Preparing for winter III

lizzyb1812

splodger_seedswapper wrote: »

gawd i am so stupid ...... grrrr

over the last few weeks i have had a massive clear up (well i started one - not close to finishing yet - that'll take months :rotfl:)

anyway i cleared out the cupboard in my hallway (where i keep linen etc) cleared off the top shelves - and put wine racks in there - as it is bottling time for much of my homebrew - and space is in short supply in my place

last night i heard a big pop and a trickle coming from the hall (gulp) one of my bottles has popped the cork - and half a bottle of redcurrant wine has gone all over the linen below

i am so annoyed with myself - putting the wine in there - but i am so limited on space that i didn't have a choice really - now i have a mountain of wine stained linen (all the winter bedding etc that i have spent the last few months washing and drying in my prep for winter - grrr) i don't think i am going to get much chance to wash and dry it all again now - i don't have a tumble dryer and the storage heaters are not the greatest heat source for drying big / heavy stuff on an airer

on the plus side - i did get to try an immature redcurrant wine last night - which went down well enough for a young wine

i think i might have to box up a load of books and store my wine bottles on the bookshelves instead

Splodger - could you just reverse the use of the shelves? Linens on top and wine below?

kmiller4

tugrin wrote: »

Just come back from a very grey and dreich walk with the dogs. Winter wheat in the field next to me has shot up to 4 inches since Saturday so it shows how mild it is.
Confuzzled I must tell you about the first time I heard the word dreich - I was teaching music in primaries in Edinburgh and we had a training day after the Xmas hols. The course leader met me in the car park and said 'Its a dreich day today ....' I actually thought it might be a Scots musical instrument that I hadnt heard of and was in a terrible panic for about 15 minutes until the course outline for the day had been gone through!!!!
Its sooooo dark and dreary - I know what you mean about the lights on a 1pm - Ive had my small kitchen lamp on all day, but the house isnt cold so I guess Norfolk is lucky today.

I had to look it up-- "dreich". A very good word for that sort of weather. Has been warm here in NY of late but expecting our own dreich weather Thursday and Friday. May even get a bit of snow!

I think I am fully prepared for winter now. Concentrating on finishing up on Cmas. Our Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 24 and I have been elected to put on the big turkey dinner for the extended family. Oh lucky me:( Its not that I mind it so much-- like to cook and all, but I work 2 jobs as it is so not much time off. Have to clean the entire house and put on a gourmet meal as well. I just don't need the extra stress right now! At least Mom is making the pies!

prepareathome

PipneyJane wrote: »

No, and my records say that I placed my order on 17th October. However, I've had no "order completed" email from them just one acknowledging that I'd placed the order. I've just checked my credit card and they haven't taken the money.

My order went in same day but I have had an email weeks ago saying order completed and all the money was taken a week later. On their website in my account section it shows my order with all the items named as completed. I just tried phoning and I was 41st in the queue ( I guess I am not the only one with problems) and on an 0844 number that was going to cost to wait so will see if can email them. If nothing cannot do anything till the 28 days are past legally. Also checked the items I bought on their website and all have gone from it although they still are selling plenty. I know it could be they are just very, very busy due to time of year, I hope so and that is why they say goods can take up to 28 days to be delivered but I am on day 23 now

I have a prepaid card and a couple of years ago they gave us payment protection and I guess I better read up on how to claim via that just in case.

Its such a shame as they were selling some things I had been searching years for and I had heard good things about the company, but I think people better be careful if they plan to buy from them just now.

I better start rethinking some of my preps as this order was all for them, so better look elsewhere and see what I can afford to buy elsewhere. One of the things I am really upset about is the rubber overshoes, hubby loves these over his shoes and I cannot find them anywhere.

prepareathome

kittie wrote: »

biobulbs are hanging in both places now. It is down to the colours in the room,]

Thanks for that, I might invest in another shade for my room to try and offset the harshness and maybe will cover the bed in something colourful - why with 3 dogs who join me on it do I have bedding that is mainly white, well basically it was to try and make the room seem brighter, as darker colours made room seem darker, but now with the biobulb I do not need to worry about that - am sitting here under it and again I am amazed at how white the net curtains are, the dogs, the bedding , even colours look better their true colour just as if they were outside in sunlight so much better. I plan to order at least one a week until I have built up a nice stock of them, as even in summer this house is always dull (E-W facing). It is like sitting outside on a bright summers day but without the glare.

Thank you so much for mentioning them they I hope will really help through the dark days ahead.
:T

sarahl1_2

Nicepeach wrote: »

Morning all, loving this thread, it's really inspirational & I LOVE reading all your inventive ideas.

Me too!
We're moving house in two weeks (from a little two bed 5yr old well insulated flat to a big Edwardian house with ancient boiler and rattling windows!) and I'm trying to do some advance winter prep.

The OH thinks I'm mad and humours me at best so do you mind if I use this thread to get all excited about my recent purchases pretty please?


Today our duvets arrived (we don't have them at the mo - seriously, it's boiling here even in winter!) - down, all seasons (9+4.5 tog), great price thanks to A*azon.
The other day my wind up torches arrived - figured it was cheaper than buying ones with batteries (after reading your posts!), also the windscreen cover for OH car so he doesn't have to spend precious minutes scraping. Also slippers for OH (I'll make do with last year's bed socks plus my old uggs - thrift is the game after all!); flannelette sheets for toddlers new big bed (which hasn't actually been bought yet...) and my eco log maker to make cheap logs for the fire!
Lots of spending I know, but most of it to save on heating bills! And I linked to A*azon through the N*ectar site so I got points too!
And to top it off I made a big oxtail stew on Sunday which did two dinners, a lunch for me and lunch and dinner for the toddler. £3.48 for the oxtail and the rest was store cupboard ingredients - yay!

Thanks for giving me so many ideas and a place to voice my enthusiasm!

Fruball

I didn't know you could link to A*azon thru N£ctar and get points :eek: The points I have missed out on :o:o

CH27

cosmomo wrote: »

Hello! You prompted me to stop lurking:D
We too were up a ladder with a kettle several times last year:eek:. However, the man who came to service my boiler in the summer told me that I could disconnect the bendy pipe that takes the water to the outside pipe and have it going into a bucket underneath the boiler as a temporary measure when it's freezing. I only wish I paid a bit more attention, but I'll put it on my list and investigate it in the near future.

We did that with my Dad's boiler.

[Deleted User]

re getting your money back. I just placed a dispute with my bank for online-brewing, who have failked to deliver the goods. The bank will wait until 11th to see if the goods are delivered here and if not then they say they will get the money back to me. Only £50+ but smile bank are fab. I believe they need to wait 30 days anyway, so I would put in a claim an the next day PAH. I only ever buy mail order with a smile credit card, purely for this reason

The sun came out for a couple of hours so I zoomed into action, full of energy and amazed at the light effect already. I emptied and sorted 2 kitchen cupboards and the whole of the understairs. The aim was to sort my home dehydrated foods and to remember what foods were in there. Shelves and hooks are key as are cut up boxes on the shelves, so now all the nuts are vac packed in small packages and in labelled part-boxes lined up on shelves. The huge jumble of deydrated goodies are now securely packed in vacuumed jars or in lock and lock boxes and are easy to hand for winter and bearing in mind sss`s sad wine story, I placed 6 demijohns on the floor in there as it is nice and cool

Dh`s present came from lakeland today and luckily he didn`t see it arrive, it looks so cosy and I know he will sleep better. That is wrapped up and ready. Lol, I do def have more energy today, without a doubt and I am glad because I want to be finished sorting etc before the freezing weather arrives

I have also just done the m/s money thing this morning ie filling in all my outgoings and incomings. I do it for at least a whole 2 months ahead and I need to tread very carefully now as the savings account `float` is running very low. It didn`t help that we had the car serviced this week but it`s nice to know it`s ok for winter. Approved food is arriving this week as is rice etc from ethical superstore. That has got to be IT for this winter, no more spends on anything apart from a little food for the christmas hols

prepareathome

Frugal wrote: »

I didn't know you could link to A*azon thru N£ctar and get points :eek: The points I have missed out on :o:o

Thats exactly what I was thinking. I have spent a fortune with them this year :eek: a feast after a long famine thanks to the inheritance, which has all gone :eek: ( but even all my family members who love to critize me as we are the poorest out of the lot and yet they live up to their eyes in debt but if I buy us something that is not nessesary I am told I waste money, but as said even they this year have been praising me on how well I have spent the money, clearing all debts and renewing what was needed in house and yes bought a few extras that will make my life a bit more enjoyable or easier - I thought long and hard before spending a penny, at least we can hold our heads up and say we owe no-one a penny and come next April paying the CT and WR will be our only debts, so as I had lost my nectar card and been using hubbys for years, only at sains,

I just phoned nectar and requested a new card - we already had linked accounts and got my number from them and went through their site to order my next biobulb. My actual card should turn up in next 10 days. It's never hubby orders from them himself, always asks me to do it, so it is me that has the account with them, so am glad now I know about this and will always go in future through nectar to buy from them. I better totally forget about all the points I could have had:( Now I must dig out a British Gas Bill as I see you can get points through them, but as yet had not registered on line with BG. In future I will scour the nectar site carefully in case the company I want to buy from is there.

This reminds me of collecting Green Shield Stamps years ago - would go the places that did them to collect as many as I could and usually the shops that did were good value for money.

Thank you so much for mentioning it Sarahl1:T:A

Thriftkitten

Afternoon all winter preppers, feeling very Autumnal today and the sky has looked rather weird for the past couple of days, very heavy threatening grey thick clouds... looks like snow but no chance here in Cornwall, slightly warmer than yesterday though, however, might have been that I was wearing a poloneck and 2 jumpers lol!
I am officially starting my comfort stodgy winter foods and tonight is Lamb stew and dumplings, done in the pressure cooker....nom nom nom.
Purchased a couple more flannel sheets from the 2nd hand store, they look nice and fluffy, s am sure they will wash up well.
Does anyone know where I can get either a wind up radio or a solar radio..... not much sunlight for charging, but will do for the winter box in my car in an emergency, I noticed that L*dl are receiving their supply of snow stuff tomorrow so will mooch on down there and see if I can snap up soe in mine and the little uns sizes.
Happy Prepping everyone and cheers..... raises a mug of hot chockie..:)