A frugal homecoming. . . .

I've just spent the last week at my brother's house, having returned to Portland to melting snow and intermittent rain on Saturday. I was struck, while staying in California, by how WARM my brother's house is kept. I wore short sleeves, and walked around in bare feet most of the time. The heater was on the entire time, at 72 degrees. One night, I was too warm and discovered that the heater was still at 72 even at 1 a.m.!

It was so strange to never feel chilled, ever, and to actually be too warm, even during the day sometimes!! Such a difference from my 58 degree world in Portland, where I'm always bundled in several layers inside, including wool socks and furry 'Ugg-like' boots. I must have mentioned to my family at some point that I've slept in a hat and gloves a few times (I turn the heat off completely at night), because I received an electric heated mattress pad for Christmas!

I tried it out last night and the night before, and I have to say---I don't really like it! It's not just the fact that I'm drawing electricity to keep the bed warm, it's also that I've grown accustomed to being a little bit chilly, even at night. I actually sleep better that way---I find that I've kept the heated mattress pad on the lowest setting, and turn it off after about an hour (it has an automatic shut-off after TEN hours!). I think in the future, I'll just use it to 'pre-heat' the bed and then turn it off, if I use it at all.

It's interesting that my flannel sheets, my two down comforters, my cotton blanket and a heavy wool throw (along with three heat-seeking cats) are better at keeping me warm and comfortable than an electric device. As we head into a new year, I'm hopeful that I'll discover many more simple, sustainable habits that work just as well as budget-busting devices like my heated mattress cover.