The weather outside is warming up, at least in my little part of the world. This isn't normally when you'd be thinking about staying toasty warm around the fireplace, but this is exactly when you should be thinking about that warm and toasty fire.
When we chose to buy a little house that was within our desired price range, one of the things we sacrificed was the luxury of getting a built in fireplace. We didn't think too much about it until our first winter in the home. It was a little bit chilly (it is an older home with drafty windows) but it was really the ambiance of the fire that we longed for.
We looked at the large fancy electric fireplaces that they sell online and on the home shopping channels, but there was no way we could justify the expense of something like that. Then one day as we meandered down the aisles of Home Depot we spotted the cutest, little, inexpensive electric fireplace on display. We purchased it, brought it home, and were immediately enjoying our new addition. We were impressed by the realistic look of the flames and fire glow and were delighted that it also has a heater option built into it. The heater helped take some of the chilly edge off our room. Guests to our home have been completely fooled by our "fire" and have actually been concerned when our children venture too close to it. They had no idea that the box was not even warm to the touch, and it poses absolutely NO danger to our children.
About a week after purchasing our fireplace we were again in the store and noticed that they had gone on seasonal clearance and were half the price that we paid. The store has a generous policy, and when presented with our receipt, they refunded the difference to us. We loved our fireplace that much more, since it was only half as expensive as we originally thought. This turned out to be a very inexpensive addition to our home, one that we get immense enjoyment and use out of.
Which brings me back to my original point; if like us, you aren't fortunate enough to have a built in fireplace, this is an option that I highly recommend. Now, when stores are clearing out their winter merchandise to make room for patio furniture, it is the perfect time to find great deals on electric fireplaces.
Note:I had this post set to publish and then realized I had neglected to mention what may arguably be one of the greatest benefits to an electric fireplace. You can use this fireplace all year long! In the warm months of spring and summer we run just the "flame" portion of it and absolutely no heat is radiated. We get all the ambiance of a fire in our living-room with none of the warmth; a fantastic (and sometimes romantic) thing when it is already warm!
Monday: Making Homemade Laundry Detergent
