Preparing for winter III

D&DD

Knew I'd forget something thanks Cheapskate need to wash all the coats! Have done hats,scarves,gloves and duvets etc trust me to forget these..

La-Cara

can anyone recommend a good brand of UHT milk? Or any brands I should avoid? I'd like to get some in for the winter stores but no idea where to start!

Rainy-Days

Well I wasn't going to do it until probably Spring of next year but the weather is too good to miss on a paint job.

We have a cast iron parasol base, it is lovely and big with roses all in the iron. I rubbed it down well this morning and sat up the garden and painted that in gloss black (for metal paint) and it looks fab. Many years ago, oh back in the early 1960's my mums dad my grandfather) made mum some solid metal washing poles and I have kept them ever since mum died. I rubbed those right down and painted those as well and they look really good, very pleased. Two hours work but it is all protected again now. I am glad that I didn't wait.

Hope you are all having a good weekend :T

Hobsons_Choice

Rainy-Days wrote: »

Well I wasn't going to do it until probably Spring of next year but the weather is too good to miss on a paint job.

We have a cast iron parasol base, it is lovely and big with roses all in the iron. I rubbed it down well this morning and sat up the garden and painted that in gloss black (for metal paint) and it looks fab. Many years ago, oh back in the early 1960's my mums dad my grandfather) made mum some solid metal washing poles and I have kept them ever since mum died. I rubbed those right down and painted those as well and they look really good, very pleased. Two hours work but it is all protected again now. I am glad that I didn't wait.

Hope you are all having a good weekend :T

We have an old metal patio set (table + two chairs) and OH was going to throw it out last year because it was flaky (bit like meself). I gave it a good wire brushing and painted it in black metal paint, it still looks good this year and OH is well pleased.
Not pleased enough to buy me flowers and chocolates you understand, but pleased enough to find other items for me to paint!

abwsco

We've rain here today so can't do any extra washing.

Also, not cheap but Dunelm have got the lovely "teddy bear" throws at £9.99. Bought one for DD and also got us a nice new duvet set in red that was reduced. Thought it will make our bedroom look nice and cosy when it's cold.

[Deleted User]

oct 24 ish, far N to NE wintery blast due. No change re sea surge, all bets are still on. S mild and dry

fluffymuffin123

Good afternoon everyone :hello:

I have been quite busy lately trying to prepare for this winter. Last week I ordered lots of tins in my Tesco shopping, i'm sure the delivery man thinks im mad. I spent an extra £50 which I had accounted for, as my winter pantry stock up. I got extra cat food, tins of vegetables, soup, tinned fruit, custard, rice pudding, pasta, porridge, freezer bags, tin foil, toilet rolls, toiletries, beans, ckking sauces, teabags, coffee, hot chocolate and Uht milk ect. There was also the normal weeks shopping with some things doubled, as I will put one by and use one this week. I have also stocked up with cold remedies and pain relief tablets. With four children in the house, you can never be too prepared.

I have mowed/mown?.. cut the grass today and hope that it will be the last time this year.. I doubt it though. My Mum and I share the lawn mower and, as she only lives round the corner, we have to walk it round and pop it back into her shed when we are done each time. Whist in the garden, my youngest DD and I have painted dark brown wood preserve on the two sheds, it didn't take that long and, in this heat, was dry in no time. When we had finished I thought the sun had brought out more freckles on my arms, it usually does, but luckily these ones washed off when I realised it was the paint..:). Still, that's another job ticked off the list.

I also realised that some of the roof felt from the shed had come off, I don't even know where it is, It's probably blown away somewhere... So, one job ticked off and another one to add to the bottom.. Fortunalty my Ex Husband and I are quite amicable and he said he will be able to re-felt it for me before the weather get too bad, as I am sure it will turn at some point..

I have slowly been adding to the freezer, cooked meals. I am cooking a meal for tea and cooking another one for the freezer at the same time. Some lucky friends of mine have apple and pear trees, they have given me bags and bags of fruit in exchange for a few of the 30 pots of jam I have made from foraged fruit this summer. I have pealed, cored and cooked the fruit and have frozen it in batches to make crumbles and pies for in the months ahead.

I have washed everything I can find that needs washing and hanging out to dry. I have saved avidly for a tumble dryer, last year was dreadful as regards to drying the washing when the weather was so wet and cold. I have saved all spring and summer and have finally been able to get one. I will line dry as much as possible but on days where the weather makes it impossible, I will be able to tumble teh washing dry.

Well, thank you for letting me waffle on for ages, and my only tip for anyone is basically, you can never be too prepared.. ill prepared, not prepared, un prepared maybe, but definately not too prepared..

Gingerbiscuit_2

La-Cara wrote: »

can anyone recommend a good brand of UHT milk? Or any brands I should avoid? I'd like to get some in for the winter stores but no idea where to start!

I have been using soya milk it is a different taste but tastes ok in fact I really like it now. Where most UHT long life style milk is really noticable, this I find really creamy and sweet so you can have on cornflakes without feel like you are having water down milk.

Might be worth a taste, no point having UHT milk if it tastes to horrable to use it in an emergency!

suki1964

So jealous of you lot sunning yourselves, along with Angela Ive the dark days and endless rain

The lawn could now pass as a water garden its that wet. Still theres no more cutting of it to be done now.

MOST of the fences have been painted now - miles of lattice panels - taking forever esp now the rain has set in but where they have been done its nice to see the water just running clean off

Sparrar - thanks for the reminder on the matches - another ex smoker here who just doesnt think of matches/lighters any more. I have a long handle gas lighter for the stoves - must check the gas situation.

Been looking at paraffin heaters for the greenhouse - bit of a minefield as reviews on them make them sound like a nightmare to get going and working correctly. Anyone have any reccomendations?
I just dont want to rely on electric as that gets very flakey when the weather is bad

Purple_kitten

I picked up a bright purple zip up fleece for 10p and lovely big fleece brand new for a whole pound today.

The last set of curtains is on the line, and the new fleece stuff is now washing.

Milk, I would go for a powder and make it up if it's a long cold spell. UHT is only really ok in tea.

It's also just dawned on me that our tumble dryer has been broken all of summer and it hasn't mattered but will do in winter, we have picked up one of those pull out indoor lines which gives 5 lines indoors to dry things on but I don't think we will cope without a dryer. Hmm.