Comments on Crunchy Chicken: Freeze Yer Buns 2008 begins!

We use a wood stove. Our boiler is for back up whe...

2008-11-04T18:01:00.000-08:00

We use a wood stove. Our boiler is for back up when we are gone for long periods of time.
It gets cold here isn Alaska :o)
And, its colder than it has been in a while.
That 21 year weather cycle is back to the colder time.
Paula

We've been snuggling with the cat, baking, and put...

2008-11-04T12:36:00.000-08:00

We've been snuggling with the cat, baking, and putting on sweaters! Looking forward to another Freeze Yer Buns challenge!

we have had our heating on for a week or two now, ...

2008-11-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

we have had our heating on for a week or two now, and we're in Southern Ontario. However it's only on for short periods of time as we have had some nice weather through the day.

Gill in Canada

We've been below freezing since the end of Septemb...

2008-11-03T22:04:00.000-08:00

We've been below freezing since the end of September. In the last week, temps didn't get above the mid 20s F. I keep the heat set at 50 unless I'm home and awake for more than two hours and then I move it up to 60. Once at 60, I turn it back down. It takes quite a while for this duplex unit to lose heat.

I wear layers, shoes or insulated booties and a hat when I'm home. I need to get fingerless gloves because my hands can get really cold, especially if I'm stationary for a period of time. I've used a hot water bottle under my feet (covered in a blanket - mmmmmm) when I'm sitting for long periods and take one to bed with me at night. I have a knitted throw I drape around myself when sitting and that helps, too.

There's an unexpected benefit to keeping the house cool; being outside isn't nearly as uncomfortable. This evening, for instance, I was out helping the landlord reorganize an outdoor shed. We were messing around for over half an hour is 18 F degree weather. Except for not having good gloves, I was dressed appropriately but not excessively and was fine.

I'm passionately fond of my bed with flannel sheets, two blankets (one wool) and a quilted coverlet. Snuggle in with a hot water bottle and I'm good til morning. My cats love it, too!

Kerri in AK

Sign me up! It gets cold, cold, cold here in Mich...

2008-11-03T16:17:00.000-08:00

Sign me up! It gets cold, cold, cold here in Michigan. We've already had freezing temperatures and now tomorrow? 72 degrees. We've readied ourselves for winter with a clean furnace, electric blankets on all the beds and a freshly insulated attic. Our heat is 64 during the day and 58 at night, so it gets pretty brisk in here!

I would like to take part this year but there's no...

2008-11-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

I would like to take part this year but there's not much point! To make a long story short: we haven't heated at all so far, though we live right on the 49th parallel in a mid-size German city.

My husband's and my one-bedroom, one-bath apt is in the 3rd floor, with a doctor's office right below it. The doctor (understandably) keeps it nice and toasty down there. There are more apts above us--good insulation. Our windows are all on one side of the building; there's no cross-draft. But the windows are so solid that there's no draft anyways, and we air out well a few times a day to keep the air good and the humidity down. The walls are brick/stone. There's one hot-water pipe in our living room that leads upstairs for others' heat. Since it radiates heat for us already, we don't open the radiator valves. Nice and toasty. Almost feels too warm when you walk in from outside.

Not that I'm complaining. I moved here from the US with an indoor thermometer that shows Fahrenheit and haven't bothered to check it much; it usually shows 68F or 70F when I do. But I had fun with the challenge last year, keeping my drafty digs at 62F and feeling tough. I guess I need a new way to feel tough this year!

I'm definitely in! I'm trying to keep it at 64 dur...

2008-11-03T08:06:00.000-08:00

I'm definitely in! I'm trying to keep it at 64 during the day and 55 at night. I use rice warmers in bed (will try the cherry pit warmers, too!), and fingerless gloves. I keep LOTS of extra blankets on the bed, as well.

Daytime isn't a huge problem - I just try to keep moving. When I'm at work, I leave it at 55.

2008-11-03T08:05:00.000-08:00

This comment has been removed by the author.

It has been so mild here that we actually have to ...

2008-11-03T06:59:00.000-08:00

It has been so mild here that we actually have to open windows to stay cool. This is extremely unusual for the DC area. Our heat was turned on in the middle of October and we have yet to need to use it.

I would say that I would join the challenge but I know my husband has zero interest in conserving anything. I think he thinks I am a bit of crackpot.

it is really freaking cold here already. we make a...

2008-11-03T00:44:00.000-08:00

it is really freaking cold here already. we make a fire in the morning and i keep it going as long as i can (and cook on it and dry the clothes in front). we are using grapevines that the wine makers have been pulling up because of the glut of french wine. great for us, because it makes food taste so good.

in our rooms we have quilts and the baby has a wool sleep sack and she doesnt kick off the blankets anymore. our faces are fresh but we are cozy.

this week we have been installing hemp insulation in between the roof rafters, its supposed to be really efficient.

we dont use electric heaters because our power is 95 nuclear and 5 percent wind.

wearing wigwams wool socks and a down vest almways helps :)

we're loving our south and west- facing windows, a...

2008-11-02T22:04:00.000-08:00

we're loving our south and west- facing windows, and the warm weather. haven't turned on our heat yet. i hang around the house in a blanket at night, but no biggie. thanks, passive heat!

We have two energy efficient heaters, one in the b...

2008-11-02T17:22:00.000-08:00

We have two energy efficient heaters, one in the baby's room and one we move around. That plus our stoves and fireplaces and I have the thermostat set at 62.

Also having a little giveaway.

I need to see how to sign up for the challenge!

Well, we just moved from Florida to Connecticut ju...

2008-11-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

Well, we just moved from Florida to Connecticut just in time for winter. We are still rather wimpy in the being cold department. I am having a hard time with 65 during the day! The highest we ever have the heat on is 68. My husband works from home and I'm home with my kids all day so I don't really lower the thermostat during the day. But we're hardly driving at all! I will try really hard to keep it at 65, day and night. I am looking into water bottles too! Maybe we can lower the heat with water bottles!

Okay, i'm a wuss. It was sleeting or snowing o...

2008-11-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

Okay, i'm a wuss. It was sleeting or snowing or something else awful and cold and grey here last weekend, so we turned on the heat. it's set at 55, and it's only come on a few times.

I don't know how much it's kicked on, but at least at night it heats up the core of the house a little so it's almost as warm inside as outside by morning.

I know people here tough it out - i'm not that far from mnultraguy. But I just couldn't face the mornings & I kept being late to work.

What I'm doing.
http://sticksnspin.blogspot.co...

2008-11-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

What I'm doing.
http://sticksnspin.blogspot.com/2008/10/freeze-yer-buns.html

It dipped below 30's so we finally turned on the gas heat before the challenge even began =-( However, it's on only at night.

Now it's much warmer and we're going on nothing. Love it! Beautiful days here.

We have yet to turn the heat on yet here in MN. Ni...

2008-11-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

We have yet to turn the heat on yet here in MN. Nights are averaging upper 30-low 40s and days 50-60s. We are going to fill the cavities of our north side windows with polystyrene insulation that can be reused for several year to help increase the R value of our single pane :( windows that we do have to money to replace ~25K for all the windows

Okay we have decided on 60 for daytime and 55 for ...

2008-11-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

Okay we have decided on 60 for daytime and 55 for nighttime. We'll do more baking in evening to warm up house. The fuel company came a filled up our tank...we figured itout we are paying $100 more than our first fill last year. Despite having gotten less fuel. I'm hoping for a above average temps for our winter..fat chance...

We bought an electric blanket which looks like it ...

2008-11-02T06:20:00.000-08:00

We bought an electric blanket which looks like it will prevent my husband from cranking the heat. We have the problem of him sleeping during the day and me at night. So far it's looking like 58 at night (for me) and 65-68 when I'm home and not sleeping.

I signed during the last post, unfortunately the H...

2008-11-02T05:48:00.000-08:00

I signed during the last post, unfortunately the Hubby is not feeling it. I wanted to do 60/55. But we are at a constant 67-70 day and 65 night. How can I get him to comply? LOL -
Although last night was around 32 degrees outside.Burr

Hey - do what i do - hit the menopause, I'm boilin...

2008-11-02T03:21:00.000-08:00

Hey - do what i do - hit the menopause, I'm boiling!

last week i bought a couple of space heaters, made...

2008-11-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

last week i bought a couple of space heaters, made a trip to our local goodwill for blankets and sweaters, rediscovered the benefits of layering and fuzzy socks and had the fireplace inspected and cleaned (it hasn't been used in more than 10 years). so far we've had only one cold night (the low was 39) but texas weather is fickle so i'm sure the balmy weather will soon be replaced with more cold nights

My buns are already frozen! LOL I thought the free...

2008-11-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

My buns are already frozen! LOL I thought the freeze your buns challenge already started! I crank it up to a warm 65 during the daytime, back down to 55 when I go to bed. LOL have an autmated thermostat in the living room and a manual in dining room and kitchen - no heat in any bedrooms, and just turned up enough to keep pipes from freezing in bathroom. Had a couple of nights I put on my trusty Old Mr. Rogers sweater, (and yes I change into my house slippers too)I can't help to think that everything I've ever needed to know I learned from Mr. Rogers!

I'm sort of participating. I'm at a dorm in Minnes...

2008-11-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

I'm sort of participating. I'm at a dorm in Minnesota and haven't turned on my room's heater yet. We don't have a control system other than a lever in our rooms, so I can't tell you anything other then "well it's not turned on" vs. "it's turned on a little?" And, how much people in other rooms turn on their heaters affect it.

Basically, it's been really warm in my room even though it's freezing outside. (Highs of low 50s -- we even got our first bit of snow last weekend.) It really helps that my one tiny window in my tiny room faces south, so the sun comes in and warms up the room during the day and it feels amazing. I really hate artificial heat. Sunlight is where it's at. I wonder how long into the winter the sun will keep things warm though.

OK Crunchy. We're in for another winter in the Nor...

2008-11-01T20:03:00.000-07:00

OK Crunchy. We're in for another winter in the Northeast.Extra layers combined with non-stop movement and baking/cooking have kept things fairly comfortable (65 during the day, 60 at night). Debbie C

We have only been heating with wood, until last we...

2008-11-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

We have only been heating with wood, until last week-the wood guy was late on our delivery, so we had the furnace set for 60 in the day and 55 at night.
We have actually enjoyed the brisk temps.