4 Ways to Stay Cosy and Warm this Winter

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The cold weather has definitely settled in now with some places across the country even seeing snow already! We had a small flurry of snow on the weekend (but nothing even close to settling) but it doesn't mean it hasn't been super cold. The car has been frozen over most mornings and even the kids are keen to dig out their hats, gloves and scares for the school run. But with temperatures dropping and living costs rising you may be wondering just how to stay warm this winter without breaking the bank? 

If this is you then keep reading below as I am sharing some really simple, cheap and easy ways that you can stay warm this winter. 

Thermal/ Black Out Curtains

Last year I invested in some good quality blackout curtains in a bid to help my little ones sleep a little longer in the summer. They also claimed to be thermal but I hadn't really paid to much attention to it. But now that winter is here, I honestly cannot believe the difference they have made in keeping the rooms warmer! So much warm air gets absorbed by cold windows as well as cold air getting in through any small gaps or drafts too. But with thermal curtains they seem to block all of this out whilst retaining lots of the heat from your home inside. Its made a huge difference to our bedrooms especially. 

You can pick up thermal/blackout curtains from so many places and they don't have to be expensive either, Amazon sell some sets for £20-£30 and they have great reviews! You could even purchase these in a longer length and use them in front of or behind draughty doors as an extra layer. 

Layer Your Clothing 

We have all heard the classic "put on another jumper", usually from our parents when we moaned about it being cold in the house as kids. But actually layering your clothing and adding extra warm layers that can be added or removed depending on the heat is a great way to stay warm. Wearing something such as a bodysuit underneath your clothing or a loungewear set that can be worn over the top of a t-shirt etc are great examples of easy to layer clothing that can be worn in and out of the house. 

If you are looking to apply the same idea of layer but for a "going out look" you could take your favourite white dress, little black dress or perhaps a ruched dress and layer it with chunky knit tights (or a high denier tight) with a blazer, cardigan or other type of warm jacket. If you don't want to carry around a jacket once inside, some dresses look great with a polo neck jumper placed underneath the dress for a cosy winter look. Femme Luxe have some great pieces in to help with your winter style at really affordable prices, with lots of pieces that are great for layer any look whilst keeping warm and cosy too. 

Think carefully about when you put your heating on

We all know that heating prices are rising (rapidly) and many people are having to think twice as to when they put their heating on to keep costs down. But thinking carefully about when you put your heating on is really important for keeping warm anyway. Instead on impulsively putting your heating on when you feel cold instead try to plan around when you will be in and out of the house and the coldest times of day. The chances are if you put the heating on early in the day, when evenings temperatures drop you will want to put it on again to warm up. 

The same can be said about putting the heating on when you are not home or when you are going to be heading out. Ideally when you put your heating on you want it to be when you are all home and can keep doors and windows closed to retain as much heat as possible. If you are going to be going in and out, opening and closing doors etc heat will escape much quicker and therefore your home won't stay as warm for as long. 

Plan ahead for bedtime

Early mornings and late evenings can be some of the coldest times of the day and so planning ahead to ensure you aren't super cold at these times will help you stay warm and cosy. If you have a heated blanket turn this on 10 minutes before you get into bed to make sure you have a toasty warm bed to climb into at night. Alternatively if you don't have one of these place a hot water bottle into your bed 15 minutes before you plan on going to bed and then place the duvet over it. Not only will you have a toasty hot water bottle to snuggle up with but it will have warmed up your bed beforehand for you too! 

Hopefully these tips will help you all keep warm this winter and don't forget to share your top tips below so we can all help each other stay warm this winter. 

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