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lapazfarm
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We accepted the challenge a while back and it is going well so far. We are doing 65 day/60 night. I have to say the night is harder for us. During the day we are so busy we stay warm. I am sewing the kids a bunch of fleece ( polar fleece on sale for 3.99/yd) pants that they can wear day or night, so that should help.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Matilda
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Waaaaah!
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Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11 , 10 , 9 & 5 ) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
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PDyer
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We're at 64 day and night for now. I'm the only one who is aware of the change to the thermostat setting. I notice I'm cold at night, but the benefit to that is I get in bed earlier and therefore sleep rather than keeping myself busy until the wee hours.  My family thanks you all.
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
Life at Home
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Matilda
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OK. I am over my pity party now. I ignored the temperature outside and made a big pot of soup for dinner.
This challenge wouldn't be much of a hardship for me. I prefer to be cold. During the summer months, we will set our thermostat to 83 during the day just so that we can crank it down to 74 at night. Anything higher than that and I can't sleep.
So what are you all doing to keep warm during the challenge? I think the knitting advice is great (although Mary knows I personally am hooked on crochet!) For those who can't knit, you could make a no-sew fleece blanket to keep you warm.
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Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11, 10, 9 & 5) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
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SusanJ
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We haven't used our heat yet and we're waking up to a 63-degree house and we warm up to about 66 from oven use and sun during the day. We're planning to wait until we're too cold and then turn it up one degree. I've been doing so much baking! We expect to be able to get to 55 at night, but we'll see. DD hates blankets and even though she sleeps with us I'm worried about her getting too cold. We're really trying to save money this winter, but I guess reducing our carbon footprint will be a nice side benefit.
Susan
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TracyFD
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We are giving this a try for at least a week! I think it might work, especially when we get our (effecient) wood burning fireplace going. I am also thinking of investing in some woolen long johns
to help out, but it's not in the budget just yet!
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Tracy
Mom to 3 girly girls,
1 absent-minded professor, and one adorable toddling terrorist.
Pinewood Castle
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SuzanneG
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I hate hot at night, but during the day I'm freezing at 63 and the dc and dh are fine!!
63 during the day
55 at night
We also need a dehumidifier if we keep temps like this, otherwise it's just too wet/cold and mold is everywhere... 
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Suzanne in ID
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SuzanneG
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Blah....up above, I meant "dc and dh are FINE" (not cold) at 63, while I'm freezing.
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Suzanne in ID
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Maryan
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I feel like I'm freezing my buns!!
We're at 62 day and night. (The temp. my Mom kept it on). 
I'm pretty sure that our rooms at night are colder than that because our thermostat is right at the top of the stairs so heat rising probably keeps the upstairs bedrooms from having the heat turned on. 
My poor husband is always cold -- he's WAY skinnier than me right now!! My 182 to his 145 -- and we're almost the same height!! Fortunately I'm pregnant and have an excuse. But dh agrees that the colder air is better for our health, so let's me keep it that cold.
I drink a lot of tea and the boys wear a lot of socks and sweaters!! And footie pjs!!
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
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hylabrook1
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For those whose children don't keep the blankets on, what about blanket sleepers -- you know, those polar fleece, footed, zip-up things? Carters makes them up to kids size 14 or 16, I think.
We have programmable thermostats, set for 62 during the night, 68 upstairs for about 2 hours in the morning, then 65 during the better part of the day and evening. The 68 helps people who are reluctant to get out of bed into a cold room, as well as covering the time when we are showering and getting dressed.
We've done this for the 4 years we've lived in this house, and it must bring some savings because the propane truck doesn't come to our house nearly as often as it visits the neighbors.
Peace,
Nancy
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Mary G
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Hey y'all, a great way to warm the house (and do housekeeping at the same time ) is to do the self-clean cycle on your oven .... mine really needed cleaning and it gets REAL hot for 4 hours, making our house nice and toasty!
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MaryG
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SuzanneG
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hylabrook1 wrote:
For those whose children don't keep the blankets on, what about blanket sleepers -- you know, those polar fleece, footed, zip-up things? Carters makes them up to kids size 14 or 16, I think.
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Love blanket sleepers, but for those dc who get up to go to the bathroom during the night, they don't work  . So, we do regular cotton 2-piece with socks with a fleece gown like these over the jammies. So far, i've been able to find them at thrift stores.
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Suzanne in ID
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hylabrook1
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Oh, yeah, Suzanne...I forgot about that tricky part.
Peace,
Nancy
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SuzanneG
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hylabrook1 wrote:
We've done this for the 4 years we've lived in this house, and it must bring some savings because the propane truck doesn't come to our house nearly as often as it visits the neighbors.
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I take great pride in calling the oil company every Spring and having them look up how much oil we used and then have them Ooohhh, and aaaaahhh, over how little we use!!!! It helps, of course, that we got a new oil furnace 4 years ago (installed, of course, a mere 4 days after giving birth ).
It's the little things that make my day, I guess.... 
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Suzanne in ID
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Jess
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I would love to do this but it is still in the 80s where we are. So when it does get colder we will keep the heat low. I prefer it to be colder too.
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Jess
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LisaR
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we are 66 during the day, and 58 at night. I have Raynaud's syndrome, so I basically have blue/white extremities whenever it is below about 70 degrees- inside OR out!! I wear a polar fleece neck gaiter pretty much 24/7- I read once that keeping the neck OR head warm is the key for the rest of your body. Silk long johns are on every day under my clothes. The kids are totally fine. I am just the one who suffers! - but hey- if the heat was on 72 I'd still be cold!
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Lisa
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Mary Chris
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Checking in to see how everyone is doing.......I am cold! I wear my jacket almost all the time and drink a lot of tea. I even put a beanie on my head in the middle of the night because I was so cold and couldn't sleep .
We did invest in some flannel sheets and a new blanket from Costco and they are warm. We might look at a big down like comforter for Christmas. And I am hoping for some pj's instead of nightgowns.
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LisaR
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still holding on to 66 day and 58 night!! I am COLD but then again, I always am...I wear 2 pairs of socks to bed, a long sleeve thermal T, and then flannel PJ's. during the day, it is usually 2-3 layers on top, and I have to share that I found the best slippers/clogs on clearance at Lands End a few months ago. they are a very bright cobalt blue (my only color choice) but they are sherpa/fleece on top with suede trim, but a real sole and a real insole with arch support! I had bought them for slippers, and have realized that the reason why so many of my other slippers never worked is because they did not offer enough support or warmth!
Our Sept, Oct , and Nov. Gas/Electric bill (it comes combined) were each right at/under 100.00!!! I am so anxious to see how we fare in Dec...
Line drying 85% of our clothes as usual really helps to humidify the house, too- my clothelines are in the basement right across from the furnace and main blower...
hang in there everyone!!
oh, and most of my kids still run around barefoot and short sleeved!!
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Lisa
dh Tim '92
Joseph 17
Paul 14
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Dominic 8
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many little saints in heaven!
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Maryan
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We're still at 62, but there are a couple of times with the kids sick that I bumped it up to 64. (Although the day I did that my pregnant body was TOO hot, but I was the only one!)Our goal is to stay under 65 all winter. But I have NO idea how you can do 58 at night... BRrrrr.. and I like blankets!!
Definitely lots of tea and sweaters here!!
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
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TracyFD
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The fireplace is going, so it's not too bad during the day but the baby freezes at night! I go to her when she wakes up and her arms are like icicles! So I take her to bed and she either nurses all night or doesn't sleep so we are having problems here!
The good news is that our gas bill was $99 for 2200 FSF in Minnesota!
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Tracy
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1 absent-minded professor, and one adorable toddling terrorist.
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Topic: Freeze yer buns Challenge
