Preparing for winter II

SpikyHedgehog

Confuzzled wrote: »

wow that was fast! everyone must have raced to grab them at that price! sorry you didn't get one but the dunelm sets aren't that much dearer, you only get one but at least it's not an arm and a leg, i have seen them for much higher which is why i grabbed them from very when i saw them the other day keep up the search though, it's still early days for selling cold weather stuff in the shops so i suspect there are still bargains to be had on them yet

I had a look at the Dunelm sets, but their own brand only go up to king size, and the prices for the Waters and Noble superking sheet was a little high at £25 for 1 sheet...

You inspired me to have a good look around though - I know it's early days, but my hours at work go down in September and so do my wages, so I want to get a good start now (panic, panic, panic...!)

I found these http://www.factory2u.co.uk/prodtype.asp?PT_ID=201&strPageHistory=cat and have ordered a super king set for me, king size set for DS1's double bed (ummed and ahhed about that as he doesn't has the amazingly deep mattress I have, so we probably could have got a double sheet tucked in, but last time I bought flat sheets they seem to have shrunk from the sheets I remember as a child), and a single set for DS2, who has a shorty single bed.

I was tempted by their clearance curtains as I want to get curtains over the front door, but managed to resist the temptation! I need to look at car boot sales and charity shops & see what I can find. Have to go into work 3 days next week, but then will be off till September so I'll have the chance to see what's about.

suki1964

Rainy-Days wrote: »

Have you read the reviews on them? It is not all good. Complaints galore about shedding and pilling. Then after a few washes they have complaints about bobbling. They may be a decent price I'll give you that one but the quality is being reported as flimsy especially when it is supposed to be heavyweight.

The customer is always right on this one and there are way too many complaints on the flannelette sheets!

I got a set of the heavy weight flannel at least 4 years ago now in red, Fantastic price (TSV) 2 sheets, 4 cases and a duvet cover for £60 and its only now stopped shedding all over my nice cream carpet.

Now mine are heavy and extremely warm ( i dont heat the bedrooms) but the shedding everywhere was a nightmare

I have some of the 300 tc deep pocket bottom sheets and tbh they are rubbish. Pilled already and haven't worn at all like the sheets and covers I got from Debenhams 12 years ago and are still as good today as back then ( ok so each set was over £200 but got half price in the sales)

ExTrolly101

Hello all.

Making progress on winter preps. Ordered from Sports Direct, done massive weeding on block paved patio/garden(haven't done bedding plants this year so just cleared pots) OH cleared 2 drains in front of house. Checked flanelette sheets, need to invest in some for kids 2'6 bunks. Requested waterproof overtrousers for DS birthday from friend. DD got long johns thermal vests etc just need to get kids boots/wellies. Moving my food store this week(have very small kitchen) it's in back of garage and needs to be nearer front for accessability. Need to make inventory of this and freezer and then sort/defrost/reorder. All my friends think I'm bonkers but preparation is the key! Been looking for wee willie winkie candle holder on fleabay, so expensive. Got a fantastic one yesterday at carboot for 50p! Must check candle stock. Hopefully redecorating so looking at thermal lined cutains.
Happy prepping all!

Rainy-Days

ExTrolly101 wrote: »

All my friends think I'm bonkers but preparation is the key!

I suppose we are seen as a bit odd, but lets face it who wants to be clearing out drains, garages, guttering and gardens when the weather turns and the days are shorter. The thing is, it is this time of the year that there are some good bargains to be had. The general populous are still in 'summer mode' where as when the weather turns they are all going to be out about having to pay full price for pretty much the same stuff that they could have got in the summer. I am buying in extra tins of Heinz soup at the moment. It is still on offer in Tesco's for 4 for £3.00, but it will do as a standby when I am not making homemade soup and OH will have a sandwich as well as a bowl of soup for lunch anyway! I am also getting in extra tins of dog food and come October we shall get a couple of 15kg sacks of their dried food. Once the kids go back to school in September - which is only six or so weeks away - the stores will be getting in their Autumn/Winter supplies and making us pay for it at full price!

Last year I was almost on the verge of paying £9.00 for 70 denier tights, and the thought of paying that grieved me so much that I wore long boots throughout and then Wallis put them down to £4.00 in December sales and I bought the last couple of packs of them. This time in Next's sale (just gone) they had some 70 deniers in the sale (they did not put them in their winter sale though at all) and I bought some more there. The lady who I know in Next said to me this is the ideal time to stock up on this stuff. I also bought a new pair of black leather gloves as well. As you know (if you read my posts) all my coats are now washed and dried, my boots and shoes are polished and re-heeled. The suede boots and gloves have had protector spray done on them and dried naturally outside without the chemical smell nearly choaking us!

Our farmer said yesterday that he thinks we could be in for a harsh winter again as well and he thinks it could be coming in as early as the third or fourth week of October! So if that is the case then I want to be all done by then. As I have said, we live in a village and unless we have to go out, when the weather is bad, we don't do it. The last two years the roads were lethal, single tracks lanes. We have a Land Rover Discovery and even I was really jittery about driving it in those conditions and that has a special mode on it to drive in all terrain. Nope I am doing it all now. Then I haven't got to go out.

candie_gill

Asda are selling the big plastic jars of heinz baked beans on offer for £1 at the min. They have good dates on too so would be handy for anyones food store. I personally wont be making a food store, we always have plenty of food in and never struggled to get any previous winters so we should hopefully be ok.

I dont even know where to begin explaining what i have done prep wise, done so much compared to the usual i would do.

* Lined curtains in the living room (aswell as previous blinds)
* Thermal blind in DS room, hallway and kitchen
* Fleece lined bedroom curtain (also previous blinds fitted still)
* Nice new slippers each for winter
* Plenty of thermal socks for myself
* Wellys bought for DS ( i have a pair already sitll need a pair for OH)
* Autumn coat bought for me and DS (OH has one), Winter coat for DS (i tend to layer up under Autumn one)
* Each have a shoe box with new hats, scarfs and gloves in aswell as previous years added
* Washed hot water bottles and wheat cushion and stored away
* Stored away stock of fleece blankets and added a couple extra bought in asda sales
* Quilted mattress protectors on all mattresses for added warmth
* Flanalette sheet on DS bed
* Bought an electric blanket for our bed and stored away
* New weather bar and lining on front door
* checked for droughts
* Bought a stock of candles
* Bought a wind up torch
* Huge stock of medicine for winter ailments aswell as plenty of packs of tissues for those colds
* Bought DS a kids umbrella
* New large rug down on floor (not winter preps as done january but hoping it makes a big diff this year)
* New guttering on shed
* Couple of drought excluders purchased in sales for 50p each
* Bought DS a winter feather down duvet
* Made foil blanket packs for the car

Still need to mend a few holes in winterwear, put curtains up in DS room, buy wellys for OH (lived in mine through last years snow), make car box, buy DS some thermal long sleeve vests or plain white tops to go under his short sleeve ones, winter socks for DS, Some extra jeans for him and have central heating system checked

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

Just spent all weekend washing curtains and putting the thermal linings on!!! I'm worn out with it all and my arms ache but feel rather smug

I am going to wash my dustbins at some point as I have just had my nosey neighbour knock on the door asking where her bin is as 'this one is filthy' (meaning mine) I said thanks for pointing out my bin is dirty and she said 'well it is' and then proceeding to demand that we chop (or kill) a privet tree we have at the bottom of the garden which blows blossom onto her lawn!!! Off topic I know but really wanted to vent and no-one to moan at...

So, is bin cleaning officially a 'prepare for winter' job now?

I got a new runner from argos for the kitchen for winter but couldnt resist so when I mopped today I binned the old one and put my new lovely one down and it is warm underfoot and looks nice.

Been cleaning too in prep for winter (I mean deep cleaning) and carpets will get a wash sometime soon, maybe when hubby is off

Got some of the screenwash from lidl too while its £1.99, hubby says it is better than the de icer as it freezes at a lower temp.

Rainy-Days

Desperate Housewife, just either jet wash it out (if you have one) put some washing up liquid and a squirt of bleach in - using an ordinary outside brush (with long handle) give your bin a good scrub out and then hose out the bin to get rid of the chemicals and suds, leave it upside down to drain out and it is done. Our bin for the garden waste is minging but it is not near the house (further up the garden by the shed) and there is no ruddy point clenaing that out!

Gettingtherequickly

Confuzzled wrote: »

my ex used to wear docs all the time he said the way he found that worked best to stretch them out was to stand in them in water for around 15 min or so til they are soaked through (i suppose you could sit on the edge of the bath if you can't stand for that long) then let them dry on your feet. yes this does mean wearing heavy wet boots for hours but apparently they will mould nicely to your feet this way... i never tried it but he used to swear by it for docs and combats

:eek: May be worth a go though, need to get them broken in before the winter:(

Money_maker

Worth remembering that although some of us may be able to get out to buy groceries when the weather is bad, for many the period following Christmas can be quite tight financially with many having a very long month before payday if they were paid early for Christmas.

And there's only so much turkey you can stomach after Christmas...:eek:

Rainy-Days

Oi Oi the stores are getting their Christmas stock in and out for sale!!!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2018426/Selfridges-Harrods-prepare-open-Christmas-departments-JULY.html