Hot Tips for Winter Weather.

THE BASKET MAKER'S WIFE Now on Sale.

 Blurb: Safely hidden away from her horrifying past, single mother Nora loves her elderly friend, the inituitive owner of The Basket Shop. A young woman on-the-run arrives, and the three women's lives unite, changing Nora forever. Amid a cast of characters, Nora fearfully faces the past, a new full life, and the terror of a shocking gift that has waited for her....

Don't you just love this cover? I love the book/story, too. :)

More on that later, but here's some tips for keeping warm inside....
 
We’re expecting snow/ice/freezing rain and below zero temperatures, here in the Midwest.

I thought someone with an old house like mine, or maybe newer, might appreciate one or more tips on keeping warm and reducing electric bills. I have an all electric house, but really work to keep my bill down. In good weather, there’s weather stripping, well you know… Here’s some of what I do, and I hope you’ll comment on your tips:

·      Charge all necessary batteries/electronics in case of an outage. Keep extra non-charging ready.

·      Seal off any unused rooms. If the base of the door has a gap, place a rug/towel/something across it.

·      If a patio door is unused, block it off. If it faces North like mine does, even with insulating drapes, cold seeps through. Again, if unused, place 2” insulation foam against the glass, drapes over it.

·      I’m not a fan of floor-length drapes, but I have them. In hard winter, I check to see that they are not blocking off heat vents. Or that the heat is diverted out into the room.

·      Draft dodgers. Usually sewn in a tube to match the size of the window/door, they are stuffed with something to block drafts.

·      I’m lucky enough to have a fireplace insert, which I don’t that much as fire takes tending, and I’d rather write. Note: split wood takes fire faster, round wood keeps it longer. We have hard woods, which are the best. My wood pile is covered with a tarp, and some placed near a door for outages.

·      Ceramic slow cookers are best. They stay warm/hot for some time after the electricity goes out.

·      One of our local grocery stores just got zapped by shoppers and their bread shelves look empty. If you’re not a baker, do find one bread/biscuit recipe that works for you. You can bake bread as round on a cookie sheet, and the smell is wonderful!

·      Speaking of shopping: Preshop ahead of the last minute shoppers. I make my own soups, but have found that the cups of dry soup prepared with hot water are great for emergencies. Put some in your car in case you get trapped at work or in a motel, etc. They do not freeze.

If you have any keeping-warm tips, please sure in the comments? It might help someone, including me. :)

Thank you.