Blinds.com - Top-Down Bottom-Up Cellular Blinds...

 

We installed our new blinds from Blinds.com. It has been about a month or so since we installed them. The whole process was pretty cool. We installed them just in time for Winter. Each blind was custom made to fit each individual window. We really like the Top-Down Bottom-Up feature. It is really cool and works well for different times of the day. I highly recommend this feature. 

We finally figured out that these blinds will save us at least 20% on our heating bill. I am pretty sure that it will save us a lot more, since we didn't have window treatments at all. We didn't want to obstruct our beautiful views. It is so warm in the house now compared to other Winters. The heat is still turned down low even though we are experiencing negative temperatures at night. 

We checked our propane gauge, and it is still registering full after almost two months of heating. Our goal to make a tank last two seasons may actually come to fruition...

Shalom,

Mrs. Smith

How To Stay Warm And Save Money On Energy This Winter -- First Snow Of The Season On The Way!!!

 

The wind is ferociously blowing today. We have 48 mph gusts. It's blowing in the first round of wintery weather. I am so grateful that I was able to finish up washing all the Winter blankets and drying them outside on the clothesline before the wind started.

I also pulled out a large Sherpa throw for the couch. This throw is so soft and it is large enough for both of us. Leather is nice and cool in the warmer months, but quite chilly in the cooler months. A warm throw is a lot less expensive than turning up the heat just to take the chill off. 

Another way that we warm ourselves up is the use of hot water bottles. A heated hot water bottle wrapped in fleece lasts for hours, even overnight. We warm up the bed this way on the coldest nights. At -35 to -40 below zero we have to use everything available to us. We have a small energy efficient home, but at those temperatures even the best homes can still have trouble maintaining a comfortable temperature inside. This year with the cost of energy I'm sure many more people will find that they need to conserve energy while heating their homes.

We also change our bedding to warmer flannel sheets, heavier blankets and a comforter. We close off unused rooms and hang insulating curtains on our windows. We open the curtains to let the warm sunlight in during the day. 

Don't forget about your pets. Our dog, Princess Abigail, has a warm bed, a fleece blanket and fleece coats. She is 17 years old this year. She has very short hair and has always been cold natured. She sleeps on a fleece mat under the covers on the bed. 

Dress Appropriately...

Last but not least, serve warm nutritious filling meals. Like soups, stews, breads and muffins.

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

Raisin Bran Muffins

Cranberry Orange Bread

Guisada (Mexican Stew)

Stay warm and safe,

Mrs. Smith