Preparing for winter III

saverholic

Ellie83 wrote: »

And the velcro means they're easy to put up and down. I use them with some kind of fly-sheet I made for the lounge windows.

^^ ^ these look good thanks. Will keep them in mind.

Confuzzled wrote: »

technically your landlord should fix a window situation like himself, however just moving in i can understand you don't want to upset the delicate relationship just yet.

thanks for your suggestions, will definitely keep them in mind. TBH looking at the house for a second time I now have doubts. Only problem is there is a distinct lack of housing (of the type I'm looking for anyway). Will sleep on it.

fuddle

Quick update, I have got my curtains reserved at Argos for collection tomorrow so that is marked off.

[STRIKE]bay window curtain track[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]living room curtains[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]front door curtain track[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]front door curtain[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]2x fleeces for sofa sitting[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]candles and tealights [/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]matches[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]attach curtain rod to patio door[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]hang lined curtains at patio door[/STRIKE]
blinds x2 for kitchen
blind/curtains toilet window
[STRIKE]bubble wrap toilet window[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Sort out store cupboard[/STRIKE]
2x rugs for childrens laminate bedroom floor
[STRIKE]2x fleece blankets for children's beds[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]1 fleece needed[/STRIKE]
2 Irma fleeces for bed sheets
[STRIKE]2x crochet children's hats 1 scarf
thermal vests for all
wellies for youngest
thick socks for all
slippers for me and youngest
long janes[/STRIKE]
winter car box for DH work car
water resistant trousers for me
wind up torch/radio
[STRIKE]pay off as much gas and elect so can go into autumn/winter without being in debt (direct debits hiked up)
ice grippers for walking[/STRIKE]

Next is the toilet window blind. I took delivery of my bubble wrap for that window today too but a blind is a must too. I'm not ruling out curtains either. They'll be quick and easy to knock up for such a small window.

SpikyHedgehog

prepareathome wrote: »

Wow 13c to cold from me even thought I come from the northern end of UK, although been down south for many a year. We left our heating on 18c all last winter, if we felt cold just wrapped up, at last hubby has got the idea that fleece jackets are not just to keep him warm outdoors but can be worn inside - he would walk round in shortsleeves then bung heat up when he was chilly - and if still well plenty of fleece blankets around. I picked up an original slanket in cs shop last year still unopened in its box for £5 and compared to cheap ones it is so thick and soft and hubby has actually taken a shine to it, its cream coloured and quite a few times last winter I would come downstairs to find him fast asleep on couch - totally normal for him - with tv blaring away and the slanket all wrapped round him.

I noticed the dogs fur all got thicker than usual and there was far less hair around for quite a few months which was a nice change, so they were snug enough but they have plenty of blankets on their bed as well.

I don't think I will be brave enough to go any lower unless financially we must as didn't quite need gloves on indoors but was close call some very cold days and not to many of them, so if this winter is worse I can see my then trying to cook etc wearing gloves as my kitchen is freezing as oven is built in so has fan that blows out to stop cupboards above and below getting hot so cancels out the heat from oven and then some.........

Oh, the house was cool at 13, but we were out then, the boys getting the heat at school & me at work :-) & we're all fairly active - if they wanted to play on the wii, we did the dancing games or sports to keep warm. If I'd been at home with a baby, it would have been warmer.

Ellie83 wrote: »

Are they syrians? I love these little creatures so much. But I remember having to leave the heating on just for my hamster

We now "only" have a cat, house rabbits, guinea pigs and fish

I better get started with finding fleece PJs. I want an all-in-onesie from Primark . A cow one (go figure :rotfl: )

Yes, 2 lovely syrians. :-) Willow is DS2's that Errant Husband got for his birthday, but with a teeny weeny cage, so I had to get her another that she chewed maniacally, so now she's in a different big cage. Then we had a big cage spare in the loft, & went to the pet shop to get some chewy stuff for Willow, & DS1 saw Bethany in the adoption centre & we ended up with 2 hamsters. They are cuties!

We also have a cat, & DS2's snail - not a giant 1, just a garden snail. Carl lives in a tank in the hallway & eats cauliflower leaves.

SpikyHedgehog

Pips_Mum wrote: »

Thanks darkrev - I looked on ISME as I have an account with them and they have them in the sale too. Got 4 sheets for my little boys room, 4 for our room, 6 pillowcases, a double fleece matress protector and also a single fleece matress protector for £30 :T
Admitedly didnt mean to get 4 for each room, misunderstood and added 2 to basket but have since read that you only need to add 1 to get the 1 free, never mind for that price I dont mind and they will last me for forever!!! :rotfl::rotfl:

Really wanted the flannellette duvet cover sets, it said they were in stock but refused to let me add to my basket. Anyone else had the same problem?....

I did the same last year with the sheets, so we have about 6 miles of flannelette sheets... It gets worse, as I got super king sheets for my king size bed, & king size sheets for DS1's double bed lol. Lovely & cosy though, actually, we've hardly stopped using them.

DS2 has Cub camp over the weekend, & will be taking his fleece pjs as well as his camp blanket to go with his sleeping bag & roll mat.

My plans for the weekend are to go into town early when I've dropped him off, get pjs for DS1 & look for warm stuff, collect the winter duvet from the launderette, & visit my parents.

prepareathome

Vampiric_Addiction wrote: »

In the ultimate 'prep for winter' - we should be moving! It's all under way at the moment, can't wait till everything's signed and we have the keys (rental to rental, so not a long wait).

How this is so significant for the winter is:

- it's a first floor, over retail, instead of a groundfloor. Yay for heat rising!
- they're perfectly fine with our calorgas heater (current place isn't).
- It's further into the city centre where roads/paths are gritted
- It's not at the bottom of a ridiculous hill. Which ices over.

Also, as we can decorate:
- CURTAINS

And
- it has a bath!

Oh wishing you all the best for a snug winter ahead and many more of them. That is the downside of having a semi especially one where next house to open side is across to massive side garden and a road so we tend to get a lot of wind, only up side its faces south so its not usually artic quite.

I just collected a lot of bubble wrap from someone on freegle and they asked if I did a lot of selling and I said no and explained why i wanted it. They are on a first floor flat and find the flat far to hot most of the time, told me they never had to put the heating on once last year although now she is expecting she knows she will most likely have to have it on at least a bit for little one. Insulation on windows of the flats was good but obviously not internally if heat was coming through so easily, but she was happy as her energy company had actually told her they felt she should reduce her DD as she was building up far to much credit ( over £600 between gas and electric). Mind you both at work now but she plans to stay home for at least a year so I think she will soon see that eaten away, but nice to hear when someone actually is told to pay less.

So now I will just cut the bubble wrap to size - my windows are made up of 12in square panes so didn't need to bother going out and buying big rolls as most that you find packed round things is big enough - as the case with what I got from this lovely young lady ( I am an old over the hills grandma :rotfl::rotfl:)

I have just also gone mad and ordered another camping stove - have one but if really had to rely on them two would be better, another camping heater and 28 cans of the gas to run them, £59 incl pp for the lot, not to bad as the gas heater I bought a few years ago that runs on the canisters cost me £29 on its own and as yet thankfully unused.

I was without a cooker for about 18 months so used two camping stoves then to cook ( cooker broke and we were getting a new kitchen and I planned on a wall mounted oven with separate hob - which I got - so did not want to buy another cooker just for that short time) and they were fantastic, had a mini oven as well. They were not worth keeping when I finally got my new kitchen so threw them away. I used to find i would get about 90mins out of one canister if I had stew or soup on simmer. I have noticed the price of the gas has shot up - I used to get 4 cannisters for about £2 and this was only 5 years ago.

Pips_Mum

I too was without a proper cooker for about 18 months, we had one of those countertop mini ones and it did us proud to be honest. I would like to buy a little camping stove for this winter as we will have a newborn and don't want to risk not being able to boil water. They are so expensive though.

I liked living in the 2nd floor flat (apart form carrying shopping up the stairs!!) as like the lady said to you preparethehome I rarely ever put the heating on and often in winter still had to have some windows open!

Possession

I've just ordered a telescopic rail so that I can put thermal curtains at the french windows when it gets colder. We've had nothing there for the last 10 years and I love the minimalist effect at that end of the room (now that I actually have clear surfaces!) but it does get cold there in the winter so this is my compromise. I will do the same at the front door.

prepareathome

Pips_Mum wrote: »

I too was without a proper cooker for about 18 months, we had one of those countertop mini ones and it did us proud to be honest. I would like to buy a little camping stove for this winter as we will have a newborn and don't want to risk not being able to boil water. They are so expensive though.

I liked living in the 2nd floor flat (apart form carrying shopping up the stairs!!) as like the lady said to you preparethehome I rarely ever put the heating on and often in winter still had to have some windows open!

There is this on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PORTABLE-GAS-STOVE-COOKER-CAMPING-4-BUTANE-GAS-REFILL-/400303389044?pt=UK_SportingGoods_Camping_CookingSupplies_ET&hash=item5d33f0f974#ht_2250wt_905

for the £20 you have the stove and 4 gas

or this in argos http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3407497/Trail/searchtext%3ECAMPING+STOVE.htm then another £10 for the gas, but you can buy them separately each week or month.

The ebay one is the place I just bought the stove, heater with 8 gas and the 28 cans of gas pack, obviously not got them yet, but their ratings are good as is feedback.

I bought both my children who live here ( one son lives in Melbourne) the stoves and gas to make sure they had something to cook on, and am planning if I can get a fire guard to either give this heater or buy another one to sons family as their children are still very young and on heat is central heating and the plug in radiators I gave them ( were ours so not brand new) when their heating failed just after their second child was born and have told them to keep them, daft to bring them back here as we are not going to use them as we have a horrible gas fire to use and a calar gas heater if central heating fails.

Pops I think bought the one in argos, that is where I bought my original ones but cost a lot more then. Its weird the cost of the stoves and heaters have come right down but the cost of gas has gone up quite a bit.

I was lucky in that when all mine were babies the only way to heat the house and water was our coal fire with back boiler so if a power cut I just put kettle on the fire - well hung on a hook over it. This was not the house we are in now, here back boiler has been taken out and gas fire blocking the fire place, but I do still have the two open fireplaces in bedrooms and we could move the furniture away if things got very bad and use them. Note to self get chimney sweep out, been meaning to do it since we moved in here 20 years ago and still not done it. Chimney for gas fire is checked every years as part of gas check of all gas appliances in the house, but nothing done with the other chimneys. I have lit candles in the fireplaces when I could still access them and they seemed to send the smoke straight up, but not they could still be caked in soot with only a tiny hole and last thing I would want is a chimney fire- not amusing that.

Growing up we only had the coal fire for warmth and water and remember coming home from school on day to find fire engines outside and hoses running through the windows - we lived in a tenement on first floor. I ran screaming into hall and up the stairs so quickly thinking my mum was dead or injured. Mum was unharmed but place was awash literally with water and soot.

Congratulations on your new baby, how lovely, I love babies but now am happy to be at the grandma stage, so love a cuddle then happily hand them back.

Pips_Mum

Thanks for finding those links for me :-)
Both me and my partner have been made redundant so its a bit tight here at the minute but will definately keep an eye on them and get one when funds allow as they are a good price.

We have a little boy who is 3.5 as well and he will be snug in his flannellette sheets and PJs, I wondered if he would be able to move in bed though or if he will get stuck like velcro!! :rotfl::rotfl:

Will have to have the house at a decent temperature for "pea" to be safe but want to be able to have it as low as comfortably possible.

SpikyHedgehog

Just got home from town with DS1. Got 2 pairs fleece pjs for me, 2 packs of vests for DS2, & an all in 1 cotton pj for him from Prim@rk - DS1 didn't like their pjs for men, & they really didn't have much else in yet. Oh, I also got DS2 2 pairs of jogging trousers.

I got 6 balls of sparkly dk acrylic yarn from pound land - I'm intolerant of real wool & can't even knit with blends :-(. I got 3 navy &3 grey & will use them together to knit as chunky to make me a hat, scarf, mittens set.

Got the winter duvet back from the launderette, & he charged me a tenner rather the £12 he'd said when I took it in, so that was good. Now to get DS1 washed & dried... Will try not to leave it at the launderette so long!

PAH, I remember mum & dad getting a paraffin heater when I was young... Its the reason I'm very wary of gas & paraffin heaters & cookers. We'd just had a new carpet in the sitting room (about the only new carpet we had), & mum was cooking dinner, while we played in the sitting room. I was reading (as usual) while my brother (5 yrs) & sister (3 & a half) managed to knock over the also new paraffin heater & spill paraffin all over the carpet!

Mum really told me off, & said if it had been lit, we'd have all burnt to death. I was 8, & it left such an impression, that even now, I'm very wary of heat that's not solid or electrical. Not logical I know!