Let's talk good old fashioned common sense.
Try to keep one room cosy and warm and stay in that room as much as possible. Don't just sit still though. Get up and move about a bit. Now may be the time for some serious dusting and polishing as it's surprising how quickly you'll warm up.
Invest in some decent thermal underwear. I'm loving M and S Heatgen Plus range and wear mine every day. Ask for a set as a Christmas present or treat yourself. If you can't afford them then wear several layers of clothes and wrap a scarf around your neck while you are sitting around.
Keep a flask of your favourite hot drink on the go and it'll mean that you won't need to keep going out into the kitchen to boil the kettle.
Throw a blanket or duvet over your legs while sitting. It'll stop you feeling cold.
Good old fashioned shawls are great for throwing around your head and shoulders. They are a great stash busting project if you can knit or crochet.
Make the whole family stay in one room and get out a jigsaw or board game. You can explain to older children why you are doing this and littluns will love spending time with you. Put away all that tech for a while or limit it to an hour each day
If you have any tips to add it would be great to hear them. It's going to get harder before it gets easier. And just stop and think of my generation growing up without central heating. We simply got on with it.
Like you, I love my Heatgen thermals. It's worth checking out eBay as there's several sellers who sell seconds at a discounted rate (that's where mine came from, our M&S closed down years ago).
ReplyDeleteI exercise every morning as soon as I get up to get the circulation going and despite the black ice and -8°C temperatures of the last few mornings walked into town for a swim. Like you say, sitting around is the worst thing you can do.
We've got charity shop wool jumpers and blankets to wear in the evenings and big, thick wool socks, too!
I didn't experience central heating until I bought my first house at the age of 24 (not that I'd be without it now!) xxx
I am wearing fingerless gloves while eating my breakfast and tapping on the keyboard. It's amazing how much warmer my hands feel.
ReplyDeleteUseful ideas, thank you . Brings back memories of dressing under the eiderdown.
ReplyDeleteAll very wise words, thank you. xx
ReplyDeleteThe layers is my go to, but also blankets, shawls, everywhere for a quick warm up. We have central air and heating here and I feel like there's waste heating rooms not used.
ReplyDeleteA hot water bottle can help keep things cozy too. Socks on your feet, maybe 2 pair if needed. Ranee (USA)
ReplyDeleteGood tips & we always wear plenty of clothes rather than having heat on. Keeping hands & feet warm really does wonders for the rest of your body, as well as a head covering if your not blessed with a full head of hair. Heat bags are another good idea if you do need to sit for any length of time. It's still colder than normal here for this time of year & still wearing slightly warmer clothes than our usual summer garb, although we have had a few nice warm days. Take care & hugs.
ReplyDeleteNice tips. We have to have the heating on somewhat due to frozen pipes and what not. Unfortunately, our house is open plan so there is no shutting of doors. Sigh. I really miss that about American houses. I always have a blanket around in the winter, a huge one that I snuggle underneath if I'm sitting around. Upstairs in my house is warmer than downstairs so if I get too cold I go up there to my craft room. I soon warm up. My hands and feet are the things that feel the cold the most. I wear two socks, slippers and if my hands get cold I have a handwarmer or wear fingerless gloves. It may seem funny to wear them in the house, but when your hands are the reason the rest of you feels cold (to me) it makes sense!
ReplyDeleteI find a good ol' fashioned balaclava mask, topped up with a snood AND earmuffs on the top does the job nicely ;) x
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