Preparing for winter III

kahunababy

Hello guys,

Never posted on this thread before but like to pop in from time to time and pick up some more tips.

I see some are looking for a good alternative to salt for their drives/paths. Last year we used dishwasher salt and it worked a treat. I believe DW salt is on 79p for 2KG in Aldi at the moment (might need to check this first though). If it is then I will be stocking up on a couple of bags.

Hope that helps someone

Thanks

fluffymuffin123

Good morning everyone.

I have already had a productive morning so far, I had to finish painting the back of the shed and some of the side. I have now done that this morning, I found that I was soon joined by our three cats who all came to watch. There was not much room back there so it was a bit of a squeeze.. I was also watched by a mahoosive spider. :eek: she ran back into the corner of the web and watched me from there, and I watched her too...just in case...

The roof felt that I thought had flown away was under a pile of leaves behind the shed. Yesterday I put a huge tarpaulin over the entire shed roof and have tied it and weighted it down securely. Re-felting the roof is next on my list but, until I can buy some new felt, this will have to do for now.

I have chopped up some ivy that was growing its way into my sons bedroom window. The leaves are really big but it was an easy enough job to do. I have hacked it to smithereans and have put it in the coucil recycle bin. Another job done :j

I am trying to get all the outside jobs done while it is still dry, the weather has really turned now. Yesterday it was 26c fine and sunny, today it is overcast, breezy and probably no more than 18c at the moment. As much as I love the sunny weather, I really struggle in the heat. I love the cool, crisp but sunny autumn weather.

I'm going to make some more standby meals for the freezer today. With the left over chicken from last nights tea I will make Chicken Korma and with the bananas that are now going brown, some banana bread. I know my children love this so I think I might need to make two, one for the freezer and one for them to gobble up when they get home..

Right then, my coffee break for elevenses has finished....now back to doing things on the list..

tugrin

Oh misery - I hae just had to re-do my CCCS budget because after supporting and feeding DD for narly 3 months I have eaten all the way into the overdraft on my new current account (they WILL NOT be pleased). I suppose costs have risen and the budgt. is only for one so its probably ineitable that it should happen but I could flippin' well do without that extra worry along with everything else. Its really knocked me back to square one and I feel really depressed that I shouldnt have spent that extra money on winter prep blah blah blah - I will be living on stores now for at least a fortnight and guess who didnt get any long life milk?
Rainy - thanks for the reminder to dig up tender perennials - I have one blue flowered salvia which is to die for colour-wise and I dont want that to go the way of all flesh!
I might pick my biggest squash today and make some soup to cheer myself up although the weather isnt as bad here as it is in other places, its a bit windy and the clouds look threatening - temp. is 19 so yes a LOT cooler than weekend.
Can any of you knowledgeable lot tell me why my lovely dehumidifier will say 45 when its been running for several hours, then when I turn it off and remove water I go back in the next day to find we are back at 67 - is this just a very damp bedroom????

sexymouse

Don't know if this offer from Avon is of any use to anyone? They look nice and warm, and not a bad price. May be nice as a Xmas pressie too.

Also I noticed that Lidl have some winter clothes in soon - mainly angora things to keep you cosy.

Lavandula

Just made some Tomato Chutney.....boy does the house smell now!!...however the chutney looks fab in the small Kilner jars (0.5L) and I have managed to use a third of my tomato glut...onions and peppers in the recipe were also from the garden...I shall leave it a couple of weeks at least before tasting!!

Also bought a nice cake stand in Wilkos and plan to have proper sit down teas during the dark winter months.....

D&DD

Having a quick sit down during a baking marathon..
Oliver I'm a carer too Have you been in touch with your council re the grit/salt ours gave every household a free bag last year which we could collect from garden centres but if you had a disabled person in the household they delivered it free too might be worth everyone ringing their councils to see if they have any schemes like this??

DarkRev I think thats a valid excuse lol congratulations and I wish you both a long and happy marriage XX

Right getting too comfy will be back later to catch up

lilme

Congratulations Darkrev :j


I have finally been making progress on my winter prep. I bought one of those £1.50 car foil sunshades from tesco that someone (sorry can't remember who) recommended for making a radiator panel. It was so easy, can't wait to see if it works. I have also curtained off my stairs, took ages and looks a bit weird but hopefully it will be worth it.


The house was freezing this morning so i've still got to sort out my kitchen. The people that lived here before put up a really bad extension with uneven floors and gaps round the pipes and between the wall and the floor. Unfotunately the only way to fix properly is to remove the kitchen and that's not happening any time soon. So quick fix it shall be. I'm going to stuff material and bubble wrap under the units and with any luck that will do it.

jamanda

Afternoon all.

I've been skim reading the thread but am struggling to keep up. Spare moments are spent winter-proofing the garden. Managed to clear out the greenhouse and am hoping to plant winter salad in there as soon as I can get back to it.

I still have to make door curtain for the porch. I have some fabric (in the loft, naturally) which I could use but would have preferred fleece, but initial skirmishes have found the fleeces too short and I didn't really want to join it. I'm still dithering with that one, although if the weather turns cold this weekend as has been predicted, that will probably act as the kick to get me started. I did buy a curtain wire ready though, so not a complete failure.

With the looks of it we'll find out very soon whether our efforts are worthwhile - back to dressing like fleecy pompoms again.

Keep winterproofing - it is coming...

rising_from_the_ashes

Darkrev congratulations - wishing you many happy years together:D

fluffymuffin123 wrote: »

Yesterday it was 26c fine and sunny, today it is overcast, breezy and probably no more than 18c at the moment.

Enjoy while you can ... popped outside to look at the thermometer when I read your post and currently 12.7 deg:(, still howling a gale (so it feels even colder than this) and raining on and off.....

I love brisk and frosty mornings and as long as it's sunny, they make for fabulous days .... it's the wind that I hate as I always feel cold when it's howling around outside.


Not a lot achieved today as not feeling great - I did manage to get the whirly-gig down and all wrapped up in it's winter covers (one down to the ground and a stronger 3/4 length waterproof one on top) - it's stuck solid in the hole so unfortunately will have to stay out all winter.

Managed to get a new brush thing for the bottom of the front door so just need to get that put on now....

Rainy-Days

Rising - apparently it's all done to the tail end of Hurricane Ophelia blowing it's way mainly across Scotland and North or England but it is moving down to us as well. It is still quite a strong gusty wind here at the moment but the flip side is that the sun has shone pretty much all day. The wind has helped me because it has meant it has dried four loads of washing in no time at all, which I am really pleased about.

One of the last things to do on my list was to deep clean the house and today I have done that :jdon't mind doing it but no overkeen on the dusting bit - don't know why don't ask cause I haven't a clue, just everything is else is not a problem bar the dusting I had the windows open this morning but boy did it brings loads of dust and bits into the house so after a while I shut those up. Just got our bedroom window ajar along with the kitchen and bathroom window, just enough to let the air ciruclate in but not enough to bring bits in as well.

Just sitting down with you all having a read through with a welcoming cup of tea I am finally now seeing the results of all these months of work - some of it pretty hard - and seeing it pay off. I also cleared up a load of leaves from the fonr door area, which will be a task of many to do over the next month or so!! Tomorrow I am definitely - weather permitting - doing the garden, cutting the roses right back and putting in the wall flowers. You can all hold me to it.