With the weather throughout most of the country seeing record lows, I thought the picture of frozen oranges was a good statement of how most of us are feeling today.
Fortunately, there are things that we can all do to get thorough this temperature anomaly. My friends from New England are probably thinking that the rest of the country is making a fuss for nothing but, unfortunately, many of us are not used to or prepared for these extreme temperatures.
There are a few things you can do to ensure that you and your family remain safe in extreme cold. One of the simplest is to block off the bottom of your outside doors. If you don't have a spare blanket or towel you can roll up and place by the door, use a coat. Many stores sell what look like long stuffed animals just for this purpose.
Block off unused rooms. There is no need to heat that room that Junior slept in while he was growing up now that he is away at college. Close the vents or lower the heat to the barest minimum in that "zone" of the home. It will serve two purposes: Saves money on heating costs and helps relieve stress on the furnace during extreme cold.
Make sure that you have some good heavy "throw" blankets. There's nothing like being snuggled under a nice comfy blanket to stay warm. It's even better with someone you love. It doesn't matter if that someone has 2 legs or 4.
Speaking of our 4 legged friends: Make sure you let your pets in the house during these extreme cold periods. If you are cold, they are cold. Your pet will appreciate it, believe me.
Keep a faucet dripping to prevent pipes from freezing. Pipes freeze and burst because the water is not moving. It only takes a drip to keep the water in the pipe moving. It may see like you are wasting water but, it sure beats paying a plumber to come out and repair a burst pipe or crawling around under the house yourself to braise the pipe yourself.
If you must go out in the cold, stay warm! The easiest way to do this is to wear layers of clothing. The best insulator is air. the small gaps between layers of clothing create a wonderful insulation against the frigid elements. Start from the skin out and layer, layer, layer.
Mittens are better than gloves for keeping your hands warm. The reason is simple. Move body heat from 5 fingers at a time rather than just 1 finger in a glove separately.
Wear a knit hat. Pull it down to cover you head. Use a scarf to cover the rest of your head. A good ski mask works well also. Fully one third of your body head can escape from an uncovered head.
If you must warm up your vehicle, do NOT sit in it for any extended length of time while it idles parked. Contrary to popular belief, most cars are not vapor tight and carbon monoxide will kill you. So, the car may be warm but your body won't be if you are no longer with us. Let the car warm up while you are in the house. If you must, lock it if you feel it may get stolen. Keep an eye on it from inside the house.
Do not... I repeat, do NOT use your kitchen oven or stove as an extra heat source. That is not what the oven/stove was designed to do and it is dangerous on many levels. So please, just don't do it.
I hope my little safety tips have helped. If you have any, leave a comment. To all of you, I only ask that you stay safe and stay warm.
As Always...
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