temps between 70 and 72, but we can't afford to this winter.

 

So how do YOU stay warm but still mobile, lol. Suggestions appreciated.

[Country Mouse]

Long underwear under all the layers helps me. Also I wear thick socks and house shoes.

And I do lots of baking. At least the kitchen is warm!

[jacqui in mo]

Wear a hoodie during the day, maybe even at night. We lose a lot of heat from our heads. It also helps if I have pockets in my sweater or hoodie to keep my hands warm. (Works better than in my jeans pockets). For really cold days I wear long johns under my pants. A perpetual cup of hot tea can help keep my hands warm. Can you afford a space heater? Also an electric mattress pad or blanket helps. You can use it to prewarm the bed if you don't want to actually sleep with it on. HTH

Edited October 23, 2008 by jacqui in mo

[Jennifer in MI]

A couple things that have helped me keep warm:

 

1. WARM pajamas. I'll wear a turtleneck under a sweatshirt with sweatpants (sometimes with running tights underneath) and socks. We have flannel sheets and LOTS of blankets - the fleece kind. Some nights when my kids get cold, they'll climb into bed with us. Keeps us all warmer!

 

2. Turtlenecks during the day. Some days I'll even throw on a scarf. That keeps the cold air from going down my neck.

 

3. Slippers. These are a MUST for me. With wool socks. If my feet are cold, I'm cold!

 

4. When I'm reading or teaching I'm always cold. So, I keep blankets out for everyone. We also all usually have tea or hot coffee in the morning. I warm my hands on the cup!

 

5. Keep busy! When I'm not sitting reading to the kids, I clean. If I'm moving, I'm usually quite warm!

 

6. Bake. Someone already mentioned that. But, I found when I started baking my own bread ages ago, that the house was much warmer. And, we were saving money even with the extra electricity because the homemade bread/goodies were so much cheaper!

 

We keep our house at 60 during the day and 56 at night. I'd like to go cooler at night, but dh won't hear of it!

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

Ok, what constitutes warm pajamas?

[shalom22]

Flannel sheets are the best in cold weather. Try some wool socks for you feet.

 

I don't know how old you are, but the closer you get to menopause, the internal combution will keep you very warm.:D

[Jennifer in MI]

Ok, what constitutes warm pajamas?

 

Turtleneck (a must for me), sweatshirt, sweatpants, long underwear (some nights), wool socks. Warm blankets (I found the fleece blankets really do keep me warmer than the cotton ones) - LOTS of blankets.

[Pamela H in Texas]

We have the heat set on 60. I'm COLD this morning (thermostat says 62). I kinda figure I'll at least partially get used to it. I'm hoping at least. I cannot afford to put the heat higher though. I'm bundled up a little but my hands are SO cold.

 

I hope I can get used to this....

[rafiki]

.

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

Oooh, fleece sheets sound great. Where do you get Cuddle Duds?

 

Unfortunately our fireplace has been placed out of commision until we get $4,800 to make it safe.

[mrsdash]

I am cold natured and I told the kids "get use to being c-c-c-cold " because I'm going to be "ch-ch-ch-cheap" this winter. Layers, socks, bake and whenever possible have Tea ;)

[melissel]

Great thread. I wussed out this morning and put the heat on to move the temp from 62 to 65, but I'm hoping I can find ways around it. DH really resents being cold in the house though, so I don't know how long I'll win the battle against the thermostat.

[SquirrellyMama]

We have our heat set at 59 degrees right now and I think the temp is 61 degrees in the house. I have been really cold this morning so I took a hot shower, drink hot tea all day long and hand wash my dishes in hot water.

 

Kelly

[CookieMonster]

Must. Drink. Hot. Coffee.

 

And give yourself a month. You'll get more used to being cold.

[mazakaal]

Layers - socks and slippers, undershirt, t-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, wool sweater.

 

Hot tea or coffee.

 

Sometimes I break down and just have to turn the heat on for an hour to take the chill off.

[hornblower]

For the bed, hot water bottles or the bags you warm in the microwave really help. We use down quilts & if you preheat the bed with the hot bag or water bottle, it's lovely.

 

Hats help.

 

Wrist warmers are nice too. http://www.knittingnewscast.com/knc/Patterns/Generators/WristWarmers.aspx

 

A cat or two. (Or more.)

A dog or two. (Or more.)

 

Mind you, I'm a total wuss. I need these things & I don't let the house go anywhere near that cold.

[Mekanamom]

*Flannel Sheets

 

*Super Duper Winter Socks (I have found the winter socks in the men's section at Costco work pretty well.) They are bulky, but I can still wear my crocs in the house with these socks on. The combo works better than just the socks alone. (And better than regular slippers, too.)

 

*I bought cheapie stretchy gloves and cut just the fingertips off, so my hands can stay warm (or at least not stiff with cold, lol), but I can still type. This year I might knit some of those pretty wrist warmers.

 

*blankets or shawls within easy reach (good excuse to take up crochet!)

 

*Dogs make great feet warmers :tongue_smilie:

 

*jacqui in mo is right- last year I made hats with the Knifty Knitter and it really does make a difference when you keep your head covered.

 

New things I'm going to try this year: I've seen some microwaveable slippers- they look simply awful but hey. Toasty feet at least for a while. Silk long johns supposedly work well, but they are expensive, which is why I haven't actually tried them yet.

[RebeccaS]

We keep our house at 60*. I love it that way. I'm in my cold and clammy glory. Chris, not so much. After working in his hot house of an office (I've been there so I can vouch for it being really really hot in there) I typically run around in jeans and a t-shirt with a sweatshirt handy for the really cold times. My kids do about the same. We've just gotten used to it, I guess. This is our third winter that we've kept the heat way down. We all have cozy slippers and flannel sheets for our beds, plus I keep at least two quilts on each bed in addition to the other sheets/light blankets. I think if you give it some time, you'll become more accustomed to it.

[SquirrellyMama]

Another thing I do in the winter is tell the kids if they come to our bed at night they have to bring an extra blanket with them.

 

I am less picky about having kids in bed with us in the winter. The more the merrier. I have one on each side and one on top. My dh is on one side of a kid and he wraps his arms around all of us.

 

Kelly

[Cinder]

Well, I've never been able to keep warm even with the thermostat at 68. I grew up in HI and after 25 years on the mainland I've never gotten used to the cold. I usually use sweaters, hats, scarves, socks, slippers, blankets and lots of hot coffee and tea. But I'm still cold. I have to take a hot shower in the morning to get going and a hot shower at night to get warm enough to fall asleep. 'Cause when I'm cold I can't sleep. But after 21 years dh must have finally felt sorry for me because at the end of last winter he bumped up the thermostat one degree. I can't believe 1 degree made such a difference! I still need the warm gear but at least I wasn't completely chilled to the bone.

 

Cinder

[rafiki]

.

[Jennifer in NH]

really warm long underwear (www.wintersilks.com is where I buy mine), very full down comforters for everyone (even my husband and I each have one, we don't share these), warm socks, warm sweaters and dress in layers, cloth gloves;)! Okay, we don't wear gloves inside..if it gets that cold, I'll turn up the heat.

We also have a woodstove that we are running right now, at least in the morning. I have not turned on our heat yet, and when I get up in the morning downstairs is about 51 degrees (is there a freezing smilie?). so, I start a fire in the woodstove to heat up one room. We also have sunroom which on sunny days gets very toasty so I can warm up. That room gets shut up on cloudy days and at night.

When I was growing up my father's favorite thing to say was..."your Mother's cold, go put on a sweater" They never turned the heat up past 65. Once ours goes on it won't go above 62. 58 at night.

Oh yes, if you live whre it is cold and you want to warm up...go outside for awhile....I am always surprised how warm my house feels after being outside on a chilly day! Everything is relative!

[laughing lioness]

Did anybody mention down comforters yet? Sams had them for a good price, and I've found CuddleDuds there, too - along with 3 packs of wool socks for under $10.

Warm tea- we grow a lot of herbs and that keeps the cost down but we usually have a tea-pot on the table during school. Socks and house shoes- I wear birks (Sams again- under $30) -thicker sole than slippers.

We plastic the windows inside and my dh does the outside too, on both the west and north sides- what a diff! and we plastic in both porches- I always joke that we shrink wrap our house each winter. But when it's sunny the porches act like solar collectors. We've painted furring strips oru trim color and dh uses screws and builders plastic- it doesn't look tacky and really makes the house a LOT warmer.

After baths and showers, keep the hot/warm water and open the bathroom door- heats the air.

Space heaters! and I agree with scarves. Keeps your neck and body warmer! Kids on laps :001_smile:, simmering soups, applesauce, baking bread...

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

1. Coffee, cocoa and hot tea. ALL DAY LONG.

 

2. Laptop and kitten in lap whenever possible.

 

3. Wool socks with my Birks (always ask for them for Christmas)

 

4. Long-underware and fleece

 

My oldest (Mr. Heat Factory) runs around in shorts and sandals until our first snow-fall. If all else fails, I grab him.

 

Good Luck

K

[Storm Bay]

I wear nine pounds of clothing and layers. Long underwear or thick cotton tights under my pants. Lots of fleece. And, when no one is over, a lovely ;) fleece "sarong" that used to be one of ds's baby blankets. We now keep the house at 61, and I wore layers at 68, so it can be done. btw, my hands are ice cold as I type this.

[RoughCollie]

I wear long underwear, a knit cap (the kids wear hoodies, but I don't have any), and fingerless gloves from Hot Topic.

 

I'm sure other stores sell fingerless gloves, but I happened to be in Hot Topic. Having warm hands really makes a difference and I can type while wearing these gloves.

 

I put on my bathrobe over my clothes if I get cold, too. It is warm, thick fleece. I tell the kids to do that, too. One of my sons cut a small hole in the center of his fleece throw (with permission) so he can pop it over his head when he gets cold.

 

RC

Edited October 23, 2008 by RoughCollie

[Doran]

...I thought I'd tell you what I do by explaining that I'm sitting here in wool socks, fleece slippers, pants, undertank, turtleneck, fleecer pullover and scarf. As the weather gets colder, I'll switch from fleece to wool for the outer layer. I live in scarves in the winter. Cotton. Soft. the kind that actually looks half decent except if you're my husband and begin to wonder if you'll ever see my neck again (the man's a vampire, what can I say? ;);)).

 

I drink hot tea from a ceramic mug because the heat transfers to the ceramic and warms my hands.

 

I wear under layers -- silk is lovely as a long underwear material

 

We use down comforters on our bed. We have two going right now -- a regular "naked" one, and a second which doubles as a bedspread and is covered with a heavy duvet cover.

 

I'm miserable when I'm cold. Thankfully, my dh is a saint and lets me snuggle up, spoon-style, when I crawl into a chilly bed at night. :)

[Jill]

"Ok, what constitutes warm pajamas?"

For me? A loose old sports bra, a t-shirt (long sleeved when it's very cold) and another sweatshirt on top, a hat that ties under the chin, and fleece or flannel PJ bottoms and one to two pair of wool socks. I usually have another afghan or two thrown on my side of the bed. The crocheted throw definition of afghan, not the hound. Dogs are great footwarmers but my current set shed too much or are too filthy.

 

My daytime rules are:

When it gets down to 20 degrees fahrenheit, the long underwear goes on under all pants, no exception for me. Once I get chilled it's hard to warm back up unless I get a hot flash but I can't count on those yet. I like my wintersilks the best since they're effective but not too thick so I can still move around in them.

DoubleSokkin (not a real word, just colloquial) - two pairs of socks, one pair must be wool or fleece.

Fleece lined clogs or mules - thicker sole than slippers sized up to hold more socks.

Turtleneck or long sleeved T under a wool sweater - no poly-fleece in daytime for me, I tend to melt the fronts of those.

Wool pants when the temps outdoors get down to zero fahrenheit. I have a few older pair and purchased some new and used on ebay last year.

A cap, either fleece or wool.

I don't usually need gloves if I have followed my other rules.

I drink a few pots of teas throughout the day anyway but it's extra helpful in our cold winters.

And yes, old baby blankets and quilts and crocheted throws make great sarongs!

- Jill

[Happy]

Exercise helps!

 

Put on some music and dance (Beach Boys!) for a few minutes. Or vacuum. Anything that gets the blood pumping. ;)

 

I love layers, thick socks, and lap quilts. I'm making myself a lap quilt to warm my body and with bright cheerful colors to warm my soul.

 

I have a nice scarf I love to wear on my neck. I learned how warm they are while we lived in Europe. Now, I often wear a scarf with a long sleeved shirt, but no jacket on mild days.

 

Spring is coming. (Maybe not soon, but still....)

[Laura Corin]

Calvin wears long underwear, jeans, a turtleneck, wool socks, slippers and a fleece jacket at home. Hobbes is in a T-shirt and jeans with no socks or shoes.

 

Laura

[Kate CA]

I do think your body will probably adjust to the cold as the season moves on. I know this is true for us in the summer when in May we have a few 98 degree days well before our summer time. It takes us time to get used to the heat and also takes time to get used to the cold. We do have a lot of throw blankets we use all through the winter. Each child has one or two and when we are sitting for school it is usually wrapped around some part of their bodies. I love to sit and have our Bible time with it wrapped all around me. I love winter blankets! :D

 

I understand the initial shock of the cold, but I think it will get better. :tongue_smilie:

[Mommy22alyns]

Blankets, bathrobes, slippers, socks, sweaters, warm drinks...

 

And you will adjust. I'm getting used to it too. After a long, hot summer we can finally have the windows open and it's around 60-65 in here. The wuss in me wants to shut the windows and turn on the heat, but I know I'm not ready for that yet! I'm a hardy northern gal who has just been living in the south too long! :lol:

[Tammyla]

I have to layer up starting with silk long johns. I'm considering fingerless gloves this year. Heating prices are going up.

 

If you haven't winter prepped your home it isn't too late. Seal out drafts and if your windows aren't super, consider those blow dryer window shrink kits. Easy to put up and saves a lot. Door buddies can be made to look like Curious George and make great gifts especially this year.

 

Stay warm everyone.

[Mommy22alyns]

I'm considering fingerless gloves this year.

 

 

 

Oh, those too! I actually knit a lovely pair for myself last year and was thinking of doing some more.

 

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTfetching.html

 

And I love your siggy line! :lol:

[Shelly in IL]

They have feet warmers that have adhesive on them. They stick to your socks. I have Reynauds syndrome, and this has been an absolute Godsend!

[Oakblossoms]

I think it depends on the house. We lived in an old house and we could turn up the furnace (a new one btw) to 75 and it was still cold.

 

I wear uggs and wool sweaters. We have small portable oil radiators. If the heater kicks on we can turn those on. Blankets in every room. Always blankets on the couch.

 

If it's still cold to me...I take a hot shower, jump in the hot tub, take the dog for a walk outside, or do something like vacuum the stairs.

 

I drink quite a bit of tea all day, too.

 

We just cannot afford a high electric bill this winter.

[TraceyS/FL]

OK, i take my hats off to you ladies.

 

I couldn't do it.

 

:grouphug: warmth in numbers!

[skissugar]

bbbrrr im freezing and its 75 in my house right now.. and i have a long sleeve shirt, sweater, pants, socks, and a 2nd pair of slipper socks on over my socks.. and im still freezing..

 

But i admit it.. I AM A WIMP.

[lmrich]

I have an electric throw blanket - it is perfect to put on your lap while you are reading or teaching. I had a cast on my leg for 6 weeks and never felt hotter! ;) I also agree that drinking something warm helps.

[Maria from IN]

I also have Reynaud's and the treadmill is what I do if I just can't get warm. The doctor told me that keeping my core warm and getting regular exercise is what will really help.

 

I am also knitting leg warmers with my Knifty Knitter...lovely!

[Lizzie in Ma]

We keep the thermostat on 62. As far as I am concerned, that is just barely above freezing. We used to have a hot tub and after a little while in there we would be warm for several hours. It broke.

I wear Ugg's on my feet and fleece pants. When I get really cold, I take a hot shower.

We are really hoping to get a wood stove this year.

[Storm Bay]

Calvin wears long underwear, jeans, a turtleneck, wool socks, slippers and a fleece jacket at home. Hobbes is in a T-shirt and jeans with no socks or shoes.

 

Laura

 

:lol: This reminds me of when I was pregnant with my first. I had the bedroom window open all winter. I wore something light to bed with a sheet and light blanket. Dh not only had 2 comforters on, but a knit hat, shirtS, heavy sweats, socks & slept with his head under the covers to keep warm.

[Brigitte]

1. Flannel or fleece pj's at night with a down comforter.

2. Wool socks and shoes/slippers like these. I had wool clogs from LLBead that were much cheaper. I have German ones now that my mom gave me.

3. Bake.

4. Drink hot tea.

5. Fleece half-zip jacket with a t-shirt under it and fleece pants.

 

Our thermostat is set at 60 day and night. We will see how we fare as the winter progresses. So far, our heat has only cut on twice and only for brief stints. Our place is well insulated, but is not getting much direct sunlight during the day. I would suggest draft stoppers for all doors and windows.

 

HTH's

[mrscopterdoc]

We keep our house at 60 during the day and 56 at night. I'd like to go cooler at night, but dh won't hear of it!

 

I just had to comment....I am a hot blooded person and I keep the house at 62 which is freezing for the family but just about right for me. I think 56 would be just a tad cold for even me! :p

[sjp]

i wear a north face down vest inside at all times. it really helps