Winter is here. Is your home prepared?

The Red Cross offers some tips to prevent frozen pipes when it's severely cold outside:

• Let a trickle of cold water drip from indoor faucets with exposed pipes.
• Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines inside of them.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to let warm air circulate the plumbing.

💭 Wil's thought bubble: Keep the thermostat set no lower than 66° amid cold weather. Would you rather have a higher heating bill, or the repair cost of a frozen pipe?

Outdoor pipes: Red Cross advises folks to buy "pipe sleeves," "heat tape," or "heat cable," for exposed water pipes outdoors.

• Print journalism: Red Cross also suggested that as much as a quarter inch of a newspaper wrapped around pipes can provide some insulation in regions that don't usually have prolonged temperatures below freezing.

Outdoor hose faucets: Also known as hose bibs or spigots, it's important to protect these parts using a standard outdoor faucet cover that is typically found at Home Depot, Lowe's or Walmart.

Yes, but: If you're like me, then you probably overlooked this item during your last visit to Home Depot.

• That damn cover sold like hotcakes at my neighborhood Home Depot, so we pivoted and purchased foam and foil pipe wrap insulation tape. We wrapped it around our outdoor faucets and used duct tape to secure the material in place.
• If that doesn't work for you, there are several TikTok videos of folks wrapping their outdoor faucets in old rags, paint jars, and even styrofoam cups.
• Just remember to secure your DIY covers in place with zip ties or electric tape if you're too good for duct tape.

The bottom line: If you give your house some warmth and care, it'll do the same for you.

Worthy of your time: If you have houseplants outdoors, then follow Kristal's advice, and bring your plant babies inside expeditiously.