Preparing for winter III

pinkmami

never_too_old wrote: »

Machinemart? have you had problems with them?

I've never used them. Its just that its best to speak to a HETAS registered guy (or woman!!) about these things. Have a look on UTILITIES>LPG HEATING OIL ....forum. There's a lot of info & expetrs on that about buying etc x

prepareathome

darkrev what you say is very true, but we have discussed on here about making sure of ventilation when using camping stoves but its something that cannot be said often enough.

As for the bubble wrap and fleeces well for me I have curtains up anyway which are not fire retardant, I guess you can buy that material but not in my budget and I have nets up so both a fire hazard anyway.

Having an escape plan is a must for everyone be it a single person or a family, very, very true.....with double glazing there is the problem only one window is unlockable or even opens wide enough to escape, even if I could break my windows they are only 12ins square panes of glass altogether on a frame to make big windows which are sash windows so once unlocked give plenty of room to climb out and I do ensure I can lay my hand on the key in every room and hubby knows where they are as well, just in case.

A fire ladder would be useful for the back bedroom, but as its used as study well more storeroom now I hope I would never find myself stuck in there as not even a phone in the room any more with us not using it except for stores, but for the front we have the bay below and so could get onto that.

You are not over reacting as its true there are more fires these days and deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning - in fact that is some that should be top of everyone prep list to buy a CARBON MONOXIDE DECTECTOR - we had our own but then HA put one in kitchen, living room and hall downstairs that run on mains with battery back up so I gave my own 3 battery operated ones to a friend who owned her own home and could not afford them.

Even if you cannot afford the unit type you can buy a press on pad that you place near gas appliances and if the - now do not quote me on this not sure if remembering right - the circle changes colour there is a leak, you have to replace them every month or two and I had them first.

never_too_old

pinkmami wrote: »

I've never used them. Its just that its best to speak to a HETAS registered guy (or woman!!) about these things. Have a look on UTILITIES>LPG HEATING OIL ....forum. There's a lot of info & expetrs on that about buying etc x

thanks will do:)

fuddle

Coming from the safety angle, the bubble wrap shouldn't be a problem as you can attach it to the window pane only by wetting it. It really does stick in position this way. There need be no blocking of any emergencies with bubble wrap.

Fruball

Fuddle - I have sent you a PM

chirpychick

Hello
Missed you guys, I don't tend to think too much about Winter prep until July. I think I have finally caught up though.

for anyone interested M*talan have some small bucket BBQ's in their sale for £6 I was going to get one to use *outside* if we needed to boil water or cook some food as we don't have a BBQ but I don't really want to pay for the p&p lol. They also have a few other bits, if the sale is still on and things are still in stock come pay day there are a few things I might get, particularly a cheap towel and bag for the hospital when bubs comes along.

Has anyone seen any cheap hot water bottles? We don't have a B&M here (lots of people suggest that place)!

Hubby has made a real effort to help me out today and has cleaned the windows inside and out, taken up the bay window curtains and cleaned the mould (our windows have blown and this year we got a lot of mould, he has to be cleaned about once a month). Our back and front door curtains that I got off e*ay last year proved to be brilliant and are still hanging.

I am on a mission to get everything done and ready by 1st of October. Baby is due 30th November and I would just like peace of mind that I have everything for him, the house is prepped and cleaned. (I am a bit of an organisation freak!).

Running very low on funds this month but hoping to buy a few things come pay day.

We are also at the moment bidding on a table and chairs on e*ay and the very nice man is going to deliver them too as he is just around the corner, we don't have much space but I refuse to not have a proper table and chairs for us to all sit around the table as a family every evening now we are going to finally be a family (I know baby won't be at the table just yet LOL but you have to plan in advance!) I really hope I win!

I have most things for the baby now and have boxes - Newborn, 0-3, 3-6, 6-9 &9-12 and I have gathered things from free6le and e3ay and carboots and should have the bare minimum of clothes to see us through the years worth of clothes/sleepsuits/vests etc has cost me a grand total of £30 and considering the average outfit in n3xt is £16 I think thats a bargain!! quite proud of myself!

well i think thats enough of an update for now, look forward to joining you all back on here

fuddle

Frugal wrote: »

Fuddle - I have sent you a PM

I sent you one back

Sock yarn (100% lambswool, hope I can do it justice!) should arrive tomorrow and have sourced a pattern for my socks.

Looking to make some welly warmers for the littlies too. Their demands state they have to be wacky so that should be fun

SpikyHedgehog

fuddle wrote: »

Coming from the safety angle, the bubble wrap shouldn't be a problem as you can attach it to the window pane only by wetting it. It really does stick in position this way. There need be no blocking of any emergencies with bubble wrap.

I did put it like this on the front door last year, but it kept falling off - I think mainly cos the postie kept putting stuff through as it was more on the lower panes. What I've got on there at the moment, is strips put ontot he door with double sided tape so the over lap the gap when the door is shut, but in no way stop it opening or shutting.

I'll have another go this year, as the front & back doors are where we loose most of the heat, becasue we keep opening them. the hallway is cold anyway, as there is no radiator in it, or room for 1 really... I had planned to get a free-standing one to plug in there, but now we have the curtain over the door into the sitting room, I don't want to risk a heater getting covered with curtain & over heating. The back door opens straight from the kitchen to the garden, & DS1 hasn't yet even designed a porch for out there for me to send plans to the AH for approval.

Next door keep a gazebo up in the garden just outside the back door all year round to give a bit of a baffle between in & out, & somewhere dry to smoke. Since they've had to replace it twice in the year they've been doing it, I'd rather go for a smaller yet more solid construction... Plus it's flipping noisy!

chirpychick wrote: »

Hello
Missed you guys, I don't tend to think too much about Winter prep until July. I think I have finally caught up though.

for anyone interested M*talan have some small bucket BBQ's in their sale for £6 I was going to get one to use *outside* if we needed to boil water or cook some food as we don't have a BBQ but I don't really want to pay for the p&p lol. They also have a few other bits, if the sale is still on and things are still in stock come pay day there are a few things I might get, particularly a cheap towel and bag for the hospital when bubs comes along.

Has anyone seen any cheap hot water bottles? We don't have a B&M here (lots of people suggest that place)!

Hubby has made a real effort to help me out today and has cleaned the windows inside and out, taken up the bay window curtains and cleaned the mould (our windows have blown and this year we got a lot of mould, he has to be cleaned about once a month). Our back and front door curtains that I got off e*ay last year proved to be brilliant and are still hanging.

I am on a mission to get everything done and ready by 1st of October. Baby is due 30th November and I would just like peace of mind that I have everything for him, the house is prepped and cleaned. (I am a bit of an organisation freak!).

Running very low on funds this month but hoping to buy a few things come pay day.

We are also at the moment bidding on a table and chairs on e*ay and the very nice man is going to deliver them too as he is just around the corner, we don't have much space but I refuse to not have a proper table and chairs for us to all sit around the table as a family every evening now we are going to finally be a family (I know baby won't be at the table just yet LOL but you have to plan in advance!) I really hope I win!

I have most things for the baby now and have boxes - Newborn, 0-3, 3-6, 6-9 &9-12 and I have gathered things from free6le and e3ay and carboots and should have the bare minimum of clothes to see us through the years worth of clothes/sleepsuits/vests etc has cost me a grand total of £30 and considering the average outfit in n3xt is £16 I think thats a bargain!! quite proud of myself!

well i think thats enough of an update for now, look forward to joining you all back on here

I got new hotties last year from Wilkinsons, not as cheap as people were saying they'd got them from B&M, but then I haven't got a B&M either. They also have them all year round, so it's easy to get stocked up now.

Baby clothes tip - make a list of what you do have so if people ask you before getting a gift for baby, you can tell them where the gaps are. DS1 was 9lb6, so didn't go near newborn clothes, but my sister's son at 8 months when I had DS1 was fitting 3-6m nicely. (DS2 was 8lb1 & did fit into the outfits sis & I had kept for 7 years that were newborn size gifts for DS1 & nephew.) So if you get new stuff before baby's born, keep it till he's here so wash it in case you'd rather take it back for a different size.

And well done on stocking up so well! Since you use fregle, & are getting the table & chairs, it would be worth watching out for highchairs I really wanted the tripp trapp for DS2 http://www.stokke.com/en-gb/highchair/tripp-trapp-product-concept.aspx though I couldn't afford 1 & never saw 1 at the car boots/on freegle.

Oh dear, I've just searched on ebay & there are several tripp trapps on there... As DS2 is still 9, & has hypermobility, one would be really good for him... Think I'll ask me daddy to bid for me though as he has an ebay a/c & I don't (to make sure I really have to think about ebay purchases & not frivolously spend money there )

SIRENS

Hi spikyhedgehog
Just wanted to say that the tripp trapps are worth the money, i have 1 each for dd and ds and they were expensive but dd had hers from around 2 and is 8 now and still uses it, ds has had his from weaning and is fast approaching 5. The paint has chipped all over though but they are nice and sturdy and so easy to clean, we have loads of life left in them yet.

Angel_Jenny

Not the most practical of preparations but I am making a chunky scarf for Winter!



The wool is so soft and warm - would make a lovely blanket!