(BPT) – From making snow angels to cozying up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate, there’s no shortage of pleasures to pursue this winter. But to make the most of these festivities, it’s best to be prepared for the chilly weather — so here are 4 tips to help you stay warm and energized during wintertime and feeling mighty festive every single day.
1. Optimize Home Heating.
After a day out in the snow, it’s nice to come home to a warm, cozy house. But before relying completely on your heating system, try fully insulating your home to avoid any cracks or openings that blow a draft of cold outside air indoors. Keep your windows and doors tightly shut and double-check the ducts in your attic or basement for leaks. Making just a few tweaks to your home not only creates a more comfortable living environment, but also saves you a pretty penny on electricity bills.
Energy bills still too high for your liking? Try using the latest heaters, like most of LG’s DUALCOOL models, to keep tabs on how much energy you’re using. After pairing these smart devices with the LG ThinQ app, you can monitor exactly how much energy you’re consuming on a daily basis right on your phone. Plus, the app also shows weekly and monthly statistics as well, giving you long-term insights into your energy consumption.
2. Find Alternatives to Stay Warm.
While central heating is the ultimate go-to for beating the cold weather, it helps to bundle up your home for those especially icy-cold days. Switch your bedding for sheets made from fleece and flannel. Thick carpets and rugs are also a good buy, as they’ll keep your feet nice and toasty. If changing the home furnishing alone won’t do, bundle up yourself. Wearing multiple layers of clothing means you can keep warm even after turning down the thermostat a notch or two.
All these different fabrics, of course, means there’s more laundry to be done — which can be daunting with winter garments requiring extra care. Instead of puzzling over the best washing cycle for your down jacket or wool scarf, leave the job to smart washers like LG’s ThinQ-enabled models. Just activate the handwash and delicates cycle on the ThinQ app and wait a short time for your outfits to look as good as new. The app even sends you a notification when the laundry’s all done so you know when it’s time to move them to the dryer.
3. Boost Your Immune System with Superfoods.
Fill up on nourishing food to give your body the nutrients it needs to fight off the cold. Fresh vitamin C-rich citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits should boost your immune system to help ward off the flu. Another key immunity-boosting ingredient is zinc, so always add nuts and whole grains to your grocery list before heading to the store, as they’re packed with zinc and plentiful during the cold months.
Once your fridge and pantry are stocked full with those winter superfoods, it’s equally important to ensure they’re still crisp and juicy when you eat them. Keeping track of your freezer food is easy with a little help from a smart refrigerator like LG’s WiFi-enabled models. Just connect the fridge to the ThinQ app and set expiration dates for your perishable food items. With smart notifications that remind you when your foods need eating by, you’ll be able to relish every bite of your fresh produce as if they’ve come straight from the farm.
4. Break the Cycle of the Sore Throat.
Along with the flu, a sore throat is another enemy we face seemingly every winter. But this is no coincidence, since the cold air can dry out your throat making you feel dehydrated, so make sure to keep the liquids flowing by sipping on some warm chamomile tea or sitting down to a hearty bowl of hot chicken soup. On a day when a sore throat feels particularly rough and scratchy and really dampens your mood, take a small teaspoon of honey or, ironically, a cold treat like a popsicle or ice cubes.
Dust is another major contributor to a sore throat. Always remember to air out your furniture and bedding, and beware of the dust hiding in the nooks and crannies of your home. Running the vacuum should be part of your daily cleaning routine — a cinch if you have a robot vacuum cleaner combined with a smart app by providers like LG. By activating the controls on the ThinQ app, the robot vacuum does all the cleaning before you get home, so say goodbye to those dust bunnies, and of course, to your runny nose and itchy throat.
While winter approaches with all its seasonal delights, the cold weather can be a real turn-off. But with the help of these smart solutions, you’ll find it’s never been easier to feel warm, happy and vitalized throughout the festive season.
