Preparing for winter II

delicious_2

My house is always cold. I've done some winter proofing but there's still so much to do. I won't obsess though.

My main concern is store cupboard stocking up. Really need to get that underway.

delicious_2

mardatha wrote: »

Please, to all the young mums in here, please dont overdo things re not using the heating. If its wet or foggy you need heating - one room is fine, one room is enough. But if your kids come home to a cold unheated house after being out in damp weather then they WILL get chesty and ill. Heat the living room only - thats fine. And maybe even just until they have a nice hot bath, then they can snuggle up with jammies/fleeces etc.

I agree with you. I think on threads such as these it's really easy to get crried away with the frugalness of it all. I do! My down stairs is heated as we speak. The bathroom rad will go on 30 mins before bathtime. Nothing roasting but takes the chill out of the air. We have fleeces on the shelf for everyone to get if they're chilly but there will always be background heat too. Really have to look after our little ones hey. Timer is on for a morning where it just heats the living room and bathroom. We all run down stairs and get ready down there.

There's money saving and being clever with it too x

Confuzzled

Justamum wrote: »

At my childrens' school they do have lockers. The sad thing is that even on the first day they refuse to take coats because they might get ridiculed I]shrugs shoulders in confusion[/I. In my day at that school we wore coats (I left there in 1980!)

i graduated in 1989 and we still wore coats then too! in fact, i remember saving up for months in hopes that this one particular heavy denim jacket with leather printed shoulders (kinda bomber style) would still be available when i had enough money... it was, in fact it was heavily discounted and not only did i grab a bargain but everyone thought i was soooo cool BECAUSE of the jacket i wore

Confuzzled

jackieglasgow wrote: »

I also will have blinds up in the kitchen this winter. I actually prefer the windows undressed as the kitchen isn't overlooked and its north facing so I want as much light as possible in, but the blinds will add somw warmth,

i agree, i don't care for kitchen curtains (and in some places they can be a fire hazzard, depends on how close your window is to your cooker!) in my flat it's a huge window with a thick roller blind. this summer i left it up all the time but last winter i rolled it down around 3:30-4pm each day as the sun was setting and it kept out a fair bit of coldness... mind you i'll have to pull everything forward that i have in the window sill to make sure it slots easily behind but it's well worth the slight inconvenience

Confuzzled

adelight wrote: »

I'M SO COLD!
It's 14C in my room, I'm wrapped in a duvet researching ways to keep warm this winter!
Going to buy some more thermals, a flannelette sheet and looking for a big thick snuggie! And a tea pot, hopefully I can get a cheap second hand one so I don't have to move to get a cuppa!

i tell you one thing i do particularly when my hands won't seem to warm up (if my hands or feet or cold the rest of me is cold, full stop!)

i'll warm up my wheat bag and then make a very large cup of coffee or tea. i either place the wheat bag on my lap or maybe even sit on it (the lap is easier and usually more comfortable) then i wrap myself up in a blanket and cradle that cuppa in my hands and near my chest as if my life depended on it!

it's a rare day when that fails to warm me, and as much as i don't like feeling that cold i do rather enjoy the thawing out feeling!

you would of course need to be well dressed to start with and def have something on your feet but you may find that really helps. a hot water bottle can replace the wheat bag and if you don't have either of those sometimes cradling the large hot cuppa against you is all it takes

adelight

Confuzzled wrote: »

i tell you one thing i do particularly when my hands won't seem to warm up (if my hands or feet or cold the rest of me is cold, full stop!)

i'll warm up my wheat bag and then make a very large cup of coffee or tea. i either place the wheat bag on my lap or maybe even sit on it (the lap is easier and usually more comfortable) then i wrap myself up in a blanket and cradle that cuppa in my hands and near my chest as if my life depended on it!

it's a rare day when that fails to warm me, and as much as i don't like feeling that cold i do rather enjoy the thawing out feeling!

you would of course need to be well dressed to start with and def have something on your feet but you may find that really helps. a hot water bottle can replace the wheat bag and if you don't have either of those sometimes cradling the large hot cuppa against you is all it takes

what's a wheat bag?
I've got leggings, top, a big jumper, uggs and a scarf on, but I still feel cold and stiff under my clothes. I've had permanent goose bumps all weekend :mad:

diddly74

Confuzzled wrote: »

i wrap myself up in a blanket and cradle that cuppa in my hands and near my chest as if my life depended on it!

Thats exactly what I used to do when I was small. Every Saturday we would go and visit my uncle, he would cook tea for us and the 3 adults would sit for hours chatting and watching tv, while I fell asleep on the sofa snug under a blanket.

Because it was very late when we got home (it may have not actually been that late but was the middle of the night to my wee self) and I had already been asleep on the sofa Mom used to make me a cup of warm milk with a spoonful of sugar init to warm me up and send back to the land of nod.

I used to sit up in bed drinking it, then I used to put the warm cup between my feet (lolling just thinking about it). I would snuggle down then and happily snore till morning.

Oh to be back in that yellow bedroom all snug and secure. Memories like this make you miss ur Mom and Dad. I miss u guys xxx:A

NualaBuala

Aw Diddly, that's lovely!

delicious_2

diddly74 wrote: »

Thats exactly what I used to do when I was small. Every Saturday we would go and visit my uncle, he would cook tea for us and the 3 adults would sit for hours chatting and watching tv, while I fell asleep on the sofa snug under a blanket.

Because it was very late when we got home (it may have not actually been that late but was the middle of the night to my wee self) and I had already been asleep on the sofa Mom used to make me a cup of warm milk with a spoonful of sugar init to warm me up and send back to the land of nod.

I used to sit up in bed drinking it, then I used to put the warm cup between my feet (lolling just thinking about it). I would snuggle down then and happily snore till morning.

Oh to be back in that yellow bedroom all snug and secure. Memories like this make you miss ur Mom and Dad. I miss u guys xxx:A

That's the exact knd of memories I would like my children to have of their childhood with us. Their snuggly beds with their pj's, slippers and dressing gown. Running down stairs huddling in the living room all warm eating our breakfast, wrapping up warm on our long walk to school, hot choc or horlicks before bed, snuggle up with hotwater bottle while mam or dad reads a story, sitting alltogether watching and talking about the TV under balnkets galore.. lets face it, should we have money to burn with the heating on 21 degrees constant there would be non of that - that's childhood!

esmf73

Have read all these hints and tips (took me all morning!!) and have made a list of all the things that I'd like to do to help keep us warm this winter.

Was going to hit the charity shops after I'd done the school run, but thought I'd come home and check the cupboards first. Just as well I did - we all have a duvet to sleep under, a spare for use as an eiderdown, a blanket (or two for the children) and a quilted throw (relatively thin) to throw over the top of it all to hide all the different colours during the daytime! Found a huge box of candles, so will be making a power cut drawer / box and getting some thicker linings to put in the curtains.

I also got out all the blanket throws for the sofas. Have phoned the chimney sweep to get him to come out (gas fire, but had birds in the chimney over the summer!). Need to store some extra dog food. Also want to put a door curtain over the archway into the dining room. We don't use it very often as the children have their dinner in the kitchen.

Hoping I can make a start on it tomorrow and when I've been able to hit £stretcher!!