toasty burrito boys

In an attempt to be kind to the planet and also reduce our fuel consumption, we are trying to postpone turning on our furnace for as long as possible this fall. The kids are enthusiastically invested in this plan, but we are also concerned for their comfort. Knowing that many of you are engaged in the same postponement, I want to share a couple of things that we do in our house to keep the boys cozy during the change of season.

The first is the blanket burrito. My boys tend to kick their covers off in the night, which of course is inconsequential when the indoor climate is temperate. But as the room temperature begins to plummet at night, this tendency could lead to a lot of lost sleep and discomfort. So, inspired by the bundling techniques demonstrated to me by nurses in a variety of maternity wards, each chilly mid-autumn evening at bedtime, I wrap my boys in what we like to call blanket burritos. The first layer is a down comforter inside a soft cover, and around that, thinner cotton blankets that are easier to wrap and tuck. It's fun and silly and feels great, like a warm hug that lasts all night.

The other fall treat happens right after coax them out of bed in the morning, which can be difficult in the dark frigid mornings that greet us this time of year, right before we change our clocks back. On the way to their bedrooms I turn on all the lights in the house, to make it seem more like daytime. Then, I gather up the outfits they have set out on their chairs the night before and toss them into the dryer for 3 minutes. By the time their bowls of instant oatmeal are on the table, their clothes are toasty warm. Trust me on this, if you haven't tried it: reliquishing warm pajamas is so much less difficult knowing that you can slip into very warm underwear, pants and shirts.

I don't know if this use of the clothes dryer is common practice because I personally thought of it on my own, but I realize many of you may have, too. Once we moved to this house, which has its own miniature sledding hill in the backyard, I first thought to use the dryer to warm up cold, wet mittens, hats and scarves during hot cocoa breaks mid-sledding, then extended the practice to make every cold morning a bit cozier for my not-so-little ones. Imagining that I may have just helped some of you to do the same gives me joy.

Warmly yours,
Nancy