How to Keep Warm in a Cold House

It's winter and it's cold outside. If your house is like mine, it's cold indoors as well.

If you find yourself uncomfortably cold, there are a number of easy steps you can take to help keep yourself warm.

Whether you are particularly sensitive to chilly weather like I am, live in a house that is poorly insulated, or choose to keep the thermostat low, I have some simple tips to help you get through winter in a cold house.

Yes, this seems perfectly obvious, but it's important. If you're cold, throw on another layer of clothing!

During the winter months, I almost always wear a turtleneck with a sweater or sweatshirt over it.

Frequently, I'll have a nice, large fleece sweater on top of that!

Put on as many layers as required in order to feel warm.

Remember the saying: "Dress like an onion, not like an orange." Multiple thinner layers keep you warmer than one very thick layer.

We have a "shoes off" house, and if my feet feel chilly in only socks, I put on a pair of slippers.

I'm particularly fond of slippers that have strong soles. The slippers that are made of soft material all around tend to wear out quickly.

There are also various types of thick socks with treads that are excellent to wear around the house. These should fit over your regular socks and can be worn during the day as well as while sleeping.

Warm your insides with warm foods and drinks

Try a nice cup of hot tea! Too much caffeine can be unhealthy, so go for herbal varieties. Other good options include decaffeinated coffee and hot chocolate. In addition to drinking the hot tea, cup your hands around the warm mug and inhale the steam!

Enjoy nice hot soups and stews to heat up your insides! One great kitchen appliance is a slow cooker. In the morning you put in the ingredients for a soup or stew. The food gently heats over the course of 5-8 hours, so you can come home from work to a nice hot meal! Or stay at home while the meal simmers - you'll love the smell of the food cooking.

And don't forget to start the day with a nice, warm bowl of oatmeal!

As with clothing, I layer on blankets as necessary. As the temperature continues to fall, the number of blankets on my bed continues to rise!

On top of the flannel sheets, I have a comforter. When that is no longer sufficient, I add an afghan or two. The loosely-crocheted afghans keep air trapped, acting as insulators.

Most people would consider flannel sheets, a comforter, and an afghan to be more than enough. As for me, I'm inclined to put a fleece blanket (or two!) over all of that!

I bought this little fleece hat years ago on a backpacking trip. It covers my ears and keeps my head warm but isn't bulky.

I kid you not when I tell you that I wear this at night if I find myself shivering, despite the ridiculous number of blankets on my bed!

Perhaps I should mention that during the winter months I go to bed wearing sweatpants, double-socks, a sweatshirt, and a fleece sweater. It may sound crazy, but this is what I have to do to deal with the cold!

If the sweatshirt I'm wearing to bed has a hood, I don't need to wear the hat. Either the hat or hood can be easily removed during the night if necessary.

If my hands are cold, I'm not too proud to throw on a pair of gloves!

If the house feels particularly cold, I'll plug in an electric space heater to warm the air in whichever room my sons and I are using.

This is a great money-saver, since I'm not paying to heat the whole house in order to be more comfortable in one particular room.

I have two space heaters, both of which can be easily carried from room to room and up and down the stairs as needed. One of the space heaters has a thermostat, and the other has more general controls for heat and power.

One great trick is to turn on a space heater in the bedroom a little while before going to bed. Depending on the size of the room and the power of the heater, this could be a matter of just 15-30 minutes.

It doesn't take long or use a tremendous amount of electricity, but it can make an incredible difference in getting to bed in comfort. The room feels warm as I drift off to sleep. I turn off the space heater before getting into bed, so I don't waste energy. Once asleep, our body temperature naturally drops, and a chilly room isn't really an issue.

Space heaters today are made to be safe and efficient, but there are safety risks involved. Click here for important safety information about space heaters.

1. Move around! Create body heat through exercise. Running up and down stairs or doing jumping jacks or sit-ups will make you feel warmer.
2. Open the oven door after baking. Don't waste all that heat as the oven cools off after use - open the door to warm the kitchen!
3. Go to the bathroom. Really. The body uses extra energy when it's holding urine and keeping it warm inside of you. Going to the bathroom promptly helps the body work more efficiently in its various functions, including temperature control.
4. Put on clothes right after they come out of the dryer. Now that's living!

I feel I should mention that my sons, whose dad is of Swedish descent, do not suffer from the cold as I do.

Although I go to bed wearing multiple layers, they are perfectly comfortable in their pajamas and never complain of being cold in the house. Scandinavian heritage sure has its advantages!