Cold kids

[Liahona]

We've had a few snow storms here, nothing new for winter in this state. Temps the last week have been a high of 20 and low about 5 degrees. Our house doesn't have insulation and the double windows are very drafty. The new heater the last landlord put in can't keep up. Our utility bills are huge in winter so I bundle everyone up and keep the heater set to 55 during the day and 70 at night. We have space heaters in the kids rooms and move everyone and the heaters down to the basement during the day.

This last dip in temps though was really bad. Ice formed on the inside windows and on a pile of blankets I had by an outer wall. I had to put the kids to bed in snow suits. Min was 3 blankets on each kid and most of them had 5 or 6. When we talked in the house I could see our breath. After a few days of this I realized the heater wasn't coming on at all. I went downstairs to do some laundry and Buster came to "help." I watched him flip a switch on the heater and it kicked on! Then he flipped it back and it went off! He had turned off the heater who knows when and the temps had just gotten colder and colder. I was so mad at him.

With the heater back on it isn't as comfortable as I'd like, but it is livable.

 

[Hound dog]

If you can afford it, put up plastic on those drafty windows. Walmart also sells blackout curtains for around 10.00 that keep out both heat and cold amazingly well. I bet if you could manage a combination you'd be toasty.

Last year dollar tree sold long johns for infant/toddler.....yes, for a buck. Look online to see if they still stock them. Or you can do what I used to do in drafty apartments.......little ones who could still fit blanket sleepers wore 2 each with a tee shirt and socks under them. If I couldn't find thermal underwear for older kids, they would wear their flannet pjs under their clothes. Works just as well.

Those microfiber blankets will keep everyone toasty warm. My bedroom is unheated. I have flannel sheets, 2 thermal blankets, the comforter, microfiber blanket and a pendleton wool blanket. If it's not cold enough the pendleton has got to go or I start sweating. Even if it is below 20 degrees out I sometimes sweat and have to peel off blankets.

I've gotten so used to 66 degrees or lower during the day that anything above that makes me hot. At night I put it down to 58. I'd go lower but kitchen pipes are on an outside wall and I want to make sure they don't freeze. I can't afford a plumber.

Travis and I each have thermal underwear and use them as needed. I avoid jeans unless leaving the house. At home I am dressed in heavy sweats and microfiber slippers. If my hands get cold........and sometimes they do, I use the microfiber gloves I picked up at dollar tree.

I'm glad you were able to find out the issue. brrrrrrrr!!!

((hugs))

 

[tiredmommy]

Oh my goodness! I'm glad the furnace is on, but you need some help with those windows and insulation!!!!

 

[susiestar]

Keep your eyes peeled for sales of fleece at Joanns, Hancocks and other fabric places, plus for sales of fleece blankets. Put a fleece blanket UNDER you as a sheet and then one over you. Put a comforter or other blanket over the fleece (or plush but fleece works better) and you won't believe the warmth. Use fleece for sheets in winter and you can keep the temp turned way down and deal with drafts easily. The fleece traps warmth but with-o another type of blanket over it, the warmth escapes too easy. Using the different types of blankets makes a huge difference. Use the same method for clothing, with a shirt of some type over a fleece shirt. I am not talking about sweatshirt fleece, but polar fleece, of course.

The cotton 'thermal' blankets don't do much on top of fleece because they are too loosely woven. If those are all you have, put a fleece blanket down, then a sheet and then the thermal cotton blanket. You can get fleece throws for $3 this year, and they will each cover a little one, or 2 will cover a larger child or adult. It will be worth the investment. My folks bedroom is an old garage that was nto insulated at all until a few years back and my parents stopped using the heated mattress pad when they started using fleece under and over them covered with a blanket. It is astonishingly cozy for a room where a cup of coffee will freeze by morning if you let it sit on the nightstand.

Sealing windows with the plastic is incredibly helpful. When husband and I got married, we lived in a 2nd floor apt with drafty windows covering every outer wall. Thankfully it was all bills paid because often utilities were more than hte rent for our apt and the business below us, even with the heat kept at 60 in the winter before Wiz was born. After he was born, I did not scrimp on the heat at all, and let the landlord deal with the heat bill. I finally told the landlord that if he paid for window kits of the plastic, I would install them and it would cut the bills. It made a BIG difference, even in the summer with the ac. The windows were drafty enough that for xmas I gave husband a blanket for his couch because it was freezing to sit there.

If nothing else, look around after the temps warm up because the window kits are usually super cheap on clearance then. Last year I saw them for under a dollar each on clearance, even for kits that did 2 windows.

 

[Liahona]

Those are great ideas. I'm going to do some of them. Because if difficult child ness I can't do all of them, but thanks all for the ideas.

 

[DammitJanet]

My mobile home isnt well insulated at all. Now thankfully menopause is helping with the cold..lol. I dont turn my heater up to over 68 unless something is really wrong...like I am sick or something. Even now, it is relatively cold for here and I am walking around in a Tee shirt and undies!

I do think Susie has a very good idea about the fleece sheets. If you cant find them cheap enough they have tee shirt fabric sheets. I use them all the time. If you look you might be able to find those electric throws and put them on the beds prior to bedtime to heat the beds up. When I had one, I just slept on it even though they say not to. Of course you can always use a heating pad to warm things up. Right now my feet get cold sometimes and I just stick the heating pad down by my feet.

The plastic over the windows can be very helpful. They have packages that you use a hair dryer on and they become clear. I have used them in other places. Supposedly I have doublepaned windows but you wouldnt know it. I most likely will just go the cheap way and duct tape plastic up if needed.

 

[Lothlorien]

I lived in the Florida Keys for a very short time many years ago. The house had no heat. We had jalousie (sp?) windows and a few were cracked. We had a few cold snaps come through. I covered the windows with comforters to keep the cold out and warmth in as best we could. I don't recommend this, but I would turn the burners on the electric stove just enough to the place warm. I was single...no kids. Boiling water is probably better. Took baths at night while it was warm enough. You need to talk to the landlord about it being too cold in there. Space heaters are not ideal (neither is putting the burners on the stove, which is dangerous)