My Top Tips for Staying Cozy this Winter

This post is sponsored by Save on Energy, Ontario's go-to source for energy efficiency information and rebates for your home.  All thoughts and opinions presented below are my own.  

The staggering popularity of "Hygge" (pronounced "hoo-gah") speaks volumes about our collective desire to feel cozy and content.  But the Danish aren't the only people who crave cozy - many languages have similar concepts and words that try to capture that elusive feeling.

Swedes offer up "Mys," which touches on coziness and comfort with an emphasis on slowing down and relaxing, while in Norway people strive for a "Koselig" days, which has a complex meaning, but conjures feelings of warmth, comfort, and relaxation.  Those in Holland long for "Gezelig" - the mood of feeling cocooned, like being in a warm coffee shop on a cold winter day.  Having married a fella with Scottish ancestry, I personally enjoy the Gaelic "Còsagach" (which means snug), simply because it sounds the heartiest. 

 

However you choose to describe it, it's unsurprising that so many of us crave coziness and contentment - especially in the winter.  I've spent my entire life living in Ontario, Canada.  That is the equivalent of 33 winters spent trying to stay warm.  In the very first apartment I shared with Hubby, I was warm - for the first winter in my entire life.  We didn't have to pay for heat, so I kept the thermostat at an irresponsibility tropical temperature.  Our hibiscus thrived - a clear sign that it was way too hot in there.  Since then, adulthood, utility bills and environmental consciousness have superseded tropical indoor temperatures, so I have had to get creative.  What hygge, koselig, and còsagach have all taught me is that staying cozy is a crafty combination of practical changes and mental shifts to fully capture that feeling of coziness and warmth. 

Here are my favorite lakehouse-tested tips for staying cozy - even when the weather network issues an Extreme Cold Weather warning and there's a blizzard roaring outside.

Let the Window Coverings do the Work

As soon as the sun rises, I open the curtains and blinds to capitalize on the heat from the sun, but once the sun sets, I close the curtains again to keep in as much heat.  Insulated curtains would be amazing, but the substantial tweed drapes in the bedroom and office do the trick.

Check Weather Stripping and Window Seals

Having a woolly dog is a great way to see where you're losing heat - just check out their favorite spots!  Can you guess where the cold spots are in the lakehouse?

 
By ensuring that weather stripping and window seals are in great shape, you can prevent as much heat from leaking out as possible.  No pup to help?  Hold a candle, as still as possible, near any doorways or windows - if it flickers, you might have some drafty spots to seal up.

Indulge in Hot Apple Cider - No Holiday Required

This fall was the first time I had ever made hot apple cider - seriously!  We had friends over for one last bonfire and because it was already getting pretty chilly, I just couldn't envision wanting a cold beer so I made hot apple cider in the slow cooker.  I made it without alcohol (because alcohol actually drops core body temperature), but kept some handy so guests could spike their own.  It was a magical night - we even saw the northern lights! - and it made me realize that I don't need a special occasion to make cider, which always felt so much like a "holiday" drink to me.  You can make hot apple cider from scratch, but you can also buy apple cider in jugs and then spice to taste.

Easy Slow Cooker Hot Apple Cider

• 1 gallon apple cider or fresh pressed apple juice
• 6 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tablespoon whole allspice
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 2 sliced oranges (wash first)
• A few 1" pieces of ginger, peeled and quartered

Add ingredients to a slow cooker and simmer on low for four hours.  You can also bundle the spices in cheesecloth or a tea bag designed for loose leaf tea, but I find the flavor is richer when the spices are loose - just strain as you serve and add rum to taste, if desired.

Invest in a Humidifier

Humidifiers are a fabulous addition to a home, for so many reasons: they can help plants thrive, ease sinus congestion, and re-hydrate the air - which means you can say goodbye to static and cracked skin.  But adding humidity to the air can also help a home feel warmer.  Not convinced?  After your next bath let the water sit, with the bathroom door open, and see if that little amount of moisture helps you feel warmer... 

Throw a Party

You can turn down the heat when you have friends and family over because body heat does wonders to increase the overall temperature in a room.  So, if you have the winter blues and just can't warm up, throw a potluck party or have friends over for some board games - bonus points for something that gets everyone excited and moving, like charades or twister!

Turn on That Ceiling Fan

It still feels counter-intuitive to me to turn on a ceiling fan in the winter, but heat rises so a ceiling fan - especially with our tall living room ceiling - helps push that warm air back down, where we can enjoy it.  The important thing to remember is that when ceiling fans spin counter-clockwise, the angled blades push cool air down, so in the winter set your ceiling fan to spin clockwise instead, which will draw the cool air up to the ceiling and force the warm air back down.  Some ceiling fans even have a "winter" setting.

Layer up Your Decor

I've never been a huge fan of seasonal decor because I'd rather spend money on permanent pieces, but I have to admit that this time of year I can totally understand layering in cozier textiles, like faux fur blankets, or maybe rolling out a cozy wool rug underfoot.  If a few decor touches help a home feel cozier, it's worth it!  Just make sure that no new additions (especially rugs) cover up any vents.

Hopefully these tricks help you feel cozier this winter - without reaching for that thermostat!  Nothing makes winter drearier than getting slammed with a massive heating bill.

If you're looking for more ideas to help make your home feel cozier, while also saving money on your monthly bills and supporting your community, visit www.saveonenergy.ca.  You'll discover new technologies, incentives, and tips for increasing your home's energy efficiency, as well as learning about how these changes can make a positive impact on your home's comfort and resale value.  I am always grateful for any information that helps save me money and feel more at home in my house, so I hope you'll find some great ideas!

Save on Energy is social!  Find them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

How to Temporarily Make a Ring Smaller

With my weight loss came the expensive realization that not only would I need a new wardrobe - right down to a replacement for my expensive parka (I bought the exact same one in a smaller size) - but even my rings would need re-sizing!  After a long pause, I'm actually still working towards losing a tiny bit more weight so I have been hesitant to fork over the dough to have my rings re-sized.  But after my wedding band got so big it started to fall off, I knew I needed a solution in the interim.  I read reviews on a lot of quick fixes and ultimately found what I think is a really great solution: the RinGuard Ring Size Adjuster.

These soft, hypo-allergenic surgical grade PVC tubes come in packs of three, to size a few rings at once or maximize the ways one ring can be temporarily made smaller.  The more times the RinGuard wraps around the bottom of a ring, the smaller it fits, so by snipping off some of the coil, a ring can be made just that tiny bit smaller.  But once it's trimmed, it's no longer an option to add loops, which is why I love the three pack - there's room for error.

I've mostly used these for my wedding ring, which I have had to size down a few times during my weight loss journey.  But I have also used it for fun cocktail rings - it offers the added benefit of helping heavier rings stay upright.

I've been using the same three RinGuards since May and they have really held up well.  Sometimes soap can get stuck in them, so every now and then I remove the RinGuard and give it a rinse - and I usually clean my ring at the same time.

Unlike some stiff tubes that are sold online, the beauty of these coils is that they curve to the shape of your finger, which helps create a comfy fit.  After a few days of wearing mine, I no longer really noticed.  It's been 9 months and still no complaints.  I know eventually I should have my rings re-sized properly but I'm just waiting a little bit more until my weight has settled before making that commitment. 



I know that quite a few of my readers can share in the struggle of having to buy new everything after a weight loss, so I wanted to share this quick tip!  I guess it's re-sizing for the DIYer, haha. 

I promised a detailed post about my weight loss ages ago but I've struggled to write it.  I have been writing and re-writing the draft, but at some point I will just have to take the plunge and share it!

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DIY Fabric Clothespin Bag

Wayfair recently posed a challenge: tackle a DIY project that makes life easier!  One of those, "why, oh why, didn't I do this sooner?" type of projects.  I had just the project: a DIY clothespin bag!

Truth be told, last spring I had one:

But it was a disgusting one that came with the house.  It smelled bad and was filled with spiders, but it was better than the torn plastic bag my Mummu was using to hold her clothespins.

Hanging laundry outside is something the women in my family are fanatic about.  My Mummu, like a good Finn, hangs her laundry outside all year round.  My Mom and I, while still deeply committed to outdoor line drying in the warmer months, stick to indoor clothes racks and lines as soon as the snow flies.  Thoroughly disgusted with both of our clothespin holders, last spring my Mom volunteered to help us each sew a pretty cloth clothespin bag.  Before we had completed the first bag, my Mummu gleefully threw out my skunky old bags and pins.  (I don't think she appreciated that I had set them on her dining table).  She scooped the first clothespin holder bag we sewed and we made plans to get together and sew a second clothespin holder later that week.  Well, life imploded and we never made that sewing date!

So I resorted to using an old plastic bag.  Cue the sad trombone.

On the bright side, we learned that the clothespin bag we sewed weathered living outside really well.  Sheltered under the eaves, it looks brand new a year later!  Confident in the design, my Mom and I finally whipped up a clothespin bag for me!  Below is the how-to, but I will warn you that my Mom is an ambitious DIYer and she's upped the ante by making this clothespin holder self lined - with a pattern that lines up perfectly!  The end result looks beautiful, but it has a few extra steps which I've tried to explain thoroughly.  Just let me know in the comments, though, if any of the directions don't make sense and I will happily clarify.

Supplies:

• Child-sized hanger (this is nearly identical to what we used, but you can also use plastic)
• Outdoor fabric (leftover from my back tab curtains - see the post for info on the fabric)
• Thread
• Sewing machine
• Sewing gauge (optional)
• Marking pencil
• Small bowl (for tracing)
• Cute clothespins! (like these retro looking ones or these pretty floral ones)

How to Sew a Self-Lined Fabric Clothespin Bag:

To determine the shape, place the hanger on the fabric, near a corner so as not to waste fabric, and measure the center of the hanger.  Approximately two inches below the bottom of the hanger, use a bowl to trace a circle for the opening - choose a size that fits your hand comfortably.  We used a bowl with a 5" diameter (the overall diameter of the finished opening is 5"):

Using a gauge, mark 1" all the way around the hanger and then draw a straight line down from the outside edge of the hanger.



The idea is to create a snug fit around the hanger, and then allow for 5 to 6 inches below the opening.  My finished clothespin holder is 17" tall and 12.5" wide. 

With the shape cut out, trace and cut out three more identical clothespin bag shapes so you have four in total.

Place the piece with the circle and one of the other cut outs together, right sides facing in:

Pin around the circle and sew around the circumference:

Tie off the thread, cut out the middle, and then snip in toward the sewn line, careful not to cut the thread:

Reach through the circle and pull one layer of the fabric inward, to turn the hole inside out:

Ta da!  Next we'll pull a rabbit out of a hat...

Iron the fabric to smooth out the circle opening and then pin down and sew the circumference once again - this will help it lie flat:

And that's the front, which has two layers: 

To attach it to the back, grab one of the remaining two cut outs and place it right side up, underneath the front half you sewed earlier:

Pin the top layer of the fabric out of the way, and sew together the bottom layer and the additional piece, leaving a small opening at the very top for the hanger to poke out:

Then place the fourth cutout on top of the front of the clothespin holder, right side facing down.  Pin it together with the side you pinned out of the way earlier, and sew it together.  This is my Mom sneaking it into place to demonstrate:

Now then turn everything right side out:

See how the hole now has the right side of the fabric showing behind it, as opposed to the wrong side of the back showing?  Self-lining it took a few extra steps and twice the fabric, but the end result looks so good!

For the top, you can hand sew the opening, try adding a grommet, wrestle with it under the machine to do a button hole, throw in the towel and just apply some fray check, or ram in under the machine and sew around the opening - much like you would around the slit of a wrap dress - which is what my Mom did.

With the bottom still open, slide the hanger into the clothespin bag up through the body of the clothespin holder through the hole left in the top.  Then simply pull the bottom edge back up through the hole, stitch it closed, and push in back in.

Whew!  You're done!  Now stuff it with pins:




By using indoor/outdoor fabric, this clothespin bag can definitely be kept outside, but it's pretty enough to hang on a hook in a laundry room to keep it bug-free until laundry day.



I'm pretty thrilled!  Living lakeside, it can be pretty windy some days, which totally messes with my hair but, combined with a gloriously sunny day, dries my laundry in a snap so I can't complain. 
 

 
This post was sponsored by Wayfair.  Any thoughts or opinions expressed are my own.  P.S. if sewing your own clothespin holder looks like piddly work, you can always just buy this cutie from Wayfair.  Just sayin'.   

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Taking a HomeSelfe: An Easy Way to Assess a Home's Energy Efficiency

On some of our looooong drives home from town, Hubby and I often weigh the pros and cons of living in the country.

Pros of Living in the Country:

• Lake view!  With ducks and otters...
• Foxes, deer and bears mosey through our yard like we live in a Disney film
• Well water (the water in town tastes like a swimming pool)
• Peace and quiet
• More land than we could afford in town 
• Better odds of surviving the Zombie apocalypse 
• Beautiful neighbours:

Cons of Living in the Country:

• 35-60 minute drive into town (depending on where we're going in town/who's driving)
• No pizza delivery
• Mailbox that's 7 km away from the house
• Treacherous dirt road that covers the truck in mud
• Mud covered truck that covers my clothes in mud
• So much mud 
• This:

Our lists get pretty lengthy, but always in favor of living out here!  One money-saving perk was that (until recently) we had lower electricity bills than the folks in town.  While those suckers were on time of use (TOU) billing for electricity, we enjoyed less expensive tiered pricing.  TOU simply means that there are different prices for using power at different times of the day/week and the highest prices are, of course, when people are getting ready for work or making dinner at the end of the day.  In other words, when you need electricity.  This is the breakdown:

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How to Dye Jeans Darker (+ Dye FAQ)

I mentioned in passing, awhile back, that I had successfully dyed a new pair of jeans darker and I received a lot of questions about the process.  I wore that pair of jeans for almost a year and was so impressed with the results!  I recently dyed another pair and decided that this time I'd share a "before" and "after," along with answering some FAQ about dyeing jeans (at the bottom of this post).

I have been on a weight loss journey since the fall and have lost 25 pounds (and a couple of pant sizes).  I am trying to lose 25 more, so I have been hesitant to spent money on pants - although I need them!  My old jeans have become insanely baggy and frequently droop, pulling my underwear down with them.  Pant shopping isn't easy though, because I don't like when jeans have any whiskering or fading on the front/back of the thighs.  I prefer a simple dark wash but, alas, jeans that fit me aren't the wash I like and the jeans with the wash I like are usually uncooperative and won't zip up.

Not a problem!  I found inexpensive, comfy, skinny jeans at Winner's for only $25 and turned them into a perfect dark wash.  Here's a look at the original finish:

And here's a look at them now:

In this photo, the colour seems lighter than real life and doesn't appear 100% uniform, but they are perfectly uniform and a lovely dark wash now.  I'm so thrilled with how they look!

How to Dye Jeans Darker at Home:

If you're read any of my DIY dye posts, you know that the procedure is really simple and not scary at all - especially if you dye in the washing machine.  Here's the how-to:

• Completely soak the denim (or give them a pre-dye wash)
• Fill the washing machine (or a large basin) with hot water
• Add a cup of salt and fully dissolve
• Pour in one bottle of Rit Dye Black and another bottle of Rit Dye Navy Blue
• Agitate for 30-40 minutes (either re-setting the machine or doing it by hand)
• Rinse and let dry (I line dry to preserve the colour)
• Run the machine through with bleach to remove dye

And now, the Jean Dyeing FAQ:

Did the dye cover the denim evenly?

Yes!  All of the whiskering and fading was covered on both pairs I've dyed, and the result was a uniform hue. 

What dye formula did I use?

The first time I dyed jeans, I used two bottles of black and one bottle of navy.  The result was very inky - I loved it, but it did add to the cost because three bottles was about $12.  This time I used only two bottles and did a 1:1 ratio of navy and black, which resulted in a dark denim blue.  I love the shade and it looks great.  Because these jeans are temporary, I wanted to keep the cost low so I didn't want to purchase three bottle, but if I'm being honest, I preferred the 2:1 (black to navy) ratio because the jeans were really dark - almost black, but with some depth.  I'd call the result a midnight blue.   

How much dye do I need?

I used two bottles for one pair of pants and was happy with the results.  The Rit Dye instructions indicate that one bottle covers 1 pound of clothing, but suggests using more for darker/brighter colours.

Will any colour work?

You can dye denim with any colour but I find that the black/navy combo looks most like a commercial "dark wash" denim.  But you could turn white jeans into teal (do it!) or go for all-black.  Rit Dye even makes a "denim blue" that might be great on its own.  It's a bit of a gamble, though, how dye will look when applied over an already dyed fabric. 

Did the dye cover the stitching as well?

No.  The stitching remained light, so they don't look like they were given at at-home dye bath.  This happened with the dress I dyed as well.

Did it wash out quickly?

No!  I was surprised!  I never had to re-dye the first pair of jeans I dyed and I washed them once or twice a week (no dryer, though).  They faded a bit, but the whiskering didn't come back and they were still a dark wash - they just looked like broken in jeans.  I was really impressed - my dyed dress has barely faded, if at all (although I don't wear that nearly as often as jeans).  

How can I make the colour last longer?

I find that washing my jeans inside out, on cold (preferably using a detergent meant for dark colours), and skipping the dryer helps preserve the colour of dark clothing, whether I've dyed it or bought it that way.  Line drying dark items (out of the sun) really helps keep their colour longer than simply tossing them in the dryer - that's probably the best colour-saving tip I have up my sleeves.

Did the colour rub off on furniture?

No!  The dye stays put once the jeans were dry.  After the initial dye, while they were line drying, they deposited dye on anything they touched while wet (like the wall and the lid to the washing machine - crap).  This contact stained, although with scrubbing I got 95% of it off.  But once the denim was dried, and especially after the first wash, there was absolutely no transfer, which was interesting because I've experienced colour transfer with commercially dyed indigo jeans.

Did the jeans feel stiff?

Briefly.  Any time I dye something, I notice that it feels a bit stiffer when it's first dyed.  But after it's ironed or worn, it immediately softens and the fabric feels completely normal again. 

Will it wreck my machine?

Nope!  BUT, you have to run the machine empty, with bleach, immediately after dyeing to remove any dye from the machine (otherwise it can stain the drum and plastic pieces).  I usually use this bleach load to wash my floor rags and scungies because I hate wasting water.

Am I missing any questions?  I've also used this process to re-dye my comfiest pants/jeans once they've become faded from wear.  However, I find that dye always "sticks" best to clothing that hasn't been worn.  So, while my brand new jeans took the dye well and stayed dark, my old and faded pants were only temporarily revived by dye as it seemed to fade more quickly from the beat up pants.  But I will definitely keep dyeing jeans because it makes it so much easier to find the perfect fit when I no longer have to be concerned about the wash.

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