Preparing for winter II

Justamum

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

I might give that a try as I hate not being able to open the windows - mine have between 4 and 8 separate panes so may work!:D

My parents rented a house once where none of the double glazing opened, so if you wanted to breathe fresh air you had to go outside! It was horrible.

Mind you the owners must have been a bit odd because there was no draining board at the kitchen sink either. I presume they'd done the house up themselves on the cheap. One of the kitchen cupboards fell off the wall and just missed my mum :eek:, so definitely a DIY job!

Thriftkitten

I went out to the second hand vintage place yesterday and found an old fashioned bed/hotwater bottles
We have 4 old pot hot water bottles, used to be OH grandparents, many a time we have used them, our children find it funny when they see them in museums

Mine sits proudly just underneath the bed, longing to be used, I also have a thing about Chamber pots, although I won't use mine, the kids will very excitedly squeeze a tinkle out rather than walk the 5 steps to the bathroom!!! I'm a lover of anything vintage(does it show!)
I remember when I purchased a very vintage circular dial telephonefrom the auctions, gold and green marble with the receiver that sits on it's own goldey cradle and has these big bulbous ear and mouth parts, the kids thought it was really hysterical and couldnt figure out how to dial a number, they kept sticking their finger in and trying to press the number instead of keeping finger in a hole and turning hahahah!!! times change quick don't they.

Toonie

Confuzzled wrote: »

actually though, if you can find a job maybe newcastle wouldn't be such an idea after all, it's more of a safe bet as you wouldn't be totally alone up there so you'd have someone you could fall back on for support if you needed it, kinda take the worst part of the risk away from a big move...unless of course they aren't your favourite part of the family, then maybe not

No, I like that part of the family. I guess I shall just see how things go and see what I can find in the next few weeks. This week it will be a bit odd as we're both telling our parents, so a little strange.

Winter wise, my Mum is giving me her old slow cooker (it's huge) so that'll come in useful. She's also sorting through some bedding and is giving me a few bits (my parents are retiring and moving somewhere smaller, so getting rid of lots of stuff).

annie123

Not had a chance to catch up yet but if anyone needs a twin draft excluder, the type that go under the door either side, I have today received one of these:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380348856443#ht_732wt_924

It's made from brown nylon type fabric so not the nicest stuff but it will wash and dry quickly, inside is a solid tube of foam insulation, 2 lengths to each side. It's adjustable using the velcro fastening and for £1.99 delivered I couldn't make it any cheaper.

It says it can be used under sash windows as well as doors and it does indeed fit them, but not long enough to do my sons so no good if your window is wider than a standard door.

off to catch up on several pages!

skintbint_2

just back from mr t's now the proud owner of 18 loo roll! also got
2 x 12 butcher choice sausages
3 x wholemeal pasta
1 x pork and lemon posh sausages
1 x sausage meat
3x loafs of bread
2 x casserole steak
1 x kitchen spray cleaner
1 x pckt yellow split peas (no lentils in my store)

all for the grand total of £7.65, could have had 3 packet of sausages but a lady asked if the steak would be okay and i told her to cook tomorrow or freeze tonight then i found the sausages in a different part of the store and when i bumped into her further round gave her a pack - share and share alike!!! so they will all go in the bottom of the freezer for winter (think i'll go shopping at this time every night!)

annie123

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Anyone needing a cheapish extra airer for drying clothes - L*dl have some starting next Monday (12th)

http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/index_24020.htm
£8.99 and looks like the clothes all have room to dry properly IYKWIM.

Might give this a try - I have quite a big one similar to this http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8500447/Trail/searchtext%3EMINKY+AIRER.htm but find the clothes overlap/take ages to dry if I use every rail

I have one of these from argos
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8500492/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CKitchen+and+laundry%7C14418476/c_2/2%7C14418476%7CLaundry+and+cleaning%7C14418551/c_3/3%7Ccat_14418551%7CIndoor+airers%7C14418554.htm

and it's great, I really can get 2 loads on when both sides are open, and it folds tall and thin when not needed, but I don't remember when that last was!
Smalls and socks on the bottom shelves, t shirts and tops next one and larger ones on top, the sides can also take a couple of shirts on hangers;)

[Deleted User]

annie123 wrote: »

Not had a chance to catch up yet but if anyone needs a twin draft excluder, the type that go under the door either side, I have today received one of these:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380348856443#ht_732wt_924

It's made from brown nylon type fabric so not the nicest stuff but it will wash and dry quickly, inside is a solid tube of foam insulation, 2 lengths to each side. It's adjustable using the velcro fastening and for £1.99 delivered I couldn't make it any cheaper.

It says it can be used under sash windows as well as doors and it does indeed fit them, but not long enough to do my sons so no good if your window is wider than a standard door.

off to catch up on several pages!

Just ordered some of these for my doors, many thanks! Also remember to go via a cashback site! Also got some window insulation film on order from ebay. Tomorrow I will be hitting the charity shops on a heavy curtain mission. I am determined to keep my home as warm as possible this winter, we only have a gasfire and 2 electric heaters in the house for warmth so this thread really is a massive help!

KazLA

skintbint wrote: »

try rosehip syrup to boost your vitamin c and you can give the wee one it as a juice to help boost his immune system

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2006/oct/21/recipes.dessert

and/or a spoonful of malt and cod liver oil - the old fashioned ones are the best!!!!

Oooh, I like it!! And Hughes Fearn.... too! Love River Cottage. AND checking on Google, I do believe the bush in my front garden that is currently covered in red berries is rosehip!! :j:j:j

I shall be picking tomorrow Like the sound of the malt and cod liver oil too - does it really help?

What vitamins are people feeding their children to ward off the back to school bugs (I guess I can just give them my rosehip juice :T Doesn't take much to please me!)


On another subject, I have a huge conservatory, which is also our dining room - it has electric underfloor heating, but cost so much the first winter, that we've only used it over Christmas since Last year we fitted a huge radiator, and hoped it would heat when we had the main heating on, without costing much more, but found we needed to heat that a lot more than the rest of the house - e.g. at tea time, the conservatory was cold, but the rest of the house was warm enough, so it would have meant putting the boiler on for that one radiator.

Trying to find alternatives for this year, esp as we are now a family of four and trying to cram around the table in the kitchen which we normally end up doing, is going to be harder.

I am very impressed with the door curtain that I have fashioned together using my wilko curtain and fleeces - it feels like such a heavy curtain now! Anyway, thinking something like that may help around the conservatory, but I would need soooo much, it would work out far too expensive and then there's the putting them up somehow....SO, I was thinking the idea mentioned of fleece and space blankets on net curtain rails, that might work?? What do you all think - will it help? Or will I still be loosing too much heat through the roof?

If this is an option, could someone please let me know the size of those cheap Asda fleeces, so I can compare the cost to the wilko ones.

Sorry for the long post

annie123

skintbint wrote: »

and/or a spoonful of malt and cod liver oil - the old fashioned ones are the best!!!!

I love that stuff, I buy big jars in boots when its on 342, and have to ration myself to 1 big spoon a day sometimes. Had it since I was a toddler back in the 60's.
These days I know if I haven't taken enough as my knee joint starts hurting, take it 2 days running and the pains gone again.:)

KazLA

drinkupretty wrote: »

Just ordered some of these for my doors, many thanks!

Me too Must stop spending, but hopefully help make a cosy house for the winter, thanks for the link though, had been considering making one.