Comments on Crunchy Chicken: Freezing for the holidays?

We just installed a gas fireplace insert in our li...

2011-12-20T17:54:59.159-08:00

We just installed a gas fireplace insert in our living room, which is where our dining table is. For our Solstice Reflection this week, we are having dinner guests for the first time since we got our fireplace insert, so it will be interesting to see what happens with the heat. Our guests know that our house's temperature is lower than theirs, so they will bring adequate clothing. My plan is to turn the house heat up to 64 and turn the fireplace flame to the middle level and see how that goes. What nice about the insert is that (1) it is very effective and (2) it has a clicker with a thermostat that regulates the flame level—technology is amazing! :-)

For my neighbor who keeps her house about the same...

2011-12-20T14:07:44.504-08:00

For my neighbor who keeps her house about the same temperature as we do, we leave the heat where it is (60F). For anyone else, we turn it up enough that they won't be uncomfortably cold given their clothing, age, health, and whatever other factors are relevant. Usually that means we turn up the heat to 65-68 for friends, 70-72 for my DH's 84 year old mom. When we go to most other peoples' houses, we remove excess layers right before leaving home, so we don't roast. By now I know about what to expect anywhere we'll be going and dress accordingly.

We are hermits who rarely have anyone over except ...

2011-12-20T08:39:38.674-08:00

We are hermits who rarely have anyone over except family. :) My mom brings a space heater when she visits, because no temperature I would willingly turn the thermostat to would ever be enough for her -- she keeps her house about 80 degrees, and I roast when I'm over there. I do bring the temp up to 65ish when I have people over, though. I figure if that temperature isn't considered cold in the spring, summer, or fall, it's not suddenly cold in the winter just because you can look outside and see snow. Most people are fine around 65 unless they're like my little sisters, who want to lounge around the house in skimpy summer clothes in the middle of December. To them I say, "Get dressed and you won't be cold!"

The only people for whom I would really crank the heat up are senior citizens or someone with a chronic illness. I'm sympathetic to those who really can't keep warm for some reason, and of course there are always piles of comfy blankets around in baskets for people to curl up in if they need to.

I just had my mother over for a couple of days, sh...

2011-12-19T23:35:49.328-08:00

I just had my mother over for a couple of days, she stayed in my room. She had to turn up the heat in the whole flat, and since she has chronic health issues I didn't mind at all, but it showed me how used I'd gotten to lower temperatures. When she stopped shivering, I started overheating :-)

When we're entertaining, I'll put the heat...

2011-12-19T15:42:12.747-08:00

When we're entertaining, I'll put the heat on to 64 or 65 but that's it. Usually with all the cooking/people it gets much higher then that anyway.

If I'm cooking, the house heats up to 70 with ...

2011-12-19T13:46:21.996-08:00

If I'm cooking, the house heats up to 70 with no problem. If we're just having cards or such, I will turn the heat up to 68.

Nope, we don't turn up the heat (unless asked)...

2011-12-19T13:10:04.454-08:00

Nope, we don't turn up the heat (unless asked). But we just installed a wood stove, and found that the house naturally is warmer (in most places) than when we heated with oil. Kinda nice!

@ Miriam - The basket of slippers idea is g...

2011-12-19T11:13:09.134-08:00

@ Miriam - The basket of slippers idea is great. I love that!

As for Crunchy's question, it hasn't come up yet this year, but last year my brother in law came to stay with us and I left the heat down low until there were complaints. In retrospect, I was feeling self conscious and I just caved when I could've tried for a meet-in-the-middle type of solution.

Live and learn and... hopefully get better at holding my groun

If my 100 year old grandmother comes over, we turn...

2011-12-19T09:52:29.497-08:00

If my 100 year old grandmother comes over, we turn up the heat AND sit her by the fireplace. If it's any one else, we don't touch the thermostat!

So far, so good!

I will turn up the heat. I have company coming and...

2011-12-19T07:32:39.677-08:00

I will turn up the heat. I have company coming and they have a 6 month old, so I plan to turn up the heat when they get here. If they didn't have the baby with them, I'd just hand the adults a sweater. ;)

We will light a fire in our fireplace, but we have...

2011-12-19T06:17:08.182-08:00

We will light a fire in our fireplace, but we have to be careful though or it may get too hot. My husband likes to see a roaring fire while I like to have it simmer to take the chill off not be 80 in the living room. We can regulate the warmth by the type of wood we use and how much fuel we give the fire.

Music. Dance, monkeys, dance!

2011-12-18T23:00:37.895-08:00

Music. Dance, monkeys, dance!

Yes, I turn on the heat for visitors. We have a ba...

2011-12-18T22:44:34.795-08:00

Yes, I turn on the heat for visitors. We have a basket of slippers of assorted sizes by the front door, and lots of extra fleeces and sweaters, which help, but we really love our visitors and want them to come BACK, so we usually end up turning on the heat.

I often have the opposite problem: I bake and boil when I go to other people's houses. I've learned the importance of making sure that t-shirt under my fleece is clean enough to be seen in public!

If we're actually entertaining, like a party o...

2011-12-18T20:55:56.453-08:00

If we're actually entertaining, like a party or something, we don't change anything; the place heats up with the people and the cooking (and sometimes the wine). If our parents come over to baby sit though, we turn it up or turn on the gas stove so they aren't sitting there in the cold.