Oh, the weather outside is frightful . . .
But the fire inside's delightful . . .
I've always loved that song! It brings to life that feeling of warmth, coziness and love. Winter is such a beautiful season! But sometimes the heating bills can be overwhelming. Here are twenty-two hints to help keep you warmer while paying less.
1) Put that plastic-wrap stuff over your windows. It's a little bit of work that results in a lot of additional comfort and lowered expenses. My power company actually hands this out for free, so you might want to check with yours to see if they do as well.
2) Put some form of draft-stopping on or around your doors. There are various types of draft-stoppers, ranging from the foam rubber you stick to the door, to metal plating you screw onto the periphery of your door. Different doors need different types. I have a steel door; I can't (easily) use the type that's screwed on. But for someone else, this could well be their best option. (I also get this from my power company.)
3) Also thanks to my power company - there are little foam rubber pads that go on the backside of light switch/outlet covers. Yeah, I know - who knew?! But most door and window frames aren't perfectly flush with their surroundings. Siding often isn't either. The air that seeps into the walls can get into your house through your light switches and outlets, because they're also not flush. You put this little foam rubber thing in behind the outlet, and the problem's solved!
4) And - the last thing I got free from my power company - a caulking gun with caulk. You read it right. This is to seal areas around window and door frames, because as I just mentioned, they have little gaps. So does the area where your clothes dryer vents to the outside. Use a bit of clear caulk on it and you'll save a lot.
5) Where does your clothes dryer vent? Did you know that there's a contraption that you can put on the ventilation tube that will keep that nice, moist, warm air in your home instead of putting it outdoors in the winter? Come summer, you can change a few settings and it goes outside again.
6) Another option is to allow your clothing to air-dry on an indoor drying rack. Because the humidity level is lower, they'll dry quickly.
7) Check your insulation. Getting new insulation is a large investment, but over time it pays off.
8) Change the filter in your furnace! I'm bad about this one. The filter should be changed every month to keep your furnace operating smoothly.
9) Get the humidity levels up. Humid air holds heat better than dry air does, and it somehow transmits the warmth to our bodies better, too. This is why 70 degrees feels colder in the winter than it does in the summer. If you have even a cold air vaporizer, this will help the air in your home to feel warmer.
10) Alcohol might make you feel warmer, but it actually lowers your body's core temperature.
11) On the same note, keep your skin hydrated. By putting on baby oil before you get into the shower, you protect your skin from the drying effects of the water, your skin feels better throughout the day, the oil helps rid the shower of soap scum, and you feel better insulated against Jack Frost's nip. Just be careful not to slip!
12) Get a time-controlled thermostat. Some thermostats can be programmed to make your home warm for when you're just getting up, cool for when you've gone to work, warm again when you come home in the evening, and cool during the night while you sleep.
13) If you use the oven, leave it open after you're finished. On the same note, if you hand-wash your dishes, wait till the water's room temperature before you drain it. There's no reason to send all that warmth down the drain right away - let it go into the air.
14) How long are the showers in the morning/evening? You need enough hot water to last for that time frame, not more. If you're having to balance your hot water with cold water by the end of the last shower, consider turning down the heat on your water heater.
15) Obviously, wear layers. The heat stays between the layers, giving us a barrier against the cold. Use wool when possible. Wool is an oldie-but-goodie. It's warm and lightweight. If it gets wet, it still feels warm. And for your feet, try a pair of socks, followed by a plastic bag, followed by another pair of socks. :-) Your feet will not be cold.
16) Thermal blankets and throws are great. :-) No, they shouldn't be left on overnight while we sleep - that's a fire hazard - but many of them have automatic turn-off switches. They're so wonderful for making the bed feel warm when we first tuck in. Once we're asleep, our blankets and comforters can keep us feeling good through the night.
17) Space heaters. These are especially good if you do most of your activities in one room. You just don't want to leave them unattended. I know someone who puts shower curtains on spring rods to keep the air from flowing out of her favorite room. She put the space heater in that room, knocks the heat down by several degrees and she's set.
18) Air deflectors that go over the vent. For the rooms you wish to heat, you want to make sure the warm air spreads out a bit before it rises. Ceiling fans that blow air up can be useful, too, as long as they're left on low. For the rooms you don't need warm, consider using a vent cover.
19) Snow. If it's snowy out, leave that drift against the outside of the house. I once met an Inuit woman who discussed how as a child, her family would pack snow against the house. The snow insulated her home from the much colder temperature of the air, and it kept the heat inside as well.
20) Fireplaces . . . are not all they're cracked up to be. Just as snow can make your home warm, fireplaces can make them cold. But it depends on what type of fireplace you have. If it's the conventional sort, your flue is open. Cold air is coming down into your house and warm air is going up to the outdoors. Your home is actually colder than it was! :-( But there are some fireplaces with blowers. You light your fire, flip the switch, the blower comes on, and the warm air from the fire is blown back into your home.
21) And Ma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap . . .
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap.
A nightcap wasn't always a drink. ;-) It was what people put on their heads to retain their body heat as they slept. Those wonderful little hats with the earflaps do the job nicely.
22) But as long as you love me so . . .
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Saving the best for last, snuggle with your sweetie.
I hope your winter is filled with beauty, love and happiness. :-)
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner, oh my!!
I promise I won't depress you with my thoughts this time around. :-D Here are some next-to-nothing ways to make some household items we typically buy.
Laundry detergent:
1/3 C Laundry Soda
1/3 C grated Fels Naptha soap (grate it yourself)
1/3 C borax
1 old pan
1 5-gallon bucket
Put some water into the pan and add the ingredients. Heat the water, stirring occasionally, till the ingredients melt and dissolve. While you're doing that, add water to the 5-gallon bucket, but don't fill it all the way up. Allow the stove top mixture to cool, stirring occasionally. (You really do need to stir it here because if you don't, the ingredients all rise to the top, forming a crust. They need to be mixed into the liquid.) Add the warm water to what's already in the 5-gallon bucket and stir. Let it sit overnight before using. It'll end up being kind of globby.
I use an old laundry detergent bottle to put a small amount of it into, as this makes it a lot easier to use on a day-to-day basis, and then I keep the bulk of it in the bucket. Those bottles are constructed to allow liquid to pour into them easily. My family and I have all been using this for about 2.5 years now. Our clothes are still fine and we have yet to run out of the first set of ingredients we purchased, which cost us about $10.00 total at the time.
Shampoo:
1 T Baking soda
1 C water
Stir till the water's clear and use immediately.
Conditioner:
1-2 T Apple cider vinegar
1 C Water
Stir and use. (Yes, you will smell like a pickle!)
Laundry detergent:
1/3 C Laundry Soda
1/3 C grated Fels Naptha soap (grate it yourself)
1/3 C borax
1 old pan
1 5-gallon bucket
Put some water into the pan and add the ingredients. Heat the water, stirring occasionally, till the ingredients melt and dissolve. While you're doing that, add water to the 5-gallon bucket, but don't fill it all the way up. Allow the stove top mixture to cool, stirring occasionally. (You really do need to stir it here because if you don't, the ingredients all rise to the top, forming a crust. They need to be mixed into the liquid.) Add the warm water to what's already in the 5-gallon bucket and stir. Let it sit overnight before using. It'll end up being kind of globby.
I use an old laundry detergent bottle to put a small amount of it into, as this makes it a lot easier to use on a day-to-day basis, and then I keep the bulk of it in the bucket. Those bottles are constructed to allow liquid to pour into them easily. My family and I have all been using this for about 2.5 years now. Our clothes are still fine and we have yet to run out of the first set of ingredients we purchased, which cost us about $10.00 total at the time.
Shampoo:
1 T Baking soda
1 C water
Stir till the water's clear and use immediately.
Conditioner:
1-2 T Apple cider vinegar
1 C Water
Stir and use. (Yes, you will smell like a pickle!)
The Prodigal Blogger Returns!
I'm back! For the past year I've been working. You know, a 'real' job, in the field of my choice. I've gone from being the sympathetic unemployed counselor to being a greatly loathed supervisor. (How'd *that* happen?!) But as we all know, it's a job . . . a paycheck . . . I've been in worse places. I have two more cats and I no longer play Farkle. Instead of looking for ways to live on the dirt-cheap, I look for ways to conserve my time.
There has been an impetus for my return. I recently learned that some of my former co-workers are being laid off. I know them to be intelligent, dedicated, compassionate people who considered their jobs to be their life-missions. I'm sad, not only for the workers but also for the children they helped.
It's a sign of the times. We've gone from the Cold War of the 80's to a state of political and economic resignation of the new millennium. If we so detest communism, why are we giving China our jobs? Why are we buying products from China and investing in firms that support Her? The US economy could come back, but it won't because the politicians and corporations refuse to hear our message. They want us to view it as a new form of colonization - a kinder, gentler, corporate maneuver that's win-win. They even have several economists on their side, because based on the old system, if the corporations win, we all get a piece of the pie.
It *is* win-win . . . the corporations win, and China wins.
But they aren't the only players, and the losses aren't being discussed in their rhetoric. That piece of the pie that corporations used to share with the rest of us is now being shared with China and a few other developing nations. This is a new system. It hasn't been adequately studied, and it's not the economic system studied by the old-school economists. There are additional variables.
The previous trade system was give-or-take, self-contained. In a nutshell, we all bought from the same group of people we sold to. China is playing a different game. Their country rules all entities, corporations included. A Chinese corporation is like a Chinese citizen in that it also follows certain rules and regulations. For this reason, China has kept their currency artificially low. By doing so, they've managed to undercut other aspects of the market.
What I'm saying is that the 'free market' is no longer free.
China as a country has been pulling strings. The US Citizens suffer in that we lose our jobs. We suffer in that we get cheaply made and sometimes unsafe products. We suffer in that with the flailing job market, tax revenues are much lower and the government is left gasping for air.
Our social services are becoming underfunded.
Our military is becoming underfunded.
Our government is laying off employees . . . and before you begin to cheer over an end to 'big government,' ask yourselves where the private corporations are hiring?
Boat to China, anyone?
Any undergrad student of international relations knows that there are a few paradigms by which to examine world affairs. One, of course is to consider the political and military rapport.
Another is to view things according to all the influences and participating entities. For example, a corporation can make a move, as can the Pope, as can a terrorist organization. The US has two superior allies - the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, both of which have buffered us from attacks over the years. Any of these can affect the standings of one region over another.
The third paradigm, which my professor viewed as most accurate, was to see things in terms of history. How, over time, various countries have interactions with one another and things evolve. He viewed this and felt the US was responsible for the world's ails.
I looked at the time reference and combined it with the multi-entitied paradigm instead, and decided that a lot of people did a lot of things wrong over history.
When I apply that perspective to today's events, what I see is that the US pushed for China to colonize us.
Do I need to repeat that? WE pushed for THEM to colonize US.
If I sell you a raw product - say it's timber - and you work on it a bit and sell me back a table, your table costs more than my timber does. You've just made money. This is exactly how Europe and the US made money a few hundred years ago. We made a mad grab for coffee beans! "Give us the beans, and we'll give you money," we told the Africans and Central/South Americans. "Nevermind what you'll DO with it, now that your land is being used for coffee beans instead of the native food-crops. We're not giving you food, we're giving you money. Without good food, your children are malnourished and disease-stricken, but we'll justify that by calling you stupid and filthy. Good thing you're not asking for much money. Great cup of coffee, btw! Too bad you can't afford any."
The reason the industrialize era was such a profitable time for the US is because we were making lots of things to sell! When we take our manufacturing jobs and send them elsewhere, we lose money. Not just the job-holder. The whole region.
Someone's going to tell me that I'm a profit of doom, and they might just be right, but the problem is that I've been saying this stuff for over ten years. And I'm right, too.
There are two paths to take. 1) Do nothing. Eventually everybody in the world will be middle class, and they can all afford to buy everything that's being sold. This, of course, assumes that the market is perfectly free, and we've established that it isn't.
2) Do something. (!!!) This is my favorite. Ok, I have nothing at all against Chinese people. Those I've met have been exceptionally kind, and they deserve to be healthy and well and to live middle-class lives like the rest of us. But since it's not a free economy, I genuinely doubt this will ever occur. :-( What does the Chinese government need the money for? The people generally don't see that money. Are they planning to give out aid to places in need? More . . . weapons?
Why are we all just standing around?
There has been an impetus for my return. I recently learned that some of my former co-workers are being laid off. I know them to be intelligent, dedicated, compassionate people who considered their jobs to be their life-missions. I'm sad, not only for the workers but also for the children they helped.
It's a sign of the times. We've gone from the Cold War of the 80's to a state of political and economic resignation of the new millennium. If we so detest communism, why are we giving China our jobs? Why are we buying products from China and investing in firms that support Her? The US economy could come back, but it won't because the politicians and corporations refuse to hear our message. They want us to view it as a new form of colonization - a kinder, gentler, corporate maneuver that's win-win. They even have several economists on their side, because based on the old system, if the corporations win, we all get a piece of the pie.
It *is* win-win . . . the corporations win, and China wins.
But they aren't the only players, and the losses aren't being discussed in their rhetoric. That piece of the pie that corporations used to share with the rest of us is now being shared with China and a few other developing nations. This is a new system. It hasn't been adequately studied, and it's not the economic system studied by the old-school economists. There are additional variables.
The previous trade system was give-or-take, self-contained. In a nutshell, we all bought from the same group of people we sold to. China is playing a different game. Their country rules all entities, corporations included. A Chinese corporation is like a Chinese citizen in that it also follows certain rules and regulations. For this reason, China has kept their currency artificially low. By doing so, they've managed to undercut other aspects of the market.
What I'm saying is that the 'free market' is no longer free.
China as a country has been pulling strings. The US Citizens suffer in that we lose our jobs. We suffer in that we get cheaply made and sometimes unsafe products. We suffer in that with the flailing job market, tax revenues are much lower and the government is left gasping for air.
Our social services are becoming underfunded.
Our military is becoming underfunded.
Our government is laying off employees . . . and before you begin to cheer over an end to 'big government,' ask yourselves where the private corporations are hiring?
Boat to China, anyone?
Any undergrad student of international relations knows that there are a few paradigms by which to examine world affairs. One, of course is to consider the political and military rapport.
Another is to view things according to all the influences and participating entities. For example, a corporation can make a move, as can the Pope, as can a terrorist organization. The US has two superior allies - the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, both of which have buffered us from attacks over the years. Any of these can affect the standings of one region over another.
The third paradigm, which my professor viewed as most accurate, was to see things in terms of history. How, over time, various countries have interactions with one another and things evolve. He viewed this and felt the US was responsible for the world's ails.
I looked at the time reference and combined it with the multi-entitied paradigm instead, and decided that a lot of people did a lot of things wrong over history.
When I apply that perspective to today's events, what I see is that the US pushed for China to colonize us.
Do I need to repeat that? WE pushed for THEM to colonize US.
If I sell you a raw product - say it's timber - and you work on it a bit and sell me back a table, your table costs more than my timber does. You've just made money. This is exactly how Europe and the US made money a few hundred years ago. We made a mad grab for coffee beans! "Give us the beans, and we'll give you money," we told the Africans and Central/South Americans. "Nevermind what you'll DO with it, now that your land is being used for coffee beans instead of the native food-crops. We're not giving you food, we're giving you money. Without good food, your children are malnourished and disease-stricken, but we'll justify that by calling you stupid and filthy. Good thing you're not asking for much money. Great cup of coffee, btw! Too bad you can't afford any."
The reason the industrialize era was such a profitable time for the US is because we were making lots of things to sell! When we take our manufacturing jobs and send them elsewhere, we lose money. Not just the job-holder. The whole region.
Someone's going to tell me that I'm a profit of doom, and they might just be right, but the problem is that I've been saying this stuff for over ten years. And I'm right, too.
There are two paths to take. 1) Do nothing. Eventually everybody in the world will be middle class, and they can all afford to buy everything that's being sold. This, of course, assumes that the market is perfectly free, and we've established that it isn't.
2) Do something. (!!!) This is my favorite. Ok, I have nothing at all against Chinese people. Those I've met have been exceptionally kind, and they deserve to be healthy and well and to live middle-class lives like the rest of us. But since it's not a free economy, I genuinely doubt this will ever occur. :-( What does the Chinese government need the money for? The people generally don't see that money. Are they planning to give out aid to places in need? More . . . weapons?
Why are we all just standing around?
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