Monday, October 4, 2010

Temperature challenged

round thermometer

We’re at that point in the year here in Northwest Illinois where most days are still a nice temperature (60’s – 70’s) but it also gets pretty chilly at night (30’s – 50’s). In fact the last couple of nights we’ve had frost.  I’ve had to return to letting my car warm up in the morning to get the frost off the windshield (gasp).

We don’t typically turn our heat on this early and have been holding off this year as well by using a small electric heater in the bathroom and elsewhere as needed.  The rest of the house is “cool” or if you’re my daughter-in-law it’s “flat cold!”  

I still have the summer bedding on the bed…cotton sheets and only a light quilt.  I’ve been trying to decide the last couple of chilly nights, do I put the flannel sheets and electric blanket on or wait it out?  You see, if you put it on it might be too warm (think  middle of the night hot flashes) but I don’t want to be cold either (think the chills directly after a middle of the night hot flash). 

  • So what do the rest of you northerners do? 
    (I’m not intentionally leaving my southern friends out but am assuming it’s not as much of a decision for you. ;) )
  • When do you changeover your bedding to warmer fare? 
  • When do you turn your heat on?  as needed or do you have a date you absolutely won’t turn it on before? 
    I have a friend who says November 1st no matter how cold it gets before then. 

Inquiring minds need to know!  :)

11 comments:

  1. We could use some of the cooler weather down this way! Though tonight I did leave the windows open for a few hours for the first time this season. I love fresh air!

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  2. I refused to turn the heater on the first week of oct! Ridiculous---except for the fact that we were all running around double shirted and hiding under blankets for half the day! Last night Jim broke down and turned the heater on ;)

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  3. Gosh, your post could of been my post tonight. Cool it is here, 39 at 6:30 AM, frost included. It never got past 65 today. I put the flannel blanket on last week, Saturday night I put and extra quilt on. Hot flashes and all we are surviving, in fact, last night was the first night we totally shut the window.
    can you say BRRRRRRRRRRRR

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  4. My bedding is the same year round. The only thing I do different is add a blanket when it starts getting chilly outside. I did turn on the furnace Saturday night, but that was after I had sat outside for several hours around a fire ring at my neice's house. It has only run a few times though.

    I have never owned an electric blanket. I think I might be the odd one. In the winter, I do wear either sweatpants or flannel pj bottoms and socks.

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  5. I've been putting a quilt, then 2 on my side of the bed for awhile. Last night 'someone' started tugging on them. Tonight he asked for the comforter back. I don't let him use a quilt on the bed. :)

    I turned on the heat to warm the house a bit when we all needed to be up & out early on Sunday morning. Then I had it on last night and it ran during the night, trying to keep us at 65'.

    I turn it on when JP & I are cold. No date as Mother Nature doesn't seem to follow a strict calender either.

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  6. I live in NC, but we have not turned our heat on yet. It is going to get down in the 40's this week, but our days have still been warm. Mid 60's to mid 70's. Last week it was in the 90's. Our weather can't make up it's mind yet to be summer or fall. I don't have a set rule on the heat. We will turn it on whenever the house gets so cold we are uncomfortable. As for my bed, I just add an extra blanket. We don't use an electric blanket. My husband would burn up with an electric blanket. LOL!!!
    Have a great week. Love & blessings from NC!

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  7. I am morally opposed to turning on the furnace til Late Oct. But I broke my rules yesterday when I was chilled to the bone. We had a hard freeze last night and need some warmth. We are still on baby watch, and should be making prepartions to go to PA, but am procrastinating.

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  8. Well, we broke down and turned our heat on last night. I hated to do it but hubs and I were on the couch watching tv and I was wearing a long sleeved shirt, jeans, socks, my heavy fleece and had a blanket over me but was still shivering. Hubs actually put a wool scarf around his neck. In the house. It was time. I reminded him that last year we had a snow storm on Oct 8th so we need to ignore the calendar and just go with how we feel. It was in the 40s...sometimes I think I'm colder this time of year than I am in January. We must get used to it by winter but when it turns in the fall its shocking.

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  9. Ha! My hubby has been complaining for the last two days about how "chilly" the temp is in the house. I am so not ready to turn on the heat. I'm pretty comfy with the cooler temps. I'm sure I'll be giving in soon. Thanks for sharing. Blessings, SusanD

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  10. Here in Eastern Ky we have had a very cold week. Day temps in the 60's and night temps in the 40's. I have put my down comforter back on the bed. Not so ready for the extreme cold but do enjoy the Fall weather and beautiful Fall colors.

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  11. I use the same sheets and blankets year 'round. I don't have any rules about the air conditioning or the heat. If I'm hot...even in the middle of winter...I turn on the air. If I'm cold...no matter when...I turn on the heat. I guess I'm fickle, lol.

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