Question of the Day, Sunday, February 14, 2016

[micknsnicks2mom]

Good Afternoon!   

    and, Happy Valentine's Day!  

it's winter where i live, and lately we've had some extremely cold weather. makes me envy those of us who live in warmer climates! 

with these thoughts on my mind, for today's Question of the Day........

How do you keep warm during the cold winter months? or, if you live in a warm climate -- How do you stay cool during the hot summer months?

i'll start!

the wood stove usually keeps me and the cats plenty warm. last night, and probably again tonight, i did let the furnace run 'as back up' for the wood stove. this is the first time i've needed to do that, it was that cold! starting this winter, i'll no longer get up to add more wood to the stove more than 3 times per night -- i need my sleep!

other ways i keep warm are:  wearing thermal tops and bottoms, wearing sweatshirts/pants over the thermals, cooking/baking -- using the oven, the heated mattress pad on my bed (i love that thing!) and the flannel and microplush sheets, having hot meals/soups often, snuggling with the cats 

, and generating warmth by moving firewood and doing other chores. i don't usually drink hot beverages like tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.

okay, now it's your turn!

 

[betsygee]

I live in a very temperate climate on the central coast of California.  We generally don't get extremes of temperature here so I can't contribute much to this question.  

It gets chilly here at night sometimes (40F) 

  and we'll get a fire going in the fireplace and snuggle up there with the kitties but that's about it for dealing with winter.  

 

[eck1kaylie]

Lots and lots of fuzzy blankets and tea!
And kitty snuggles, of course

 

[larussa]

I just turn up the thermostat to where it's comfortable in the house and if I don't have to go out, I don't, easy peasy.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Lots and lots of fuzzy blankets and tea!
And kitty snuggles, of course

lovely! 

i love the microplush sheets and blankets, they're so warm and very soft/plush. 

these last two utterly frigid cold nights are the first nights our little DeeDee and Allie have been 'out and about' in the house (they're just 6 months old now, and joined our family at the beginning of january). it's been years since i've had a cat that prefers to snuggle on top the blankets curled up against me, and that's what the girls prefer. i always sleep better, more deeply when a cat(s) is snuggling with me in bed! 

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

 
I just turn up the thermostat to where it's comfortable in the house and if I don't have to go out, I don't, easy peasy.

very smart! 

  so many people go out in these frigid temps when they don't need to. with a wind chill of -25 degrees F, i haven't gone outdoors since thursday evening.

 

[donutte]

I live in the Chicago area, not far from the Lake, so we got very cold winters and very hot summers :lol3: Not Arizona hot, but hot enough and humid, yuck.

I have tons of hoodies, and I wear them all winter long. I actually don't have the temperature set too high, usually (at most) 71 during the day and 68 at night. I definitely prefer it to be on the chilly side so I can burrow under my blankets. I even have the window open sometimes! I would have the last few days, but it's so cold that I can't get my window open.

I have no idea how I survive the summer when it gets really hot. I am absolutely not a hot weather person at all. Home air conditioning just doesn't cut it very well. My room's vents don't work very well so it's cooler in the winter (which I like) but warmer in the summer (which I hate). I tend to go into the office a LOT more in the summer because it's almost always refreshingly freezing there.

I find it so funny. We have people that say they have to leave Chicago because of how horrible the winters are, and others that say they have to leave Chicago because of how horrible the summers are :lol3:

 

[Draco]

I live in a co-op and my unit is directly above the boiler room. It gets very warm in here. I have not ever used the heat.. even this weekend when it dropped below zero, my heat is still off!

My bedroom gets really warm. Right now it's about 3 degrees out, my bedroom is 75 degrees. Still too warm, I have to turn the ceiling fan on! I miss the days of cuddling under the covers when it's chilly out, lol.

Property managers are looking into finding ways to cool down the boiler room so it won't be so warm in here.

 

[SeventhHeaven]

We don't have winters now just a dusting of snow for 1/2 day.  This is retirement capital of Canada.

Vancouver had lots of snow, cold weather.  Minus 2 or 5 twice all winter here.  Some years we will

get 1 day of snow in March or even May and that's it. Very mild, a good thing.

If it's to hot in the summer A/C in vehicle or in shopping malls. Summers have been on the mild side as well.

   

             

                   

                 

            

                  

                 

              

        

 

[swamplady]

I live just Southwest of New Orleans La. Our cold months are November - March on average. Our temps in the winter range on average between 80 degrees to lows in the 20s. We only had one day this year down in the 20s. That was about a month ago and that was 29 degrees. April to Oct we are very tropical. I use the heater of course when needed. Other than that I am under soft fleeced blankies with my fur babies Cally, Tiger, + Peppy helping to keep me warm. 

 

[Kat0121]

It really doesn't get cold here in central Florida. I only use the heat a few days a year. I do have flannel sheets on the bed but mostly because I just like them. When it gets hot, we use the AC.

 

[Willowy]

Um. . .heater and AC? :lol3: Set the thermostat and that's that!

Haha, OK, that's only while indoors. And I do get cold at night in the winter so I have an electric blanket. And an electric throw for cuddling up on the couch. In the winter, if I have to be outside, I have a big poofy jacket, wool socks, insulated bibs when I have to be out for an extended period. In the summer, a wet towel on my neck really helps a lot. Cold drinks are nice too.

But mostly, I'm very grateful for central heat and AC!

 

[Winchester]

Central Pennsylvania here. Our house has electric heat and it's not the kind of heat that really makes me feel warm, not by any stretch. The only thing that really gets me through the winter months (other than 30-minute hot showers....OK, I'm kidding, I think) are the flannel sheets and the electric blanket on our bed. Other than that, I'm constantly cold and I live in sweatshirts and sweatpants whenever I'm home. I feel frumpy, but I'm warmer. At work, I have my casual work clothes on, but I even wear a sweatshirt over them. I have often said that I turn into an icicle around the end of October and don't really warm back up until May. My car is constantly set at around 75 degrees F (the last couple days I had the driver's side set to 80 F in the car); the fan is operating full-tilt and I start my car using the remote control about 15 minutes before I have to leave for work. It is what it is.

I still walk outside during the winter. Long underwear, heavy wind pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt, scarf, my Columbia jacket, gloves, ear muffs, etc. I have snow sneakers and my Yak Trax. 

I live for the summer. We don't have central AC (a few years ago, Rick was determined to have it installed in the house, but I really, really don't want it). They keep it really cold at work and I even wear a sweatshirt during the summer months in my cube, so I don't want to freeze at home, too. We keep the windows open and that works most of the time. But I do feel it when the temperature gets above 90 F and we have the high humidity for days and days on end. Even then, though, it's rare that I run the AC in my car....I simply open Clarence's moon roof and we hit the road. When Rick is in the car with me, then I'll use the AC, but if I'm alone, I hardly ever use it. We have the in-ground pool, too, so there are nights when Rick and I will lounge in the pool after working outside for a while. 

No thyroid issues or anything like that. I just tend to mind the cold more so than other people. I've always been a warm-weather girl.

 

[di and bob]

I wear a T-shirt under my sweatshirt and find it REALLY helps. I also love my flannel sheets and we use the wood stove a lot for 'extra' warming. We are consistently down in the teens during the night here in Nebraska, and reach 25-40 in the daytime. This has been a good winter, not too many really frigid nights, and moisture, 18 inches of snow on 2/2.  

  I worry so much about our outside cats, then I look out and they are playing and jumping in the snow, that helps!  This week is wonderful! 50's all week, then some 60's, and 70 on Thursday! THAT'S why we have those cold days, it makes us appreciate the warm ones so much more!!!!

 

[Norachan]

I'm sooooooo jealous! I would love a stove like that.

It's very comfortable here in the summer, all you need to do is open the windows and splash on a bit of mosquito repellent.

Winter is tough, we get three months of snow and it can get down to -20C. We used to have a gas stove, but it was very expensive to run and I managed to break it while cleaning underneath.

Now we use kerosene heaters, which are much cheaper, and dream about putting in a wood stove one day.

I wear lots of layers, thermal long sleeved shirt and leggings under my jeans and sweaters, scarf indoors as well as out. Also helps to have a couple of fat cats in the bed to keeps out the drafts.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

We usually have the heat on; but if it's the weekend or DH is home and it's cold or stormy DH lights the wood stove!  The only problem with that is how cool the bedrooms get.  We sleep with the doors shut so even once the fire has gone out and the heat is back on; it can be hard to warm them up.  The kids never complain; but I'm their mother so I worry. 

  

I'm also a big fan of snuggling under a big blanket on the couch.  Usually with Mooch on top of me for extra heat. 

  Thats my favorite part of winter.  I miss it in the warmer months!  Mooch still wants to be on me then; it's just not as comfy.  If I can't be sitting down I wear cabin socks from Yaktrax.  They are super soft inside and keep my feet toasty!  I have various sweaters and hoodies I can put on too.  My favorite sweater is technically a maternity one but I will never give it up.  It's designed to wrap around; so it feels really nice to wear in the cold.  It's a thicker knit and long enough to cover my backside.  I HATE when my lower back is cold because a top rides up or isn't long enough.  Pajama tops are bad for that!! 

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Electric blanket year round.  During the summer it stays on low  to knock out the humidity.   I hate damp sheets.  My apartment has central heat and air, so that ttakkes care of the extremes..  Spring and fall  I  have the windows  wide opened.  Although with this crazy winter, it's been "windows in the morning, ac  in the midday and early afternoon, and heat  at night!"

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I live in the Chicago area, not far from the Lake, so we got very cold winters and very hot summers

Not Arizona hot, but hot enough and humid, yuck.

I have tons of hoodies, and I wear them all winter long. I actually don't have the temperature set too high, usually (at most) 71 during the day and 68 at night. I definitely prefer it to be on the chilly side so I can burrow under my blankets. I even have the window open sometimes! I would have the last few days, but it's so cold that I can't get my window open.

I have no idea how I survive the summer when it gets really hot. I am absolutely not a hot weather person at all. Home air conditioning just doesn't cut it very well. My room's vents don't work very well so it's cooler in the winter (which I like) but warmer in the summer (which I hate). I tend to go into the office a LOT more in the summer because it's almost always refreshingly freezing there.

I find it so funny. We have people that say they have to leave Chicago because of how horrible the winters are, and others that say they have to leave Chicago because of how horrible the summers are

ahhh, hoodies are good to stay warm with! 

and i bet they help cut down on the cold winter wind too.

hot weather has it's challenges for me too! i don't do well with air conditioning; it makes me feel cold even during the hottest weather. so this spring i'll be putting up two or three window security grates/bars, on windows at the back and one side of my house. it struck me last year that once i close all the windows for the night, even if the temp is cool and comfy at night it gets hot and stuffy indoors. i have been turning the ac on fan setting, but i feel i shouldn't need to do that when it's cool outside. so with the windows bars, i'll be able to leave those windows open at night.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

 
I live in a co-op and my unit is directly above the boiler room. It gets very warm in here. I have not ever used the heat.. even this weekend when it dropped below zero, my heat is still off!

My bedroom gets really warm. Right now it's about 3 degrees out, my bedroom is 75 degrees. Still too warm, I have to turn the ceiling fan on! I miss the days of cuddling under the covers when it's chilly out, lol.

Property managers are looking into finding ways to cool down the boiler room so it won't be so warm in here.

wow! no heating bill...all winter! 

  but then, you might also have extra air conditioning running, like during cool/cold weather to cool your home down to a reasonable temp...?