Preparing for winter II

mineallmine

Just found link for that blanket (ignore the dollars currency!) http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80155390 - now that looks interesting!

Jo.G

Thats the one Mineallmine

NualaBuala

mineallmine wrote: »

HI all,

It's getting colder here!

Shame to see the thread lost track for a little bit - I've lived in a number of places including the valleys of wales to the urban areas - and wherever you are there are things outside of your control. If the council don't grit and the lorries don't deliver food we'll all in the same snowy icy situation. So let's continue to help one another to make sure we're not one of the panic buying group (and while we're at it perhaps mention what we're doing to our friends and neighbours - so a bit of Dunkirk spirit - perhaps make a sausage dog draft excluder thing for them?).

So on my list of things to do....quite a lot! I really need to defrost the freezer to make it less artic ice and more space.
I like the idea of a car bag - you know a blanket, shovel, food/sweets etc. I already have a high visiblity jacket.

On another thread a poster has a winter bag - a bag full of things like puzzle books, warm socks, hot water bottles, anything and everything to make it cosey for winter. Good idea to have that all to hand. :A

Very well said and a lovely idea! :T:T:T
While we're making our own preparations, perhaps keep in mind any elderly neighbours. Mine are all quite independent but I was able to lend a hand in the snowy spell we had last winter. I don't want to patronise them but I will mention my own preparations and some of the tips I've read here like having enough prescription meds (plus the usual paracetamol etc).

For any of you with an open fire, you might like to save any foil containers, the kind you get in takeaways or some ready meals, pies etc (or perhaps ask others to save theirs if you are a commited OSer and never buy anything like that). They worked really well for me last winter to cook baked potatoes on my open fire. Just wrap the spuds in foil, then place on the foil containers on the edge of the fire. Great for powercuts and general cosiness! Credit for the idea belongs to Frugaldom. I also have a toasting fork but you can use a wire coathanger if you don't have one.

csarina

Our new stove has now been correctly seasoned so, as it was very chilly last night, I lit it. Starting it off I used two smallish logs, once it got going and the fan started burling pushing the heat out into the hall and bathroom I made the stove up with 4 pieces of coal and two more pieces of wood. That was it, by 10pm we were ready for bed, the fan had stopped but the case of the stove was still giving out a reasonable amount of heat........

So far we are very pleased with it. Looking forward to a cosy, sunggly winter especially if its as bad as it was last year.

My winter preparations are going ok, I need to buy more bread flour a bag of wholemeal makes 3 loaves with some white bread flour added.......I need enough in to cope for 2 weeks, just in case, although I could make soda bread with ordiinary flour.

Two bags of porridge oats, so ok for brekkie I have tinned meat and fish against the power going off and not wanting to open the freezer until I have to. Plenty of dried pasta and tinned tomato's etc....

We have always carried an emergency bag in the car, I need to put a large bar of chocolate and a packet of biscuits in. We never go out in the car during the winter without a couple of flasks containing hot water and a tin with tea bags, cuppa soup and coffee in......we also have the insulated mugs we use in the car; they keep a drink warm for quite a while.

Fruball

Beautiful sunny day here! Chilly but a nice autumnal day

I bought a large bottle of water yesterday, to keep in the car for winter along with our other bits and bobs. The new wind up torch arrived so that will go in the car box too and I think I will keep everything in the footwell on the passenger side as not many people go in my car in the front and it will make it easy to access IF we should need it

I have a car heated blanket which plugs into the cigarette lighter somewhere, must find that

maryb

Margaret54 wrote: »

Hi Minxy Bella Just noticed your post there about thermals. I was in Primark yesterday and there were lots of thermal wear for women this year. Vests leggings and pants all thermal. I bought several thermal vests and vests for my dh last year from another firm online and they were not too dear can't remember the name of the company sorry but they are fab and keep you so toasty. My dh is up very early in the mornings for work and last winter he was so warm he said wearing the thermal vests under his uniform, which made all the difference to him. I will be getting mine out again when the weather gets colder. They washed very well too. If i can remember the name I will post it. Margaret

Thanks so much for this. I got a couple of sets. £6 for a long sleeved top and £6 for leggings isn't bad at all. The bottoms were in black or grey and the tops were in grey or black and grey striped. Much better than hearing aid beige - although beige is good for wearing under things where a dark colur would show through, you do get sick of it

sexki11en

Soubrette wrote: »

You're not squatting on Snowden are you:eek:

;)

No, he's not - I climbed it 2 weeks ago and didn't bump into him :rotfl:

SK x

kinkyjinks

Margaret54 wrote: »

I was in Primark yesterday and there were lots of thermal wear for women this year. Vests leggings and pants all thermal.

Can you remember how much these were please? I know they'll be value from Primark but I have to travel quite far to get there so would like to know I have enough for a few bits and pieces while I'm there.

ETA Ignore me MaryB already posted the price up there ^^^ lol.

Minxy_Bella

I'm definitely going to need those thermals as I've just got a job as a lunchtime supervisor in a primary school - I'm going to freeze outside otherwise! :eek:

My STW (Stuff the Winter) campaign continues to grow - I've got two bottles of Value water to stick in my freezer in case of power cuts now, some dried milk and I got a load of bread mixes from Approved Foods so we won't be going hungry.

Oh and 3kgs of pasta are currently £2 in Tesco, for those who have missed it, so I've stocked up on that too!

I might not be able to get out of the door if we're snowed in for a while :rotfl:

fayhare

bluebag wrote: »

Last year in all that awful ice I barely went out as I was too scared of falling. I popped out one night in my cheapie crocs just to empty the bin, I didn't bother changing out of them as I had the fence to hang on to.
I was amazed at how well they 'gripped' the ice. I was all ready to have a go at actually walking in them (fortified with the OH's wooly sox as insulation) but the ice melted before I could do a proper test run.

I have a pair of rip off crocs wellies and they did really well in the snow/ice last winter. But please check the soles as my normal crocs have very worn treads and I go flying even if its a little bit wet.