Baby it's cold outside - come and share my Slanket

If there's one thing I miss about working outside my home, it's central heating. Never underestimate the joy of spending a goodly portion of one's winter's days in solid, all-round warm. Particularly solid, all-round warm for which someone else is paying.

Fibro houses are not noted for their stellar insulation properties. Thin walls are thin walls and no amount of ceiling insulation will stop the cold from creeping in. Unfortunately, it's not easy to convince oneself (well, if you're me, anyway) that running a gas heater all day to heat one person is economical. And let's not even start on those long, chilly, wintry nights which, as we all know, is mostly when my work is done.

So it is with some joy that I announce my latest purchase. Joy and a crimson blush. For I have purchased one of those blankets with sleeves. The original version was called a Slanket and I used to watch the ads for them whilst breastfeeding Mr7 (who was not seven at the time) in the wee small hours of the morning. Which is to say that I saw the damn ads every single night, several times a night, for what felt like 150 years. And yet I was never tempted to purchase. The whole name thing put me off. Plus I was still manufacturing milk and eating for two and somehow the cold never touched me.

Fast-forward eight years and here I am, in my Fibro, in my Slanket knock-off (sorry Mr Slanket). It is dark brown and toasty warm. I proudly modelled it for my boys this afternoon. Misters 7 and 4 thought I looked very like Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Builder took one look and said: "Monk." I can see that I will henceforth be known as Friar Fibro.

But, you know what? I don't care. The sleeves are very long and with careful planning I can have them positioned so that they cover all the way to my knuckles and still leave my fingers free for typing. I have the whole arrangement double-wrapped around myself, all the way to the floor. And I am warm. So warm was I this afternoon that I gave serious consideration to wearing the damn thing to pick up the boys because the wind chill factor was so... chilly. The only thing that stopped me? Maxabella's voice in my ear: "You left the house in a SLANKET."

It cost me $10. I can see no environmental downsides (not taking into account the number of polyesters that may have died to make my winter coat). I think every home should have one.

So fess up - do you have a walking blanket with sleeves aka Slanket aka Snuggie aka... Or do you prefer an old-fashioned dressing gown? Or do you turn the heater up and wear singlets all winter?


[image: you can get the pattern for this mini arigurami Obi-Wan from lucyravenscar/etsy - I look very much like this in my walking blanket]