A new beginning
I have received so many emails asking specific questions I have decided to begin writing smaller posts more often to encourage more sharing of information and especially personal experiences. So here goes!
Today when I turned on the news there was a report of extremely cold weather throughout much of the northern US. I have just finished writing a magazine article dealing with surviving if you are stranded in a car during the winter so winter survival has been on my mind. We are trying to save money and reduce our astronomical heating cost so I understand a little about a cold house. I have found closing the doors to all the room keeps each room warmer. I have shut the heating vents in the rooms we are not using and closed those doors to keep the cold inside of them. I am no longer heating the hallways in my home and the rooms themselves are much warmer. I have also closed all the blinds and curtains in every room cutting down on drafts from the great outdoors. If you live in country where you experience severe cold and winds try sealing your windows by attaching a sheet of plastic or a mylar emergency blanket around window. Do not place the materials on the window but rather tape them around the molding creating a pocket of air between the glass and the mylar. This will really reduce the drafts and cold air which are lowering the temperature in your home. I like the mylar blankets because they also reflect the heat in the room back into the room, especially if your window is across from a fireplace. I also love crock pot cooking when it is cold. Not only do you have a warm meal, a must, but the heat from the crock pot will help to heat the room it is in. If you spend most of your time in a family room don't be afraid to move the crock pot in there and do your cooking in a room other than the kitchen.
I’m so glad you are getting the blog going again! I look forward to reading it.