Winter

How to Keep Your Home Warm and Energy Efficient During Cold Months

0 · Mar 17, 2025 · Leave a Comment

Winter is the perfect time to embrace all things cozy—soft blankets, warm drinks, and a beautifully snug home. But keeping the chill at bay while staying energy efficient can sometimes mean sky-high energy bills. As a creative mom who loves crafting a home that’s both stylish and functional, I know how important it is to find smart, budget-friendly ways to stay warm without wasting energy.

With just a few simple tweaks, you can create a warm and inviting space while remaining energy efficient. Whether it’s improving insulation, optimizing heating use, or adding little cozy touches, these practical steps will help you stay toasty all season long!

Keep Your Heating System Running Smoothly for Energy Efficiency

A well-maintained heating system is a game-changer—it keeps your home warm and energy efficient without draining your wallet. Before the cold weather hits, schedule a professional inspection to make sure everything is running efficiently. A technician can check for clogged burners, cracks in the heat exchanger, and any airflow issues.

Don’t forget to replace or clean filters regularly! When filters get dirty, the system has to work harder, using more energy than necessary. Also, check that your vents and radiators are clear of furniture and rugs to ensure even heat distribution. A little maintenance now can save you from expensive repairs and high bills later.

Stay Stocked on Heating Fuel for an Energy Efficient Home

Running out of heating oil in the middle of winter? No thanks! Keeping an eye on your fuel levels prevents last-minute emergencies and costly refills.

Planning and scheduling home heating oil deliveries in advance ensures a steady supply, especially during peak winter months when demand increases. Choosing a reliable supplier that offers fair pricing and timely service makes the process easier and more affordable.

By staying ahead of the game, you’ll avoid the stress of running low and keep your home warm and energy efficient all season long.

Insulate Like a Pro to Stay Energy Efficient

One of the easiest ways to keep your home warm is to prevent heat from escaping in the first place. Check for drafts around windows and doors—sealing them with weatherstripping can make a world of difference. Thick curtains work wonders at night, keeping the warmth inside where it belongs.

Adding insulation in key areas like the attic, basement, and walls helps maintain a steady indoor temperature and reduces the need for constant heating. The best part? These simple upgrades not only make your home cozier but also help you stay energy efficient and cut down on your energy bills.

Smart & Stylish Ways to Reduce Energy Use and Stay Energy Efficient

Using energy wisely can help keep costs low without sacrificing comfort. Try lowering the thermostat a few degrees when you’re sleeping or out of the house—smart thermostats can automate this for you, making it effortless to stay energy efficient and save money.

Keep doors closed in unused rooms to concentrate the heat where it’s needed most. And don’t forget to let in some natural warmth—open your curtains during the day to let sunlight heat your space for free. It’s all about working with what you have!

Cozy Touches That Make a Big Difference for Energy Efficiency

Sometimes, it’s the little things that make your home feel extra warm and inviting. Layering up with soft blankets and cozy sweaters means you can stay comfortable without cranking up the heat.

Adding area rugs to hardwood or tile floors helps insulate against the cold while making rooms feel extra snug. Thick curtains help block cold air from windows, especially at night.

Another simple trick? Use draft stoppers under doors to keep warm air from escaping. Small, thoughtful changes like these add up to a big impact, keeping your home stylish, warm, and energy efficient all season long.

Bonus Heat Sources for Extra Coziness While Staying Energy Efficient

If you need a little extra warmth, consider supplemental heat sources. Space heaters can warm specific areas efficiently—just be sure to use them safely. Fireplaces or pellet stoves not only provide heat but also add that dreamy, cozy ambiance we all love in the winter.

And here’s a no-cost hack: take advantage of solar heat! Open your curtains during the day to let the sun naturally warm your space, then close them at night to trap the heat inside. Simple, effective, and totally energy efficient!

Meanwhile, routine electrical maintenance services can also ensure that heaters, fireplaces, and other electrical components are operating safely and efficiently, reducing the risk of overloads or malfunctions while keeping your home warm and energy-conscious.

Final Thoughts

Keeping your home warm and energy efficient doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune. With a little planning and some creative solutions, you can stay cozy while keeping energy costs in check. From maintaining your heating system to adding stylish insulation and smart energy-saving tricks, every small change adds up.

So grab a soft throw, light a candle, and enjoy the season in a warm, welcoming, and energy efficient space—without worrying about your energy bill!

Farmhouse Black and White Striped Home Decor • Winter Decoration Idea

6 · Dec 1, 2017 · Leave a Comment

I love dressing my front porch for the season rather than the holiday most of the time. Less turnover, less expensive & I just love celebrating the seasons. Here is my Fall front porch and I’m still in love with it but, it’s time to turn the season and start working on my winter front porch. One of the elements that I love for winter is a vintage sled that I found at a garage sale. I dressed it up with some greenery and some large bells that I found at Michaels. However, I didn’t want them to just be simple bells. I want them to stand out! I busted out some Americana Decor Satin Enamels and added my own special touch to the bells. Come see how I transformed them just a touch but added some real WOW factor.

+ The post brought to you by DecoArt +

Design Decisions

I’ve been in love with black and white LONG before Joanna Gains hit the scene. That has always been my color profile with a touch of red or green at times. I love that it’s so popular now. Those are two colors (or, non-colors) that are simply timeless and classic. I’ve also been a huge fan of stripes. They also, if done well, have a timeless quality too. They are perfect to add to a metal tray or a wood side table to add that classic farmhouse look to your home.

I wanted to add some timeless elements to this beautiful sled and greenery. When I found the large bells at Michaels, I knew that was the ticket. However, I wanted to put my own stamp on it so that I don’t look like everyone else on the block.

I guess that has always been my MO (method of operation.) I’m totally fine gathering fun things at Michaels, Target or Home Goods lets say, and then putting my own simple touches on them. That’s why I LOVE the Americana Decor collection. For this project I used the Americana Decor Satin Enamels in Pure White and Classic Black. I selected this paint for a few reasons.

I love the smooth satin finish
How easily it adheres to slick surfaces without any priming
This paint acts more like and enamel rather than a paint and I love that look for this application
Smooth brushability
Minimizes grain raising on wood
Non-toxic
Soap and water clean-up

Materials

wood or metal home decor item
DecoArt Americana Decor Satin Enamels in your color choice
sponge brushes in the size of the stripe that you desire
painters tape (optional)

Instructions

This project is crazy simple. It just requires some patients and a slightly steady hand. I don’t have the perfect artist hand and I managed to create these simple stripes just fine. My secret… I use foam brushes instead of your typical bristle brush. This eliminates the bristle spread that you typically get when painting with a traditional brush. I just buy the size foam brush that matches the size of stripe that I am looking for. You may find that you need painters tape and thats totally fine. With my round surface it was almost easier to follow the line on the bells using my brush as the stripe guide than it was to tape it.

It may not look like a perfect stripe here but, after I go around the bell a few more times it looks better. I’m not really wanting a nice crisp line anyway. I like the more rustic imperfect look.

I did layer about 4 coats of the Satin Enamel so that I had solid coverage.

Then, after the white is totally dry, I carefully used a flat brush that was the size of the small stripe that I was looking for to create the small black stripe. This one, you need to be careful and watch for the bristle spread. Again, I wasn’t looking for perfect and I LOVE how they turned out.

Once they were completely dry, I waited overnight, I affixed them to the sled.

First, using floral wire, I wired the greenery onto the sled with some floral wire.

I then made a bow out of some red and black buffalo plaid ribbon that I found at Michaels and wired it to the sled as well.

Then, I hung the bells on the sled with some think rope and wired that onto the sled as well.

Aren’t they fun? What would you like to add a little black and white farmhouse flair to?

By the way… My front door is painted with the Americana Decor Curb Appeal Paint. I LOVE it!! I’ll have to share how I did that soon. You’ll be amazed!

Peppermint Mocha White Chocolate Steamer

11 · Nov 22, 2016 · Leave a Comment

As much as I adore pumpkin, I get even more excited about PEPPERMINT season! I totally remember the first time I had peppermint ice cream as a kid. It was back in the day when peppermint ice cream was only around during the Christmas season. I would save all of the little peppermint pieces in my bowl and savor them for hours after that little bowl of ice cream was long gone. It’s because of that love that I decided to try out a fun new flavor combination for this winter. Peppermint Mocha White Chocolate Steamer… Yep, YUM!

It’s not really a full hot chocolate, it’s more of a steamer (flavored hot milk) with a little bit of white chocolate. Yep, once again… YUM!

I used my favorite International Delight Peppermint Mocha Creamer for this steamer, but you can also create a scrumptious Sugar Cookie steamer with the International Delight Sugar Cookie Creamer. Another perfect pairing with some warm milk!

For the peppermint mocha white chocolate steamer, I placed a few pieces of white chocolate in the bottom of my mug…

I just happened to find some white chocolate with some peppermint in it, so that was perfect. I added the milk and let the chocolate melt a little bit before I added the creamer.

Then I added a splash of the creamer and stirred it with a peppermint stick or peppermint lolly.

The peppermint melts in the the hot milk and creates a scrumptious holiday treat! Your family and friends are going to LOVE it, it’s like Christmas in a cup!

Looking for more ways to create special holiday memories with International Delight? You can sign-up for their newsletter for great tips, recipes and I’m sure a coupon or two! You can also follow ID on Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

5 Holiday Tips + Every Meal Matters

0 · Oct 29, 2014 · Leave a Comment

+ This 5 Holiday Tips post sponsored by the J. M. Smucker Company +

We’re almost there… The Holidays!

It’s my favorite time of the year. Time to slow down and just enjoy being together.

Yes, it can be hectic. Yes, it can be stressful. However… If you can manage to find some balance, they can turn into some of your most magical memories.

They are work, but the kind of work that is so rewarding. Some of my favorite childhood memories are from those simple Holiday experiences with my family. Sitting down to a special meal together, baking Christmas cookies, playing games, door-bell-ditching your neighbors with special treats.

This is when we teach our kiddos the true meaning of sharing and caring for those who are in need. Finding ways to share some of our bounty with those who have hit hard times. Sometimes it’s sharing a simple, yet special meal.

Before I share my Five Holiday Tips, I am honored to share about a special program from the J.M. Smucker Company starting this week.

This campaign is near and dear to my heart.

When I was five years old I had a rather profound experience in my life. My Father had lost his job, I was still so young and naive I didn’t really know what that meant. I had no idea the heartache that my Parents were experiencing as the Holidays were approaching. I can’t even imagine the cloud that was in their hearts knowing that they would not be able to provide a magical Christmas for their young family.

As the Holidays approached, for several nights we would receive a knock at the door.

Each night when we would open the door, all that was there was a bag or box full of something special.

Some nights it was much needed groceries, other nights it would be special little trinkets for my little sister and I.

They even gifted us with our full Holiday meals.

No one was ever on our door step!

We had a special angel.

Someone who took the time out of their busy Holiday schedule to share a bit of themselves, and their Holiday purse with our little family.

I was FIVE, I don’t remember much from that time of life, but I remember that Christmas!

I remember those special nights when our Angel visited.

So many people are in need these days.

The folks at the J.M. Smucker Company (whom I have come to love,) are heading up a fantastic campaign to help Share the Goodness this Season.

They have been working this year to help bring families back to the table, because EVERY MEAL MATTERS! They understand the power of a family meal. No matter if it’s a standard Monday night or Thanksgiving… Every meal matters and we need to make sure they are special. We need to be the angels to help those in need and we need to let our own families know how much we care for them.

Did you know that On November 2 (this Sunday), there will be coupons in participating newspapers for Crisco and Pillsbury products that help you share the goodness this season and make every meal matter.

For each coupon redeemed, the J.M. Smucker Company will donate the equivalent of THREE meals to Feeding America®.

They have committed to providing 6 MILLION meals this Holiday Season to Feeding America®. Every $1 helps provide 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks.

The J.M. Smucker Company will make a minimum donation of 4.5 million meals (a $450,000 donation) and a maximum donation of 6 million meals ( a $600,000 donation) to Feeding America.

They need our help!

Let’s help the folks at the J.M. Smucker company become Angels for millions in need.

You can find more information at The Power of Family Meals or on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest.

Who’s Ready for Some Holiday Tips?

The holidays are a special time of year. It’s time to make the magical memories that your kiddos will remember forever. You don’t need to create an over the top experience that exhausts you and is totally unnoticed by your family, but do try and go the extra mile.

Several years ago when my kiddos were little we had moved far away from our families and were on our own for the first time. I set-out to create my first stand alone holiday meal and was saddened to realize that my Mom wasn’t going to be there to create the magic… The magic was all up to me.

We didn’t really know anyone in the area quite yet, and family members couldn’t travel so we were on our own. I was feeling some serious pressure. I cooked a great meal and made sure to create a beautiful table setting for the celebration. I pulled out the good china, used cloth napkins and created a fun centerpiece. It wasn’t over the top, but it was just enough to make the day special.

Many times, especially around the holidays, you are gathered with a bunch of strangers. This could be strangers from your husband’s office or even family members that you haven’t connected with for awhile. When it comes to family, at times relationships can be strained. Rather than an awkward night, plan for an ice breaker activity to level the playing field, break-down barriers and get the fun flowing.

The ice breaker can be a silly game or a staged event that gets people talking. Ina Garten from the Food Network in one of her first cookbooks, Barefoot Contessa Parties tells of a party that was turning into a real dud. She scrambled and called in reinforcements. Her neighbor was Paul Neuman and she stealthily called her friend to come help the sinking ship. Within minutes, he walked right into the house in is racing gear, walked up to a woman, planted a shocking kiss right on her lips, turned and walked right out. Needless to say… The icy party had been shattered. All of those walls that were preventing people from connecting has been demolished.

Think outside the box to create a fun experience for all.

So many times we plan our celebrations and events around the people over 5 feet. We tend to forget the kiddos. Make sure when you are planning your gathering, create a kiddo safe zone. A space with simple activities for the little ones that is child proof and ready for the under 5 foot crowd to have a special space of their own. You may even want to go the extra mile and hire a teen in your neighborhood to help supervise and run activities. That way, everyone can have fun!

Farm out the cooking responsibilities. If you want a specific spread. Handout recipes to family members so you can have a controlled meal. If you have guests coming from out of town who can’t cook. Put them to work in the kitchen. No need to be a one woman show. Enjoy that time in the kitchen together!

Foster fun memories by creating some quirky traditions. Ugly sweater contests, Go Fish marathons, Door-bell-ditch your neighbors with scrumptious Holiday treats together. Do something out of the norm to create those lasting memories.

Disclaimer // This post is sponsored by the J.M. Smucker Company.