It's that time of year, again, in the United States. Last night, here in Western New York, it was blustery and cold, with a killing frost. Just to the NorthWest of us, there was snow, up to 9 inches! Brr!! Here are some suggestions for staying warm, for both parents and
kids:
1. Layer, Layer, Layer: Start with knee-high socks, then a warm pair of pants, lined if possible. Next, a long-sleeve t-shirt, then a short-sleeve t-shirt over that. Last, if you are like me, throw on a hooded sweatshirt and ta-da! Warm!! When going outside, put on a thick jacket, lined if possible, and gloves, scarf, hat and warm shoes/boots. Frostbite comes on with little notice, and small hands and feet can suffer serious injury.
2. The Thermostat: In our house, we leave the thermostat set to 65 degrees. We turn it up to 72 degrees once at night, before bedtime, and again once in morning, upon waking. By leaving it set to 65 degrees, nominally, it does not ever get frigid in the house, and when you need to run the furnace, it doesn't use as much electric, oil, or gas, as it takes less time to reach temp.
3. Hot Meals: Yay, for this bit! Casseroles and soups, and oven-baked foods, oh my! The warmer a meal is, when you eat it, the warmer your body will feel. The same goes for drinks. Hot apple cider, hot cocoa, or simply a mug of hot tea can do wonders for warming a person up! For the little ones, I suggest warmed milk before bedtime, as not only dfoes it warm them up, but it soothes the tummy. (Note: oven-baking also has a bonus...once you're done cooking, turn the oven off and leave the oven door slightly ajar, letting all that extra heat out into the open room. Be sure to watch it like a hawk, tho, with little ones.)
4. Physical Activity: It might be cold outside, but one can still work up a sweat! Go for walks, bundled in your warmest layered clothes. Dance around the house, with slippers on. Anything that raises your body temperature is good, during these cold, cold months.
5. Snuggle: What in the world is better than wrapping around the ones you love and just snuggling? It's my favourite way of all to stay warm.
Have a warm Winter, all!
(October 2006) (
