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White, snow-covered streets, sipping hot cocoa, bundling up by a fire – there are so many wonderful things about winter that make us long for colder temperatures. But after the newness of winter wears off, we are often left frozen, angry, frustrated, and wet.
But just because there are icicles hanging from your roof line does not mean you have to spend the entire winter freezing. Here are the 15 best tips for keeping warm in winter.
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1. Pile On the Layers!
Dressing in layers is the only way to go in winter. Life does not only exist in two extremes, hot and cold. Dressing in layers gives you the flexibility to adjust life to the temperature you want.
Keep in mind that tighter clothes hold heat in better than looser clothing. And if you’re worried about looking bigger in all of your layers, invest in winter clothing that is designed to be warm, without the bulk.
2. Bust Out the Hot Cocoa and the Chicken Soup
You’ve heard the saying, “you are what you eat”. This statement is so true during cold, winter temperatures. Eating cold foods makes you feel cold.
Put down the ice cream and pump yourself full of hot cocoa, hot soup, and other warm foods and drinks that will help melt those icicles off of your nose.
3. Cover Your Hands and Head to Prevent Heat Loss
You can lose your body heat when anything is left uncovered. Wear a hat when you’re outside to reduce the amount of body heat lost through your head.
Keep the frost from nipping at your fingers with weatherproof gloves when you’re out in the snow. Wear fingerless gloves when you’re inside to keep cold fingers at bay.
4. Invest in Disposable Hand Warmers, or Better Yet, Make Some!
Buy some disposable hand warmers, or even make some of your own. At times when you know you’ll be outside for a little while, place some warmers down inside your boots, and in the pockets of your coat to help keep your fingers and toes toasty warm.
Related: 10 Best Space Heaters to Your Home Warm and Cozy
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5. Warm Up Your Room With Rugs and Carpeting
No one likes walking on freezing floors with bare feet. Put down carpeting and rugs to cover cold, bare floors. 10% of your home’s heating can be lost through flooring that is not insulated. Rugs help insulate your floors, and are much more welcoming to those bare feet!
6. Invest in Winter Bedding
We’ve all had those linens that are absolutely freezing in the winter time! Cold sheets are fantastic in summer, but they have no place in your room in the middle of January.
Invest in some high quality flannel sheets to instantly warm up your bed, or consider getting a heating blanket. Also, make sure you position your bed on an interior wall because sleeping against an exterior wall can make you colder.
7. Leave the Weather Outside!
Don’t sit by and do nothing when drafts bring cold, icy winds into your home. Seal out the cold by caulking leaky windows, and sealing up gaps in doors with rubber weather strip.
Or, cover two pool noodles with fabric, and slide under the door to prevent unwanted drafts from larger gaps under doors.
8. Keep Your Toes Toes-ty!
A lot of body heat is lost through your feet. Keep your feet warm and dry by wearing warm, winter socks, or even doubling up your regular socks. Invest in waterproof shoes or boots to keep rain water and snow out.
And remember to put on fresh socks at bedtime, even if you think they’re still dry.
9. Improve Your Home’s Insulation
Check and see if you need to add more insulation to your attic. Insulation acts as a lid on your home and prevents heat from being lost through your ceiling. Over time, attic insulation can become compressed and lose its effectiveness.
Bring in an expert, or rent an insulation blower from your local big box store and do the work yourself for a fraction of the cost of hiring a professional.
10. Use Fire to Heat Your Home Naturally
When you’re at home, build a fire or burn candles for added warmth. Fires produce natural heat that doesn’t cost you anything, and also help make your home feel cozy and inviting.
Wood burning stoves heat homes much more efficiently than open chimney fireplaces, which can lose 90% of their heat up the chimney.
11. Use Icy Temperatures as an Excuse to Cuddle!
Body heat can generate a lot of additional warmth, so use the freezing temperatures as an excuse to cuddle! Your body is constantly losing warmth, and when you have someone next to you who produces their own heat, you lose less and stay warmer.
12. Let In the Sunshine
During the day, let as much warmth and heat into your home as possible. Pull back your curtains, open your blinds, and let the sunshine in to heat up your home. At night, close the curtains and blinds to prevent losing the heat you gained during the day.
13. Find Your Inner Chef
In the summer, baking does nothing but make your home miserably hot and unbearable. But in colder temperatures, you can bake to your heart’s content!
Baking in a hot oven heats up your home, as well as cooking and preparing homemade dishes. When it’s cold outside, fire up the oven and get creative!
14. Invest in a Programmable Thermostat
Get a programmable thermostat that you can program to your specific tastes. If you know you are always colder in the morning, program the heater to work a little overtime during those hours.
If you know you’re going to be away from home at a specific time every day, program your thermostat to change to a cooler temperature to prevent energy waste.
15. Get Out Your Yoga Mat!
Exercise is a great way to relax, meditate, and heat up your body. Regular exercise improves your body’s immune system and keeps the winter flu away. Exercise is also a natural mood booster, which can be great for winter days that are gloomy and gray.
How Will You Stay Warm This Winter?
Don’t be depressed and unhappy that winter is coming. Embrace it!
Dress in layers, eat and drink hot foods, wear a hat and gloves with hand warmers to keep your fingers toasty, warm up your space with rugs and carpeting, invest in warm bedding, winterize your home, build a fire, snuggle, find your inner chef, and exercise!
Choose a few of these tips to help yourself stay warm and toasty this winter.
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