Preparing for winter III

prepareathome

Can any of you wonderful people tell me who to winterise an outside tap that I cannot turn off - by that I mean I cannot turn off the water to it as will need it during the winter if its dry - having bare roots hedges delivered next month and been advised if its dry for more than a week I must water them and as over 100 no way can I do it with a watering can, also they will be in side garden a long walk round house and up a hill so they will be watered with the hose, so don't want tap freezing up.

Phew at long last caught up on this forum, so much information, think I had done most of what I need - thanks for the tip about the vents, we had new windows put in 18 months ago and those vents even when shut still let such a draught in, I am an open window person, if not to, to cold window gets opened for a bit so I reckon enough air comes in without the vents and no doors are ever shut in this house apart from front and back as main radiator in hall heats the house nicely without having to put room radiators on.

Thanks all

pollys

Just changed youngest son's bed and put a duvet under the mattress protector (bought a cheap one from Asda) and put the flannelette sheet and pillowcase from Tesco on. He has the small bedroom with 2 outside walls and it gets very cold so will see how he gets on.

Pollys x

mrs-moneypenny

doire
ive just been looking at a telescopic shower rod from argos, its £9.99 Extends from 105cm to 194cm, Diameter 5cm. it steel with white covering.
the only bad reviews it gets seem aimed at the install instructions rather thn the pole itself i read someone claimed it was so strong they felt you could do pull ups on it. i wouldnt be trying that but after reading on here about the suggestion of a door curtian to keep heat in the hall ill be getting one to put a tab top curtain on that ive got spare. hth

prepareathome
last year i slit a jiffy bag (one of the bubble wrap lined ones) id wrapped bubblewrap around the tap and held it in place with elastic bands the i hooked the jiffybag over the top and held that on with more bands, DH uses the tap wekly when washing the car so it was a bit fiddly removeing and replacng the bubblewrap and jiffy eac time but hte tap never froze once. i know you can get proper little tie on coers from catalouges like bettawear etc but havent had experience of using one of those. hth
brilliant ideas on this thread im so glad i found it and thank everyone for sharing there advice

chirpychick

Hey guys, we got so much achieved today I am very very proud of us!
I am chilled to the bone now though after spending so much time outside I will definitely need a nice hot shower before bed.
My list now looks like this

Winter Prep 2011.
House & Garden:
[STRIKE]• Wash Flannelette bedding[/STRIKE]
• Change bedding to Flannelette - Sunday
• Wash Summer bedding - Sunday
• Put Summer bedding into storage - Sunday
• Drain and lag outside tap - ?
• Put electric blanket on ebay - ?
• Lag pipes inside house – 29th October
• Finish foil radiators – 29th October
• Set thermostat - Monday
• Bleed radiators – The day the heating goes on 1st November?
[STRIKE]• Put coats, hats, gloves, umbrella’s, waterproofs and wellies accessible[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]• Insulate Guinea Pig hutches
• Sort shed [/STRIKE]
• Allocate & label 2 loaves of bread and 4 pints of milk in the freezer – Tuesday
• Sort kitchen cupboards - Tuesday
• Create “Winter Stash Cupboard” - Tuesday
• Air 2nd hand duvet - Monday
• Cover 2nd hand duvet and put on back of sofa – Monday
• Touch up yellow paint – 30th october
• [STRIKE]Plant hydrangea out front [/STRIKE]
• “Do” expanding foam – 12th November latest
• Fit fence panels - ASAP
• [STRIKE]Weed front garden
• Weed back garden[/STRIKE]
• Cut chairs down to fit at table – 5th november
• [STRIKE]Move blackberry and blueberry bushes
•[STRIKE] Plant blackcurrant bush
• Dig up apple tree and take to Carboot[/STRIKE]
• Dig over veg plots
• Dig over main garden in prep for turf next spring
• Tread all areas dug over
• Rake all areas dug over
• Make winter hanging baskets
• Sort mini greenhouse
• Make power cut box
• Make medicine box[/STRIKE]
• Make list of emergency numbers (Water, Power etc for fridge)
[STRIKE]• Buy bird food
• Stock up on Soup, Rice Pudding, Beans, Porridge, Tissues, Toilet Roll
• Replenish medicine and vitamin cupboard[/STRIKE]
• Buy hot water bottles x 3 – 29th October
• Buy fingerless gloves – 29th October
• Buy ear muffs – 29th October
• Buy pipe lagging – 29th October
• Buy spray bottle x 2 – 29th October
• [STRIKE]Buy woolly hat[/STRIKE]
• Buy fence panels – ASAP
• [STRIKE]Buy bras[/STRIKE]
• Buy expanding foam – 29th October
• [STRIKE]Buy wind up radio[/STRIKE]
• Buy more candles – 29th October
• Buy underwear dryer from poundland x 2 – 29th October
• [STRIKE]Buy batteries for scales[/STRIKE]
• Buy feet for cheese slicer – 29th October
• Buy batteries for radio – 29th October
• Buy salt – 19th October

Car:
• Buy De Icer – 29th October
• Buy Shovel - Undecided
• Wax Car – 6th November
• [STRIKE]Put windscreen protector in car
• Put wind up torch in car
• Put battery torch/windscreen breaker/seat belt cutter in car
• Put blanket in car
• Put water in car
• Put scraper in car
• Put phone charger in car[/STRIKE]
• Put cereal bars in car - Tuesday
• [STRIKE]Put dog food in car
• Put newspaper in car[/STRIKE]
• Put RAC, Mum, Dad, Neighbours & In-law’s telephone numbers in car – Sunday


ACHIEVEMENT!! :j

ExTrolly101

Hi Preppers

Welcome LillyMae, you're in friendly company, lonliness will soon be banished by us all nattering even if some of us only pop out from lurkdom from time to time;)

Really giving my preps time and money this last couple of weeks. Bought DS only 2 thermals long johns from a*da tops from Primani. Got fleece and flanelette pj's from Dun*es and a puddle suit from fleabay. Got DD tights from Dun*es. Also bought quilt from A*da 13.5 for DS bunk and managed to get T the Tank quilt cover from B&M bought flanelette fitted sheets for bunks from fleabay too. Moving DS into bottom bunk tomorrow eve. Treated myself to a pair of microfibre pj's and matching wrap from Primarni £7 each. Don't normally get things from there because I am a big girl! Got snow shovel, 10 kg of salt and got some of those boots from Cotton Traders. Went to outlet shop and they said only the full price shops had them, drove a further 15m not very :money:tried on size 7 which was HUGE and then a six. Very chuffed with them. Have sorted out food stores, de icer stores etc. CH on as house gets damp quickly living next to canal. DH doing last carboot of season tomorrow. Need to make Christmas cakes and chutney this week. Only a couple of things to put in car box, need batteries for loads of torches etc. Someone asked about runners, Dunelm Mill had some for about £7.99 not with rubber surround though.
Have stocked up on meds and prescriptions nappies wife and ladies things. Still need to sort out bedroom and electric blanket which only works on one side, think we need a new controller and only testing will tell. Have put sledges and snow air luge at front of garage in hopefulness. Happy prepping everyone!!

SpikyHedgehog

pigpen wrote: »

Motherease do bedwetter pants whch fit teens so should fit DS.. the thing is... they take longer to dry than a bedsheet which you can easily hang over a door! My 11 y/o has the pampers underjams they are usually on some offer or other in supermarkets

Curtain making must commence.. but the baby wont go down and when she does the other one wants me!!

The problem is, he absolutely soaks the bed This week I've washed his sheets, mattress protector, duvet and pillow, the other week it was my bed & he soaked everything except 1 pillow. We still had some huggies dry nites in the drawer, the pampers give him nappy rash & the huggies do irritate his skin though not as badly (pesky eczema skin!). I had the same irritation problems with DS1, but luckily he was out of nappies at night by 3.

Thank you for that, I'll weigh him tomorrow and check which size he'll need!

Sprigndreams wrote

I found this bed wetting alarm very effective in helping a bed wetter to stop : http://www.wetstop3.co.uk/

Thank you, I'll see if I can get someone (consultant pead./sch nurse/GP etc) to fund it for us to try, he does sleep extremely soundly, and even when I lift him, he doesn't wake, he doesn't wake up when he wets and has only now started to wake when he's sick... Poor little man gave himself a chest infection a couple of years ago, by being sick in his sleep and inhaling some of it, so any time he's ill I have to doze next to him in case...

chirpychick

Im very sorry in my original post i was supposed to welcome LillyMae and give you love and hugs. So sorry to hear about your DH.
This is a fantastic place to be for support!
Apologies again i was obviously far too excited about my winter prep

23rdspiral

lickylonglips wrote: »

was in wilkinson's this morning and got 2 draught excluders for £1.50 each. they have a selection of colours and patterns (non particularly stylish thb) and are quite lightweight affairs, but should go some way to helping keep the living room cosy....

:T. Thank you! I was going there anyway today. Got 3, might go back for 2 more. Was going to make my own but couldnt get stuffing so cheap. They have ok cream with brown scroll pattern.
I plan to make denim covers for them from old jeans as I think as they are they'll show dirt easily. Thanks! :T

greenbee wrote: »

Don't forget that if you're making hot water bottles, you should fill the kettle well in advance so that you're boiling from room temperature rather than the temperature of the rising main...

:T. Brilliant tip, thank you. Friends who live in a van have a seperate stove top kettle for the hottie bottles, saving water too. I guess your tip applies for all boilings, and thinking about it, filling again after it's boiled will warm the water a bit from the residual heat. We hardly ever boil mor Ethan 2 cups worth anyway. Thank you!

SpikyHedgehog

springdreams wrote: »

I found this bed wetting alarm very effective in helping a bed wetter to stop : http://www.wetstop3.co.uk/

doire wrote: »

Has anyone got an idea for a curtain pole? I have a big UPVC front door with small windows at both sides. The UPVC is high up over the door frame so i wouldn't be able to drill holes and attach hooks for a curtain pole to sit on.

Therefore does anyone know where i can buy an extendable curtain pole, much like a shower curtain pole, which i can put above the door so that i can hang a curtain on? Please bear in mind the curtain will be heavy so i doubt an ordinary shower pole will hold it.

Thanks for any help

When I do my curtain at the bottom of the stairs, I'm planning to get the sockets for wardrobe rails & an extending rail to put across from one wall to the other - would that work for you? This is the search page form Screwfix 'cos that's what I could find quickly to show what I mean, but I've seem the in my local Wilkinsons store... http://www.screwfix.com/search.do?fh_search=wardrobe%20rail&cm_mmc=Google-_-Ironmongery%20|%20Cabinets,%20Gates,%20Hinges,%20Walls%20And%20Windows%20|%20Generic-_-HVK%20|%20Wardrobe%20Rails%20|%20BMM-_-%20Wardrobe%20%20rails&gclid=CL_0iPyi_asCFUoY4QodLVdnjw

pigpen

SpikyHedgehog wrote: »

The problem is, he absolutely soaks the bed This week I've washed his sheets, mattress protector, duvet and pillow, the other week it was my bed & he soaked everything except 1 pillow. We still had some huggies dry nites in the drawer, the pampers give him nappy rash & the huggies do irritate his skin though not as badly (pesky eczema skin!). I had the same irritation problems with DS1, but luckily he was out of nappies at night by 3.

Thank you for that, I'll weigh him tomorrow and check which size he'll need!

Sprigndreams wrote

Thank you, I'll see if I can get someone (consultant pead./sch nurse/GP etc) to fund it for us to try, he does sleep extremely soundly, and even when I lift him, he doesn't wake, he doesn't wake up when he wets and has only now started to wake when he's sick... Poor little man gave himself a chest infection a couple of years ago, by being sick in his sleep and inhaling some of it, so any time he's ill I have to doze next to him in case...

Usually you are referred to enuretic clinic once they reach 7.. we tried alarms and tablets and lifting (which you are advised not to do!) and not lifting.. in the end we just gave up.. She out wets a pullup and soggies the sheets/duvet/pillow/bears. She gets cystitis which comes on in minutes and has her screaming in pain. We think most of her problem is behavioural rather than physical but it doesnt stop it being a pain.

We got a full cover for the mattess.. the mattress condom we call it lol.. best thing we ever got She wet one of those cheap covers so much it melted to the mattess!!!

The school nurse can refer.. give her a ring (school office will have the number and name).. it saves faffing trying to get a gp appointment.

I just stopped allowing DD in my bed unless it was morning.