I’ve never been so thankful for HEAT than I have this week.  I knew Idaho was cold, but Holy Toledo!  I didn’t realize just how frigid it is here!   I drove to Costco yesterday afternoon for my monthly trip to pick up a case of toilet paper and a bag of uncooked tortillas.  Two hours and $250 later! , as I was driving home, my car said it was a mere 14 degrees out.  I decided my sweatshirt and down vest would no longer cut it.  Sigh.  I’m gonna have to break out my winter coat.  But at least I have heat.  So this week I am thankful for heat, in all its forms.

• My Electric Blanket -  Completely forgot I even had one of these.  In the past 11 years our down comforter has done the trick.  But our room in this house is missing insulation or something because it’s at least 10 degrees colder in the winter and 10 degrees hotter in the summer.  So the other night, after I had just clambered into bed and my body was battling to warm up, it dawned on me that we used to have an electric blanket and wouldn’t it feel good right about now.  Of course, there was no way I was getting out of bed to brave the chill at that point so the next day I rummaged through the linen closet and unearthed our electric blanket.  And what a difference!  Now I crank my side up to HI as I’m brushing my teeth and putting on my PJs.  I slip in to the toasy, toasty, toasty warmth and it is heaven!

• My fireplace – There’s nothing cozier at Christmastime than Christmas music and a warm fire.  Sure, it’s gas.  Sure it isn’t real wood.  Sure, it turns on and off at the flick of a switch.  But it’s warm and glowy and oh so cozy!

• Hot Showers – OK, I like a hot shower even in the heat of the summer.  But it’s especially nice in the cold of the winter.  I mentioned our bedroom is cold.  Well, our bathroom is no different.  So in the morning after getting the kids off to school, I love to hop into a steamy hot shower and warm up.  And I’m a little picky about the temperature.  I like it to be comfortably warm so that it isn’t shocking going from room temperature to the water, but then I knock it up a tad until it has a bite to it. And I keep knocking it up a notch the entire time I’m in the shower.  That way, by the time I’m done, it feels refreshing to step back into the chilly air.  Yeah, it’s a science.

• Hot chocolate – My sister gave me a hot chocolate maker/warmer/frother for Christmas last year and I love it.  That thing gets used everyday in the wintertime.  It borders a little on an addiction.  It keeps the hot cocoa warm and ready all day.  It even has a switch that froths it as you dispense.

There’s always something to offer guests to drink with their Christmas cookies.  I used it today when I had my friends Mindy, and  Jennifer and their little boys over to decorate gingerbread men.  If you don’t have one, consider it.  I’m pretty sure Costco carries them. And if not, Costco has many, many other intriguing and unnecessary products to wreak havoc on your budget.  Trust me!

Since, according to the weather channel, Idaho isn’t the only place shivering right now, tell me… what is your favorite form of heat this week???

Happy Thankful Thursday!

Oh, and I was totally kidding about Night Rider in the last post.  I’m not a talking car enthusiast nor do I consider Hasselhoff a heart throb.  Just for the record.