Preparing for winter IV

THIRZAH

It's going down the hill in the snow that I find difficult especially once it starts to get icy.

I keep a good storecupboard too. We are not too keen on UHT milk so I tend to only keep a couple of pints of that in and use it for cooking. I buy the Cravendale type milk which keeps for about three weeks in the fridge.

Confuzzled

hello everyone :wave:: it's been ages since i've posted in here but i've not forgotten you all


i'm in a new place now so i will have to do more preps than last year as things are so different plus i don't yet know where the trouble spots are.

i'm in the process of sewing fleeces onto the kitchen and living room window curtains, the fleece helps keep the heat out too i've discovered and since i'm now living on a high street i need the fleece to keep the extra light out as they are somewhat translucent.

i've gone from all electric to gas so i may be asking you all quite a few questions about how to be efficient with gas useage as it's been donkey's years since i've used it and that was back in the states with a thermostat for the entire house for forced air heat (quite different than on the boiler thermostats and individual radiator controls here) but i'll save that for closer to the time i need it.

fortunately this is a brand new flat in and old building above a shop, so it had to meet current building regs and *should* in theory, be fairly efficient for keeping the heat in. unfortunately the shop below is empty so i won't get their heat, but i keep hearing them working on stuff down there so i live in hope of getting some shop that keeps the heat up down below me :rotfl:

anyway, just wanted to say hi and check in with you all, alas work is dragging me back but it's nice to see this thread alive and kicking after all this time

oh forgot to add, i thought of you all a few weeks ago when it was 29C here, very very humid and i bought not only a pair of winter boots for my daughter (hey they were going out of business and the boots were only £5 plus when she outgrows them they're MINE!) but also another pair of slipper booties for £3 the people at the bus stop outside were staring at me as if i was a nutter but you know i won't be able to touch either one of them for anywhere near that price come october... honestly you'd think people forget it gets cold every year :-)

Rummer

:j:j:j

I LOVE this thread and avidly read it every year. This is finally going to be the year that I get my house sorted properly for winter. We are expecting a new arrival in February so it is important that we are prepared and that the house is snuggly and the heating bills are as low as possible.

The big thing I want to organise before the winter is to have a cat flap put in the back door as the cats currently use the pantry window which results in quite a draft over the winter. I am going to call a few companies and get some quotes.

Then there is the usual things to organise, new PJs, curtains up, blankets organised, car kit updated, medicine and food cupboards stocked up and many other things that I am sure I have forgotten.

daftmummy

Hello just joined and first post on this thread.
I have to admit I loved it when the weather was hot and I washed all the kids winter coats and sofa throws, which were all packed in my vacuumed bags ready for winter.

Any advice on clearing guttering DH is scared of heights ( can't even hold a ladder ) and I'm wobbley, any advice on getting it done? we live in a semi?

I also have a winter cupboard with stash of goodies and also some cheap games and colouring books for kids to give them something to do

pinkmami

Welcome!!! This place is full of info for winter prep. Best prep I loved was buying soft fleecy blankets. I bought lovely ones from dunelm: http://www.dunelm-mill.com/shop/seriously-soft-plum-striped-blanket-337301 similar to this one. They will definitely have a wider range by autumn. I still use them on the kids beds as they fit over singles really well. In the summer they sleep under them and in the winter they use them on sofas and on top of their duvets.

You can never have too many blankets!!!!

fuddle

Nope, never too many blankets. In the winter I put fleece blankets on the girls' beds as sheets. Really snug!

What kind of things have you got to entertain the children in power cuts? Good Old charades by candle light eh?

Sunshine4

Went to the chemist yesterday its changing hands and there where having a sale of deleted items.

I got 4 hot water bottles with covers 8.99 down to 1.99
lots bottles of shower gel,shampoo, cond, 4 pk of soap all for 20p each.
I spent £15 for 4 carrier bags of goods.
Really pleased with the hot water bottles. One more item off my list.

pinkmami

Well I haven't had that many power cuts really. One I remember was last year it was during a thunderstorm so we opened the blinds & watched the lightning. That was our entertainment!!!!

I have my "powercut box" at the ready. I'll just have top make sure the Ipod & Iphone are fully charged to play candy crush!!!!

Sweet_Pea_Cottage

I love this thread and have read it for years (lurking obviously):T. I'm really looking forward to the autumn. It's a great time for the veg plot (pumpkins, leeks, parsnips, cabbages, sprouts, chard). I've hated the really hot weather we've had lately and am looking forward to cooler weather.

Will be making chutney and jam in the next couple of months to last over winter. Need to get the boiler serviced before the autumn as well.

Confuzzled

Sunshine4 wrote: »

I got 4 hot water bottles with covers 8.99 down to 1.99
Really pleased with the hot water bottles. One more item off my list.

i have hot water bottle envy :rotfl: last year i got 6 with covers for the same price but i use hot kettle water so they tend to perish after a year to 18 months so i'm always looking for cheap replacements (hot tap water never seems to touch my back pain sadly)

pinkmami wrote: »

I have my "powercut box" at the ready. I'll just have top make sure the Ipod & Iphone are fully charged to play candy crush!!!!

thanks for reminding me i don't have an emergency box in place here yet as things got a bit scattered when i moved and i need to find a better box and place for it in the new flat anyway