How to Make Your Home Feel Warm and Cozy Without Cranking Up that Darn Thermostat

Anybody out there have an energy efficient husband who likes to keep things brisky just to save a buck?  Well I do and I am learning to love him for it.  Our house is set to be no warmer then 65 chilly degrees.  I know that's not awful and I should be happy to have a home that keeps me out of the rain and out of the wind but when mommy's little toes are cold then mommy doesn't want to anything but sit on the couch, light a fire and eat popcorn.  My first instinct was to crank up the heat but when I did I found myself getting sweaty and yucky feeling just from scrubbing the floors or running up and down the stairs to get things for my Sadie.  I had to think of some other ways to make my home seem warmer so that I could function the way I was designed to function.  After trying out a few of my methods I came to see that not only had I created the illusion of warm, cozy and inviting home but the thermostat was registering a higher degree of yummy warmness without having the heat kick on at all.  So we are going to use every sense we have to create our perfect winter refuge.  No more trips to the mall just to get out of the cold house or excuses to be lazy.  It can be done just by living well...

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Sound:  Crank up the tunes!  Having music on makes me dance, helps me enjoy my work and creates a more inviting enviroment.  When I dance and sing and act silly my kids want me to hold them and go crazy and they are always warm.  Essentially you are raising your body temperature just by having fun.  Turn it on first thing in the morning and watch what happens.  Life becomes snappy and silly and kid like.  If you need to relax and are not into the dancing then put on some awsome classical stuff or some smooth jazz (jk about the jazz...unless, of course, that's your thing!)  Bonus:  you'll also burn some extra calories.  Music just makes everything more fun...even cold yucky toilets seem less daunting when there's music echoing in the bathroom.

My favorite muffin recipe

Smell:  Bake something first thing in the morning.  If you have bread to make that day then do it right away.  Make some of your families favorite muffins even on a Thursday and then freeze the leftovers for another morning.  Make something yummy for dinner or, heaven forbid, dessert for later. The smell will be warm.  Your tummy will be warm and yup...your hot oven will cozy up your rooms.  You will want people to come over and be there just to smell what you are smelling.  Cooking is one of my favorite easy ways to warm things up. 

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Sight: This one is easy!  Vacume your carpet and turn on a few lamps or light some candles.  The lines that the vacume makes in your carpet will make you feel warm I promise.  Plus doing a dance with your vacume will get you up and moving, will make you happy to see a clean floor and the vacume produces heat.  Also turning on a few lamps creates a warm type of light.  Open up your blinds, even if it's gray out there and think about how much cozier your house is then that dark wet sidewalk.  You could also always paint your walls a yummy warm color but for now I am sticking with the easy solutions.

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Taste:  Eat or drink something warm!  It could be as labor intensive as homemade soup or pasta or it could be a simple piece of toast or warm popcorn with some hot chocolate.  Just standing by the oven or stove and warming your hands can make a huge difference too.  I sometimes even drink herbal tea.  This one's my favorite.  It's calming and well...warmer then water or milk.  A comfy tummy is a happy tummy.

 

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Touch:  This one is my very favorite!  Slippers with furry centers, baby cheeks and hands right after they wake up, layers and layers of homemade quilts, fireplace heat, a husbands hand, cozy socks, cuddling with your 4 year old in the morning while you watch cartoons and oh how I wish I had flannel sheets right now. 

So you see...easy solutions and they are all really pretty fun.  The key is to do it before you find yourself trapped in your bed wishing you didn't have any resposibilities or any place to go and still shivering because all you can think about is how cold it will be to pull off the covers.  Start the day out right and you'll be amazed at how much living can go on in a home that's full of warm comforts.