Winter WARM UP!

As is typical here in Rochester, winter has finally arrived. I did not turn the heat on last night (but I did hibernate under a foot of blankets) and when I woke up this morning it was about 50 degrees. So long as it doesn't dip below 40 (I don't want the pipes to freeze) then I will continue to leave the heat off at night. I don't have the funds to purchase plastic to insulate my windows. The windows in my apartment are single pane and the draft is evident when sitting near a window. Since 2016 is the year of Focus, what I CAN DO is use the cardboard I have to create a little bit of window insulation and barrier. I do have curtains, but I don't yet have curtain rods I can use with the. I have tension rods which won't hold any kind of heavy curtain. 

Back to the cardboard, I probably have enough to do the living room and both sets of bedroom windows. IF I have left over I would like to do the front door. However, just putting up cardboard will may the apartment look abandoned and might invite problems. So I will cover the cardboard with wrapping paper. It will look Christmasy, but that is what I will have to live with in order to be just a little bit warmer. I do want to invest in some draft stoppers (tube socks or material filled with rice or other grain) for in front of doors and on the top of the window splits, but I am not there right now. 

Additionally, I CAN clean out the floor vents and air returns. We have 3 cats and a dog so to say we have dust bunnies (from dander and fur) is an understatement. Right now my floor vents and air returns are pretty gross. I have a small handheld vacuum and there is a regular vacuum in the basement. I am going to give both a try and see which one works BEST. I would also be great if I could put the second door back on the entryway. Two doors will help cut down the draft. I do have some weather stripping so I'll try to apply that today as well. This summer I want to repair the front door. The trim around the glass is not snug and has been secured with large screws. I would like to use wood glue and finishing nails and then fill any gaps with wood putty (but warmer weather is better for that). 

So that is my focus for today. I will try to update tomorrow with pictures of my progress.