Power Outages, Comfy Clothes, and Ideas to Help You Stay Warm – My Heart Goes Out to All Affected

I woke up this morning to see again on the news the continuing power outages across the country – Oregon, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia. Temperatures are at or below freezing in many of these places right now.

These are very scary times for many Americans and now more than ever it’s a time to come together and support each other. Warm and comfy is the name of the game. 

I wanted to offer a few tips I thought might be helpful to keep warm till the heater comes back on.

1. Close off any rooms you or others are not occupying in order to keep what heat you do have in.
2. Close your blinds and curtains and hang blankets on the windows.
3. Aluminum foil on the windows can also help seal in heat and during the day amplify the sun’s rays.
4. Stuff towels under the doors to keep air leaks at bay.
5. Make sure to keep eating and drinking to stay hydrated and give your body calories to burn off. Shivering burns quite a lot of calories. Drink warm liquids they greatly help warm the body.
6. Wear layers of clothing. If you own dry fit start with those next to your skin. Work your way out to cotton, then other layers of wool or neoprene winter clothes. If you do sweat, make sure to change clothes. Dry is key.
7. Hats and scarves help tremendously. Keep the head, chest, and neck area warm.
8. Snuggle with your pets and use them as little heaters as well as helping them stay warm. The same goes for other members of your household. Shared body heat helps.
9. If you have a fireplace… Now is the time to use it.
10. Get out the sleeping bags. They are weather rated for low temps compared to the usual comforters.
11. If you have large or medium sized rocks and are blessed to have a gas stove, you can boil water and the rocks (think hot rock massage) get them good and hot, wrap them in a towel and put them in the sleeping bag with you…. It will act as a personal heater.
12. Mittens are warmer than gloves. If given the choice pick mittens.
13.  If you have a gas stove, cook something in the oven it will help heat the house.

If you are reading this, chances are that you knit or crochet. Hopefully you have already knit yourselves a bunch of scarves, hats, and sweaters, or at least have many in your closet, keeping busy while the power is out is important as well. It can help keep your mind off being cold as well as stave off boredom. If you know how to knit or crochet and already have the yarn and needles, it can be a good way to occupy your mind.

I am thinking of you all and wishing you the best. You are not alone even if it feels like it right now.

Sincerely,

Kristin Omdahl

*image pattern link for the Beck Crochet Colorwork Hat https://www.kristinomdahl.com/product/beck-crochet-colorwork-hat-pattern/