We just recently got back from traveling. Boy are we exhausted and glad to be back. But I forget how COLD our home is. We are lucky to have mini-heaters some rooms, but central heating is nonexistent. We bought portable heaters and usually spend a good amount of time sitting next to them in the winter.
However, that requires some forethought and planning. We don't have enough heaters to heat up every room. And even if we try, we usually break the circuit and all electricity goes off. (This often happens when I use my hair-dryer.) So, we have learned that to maximize heating, we need to pick one room (preferably a small room so heat doesn't just dissipate) and make that our "heating" room. We bring all of our portable heaters into this room.
When we are at home in the winter time, we stay in that "heating" room (which is usually our study room). If we leave this heated room and go to another part of the apartment (e.g. living room), we need to put on a jacket and brave the cold.
One problematic area is our kitchen. Granted, the entire kitchen feels like an icebox. The problem is when my seasonings, oil, and other liquids start to freeze or solidify. My jar of honey I left by the stove is now completely solid. Every time I need to use it, I have to soak it in hot water. And it takes forever just to get a few drops...
I also have trouble cooking in the winter for a different reason. (Not because we don't have fire. We are very grateful to have a gas stove.) It's really because I have to wear three layers of clothes PLUS my down jacket every time I venture into the kitchen. My big down jacket sleeves are "poofy" and thus, I recently realize that I am a fire hazard when I stand next to the open flames by the gas stove. With that much poofy clothes on, I also become a food magnet. Somehow, whatever I stir, cut up, mix, or pour... parts of it splashes and makes its home on the front of my jacket.
Recently, I have been using a "food jacket" that I wear over my coats and other clothes. I also put on a plastic apron in the front. So far, it's squashed down the size of my sleeves and makes me somewhat water proof. So far, it's been working. But boy, do I look ridiculous.
But I think I still enjoy wearing more clothes than sweating. Because in the summer, I have the reverse problem. Our kitchen becomes a sauna, and cooking in a sauna is no fun. I think I'll just enjoy these winter months. (Well, I also enjoy spring and autumn).
Maybe I'll be okay till late May, when it starts to get hot.
