It’s been a hard year on slippers at my house. I keep the heat low because I’m trying to save both energy and money. My house is a little older, so it’s drafty. And the principle of warming my body instead of warming the whole house is pretty intriguing. As you may be able to tell, I’m going through a lot of slippers.
Everytime I put on my slippers (and believe me, with my thermostat set at 60 degrees, I wear them a lot!) I am reminded that whatever our goals are, there’s always a place to start. Goals like saving money or reducing my environmental impact can be overwhelming to tackle unless I have a place to start. For me, I can start doing both by wearing my slippers.
In my previous post, “Thing Globally, Act Locally,” I talked about finding our place in a cause or movement or place that is bigger than ourselves. But even breaking things down and finding a niche can be daunting without a point of entry. Sometimes, we just need to think about that first step.
Here are some ideas:
1.) Recycling: Just start saving one thing, like soup cans or toilet paper rolls.
2.) Reading the Bible: Just start in Matthew and read one chapter of the New Testament a week.
3.) Saving money: Just start by saving one dollar a week.
4.) Eating healthy: Just start by cutting one portion a day in half.
5.) Loving our neighbors: Just start by opening the door for someone.
And if you’re still having trouble, let me know. I’ll loan you a pair of my slippers.
km — That’s exactly what I’m talking about! Good for you.
Hey thanks for the “just start with” ideas. I just started recycling this week, really just yesterday, and decided that even if I don’t recycle everything right away I’d at least just start with…
Craver — 61 degrees? That’s practically tropical! đ As a kid, I never understood why my parents had to keep the house so cool. Now that I pay the heating bill and understand all the energy that is being consumed, the choice became clear!
Christianne — My dog is black, so her fur soaks up the heat of the sun fast. I love to hug her after that.
Ted — Thanks for the tips. I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled.
Mark — I don’t happen to sleep with my own dog (she’d probably kick me out of bed), but I’ve often thought that I would be a lot warmer if I did! Your thoughts on controlling the bits around us was wonderful. I can tend toward the controlling side of things, so it was good for me to think about.
Speaking of pets, my cat likes to curl up at night on top of the vent in my room. I keep the thermostat at 61 degrees at night… good thing we pile on the blankets!
It’s so nice to hear that other people do this, too. I’m sure it was fine to spend 9 months in a warm and humid womb, but that was a long time ago, and we need to get over it and put a sweater on, right?
Mark, that is the stuff of a good post… (and, you can control whether or not you do one!)
Charity, we keep our house pretty cool, too, but in Texas that’s not quiet as big an issue.
Still, our dogs actually sleep with us most of the winter. It feels like a dirty confession. But we love them and they make us feel like eskimoes.
The concept of warming yourself instead of your entire house is so simple that it’s profound.
I wonder how often, in our insecurity, we try to control the whole world instead of just the bits that we come in direct contact with. I’m pretty sure we can’t even control those!
Charity, Yes. They have a nice lining. They really feel like socks. Dark knitted on top and foam like heels on bottom. So far so good, as far as staying together (one wash so far, though I think next time I’ll wash them by hand and hang them up to dry). And very comfy as well as cozy.
I love when animals lay on the sun spots! It’s so cozy, and their fur gets so warm.
Erin — You know, I tell everyone that when you come over I will turn the thermostat up. I don’t want my frugality to keep people away!
If I had children, I’m sure I would bite the bullet and keep it warmer in here. I don’t want little toes and noses to freeze!
By the way, my dog does sleep in a sleeping bag at night, and she lays in the sun spots on the carpet any chance she can get!
SIXTY DEGREES?!?!
Do you hand out parkas when guests come over? đ
All kidding aside, I love your idea of warming yourself rather than all the unused/unpopulated areas of your home. My kids are probably going to whine, but I’m heading over to the thermostat right now.
Now I need some Consumer Reports-style recommendations on slippers, gloves and lap blankets…
Ted — So glad you share my love of slippers. Tell me, do yours have a lining? I’m thinking about investing in something a little warmer.
Christianne — An alternative post could have been “The Year of the Lap Blanket.” If I’m sitting down, I usually have a blanket on.
LL — Yes, I am thinking smaller and smaller right now. (In a good way!)
Aimee — Thanks for stopping by! Yes, little steps DO seem doable. But as LM said above, the starting is the hardest part. JUST DO IT!
LM — “practical” is such a compliment for me. I too often live in the realm of the idealistic. I like it when I can break it down.
Craver — Ha!
For now . . . — interesting that I put “just” in front of “start,” now that you mention it. Because you’re right, starting often is the hardest part.
baby steps, right? So doable!
Still thinking about the Small Things, yes? This is a wonderful application of the concept. I think we get all tied up and paralyzed when we reach for what is so big that we can’t yet put our arms around it.
I love what you said about the idea of warming your body instead of your whole house being intriguing. I never thought about it that way, but I suppose that is the point! Lap blankets can be a great aid and comfort in these attempts.
Charity, Good point. Get going. Don’t think small means insignificant.
My wife, Deb, got me the warmest slippers I’ve ever had. We keep our house cool most of the time also. But my feet remain warm. And a stocking cap on my head. So from the top of my head to the tip of my toe, I stay mostly warm.
I love the “Just start”. Sometimes that is the hardest part, just starting. Breaking it down like this makes it much easier to “just start”.
Baby steps.
Thank you for your post, Charity! Real and practical. I like it.