This post is in partnership with Hoffmann Brothers, all opinions are my own.

It is COLD out there! The boys have been loving all the snow this year, even if I’m completely avoiding it. But luckily they are much more independent this year and can run up and down the big neighborhood hill and sled for hours!
But when they do finally tire out, or more likely, me telling them it’s time to come inside, they want to be warm after all that cold, wet snow! So to make sure our home is ready for winter, here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks

The most important thing on our list is to be in touch with Hoffmann Brothers! We love having the Hoffmann Brothers Home Protection Plan because we know our air conditioner and furnace are checked twice a year so we know they are working before it gets cold and we aren’t stuck without heat (or air)! This regular maintenance gives us such peace of mind.
With your Home Protection Plan, you also get free filters so make sure to regularly change them to extend the life of your HVAC system.

Make sure all your doors and windows are sealed. We noticed our front door had a little light shining underneath last year so BTR installed a weather strip on the bottom and it has made all the difference!
Another thing you can do is reverse your ceiling fans! They should be spinning clockwise at a low speed in the winter to help push the warmer air down.

Organize your cold-weather gear! We recently went through our hall closet and put together all the mismatched gloves, hats, and boots! BTR built us some amazing lockers right at our front door and the boys both have a locker to hang coats and backpacks, and then a bin for all their gloves and hats. This way everything has a home and now we know where to find it when we need it! I store excess gear (because you can never have enough extra gloves) in our hall closet now!

Did you know Hoffmann Brothers also does plumbing? With these super cold temps we’ve been seeing, it’s really important to make sure you are checking all your pipes. We’ve been leaving the boy’s bathroom cabinet doors open to make sure heat is flowing through and our pipes don’t freeze. This is especially important for pipes that are on exterior walls. You can also let faucets slowly drip to prevent a pressure build-up so your pipes won’t burst if they do freeze.

Outside the house, BTR disconnected all the hoses and spigots. He also made sure our outdoor vents were free of debris and snow/ice build-up. I mean do you remember when the boys shoved all their toy cars up our outside exhaust….. because I sure do!

These are just a *few* tips for keeping your home winter ready! I’m so thankful we have Hoffmann Brothers on call if we do need them! They service the St. Louis metro area as well as Nashville, TN. Give them a call if anything comes up. We love the Home Protection Plan because we get priority service and a 15% discount on all repairs!
