Preparing for winter II

Gigervamp

:wave:

Hi Karen, nice to meet you. I'm in the Bridgend area.

rising_from_the_ashes

Hello everyone, another lurker here, hope you don't mind me joining in!:)

Stumbled across this a couple of weeks ago and have been having a read through (still loads to go!) - I will be organised for this winter! (also having an op in the middle of Sept so won't be able to drive for around 2 months so stocking up for that too).

So far:

• Snow shovel ordered & just arrived
• Big tub of road salt at side of house for when drive gets icey (up hill to road)
• Curtain rail and curtain (thick and lined) put up at front door
• 3 weeks of cat litter stocked in the garage (ran out last winter and couldn't get car to shops, a total nightmare!)
• All other curtains now lined and long enough to tuck behind radiators to stop the heat escaping
• Draft excluder made for front door (it's huge!)
• Cat food stocked up (wet & dry - 5 months)
• Loo rolls stocked up (again, one put in garage in case of emergency snow in again)
• Painted outside windowsills (can do these from inside)
• Cleared "junk" out of garage, moved old chest of drawers which fit under work bench and have put stuff from storage boxes into them - should manage to get the car in when finished:D
• Winter coats washed, dried and put in one storage bag (so I can find them)
• Defrosted outside freezer & turned on - ready for fruit picking, stocking up when stuff on offer

To do:

• Paint outside window frames (scared of heights so have been putting it off - if it ever stops raining, I will do it)
• Get some more mince/chicken when on offer
• Stock up on groceries etc
• Check window frames and put sealer on where necessary
• Wash scarves, gloves etc
• Get new wellies - both my pairs are leaking (unfortunately same foot)
• Try to get a couple more warm jumpers
• Finish clearing out garage
• Gutters to be cleaned (window cleaner to do on next visit)
• Finish reading "preparing for winter lists" and make sure I've not missed anything!

moments_of_sanity wrote: »

Also, we have a bedroom extension and whilst it's built to the proper standards because it has 3 external walls it gets really really cold (down to about 14 degrees) and last year we were using an electric blanket and an electric heater, the heater we have now discovered using far too much energy so won't be using that again this year (especially for the 2 hours a day we were using it last year!), have you any suggestions on warm bedding etc that might help? We normally just have a 13 tog duvet and sleep in our Birthday suits!

moments I've got a thermometer on my alarm clock, in my old house, when I reached out to turn it off, it regularly said 5 deg:eek:. Ohhhh, shivering just thinking about it!

I used to have a 13.5 tog duvet on top of the mattress and another on top. I also have a fantastic wool blanket (very soft like a babies one) which I put next to me. (It's falling to pieces as had it for around 30 years but just can't find another like it - I've even had to stitch it up the middle as it was getting very holey!).

Also, nice warm pyjamas and socks are a must!

A few (if you and OH) of hot water bottles put into the bed 1/2 hour or so before you go, will take any chill off it.


I've picked the wrong week to have off work (torrential rain for 5 out of 6 days now:() so not getting as much done as I'd like. Really cold here too, had to put fire on in lounge for 1/2 an hour yesterday (:eek: it's August) as was only 12 deg in there:(. Was walking around with a scarf round my neck but get in eventually.


I've patio doors in there - gets really hot on nice days and freezing on cold ones ... (the curtains are closed during the day if I'm out - dog - but not when I'm in as seems awful shutting the light out). Any tips with helping with the heat loss out of them?

Opps, long post:o off to do some more reading .......

mumoffour77

**LURKER ALERT**

Where is the best place to get a snow shovel??
Im in NI so am limited to shops IYKWIM x

nikki2804

Found half a bag of grit from last year :j.

LA is actually listening to me now over issues with the house thanks to my neighbour. Hopefully the front door will be sorted soon!

ifonlyitwaseasier

look on line for snow shovels, amazon has a really good selection

Confuzzled

YAY! my money from my savings account transferred to my current acct much faster than expected so i have just ordered my new chest freezer! i managed to find this one http://www.dixons.co.uk/gbuk/norfrost-c4aew-b-chest-freezer-white-00939201-pdt.html?srcid=36&xtor=AL-66 which i'm chuffed to bits with.. no postage charge either, chose to wait til the first free slot on tuesday (need to clean out a space for it anyway!)

now if only it would stop raining so i can get back to where all the wild fruit is growing so i can check on it's progress! next week i'll do a big shop in prep for some batch cooking. my daughter is chuffed to bits with the prospect of a few days a month spent cooking with me... i wonder how long til the novelty wears off

now i need to gather some batch cooking recipes so i can prepare my big shopping list... i'm so excited, who'd have thought a white good would make me this happy :rotfl:

pigpen

Winter prep list for Pigpen

I need to..

*make door curtains for front and back door
*Draft tape ALL the doors and the remaining 4 non-DG windows.. tape arrived!!!
*get blinds cut to size and put up in the kitchen
*Boots for DD3.. just found some size 4 in my stash.. saved some £s and DGS 8.5/9F
*make draught snakes for back, front and french doors... I have a pattern finally
*make linings for boys room curtains and put up their blind

Have already.

*wash and sorted everyones winter coats
* sorted shoes for everyone and boots for most.
*Washed windows
*put up back room curtains
*Get guttering replaced back and front
*Get quotes for DD2's bedroom window and back room bay window so I can save up for them to be replaced in the new year... these are now being replaced in TODAY AND TOMORROW!
*get new locks for front and back door and get the back door one in the french doors
*get curtains back up at the french doors.. they blew a hooley through there last winter!
*get girls room plastered..
*make sure everyone has hats, scarves, gloves & vests..

Adding a shopping list.

* curtains tracks for front and back doors
* Boots for DGS
* Plastic carpet protector for hallway.. it is getting grotty and was hideous last winter with leaves and mud etc.
* coal/logs .. in case of dead boilers we WILL have heat!
* snow shovel is a good idea.. might help OH with snowman building!
* stove kettle for power cuts.. which we get a LOT of!!

broodylass_2

Hi there! Great thread. I've spent ages reading through and still got loads of older pages to read yet! I've written out a list of things to do and buy...unfortunately my budget is suffering!

I've bought a flannelette sheets and pillow cases, snow shovel, emergency kit for car, windup torches, waterproof trousers for the kids. Stocked up on tins, pasta, etc. Curtain poles up over doors to outside, winter curtains and throws need washing (weather not helping prep!)

Debating whether to get a big rug for kitchen...any ideas where to get one cheaply? Ikea one is £80!

whiteguineapig

mumoffour77 wrote: »

**LURKER ALERT**

Where is the best place to get a snow shovel??
Im in NI so am limited to shops IYKWIM x

i got one on ebay

rising_from_the_ashes

mumoffour77 wrote: »

**LURKER ALERT**

Where is the best place to get a snow shovel??
Im in NI so am limited to shops IYKWIM x

Hi, I got this one from Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-GT30-Square-Mouth-Shovel/dp/B000LFU08Q/ref=tag_stp_s2_edpp_url

It's quite heavy but having the metal head will hopefully make it easier to cut through the ice that usually gets compacted once a couple of cars have gone up the drive (shared between 4 houses so can't always get it dug out before someone goes out/comes in)

broodylass wrote: »

Debating whether to get a big rug for kitchen...any ideas where to get one cheaply? Ikea one is £80!

Depends on how thick you want it?

I've got one of these in my kitchen http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80094047 (£15.99)

Have had it for at least 6 years (think I may even have had it in the house before the last one so could be older). Very easy to keep clean (hovers well) and can wipe spills off it easily.

If your kitchen's a lot bigger you could always have 2.