Preparing for winter II

bluebag

icelandic_queen wrote: »

I was in Primark the other day and I bought the bottee slippers which were reduced to 2 quid and also the thick fleecy socks which were 1 quid for 2 pair which was good. Every year my prep gets better thanks to all of you on this thread!!

Thanks for this, will get myself down there sharpish and get some, my old ones are just binworthy now.

I keep my daughters hot water bottle on top of the ironing basket so I can find it, he he! I always know where the bloomin' ironing is. She is the only one without an electric blanket, she left it on all day so it got banned.

HoneyBee83

annie123 wrote: »

They shouldn't freeze as they are covered with the flooring, and your bathroom would need need to be at freezing point for that to happen.
Do they go outside?

My Dad seems to think are under the tiles, theres a ledge bit that goes around the edge from the shower and thats where he thinks they are and that bit is against the outside wall.

Kitchenbunny

Just finished making my necktube Couldn't be simpler to make - get a long rectangular piece of fabric (mine was in an awkward shape so I had to join together 2 smaller rectangles), hem it and join it along one of the shorter sides. Make it just so your head can fit through and it should keep you nice and warm without having trailing edges of scarves dangling. Next step is to find the cheapest source of fleece and line the thing with it. Looks like I'll be making another one of these for me as DH has just asked for mine!

KB xx

bramble1

I got 2 fleecy throws from Tescos for £1.25 each on the weekend, and am watching some new bootie slippers on ebay which are currently £1! (i still live in my £20 ones from accesorize, but don't feel the need to spend that much again this year, they've getting holes from being so worn!)

Baked beans are on offer in sainsbobs so got some extras to live in the spares cupboard.

Dressing gown is next on the list.

lushlifesaver

Afternoon all,
Long time since I looked at this thread but it has definitely kick started my thinking about sorting the house out earlier this year. Last year we left it until the start of the bad weather which couldn't have been worse - although I like plans and readiness whilst my parents are much more likely to just go with whatever is happening.
I realised a couple of night ago that I'm still sleeping with two duvets at night, neither are particularly high tog but not that long ago (well ok it was a few months ago!) I stopped putting them in the same duvet cover and now have them in two separate one and think I now swear by it. Much more effective and snuggly
I have a whole load of books, craft and general clutter over the WM which needs sorting so think I will get that done and reclaim a couple of my empty boxes or folding crates from the garage (Dad and I have been sorting through all the clutter out there finally, hoping to make space for a car as we will have two once I get mine this summer or for general training/work space) which I will fill with food and other supplies. The space is nicely cool so thing keep well in there.
Other things on the to do list include getting new socks as I only appear to have about 5 normal pairs, a riding/walking pair and a single pair of snow tubes left, checking my gloves over as my winter accessories have been living in a suitcase, washing my scarves, and checking my snow boots over.
Now that uni is over (until September at least) and I haven't got a job yet and my 3month trip to America has been cancelled I think this might be how I occupy myself inbetween job applications etc!

Sorry for the massive post!

annie123

HoneyBee83 wrote: »

My Dad seems to think are under the tiles, theres a ledge bit that goes around the edge from the shower and thats where he thinks they are and that bit is against the outside wall.

Outside wall exposure is the problem. I found that my mum had the same thing earlier this year in her kitchen, pipes frozen solid.
Hubby put all her plant pots in a row infront of the wall and stuffed bin bags/carrier bags anything we could find in the gaps between the wall and pots.
Took 2 days then they thawed.

I'm sure you can think of a more attractive outside solution to your wall;)

Hubby has built a wood store out of pallets and put logs in it in the hope that it will be enough insulation to stop it happening again, just in case snow and cold descends on the south east again this winter.

The last thing you want when its cold is burst pipes in you bathroom, soggy cold feet and a landlord that will get around to sorting it...........eventually!

Eenymeeny

Nice to see everyone posting on here again... that was the shortest summer on record wasn't it?:eek:
I'm fed up with this rotten weather too but at least it's reminding us what it's like to be cold and keeping up the preperations!
Like a previous poster I'm beginning to think that it's hardly worth preparing for summer as we get so little of it. I find that tee shirts are most versatile, worn on those brief, warmish days and covered with fleeces and thick jumpers on all of the other days.
A little note of caution about storing food stores in the garage, be careful what you pack them in. We discovered that mice had been very cozy in a roll of loft insulation in ours last winter. We are still discovering loads of 'nibbled items' like plastic, paper etc. they seem to chew through most things eventually.:)

Wee_Pilsbury

Evening all

My prep so far has been to mend a lovely quilted throw a friend was planning to throw out. She bought it from John Lewis a few years back and it's gorgeous, soft, silky and really warm. It had one or two tears and loose threads thanks to her cat's claws - (my friend doesn't have cat's claws but her cat does - just read that again :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: ).

She was happy to give me it and it took me about 2 hours to snip and tie off all loose threads and then to sew up the gaps. Then into the wash, out and dried on the line - it looks almost like new . I'll have that as an extra bit of warmth in bed in the chilly autumn nights and it will be lovely to snuggle under it on cold winter nights when watching telly :T.

Newsflash - according to the Met Office, the whole country will be scorching from around 3rd June, probably to the end of the month. Checked BBC weather and sure enough, they even forecast 24 degrees for the West of Scotland on Friday :T - here comes summer at last ! :cool: - perhaps!

princess_skint_a_lot_2

hi all

i dont know what its been like for you all this last week, ut we have had a trial run for winter storm here in my little corner of scotland. Last monday we had hurricane winds that reached up to 108mph in some places but we were told here it was more like 80-90mph. The electric was off for over 24 hours and i only got my phone on this afternoon. We were unable to get out as trees were down all along our lane, so we had time to sit and think about how to prepare for winter.I also relised i have to keep a stock of candles in as we were without electric in the blizzards we had over the winter, and now this. So am going to start stocking up on winter essentials now, so it doesnt hit my pocket hard. What would you say is your mst essential winter supply, as i dont know where to start. Hope you are all ok.

love princess

Cheapskate

I've read through a chunk of the thread, older and newer posts, and am motivated to start already, even though it's only 1 June! (I'm also starting my Chr*****s lists this week, shh...!):eek::D

I've got a spare plastic storage box which I'm going to fill with matches, candles and a few holders and a couple of torches this week. We had a few power cuts last winter, very short-lived ones, but as cuts are rare here I've got my pessimist head on and am going to be prepared anyway!

We're doing a massive de-clutter this week and next, so will have more space to store non-perishables in plastic boxes - garage, wardrobes etc. There are tons of outgrown and holey socks that I'm going to use to stuff a draught excluder for one external door. One door tends to let the rain in underneath when it's windy, so that draught excluder's going to be made of an old bath towel, stuffed with old socks, so it can be washed and tumble dried and doesn't get all manky.

Also need to make or buy a blind or curtain for my bathroom window - it's always freezing in there and we need something to stop the draughts - not pleasant when you get out of a nice warm bath to be met by a howling gale! :eek:

After all this cold-weather talk it's nice and sunny now! :j

A xo