Reply #95: We had a week-long power outage last year

[Missy Vixen]

Here are the things that kept us warm:

Gas water heater, stove, fireplace -- I was washing dishes by hand in the sink; the hot water actually helped me warm up.

Tea and hot chocolate, soup, chili, stew

Socks and hats inside. We have Polartec "Santa" hats that got a workout last year. They're soft enough to sleep in, but keep you warm in the middle of the night in a freezing house.

We have multiple throws in our family room. Lands' End no longer makes the double-weave throws we guard like they were gold, but they make several other types. Even when the power's not out, we can turn the thermostat down, because we're warm. Lands' End has many, many items that will help you weather a drop in temperatures. http://www.landsend.com, and I believe they ship outside of the USA. (Their down blanket and six-ounce flannel sheets have probably saved us hundreds of dollars in heating costs alone.) They also have something called "overstocks", which is first-quality stuff that may be in an unpopular color or they don't have enough of to put in the catalog, and at a significant discount.

I can't recommend dressing in layers highly enough, either.

I hope you and your family will stay nice and warm.
Julie