Preparing for winter II

candie_gill

i have three hot water bottles, think i will get 3 more, the £1shop do them cheap enough so if i get 3 more, then we can warm all our beds with them. May even warm the dogs bed too as the poor little mites are only tiny!

oldtractor

I put one wrapped in a towel in a cardboard box for my cat.

LittleBrownFrog

I'm just finishing a winter cardigan for myself. All my recent crafting has gone elsewhere, so I've been very decadent and bought wool for a jumper AND a cardigan for myself, so I shall be nicely sorted for the winter. There will be leftover yarn from both, so I'm hoping to do some nice thick stripy socks for myself as well.

We're moving shortly (well, as soon as all the boring survey-solicitor-contract stuff is sorted *yawn*) so it's hard to predict what the winter will be like. We'll be on flo-gas (my first experience with this ... no idea how it works out cost-wise) heating - happily there is an open fire there (although I'll be a little sad to leave the wood-burner behind) so we need to make chimney-checking and sweeping a priority so that we know we're set for the winter. There's at least a trailer-load of kindling still here from when we had the roof replaced two years ago, so we're definitely taking that with us (100+ year old roof timber makes the best kindling ever!).

bramble1

My dog ate my hot water bottle I could do with one right now!! Need to add a couple to this years list. - best place to buy them?

candie_gill

Awww never, the little monkey! Poundshop is the best place to get them cheap, £1 for the bottle and a £1 for the cover. Or if you opt for a small bottle a £1 for both.

For those collecting wood, my local park chopped down old trees and had some huge logs to be disposed of. Now i dont have an open fire or log burner so no use to me, but im sure someone could dry them out over the summer ready for the winter. This was in a Hull park, but many parks get rid- i also see wooden crates dumped for disposal on a daily basis behind shops etc. Broken down and kept in a dry place these are surely useful for fire wood?

bramble1

I've been using him as a replacement, but it's not the same! Will check out the pound shop thanks

Butterfly_Brain

We have ceiling fans that can be put on reverse in the winter and they force the warm air back down into the room this helps keep the heat circulating better ( basic physics warm air rises cold air sinks)

[Deleted User]

oldtractor wrote: »

I think hot water bottles are the way forward. Hot water heated on the wood burner, hot water bottles filled with this water, put 2 or more in each bed, one or more on each chair with a blanket or duvet, wear a hat and thick socks , gloves and a bodywarmer.

Great Britain 2011

Butterfly_Brain

How to make your own olive oil lamps - honestly it seems that we are getting nearer to the dark ages day by day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHnarA9ks7U

Chillout5892

Hi you guys. You're due a very long overdue Thank You from me.

Thank You.

I was posting on this site up to last October and then my health took another dive. I've developed rheumatoid arthritis on top of everything else. But thanks to this site, on the days I could get up a ladder, I took the advice I'd seen on this site and....

1. Lined all my 10' curtains with fleeces from Ikea.
2. Made a curtain lined with fleece for the front door.
3. Put draft proofing around all my sash windows and across the top. Not easy as they are 10' high.
4. Put reflector sheets behind all the radiators.
5. Bought fleece slipper boots.
6. Bought a huge warm velvety dressing gown (I can't believe how warm this is, my mum always
swore on the insulating factors of silk. Fool!)
7. Bought snow grabbers for winter boots and shoes.
8. Bought secondary glazing film for all the windows. (managed to find a way to put on the top sash
windows too.

Not only was this flat as warm as toast throughout all of last winter, noticeably so in December when it was freezing in Bristol. But I slashed my heating bills. It looks as if it's going to be by about 10% or more over the year.

I can't thank you guys enough.

This year the only thing I'm thinking of doing is buy a small paraffin heater to top up the c/h in the bedroom. This is because it's not warm enough in the day to use it as craft room. I do have a small camping heater that you put aerosols of gas in. It's effective, and I can now get the cans for about £1 each, but it seems such an extravagant way to provide occasional heating. Each can lasts about an evening, so there would be loads of cans to throw away. Can't help think it's not that environmentally friendly.

I'd appreciate some feedback on this idea. Its the Dietz one for £42 + £4.95 p&p on here.
http://www.hurricanelamps.co.uk/paraffin_heaters.htm

This weekend I'll start to play with my new toy. A KNITTING MACHINE!!!!! So I'll have more warm garments this year too. (I'll be able to afford cashmere with the money I've saved from Eon, if it isn't eaten up with their increases.)

Meanwhile, Thank you. You've kept me very warm and slashed my bills. Who can ask for more.