Preparing for winter II

Cat72

Had a brainwave as my trousers got soaked in a rainshower yesterday, and remember how my trousers got soaked with the snow last year.
So have decided to buy waterproof over trousers, that I can pack and carry with me .
So far the best price seems to be £10 .
ALso looking for some comfy snowboots.

Went to asda to get the fleeces 2 for £3 but they were £2 each, so just left it at the moment as a bit tight for money and the colour selection was limited.
Noticed Wilksons have the fleece matress covers starting at £10 and also fleece shoe liners at £1.
HTH.

happyin_devon

Cat72 wrote: »

Had a brainwave as my trousers got soaked in a rainshower yesterday, and remember how my trousers got soaked with the snow last year.
So have decided to buy waterproof over trousers, that I can pack and carry with me .
So far the best price seems to be £10 .
ALso looking for some comfy snowboots.

Went to asda to get the fleeces 2 for £3 but they were £2 each, so just left it at the moment as a bit tight for money and the colour selection was limited.
Noticed Wilksons have the fleece matress covers starting at £10 and also fleece shoe liners at £1.
HTH.

do u have a farming/equestrian supplier near u??
i got my over trousers from my local one for £6.00 (admitedly they r age 11-12yr cos im short but think the ladies ones were a similar price)

Chillout5892

MMM, getting ready for winter. Hopefully this year I'll be able to do it in time! The 2 month flat refurbishment by my housing association has been finally been completed after 2 years. The standard? Crap! However it did include replacing draft excluders around the 200 year old 10ft sash windows. Being as tight-fisted as I am, after they left, I got the old ones and 'recycled' them by nailing them across the top of the top of the upper sash windows. Boy, am I surprised at how effective that is. Normally draft excluders (the 'brush' type) are only put around the lower sash window. You might lose about an 1" of the opening of the lower window (that is if it can go right to the top) but it's well worth doing it if they fit as badly as these old battered ones do.

I've got a couple of old navy throws, nothing wrong with them, it's just now the flat has been redecorated, different colour scheme. Job to do, get out sewing machine and transform into a long comfy snugly dressing gown.

Depending on how the draft excluders work, if they are not up to the job, I'll be buying a roll of white 'gaffer tape' from Wilkinsons and taping around all the windows I won't be opening over the winter. It really works. Tends to naff up the paintwork a bit though....

I might buy a new Xmas tree, if I see one I like. The ex-display Habitat one has served brilliantly for the last 15 years, but is looking a bit thread bear now. I don't think I'll be too extravagant but I won't be paying more than £12 for a 6ft new one. I've enough decorations for 2 flats here. I must not buy any more in the new year sales.

Prezzies... A few years ago I made a load of small Xmas cakes which I gave as presents. I have to admit, it was one of the most satisfying experiences I had of giving as Christmas. When I visit anyone over the holidays, I always arrive with home made cakes and biscuits as I'm now gluten free. (It stops them worrying and means I don't have to eat shop bought g/f fare which although improving, is still pretty naff.) Since then I've also made confectionery, christmas/chocolate/rum/truffles and mint and fondant creams. Now, one of the benefits of the credit crunch econopmic down turn etc, is the increase of '£shops' who sell all kinds of presentation boxes and party stuff. I think this year, presents will be selections of cooked stuff with pretty wrappings with a discount priced book. This I'm likely to do.

What I also need to do is knit myself a really big sloppy warm comfy jumper. Somehow I doubt this will happen.....

What would I love to get for Christmas, a chunky knitting machine. If there is a God.....

What I need to get/do for winter?

New snow boots. Bought a pair of cheap 'moon boots' a few years ago. Reason they were cheap? The pattern on the sole is so small snow packs in the groves and turns to a sheet of compressed ice on the sole of your feet. So, although toasty warm, the chance of breaking my neck increases 10 fold. I'll investigate whether a repair will be more or less cost effective than a replacement.

Check to see if my winter coats still fit or are too big /small. I'm thankfully losing weight. I may be able to reuse clothes I used to be too big for, and take in others etc. Buy a new fake fur collar for an old fake fur coat to revamp it. (Prim@rk do them.)

New slippers.

Get the new 26" flat screen TV with decent stereo speakers I've been saving for months for before the VAT goes up!

Lastly, be thankful for all I've got. I've decorated the flat and it looks as good as it's going to on my budget. I have created a small studio in it so I can continue painting and making things. I've a comfortable attractive home that houses all my interests and activities. Three of my best friends bought a pub 15 mins walk away that has free live music every week. I'm getting better at managing my chronic kidney disease that's caused rheumatoid arthritis, I'm paying off my debts with a DMP and have been offered an IVA, which I can afford, once I've cleared my rent arrears which I'll do in 3 weeks. In fact, I may be a little better off each month.

I lost control of my life and my finances when I lost my health. I've beat myself up over the last few years turning my life around to cope living so differently and for getting myself into such a mess. Now, I know it sounds strange, I've got to learn to relax and enjoy the fruits of what I've done. I'm finding it difficult to shake off the habit of grim self-denial with every penny going on debts and the flat. I almost don't know what to do. Once I've bought the TV and a new duvet cover set, there's nothing else to buy for the flat. But it's almost frightening to think of putting myself first, (after debt repayment, if you know what I mean.)

Bitsy Beans, love the Senility Prayer

Chillout

mardatha

You add lye to water. always. Soapmakers use it all the time.

littleowl

mardatha wrote: »

You add lye to water. always. Soapmakers use it all the time.

Yes Mardatha - but you don't add it to boiling water do you?

Fruball

Re caustic soda (Lye) I just googled

"caustic soda always add"

and it is clear from every reply that the Lye is added to the water NEVER the other way around

Fruball

littleowl wrote: »

Yes Mardatha - but you don't add it to boiling water do you?

Google "Caustic soda boiling water"

and it will tell you never to use boiling water *with* caustic soda but to use it after to flush through.

HelenYorkshire

valk_scot wrote: »

Started making narrower fabric sausages to fit the sash windows...I put my hand up there the other night to close the lock between the lower and upper sash and there was an amazing draught there. So I'm going to fill the sausages with a mix of beans or rice and polyester beads, so they mould into the corners and stop the draughts.

I've not made it through the whole thread, but please tell me more about coping with sash windows! Last winter I duct-taped bubblewrap over them - it billowed like a sail when the wind blew; that's how big the gaps are! However this meant I couldn't mop up condensation
If it helps, only the bottom section of the window still moves, and they're both approx 5 foot by 5 foot....
One of them has a set of long, thin-but-overlapping curtains, the other only has those vertical blinds that you get in GPs and dentists.

littleowl

I am really sorry to push this but am very concerned that people might receive awful burns if they don't understand. Using 'Lye' with cold water is one thing, using caustic soda with hot water to clear drains is definitely another! See this link for a picture of what can ensue if used incorrectly:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lye

calleyw

Cat72 wrote: »

Noticed Wilksons have the fleece matress covers starting at £10 and also fleece shoe liners at £1.

HTH.

You lot have made me rush down stairs to make sure I have soda crystals under the sink. And yes I do. Had a mini panic then :rotfl:

Anyway I thought they where a little bit less than that.

I would say if they are the ones that say fleecy in big letters and then winter warmth. And under neath the writing it is blue red and orange. Then don't bother.

I bought one for our spare bed and and the non fleecy bit is like paper stuff. My husband was trying to help put it on and put his finger right through the paper stuff:eek:

Just like the normal mattress protector before that.

I wuld check and spend a little more one.

Yours

Calley