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Mary Chris
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| Posted: Nov 10 2007 at 8:28am | IP Logged
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The other day while I was reading Elizabeths' blog I clicked on a link to the Freeze yer buns challenge. Now this is one my dh will like was my first thought, we just turned on the heat late this week. We keep our windows open as much as we can, usuaully we hear the hum of all our neighbors heating/cooling systems  .
So are you up for the challenge? We set our thermostat to 65 (we may go lower) during the day and 58 at night. I did tell dh with all the money we'll save we can afford to buy blankets that actually fit on our bed and some flannel sheets and I need sweatshirts to match my Land's End pants. 
What temp do you keep your house at during the winter?
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Stephanie_Q
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I signed up for it. We have an old 2-story 4-square farmhouse and the thermostat temp in the middle of the house is higher than the actual temp, especially near the windows. We're set at 65 day and night upstairs with a heat pump. We're 67 day (which feels the same as 65 upstairs) and 62 night downstairs with propane heat. When it gets colder, we have a wood burning furnace (no thermostat) so it's much warmer, but much cheaper.
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JenniferS
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We do the same as Stephanie_Q, only our's is an old one story house and we never let the thermostat setting get over 60-65 with the propane heat. Propane is so darn expensive. I do love the wood heat, though. Dh is out cutting wood for later this winter as I type.
Jen
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folklaur
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Sometime around Dec/Jan it gets colder here in AZ, but last year our heat pump broke, and we had no $$$ to fix it at all. We finally used our fireplace, and it was nice, and we saved a lot of money. I think I will check out the challenge, thanks for the link!
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JodieLyn
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yeah.. we have wood heat.. we get 3 cords of wood a winter which costs right about $300 and may or may not use it all (this year I think we only need 2 cords) and that heats the house to whatever we like for the whole winter.
I washed the futon cover and out of concern for shrinkage put it back on wet.. then I moved the whole thing in front of the wood stove and had a fire going all day.. with windows open cause it was really too warm for that much heat 
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florasita
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dh already has been way ahead we've a lock on the thermostat due to children's little hands
wool blankets are great too and caps on heads for cold nights
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Mary Chris
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| Posted: Nov 10 2007 at 10:48am | IP Logged
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We unfortunately have a gas fireplace, we never use it  . In our last house we had a wood stove in basement that could heat most of the house. I would really like to convert to a pellet stove, I haven't researched to know if it is enviormentally sound but they really work. We would probably have to build a chimney, doubt the HOA would approve that. Our main living area is usually warmer than the rest of the house because we have a ton of windows in that area.
We do have lots of polar fleece throws around the house and my kiddos seem to be in constant motion which keeps them warm. I think I will make them some corn cuddlers to warm up their beds at night, they keep asking for my heating pad .
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Mary G
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OK, ladies .... if y'all KNITTED, you could knit warm and cozies for everyone!
We normally keep our house in Winter at 66-68 during the day and 60 at night ... I think I'll have dh turn it down to more like 62 during the day and 58 at night ... we've got huge windows that let in lots of sun during the day so the heat really doesn't run that much anyway (altho I do cheat ... we have little, portable heaters in the bathrooms -- I run that at 75 while I'm showering at 5:30 a.m.!)
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Mary Chris
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Mary G wrote:
OK, ladies .... if y'all KNITTED, you could knit warm and cozies for everyone!
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I'm working on it!
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mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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folklaur
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florasita wrote:
| and caps on heads for cold nights |
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my goofy ds9 does this, every night. Even when it is 100+ degrees, he needs his sleep cap. 
Mary G wrote:
OK, ladies .... if y'all KNITTED, you could knit warm and cozies for everyone!
...snip...
we have little, portable heaters in the bathrooms -- I run that at 75 while I'm showering at 5:30 a.m.!) |
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I want to knit so badly. I have checked every book out of the library I can find, especially the ones for kids & teens, and I still just don't quite get it.
And, yes, I forgot about our space heater. We have one in the main bathroom, as dh was having to get up early and it was cold, and wow, those little things work well.
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MarilynW
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OK - I tried 65 degrees - and I nearly froze over - so back it is to 71! Even with 71 degrees I go to bed with big pajamas, socks, comforter and blanket!! Any ideas about how I can increase my tolerance for cold
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joann10
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Our house is so tiny that we have yet to need the heat on.( in northern NY-and it has snowed) We have so many bodies that if everyone is in the living room the temp goes up to 70 just from body heat. Four kids in each room heats those at night and the babies are in bed with dh and me. [ 
One cold morning I did bake blueberry muffins to warm us up and we were set for the day.
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Mary G
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joann10 wrote:
| One cold morning I did bake blueberry muffins to warm us up and we were set for the day. |
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I've done this a couple of chilly mornings too -- boy is that a great way to get the kids up -- smell of yummy treats AND warmth from the oven!
And for those who are always cold -- that's my Thomas (8) -- he's always got longsleeves and sweats on while his younger brother (who will soon be 5!)is ALWAYS hot (this a.m. when a friend came to get Catie, he ran out with shorts and no shirt/sox and it was 30-40 degrees outside!)
Can't EVER please them all at one time
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MommyD
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MarilynW wrote:
| OK - I tried 65 degrees - and I nearly froze over - so back it is to 71! Even with 71 degrees I go to bed with big pajamas, socks, comforter and blanket!! Any ideas about how I can increase my tolerance for cold |
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Oh Marilyn, I'm with you!! I can not function if I'm cold or even just a little chilly! The worst is having cold feet. Misery, I tell you!! My inlaws keep their heat low and I'm always volunteering to run errands so I can get back in my nice warm car. I guess I'll save the planet by not using my A/C as much in the summer. Ah, heat...that I can handle!!
Melissa
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folklaur
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I wonder what it is that makes us each prefer different temps? I am always hot. And, when I get hot, I am unhappy  - it can even bring on a panic attack. All summer, I like the A/C to be set on 70 (and I would actually prefer 68....). Dh is always pushing it up, and even just one or two degrees, and I notice right away without even checking it. Youngest dd5 is like me - the poor thing sweats so badly every time she falls asleep, her hair gets wet. (ick).
But dh, ds, and older dd are ALWAYS cold. They always need to bring a sweater or jacket to the movies or restaurants, their hands and feet get cold, etc.
Probably a hormone thing?
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Mary Chris
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Well Marilyn and Melissa.......
I use to have that problem but I have added some "insulation" over the years  .
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Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
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Fuzzy
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We have just turned on our heat this week to 65, and boy is it cold! I am ALWAYS cold, just like Marilyn, especially my feet, and it is very hard for me, since I don't have much "insulation." My DH is ALWAYS hot, and he is comfortable with the thermostat right now.....and my fingertips and tip of my nose are getting cold just typing this! I am really going to try to participate in this challenge.
I think my Christmas "wish" list will change to LOTS of warm clothing and blankets!
I wonder if having the house a little chillier than normal will not only help with $$, but with the germs? I know when my DH was in Austria (in DECEMBER!  ) the landlady would open all the windows every morning!
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amyable
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Mary Chris wrote:
Well Marilyn and Melissa.......
I use to have that problem but I have added some "insulation" over the years . |
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Maybe that is why I'm so warm this winter, I have 20 extra baby pounds that don't seem to be budging. We've turned down the thermostat a degree or two - with a newborn I don't want it to get too cold...I'm hoping to sneak a gradual decrease past everyone.
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Rachel May
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After reading Happy Are You Poor I was feeling daring by going to 68 all the time! I think since this is our first year doing it, we won't push the edge of the envelope yet.
A weird thing about power bills: We have this strange military mock billing system where our house is lumped with 4 other houses of the same size. The housing office drops the highest and lowest power using houses and establish a "power use baseline" based on the other 3. If you are over, you pay the excess; if you are under, you can get up to $10 back. . I was really worried since our family is by far the biggest and we're the only people who are home all day. So far we have come under the baseline every time which makes me wonder, "What does the rest of the world set their thermostat at?"
I'm almost grateful that you all aren't my neighbors, but not really. 
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Ruth
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MarilynW wrote:
| OK - I tried 65 degrees - and I nearly froze over - so back it is to 71! |
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Mary Chris wrote:
I use to have that problem but I have added some "insulation" over the years . |
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You two are hysterical!
We keep the thermostat on 68 during the day and we're weaning ourselves down to 68 at night. Every night I put it down 1 degree. Tonight it's down to 68. I'm also nervous because the baby is only a week old, so I won't go down much lower. Thanks to Marilyn, she's very warm in her "swaddle me" blanket.
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Freeze yer buns Challenge
