Search Results for: blog block those drafts

Keeping Drafts Out of Your Home

Here in my neck of the woods, Wisconsin, the temperatures have definitely dropped. In fact the past couple of days have been extremely windy, up to 30 and 40 mph. When you are only in the 40’s and 50’s, that makes for some cold weather. So it’s time to start finding those areas of the home that are drafty. You can save a lot of money on energy if you invest in newer windows. We have been slowly doing that. But it’s been slower than I would like. In fact, we have this gorgeous stationary window in the front with … Continue reading →

Block Those Drafts

With the winter winds blowing, heating your home can get expensive. One of the simplest ways to help ease the burden is to block drafts, keeping cold air out and warm air in. Many people will simply place a rolled up towel in front of doors, which works, but there are some other options. You can find some nice draft blockers that coordinate with your décor or you can make your own draft stoppers. Doors aren’t the only issue, however. What about windowsills? You don’t want to stuff towels up by the window, so choose from an assortment of attractive … Continue reading →

Battle the Cold

With temperatures dropping below freezing, it’s an ideal time to talk about keeping that belly warm. As you have probably already figured out, cold drafts are your biggest enemy when it comes to bundling up. A big pregnant belly tends to push out clothing, making it easy for drafts to go up the bottom of your coat or shirt, which is really uncomfortable! Another problem that I personally encountered was a shortage of maternity coats on the market. For some reason I had no problem finding lightweight coats and jackets, but when I tried to find a heavy duty coat … Continue reading →

Staying Warm (and Why It’s Important!)

Winter “officially” starts on December 21st for the Northern Hemisphere… but it’s cold right now here in the Pacific Northwest. With the economy the way it is at the moment, it might be tempting to try to keep energy bills lower by keeping the house cooler than you might normally like it. Here are some tips to help you keep warm if you’ve got the thermostat set low. Number one: Check doors for drafts. If you can see daylight around your door, then the cold air can get in. Think about weather stripping or a draft stopper to help keep … Continue reading →

Guide to Interior Doors for Your Home 2

How to choose interior doors should be given a lot more thought than it is in most people’s homes. Interior door choices can solve all sorts of problems from a noisy laundry room to a bathroom that is too small. In my previous post, I started talking about some of the different choices in interior doors and listing the pros and cons of each. Now, I’ll continue with the rest of the types. If you missed that earlier blog post, click here: Guide to Interior Doors for Your Home. Pocket Pocket doors are related to sliding doors in that they … Continue reading →

Free Heat 2

Do you know all of the places to find free heat? From taking advantage of normal household tasks to building your own free heat machines, there are many ways to grab some free heat when you need it. If you missed the first post on this topic, click here: Free Heat Our home is zoned into two zones for heat. Because of this, I usually keep the upstairs heat turned on only enough to keep the pipes from freezing during the day. It gets very cold up there. However, when I iron I am soon pretty warm, The ambient heat … Continue reading →

Ready for Winter?

One important step in winterizing your home is to be sure that you’re keeping warm air in and cold air out. One good way to do this is by making sure your insulation is in good shape and is sufficient. This is something you may be able to do yourself. If not, a handyman should be able to help you out at a reasonable rate. If you turn on the furnace and find that you’re getting no heat or very little heat in one area, it may be a problem with your duct work. This is something you need to … Continue reading →

Cold Weather Comfort

Just because you are following a frugal lifestyle doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the cooler weather. And of course, the holidays are coming up. The frugal living blog has had some great ideas for enjoying this time of year. From keeping warm to having fun, here are some of the best articles for cold weather comfort. Frugal Food: Make Your Own Hot Chocolate Mix Last week the weather hit an unexpected cold spell and we all had the chills. it was just one of those cold dreary days. The kids were whiny and the adults were grumpy. I thought that … Continue reading →

Home Heating Costs: Have You Done the Snow Test?

As I sit here in my little office in Pennsylvania, I can see the snow falling yet again. It has been snowing on and off for the past few days. Sometimes it sticks and sometimes it doesn’t. One thing that is consistent about the weather is that it has been cold. Brrrrrr. We are all walking around the house with double socks and pullover or zip-up jackets. The furnace seems to be constantly running, and I have been keeping the little ones in their footie pajamas. One of the benefits of the snow, believe it or not is an improved … Continue reading →