Preparing for winter II

nikki2804

My main reason for stock piling is that I have a LO (2) and if it snows I do not want to have to go out in the car (I know accidents can happen at anytime but I have had a few close calls in the snow) and I certainly don't want to walk in icy conditions with him. Id rather stay in the house (all nice and toasty with my MSE modifications) and have some family time rather than spend time worrying about if I have enough food to last etc etc.

My little moggy is settling in well. She seems to have claimed the livingroom windowsill which is cute but shes a climber, not used to that as my other cat is a lazy sod lol.

Yankeedoodle order arrived with some lovely Christmas decorations, need to email them about a missing item though - sigh.

The heating had clicked on this morning (only realised when I rolled onto the radiator :rotfl:) Gave meter readings though and im in credit which is good. They put my DD up in July (using estimated gas readings at a December level - i cant read that one as i dont have a key) to £77pm for dual fuel. They then took a gas reading and I was in credit but they didn't lower it - argh! Oh well at least it shouldnt go up to much in the colder months. Also fixed my prices until 2013.

Was meant to have a gas inspecion last week but BG never appeared. LA is arranging another one so hopefully everything will get checked properly.

Rainy-Days

I went shopping this morning briefly put my head in Primarni. Bought two pairs of the cosy socks and the fleece tights (thanks for the heads up on that whoever recommended them).

Wilkinsons only had one pack of the dog chews in so I have had to reput that back on my list and Poundland had no dog loo bags!! Other than that a mediocre morning for me.

I am not justifying my stock up and preparations to anyone. I anybody wants to think I am nuts then thats fine I am just glad I am not a narcissistic, which is a whole different and dangerous ball game.

Confuzzled - I love Edinburgh especially Princes Street. I remember walking down towards Princes Street on Christmas Eve a few years back and the bagpipes were playing it's a lovely memory!

RedLass

jackyann wrote: »

Charity shops & freecycle are indeed good places for curtains. Also consider that a blanket can make a nice thick curtain if the right size (they often are). Look on market stalls for cheap fabric, or trawl the internet. I can't list all the fabric sites I have found, but these are worth a look: http://www.fabricland.co.uk

This looks good thank you. Our hallway is only door-width so I am hoping to use one of those extendable shower curtain poles that just pushes against the walls. I guess with something like that I could get some heavy fabric or a blanket and folder the top over and slip it on the pole? Bit of that sticky iron on stuff and a couple of stiches for good measure?

SuziQ wrote: »

Redlass,after reading on here, I made my own draught excluders from a pair of my son's outgrown pyjamas. Cut in half, turn inside out and put a line of pins up to straighten the shape. Measure the size it needs to be-you will need to check this as you stuff it as it can get shorter as it gets fatter. Sew the foot end closed-I used a sewing machine but it would be easy enough by hand (I was bought a lovely new Singer sewing machine last week-am so excited!) then sew the new side seam and turn inside out, I filled with old clothes of the kids' that were too worn for the charity shop. Measure against your door until it's right length-I then just folded over the end like a parcel and put a few slip stitches through to hold the flap. Unbelievably easy and no cost.

Thank you for the details, will make it nice and easy for me - in fact I am intending to replace my own pyjama bottoms this winter as they're years old now and somewhat frayed at the edges. I would never of thought to use them for draught excluders! What do you use to stuff them with?
Edit: I have just re-read this and noticed that you stuffed with the kiddies clothes, I must've been too excited or something the first time that I didn't take it all in

redlady_1 wrote: »

Whoever wanted to know about storage heaters, you need to put the input up to max at night and the boost down to minimum so that it is storing the heat over night and then when you get home the next evening open the boost to max and it will spill out all the lovely heat. You just need to remember to turn it down again before you go to bed.

Hope that helps.

A fellow red! I am determined to conquer those pesky heaters this year, thank you for the tip. I guess remembering to turn them down before bed is all about getting it into the routine, just like turning the lights off - no doubt it's second nature to others after doing it for years.

Today is surprisingly warm compared to the grey, windy weather we've had recently. But still in the mood for getting things done.

Ooo by the way, I made an order at Dunelm this morning for a faux fur blanket/throw. Not sure if anybody else has mentioned already but if you can handle the "sexy" print (actually I am slightly drawn to it tbh), they have some reduced from £30-something down to £17.50. Other colours seem to be standard price.
http://www.dunelm-mill.com/shop/pure-luxury-faux-fur-throw-114285
Could make great Xmas pressies or just keep it all to yourself for snuggling under :T

redlady_1

It does indeed Red! And when I was on electric only rather than gas and electric I saved a packet once I had learnt to work the flipping things properly. A word of advice though, the really old ones are not energy efficient but I believe you can just change the bricks. I loved my storage heaters but think I am in a minority. They just take planning. That said I wouldnt swap my solid fuel for all the tea in china now.

One of the dials is for the actual input of heat and the other is for the output. The idea being that the output is down during the night when input is max (to store the heat) and then when you need the heat in the evening you can then boost the output.

dawnie1972

LadyDee wrote: »

The stores are selling leg warmers again! Haven't seen these since I was a teenager. Time to get the knitting needles out I think!

Which stores are selling them please - i hate wearing anything on my feet but if my feet get cold i get really bad cramps that drive me to tears, i've bought some backless furry slippers so i could put the legwarmers on too without feeling too claustrophobic.

NualaBuala

Good luck Red Doe, have my fingers crossed for you!

kittie wrote: »

I`m now looking at ways of having a hot drink if the power goes off and have ordered a couple of good (but expensive) flasks that keep liquids hot for 24 hours. They should last us a lifetime. I`ve still got the ordinary ones that keep hot about 4 hours but I wanted something better, so I`ll just keep the new ones on the go and replace the water every 24 hours, using the old water for washing up

Kittie, they sound good - what brand/model are they?

I'm thinking of getting a snow shovel - what should I look for in one and can anyone recommend a particular make? The plastic ones look a bit flimsy. There seem to be lots on fleabay but will look locally first.

toottifrootti

Confuzzled wrote: »

i've also noticed LOADS of people from scotland here, makes for a nice change *waves to all the lovely scots*

:hello::hello::hello::hello: yes it is nice to see more of us x

rainydays we can get dog poo bags if we go into our council offices - or what about nappie bags - you get 2/300 in £land

jackyann thanks for the fabric link - unfortunately they add extra postage to my part of Scotland which really bugs me as its the same price from Royal mail wherever you are in scotland - its just the couriers that charge extra - excuse the rant:rotfl:

Red Doe like everyone here I have everything crossed for you - if you dont get anywhere you really should write to the MP - it is ridiculous of Higland Fuels to be acting like this.

Redlass how could you:rotfl: I had seen that purple throw at full price and wanted one and now................. oh dear will need to stay away from dunelm:rotfl:

well I am officially sad - I am grinning like a cheshire cat because I finally got a snow shovel:rotfl::rotfl: I looked all last winter and they were sold out and never came back in - but saw them today when i was out with my carer so I got it £10 so well chuffed that was a a great relief.:D

toots x

inspirespirit

just noticed these on that auction site. I bought one last year and love it. Paid a lot more than this for it too;


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WARM-CUDDLE-FLEECE-SNUG-BLANKET-SLEEVES-SNUGGLE-RUG-WRAP-AS-SEEN-TV-/180724671894?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Bedroom_Bedding_PP&var=&hash=item6fc4600638

Rose_Crow

Rainy-Days wrote: »

You are right they are either a townie or a troll!

I have not said this before but DH works for the emergency services. Every time the weather turns bad you hear the same mantra "unless your journey is absolutely necessary do not go out". What happens, people go out! They end up with their cars in ditches, pitching up at A&E with broken goodness knows what and every single time it is the blue light team (Police, Fire and Ambulance) along with the breakdown services who have to put their own lives at risk to go and deal with it. DH will take a tin of soup in with him to work on nearly every single shift. So 21 tins of soup (excluding when I make our own) is gone within the space of a little over three weeks! That does not even include me.

I walk our dogs twice a day, sort the horses out twice a day. Last year I was having to go and smash the ice in their water buckets four times a day. I honestly seriously wonder if people expect you to amble round in jeans and a T shirt in minus 12 conditions in which to do this! The temperature in towns and cities is completely different to in the rural countryside. It can mean a difference of a couple or three degrees and when that is a minus figure that is one hell of a difference.

Rising is right, some people are able to have their heating up sky high with mediteranean like conditions in the house. Thats alright when you are not the one worrying about paying the sky high gas and electricity bill at the end of it! Thats half the problem with this country allot have got into massive debt through reckless spending and 'a blow the future lets live for now' culture!

When this winter hits - and it will - then those have have put in the planning and preparation will come out of this in best form and hopefully with a nice - not been able to spend it - bank balance at the end!

Rainy Days - Couldn't have put it better myself. I may not live in the middle of no-where, but I do live on the outskirts of a town in rural Essex. Is it ok for me to fall over when I walk to the shops because I have to use an ungritted linear country park to get there. I live at the bottom on a hill on a no through road which is never gritted, getting the car out is usually a no-go in the snow. Am I not allowed to buy fleecy Craghoppers for when I see to the horses, and am expected to freeze. Does this person even live in the real world? Obviously leads a very mollycoddled townie existence methinks.

I don't even know why I'm replying to this, as it's exactly what trollie wants.

Rose_Crow

Purple_kitten wrote: »

I like the alert icon there, it's not a considerate introduction.

I'm a Kentish lass so we don't really get the weather too badly, but that said there are a lot of signs that this winter is going to hit in terms of snow, and I feel for people in places that are literally cut off. I have a friend in Aberdeenshire who was struggling for about 3 months last winter because of the snow.

*Waves to fellow Kentish person!* Kent born and bred here, though now residing in north Essex. You guys had some serious snow (by our standards) over the last 2 years, my parents, sister and horses all live down there :-) Shouldn't complain though, lurve a bit of snow!