So, I finally got an electric blanket. It's been a journey.
I'll just say it - I'm a cheapskate. At night, I turn my heat all the way off. The house I rent literally has no insulation, so heating that thing can be extremely expensive. So, I keep the heat low during the day and off at night. This can lead to a really, really nippy bed.
Sure, there are things I can do to ease my pain - remember to wear slippers (I'm getting better at that), we have throws on both couches, and I drink warm drinks. That all helps, but it's still pretty cold in my house. I know I could turn up the heat, but that wouldn't help all that much - the floor is still cold and the furnace would have to be constantly on in order to warm the house thoroughly.
It doesn't help that I ignore my body. I frequently have really cold feet, but fail to notice until I crawl into my chilled sheets, and it somehow becomes painfully clear exactly how frozen my feet are. I have spent over an hour, trying desperately to warm up my bed with my body heat. I have even placed my icy feet on my warmer calves in order to defrost them.
I had a boyfriend for a while who slept over almost every night. He was always so warm! It was nice to have him there to warm my frigid tushy. He would patiently spoon me until my rump warmed up. It was the only thing he was good for.
When he left, I was back to a wintery bed. When I complained to my mother, she offered me Grandma's and Grandpa's old electric blanket. Eagerly, I accepted, ecstatic to bring it home and try it out. Apparently, it preferred Grandma and Grandpa. It aged rapidly in my house. When I first got it, it took about half an hour for it to warm up my bed. Last week, it took closer to an hour and then it was hardly even noticeable. It was important to remember to turn it off before falling asleep or else one spot would superheat (the spot to which my feet naturally gravitated), nearly burning my skin and scorching my bedding.
You know what Friday was? Black Friday! I was one of the crazies who went out among the throngs in search of great deals. Guess what I found? An electric blanket over half off! Sold!
I washed my bedding to welcome the newest member and then put everything back together, excited to get into bed that night. When the time came, I found that it warmed up in about 5 minutes. I was thrilled!
And then I really got to experience it. It was the yummiest warmth I have ever experienced. It wasn't the suffocating, inescapable heat of summer. It wasn't the scorching, dry fieriness of a desert, nor was it the lung-soaking, sweat-pouring heat of the sauna. It wasn't the uneven, unpredictable heat of the old electric blanket. This was a delicious heat that warmed me through and through. It was welcoming and comforting and soothing. Even my derrière was warm - the heat washed through me so thoroughly that it even warmed the part of me which is consistently chilly. It was the best night's sleep I'd gotten in a very long time and I woke up warm and ready for my day.
There are a few small pleasures which make life so much better. My new electric blanket is now on that list.
I'll just say it - I'm a cheapskate. At night, I turn my heat all the way off. The house I rent literally has no insulation, so heating that thing can be extremely expensive. So, I keep the heat low during the day and off at night. This can lead to a really, really nippy bed.
Sure, there are things I can do to ease my pain - remember to wear slippers (I'm getting better at that), we have throws on both couches, and I drink warm drinks. That all helps, but it's still pretty cold in my house. I know I could turn up the heat, but that wouldn't help all that much - the floor is still cold and the furnace would have to be constantly on in order to warm the house thoroughly.
It doesn't help that I ignore my body. I frequently have really cold feet, but fail to notice until I crawl into my chilled sheets, and it somehow becomes painfully clear exactly how frozen my feet are. I have spent over an hour, trying desperately to warm up my bed with my body heat. I have even placed my icy feet on my warmer calves in order to defrost them.
I had a boyfriend for a while who slept over almost every night. He was always so warm! It was nice to have him there to warm my frigid tushy. He would patiently spoon me until my rump warmed up. It was the only thing he was good for.
When he left, I was back to a wintery bed. When I complained to my mother, she offered me Grandma's and Grandpa's old electric blanket. Eagerly, I accepted, ecstatic to bring it home and try it out. Apparently, it preferred Grandma and Grandpa. It aged rapidly in my house. When I first got it, it took about half an hour for it to warm up my bed. Last week, it took closer to an hour and then it was hardly even noticeable. It was important to remember to turn it off before falling asleep or else one spot would superheat (the spot to which my feet naturally gravitated), nearly burning my skin and scorching my bedding.
You know what Friday was? Black Friday! I was one of the crazies who went out among the throngs in search of great deals. Guess what I found? An electric blanket over half off! Sold!
I washed my bedding to welcome the newest member and then put everything back together, excited to get into bed that night. When the time came, I found that it warmed up in about 5 minutes. I was thrilled!
And then I really got to experience it. It was the yummiest warmth I have ever experienced. It wasn't the suffocating, inescapable heat of summer. It wasn't the scorching, dry fieriness of a desert, nor was it the lung-soaking, sweat-pouring heat of the sauna. It wasn't the uneven, unpredictable heat of the old electric blanket. This was a delicious heat that warmed me through and through. It was welcoming and comforting and soothing. Even my derrière was warm - the heat washed through me so thoroughly that it even warmed the part of me which is consistently chilly. It was the best night's sleep I'd gotten in a very long time and I woke up warm and ready for my day.
There are a few small pleasures which make life so much better. My new electric blanket is now on that list.
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