Preparing for winter IV

Pooky

My winter preps are pretty much in place now just the odd thing to buy each year to keep us going. I've recently brought some curtains to make better door curtains for the kitchen/study door way (no room for a door so I have a 5 layer door curtain on there, I made it last year from what I had available but it was a bit on the narrow side and still let the draughts in)

I've sorted the log/wood piles and got a huge pile that needs cutting (picked up 3 car loads from a builder so lots of long joists etc that need cutting down) Got given 5 big sacks of stuff from my parents yesterday but my lovely Dad cut that all to size for me so that's one less pile to do. I've got enough coal in but if there's a decent offer I shall order some more.

We're all sorted for coats/hats/boots and wellies but I'm sure I'll be crocheting up a few new scarves to ring the changes.

I've got the wool in to make DD2 a nice double sized crochet blanket - her room is the coldest so it will help her in bed.

We've had a quote to replace all the upstairs radiators and add one on the landing and will be going ahead with that in September. I need to work out a better method for draft proofing the loft hatch too as with last years high winds we got a lot of draughts there.

Stores wise, I keep a good larder and am always on the look out on AF for stuff we'll use.

fuddle

Socks for everyone needed.

Girls will need bigger sized winter coats.

Food stocks is ongoing.

Candles needed to be restocked.

Crochet hat for eldest, pattern picked, wool needs sourcing

continue with crocheting our bed blanket and think about sourcing wool for 2x children's blankets.

Been prepping for winter for quite a few years so feel on top of everything really.

dawn_rose

Hiya I've been writing my list too so far I need to

Get my central heating fixed £200 to be fixed

I need a dehumidifier £100 to buy ( too much wet washing meant mould probs and a mushroom growing on stop clock it was that damp)

These items I need to save up for after I've saved up to get our car fixed.

I need some gloves for me and 3 dd's

Winter coats for dd's

Scarf for one CD

Continue with a crochet blanket for my bed made of odds and ends of wool.

Most of school uniform for next year is bought just need get school jumpers.

Dug out curtain linings to be washed.


Come September I shall have a work placement and be in college, all my kids will be in school so I can not have to worry bout having heating on so much as money is limited plus I will be warm which is much better for my asthmatic lungs yay!

I'm sure there is more to add to the list. I'm currently spring cleaning and decorating whilst I have the time.

hollieinbloom

I've recently just taken up crocheting too! so I shall make lots of blankets for around the house. I'm tempted to make a few pairs of socks too! I got some thermal socks last winter but they weren't very good quality at all. We're saving for a dehumidifier, the one we want is £125 and it has a special setting for drying clothes which will be handy. I definitely need to buy more towels though as it is so hard to get them dry and we don't have that many so we were running out very quickly.

We've planted loads of runner bean plants so fingers crossed I get a hearty harvest and can get loads frozen for winter! We are going to buy a new fridge freezer aswell and I'm looking for one with a bigger freezer than what I have now. It barely fits anything in there! xx

[Deleted User]

The stove had a thoroughly good service a few days ago and the flu was taken apart and given a very good clean, so our wood pellet stove is in tip top condition, ready for whatever winter throws at us. I have just started my preserving for winter, bottling gooseberries today and aim to have a lot of accessible dehydrated and bottled foods. If we do have prolonged power cuts then I want to be able to get to nice, easy foods. If push comes to shove over winter then can use dehydrated veg and lentils in my pressure cooker, all in one

Am also busy spinning and preparing skeins of yarn for winter knitting and bought a makita radio run off a really good battery.

I am about to set up a solar lighting system in our new big insulated shed. 40w panel and 12v gel leisure battery, running 3 separate strings of led lights. So we could actually go in there if needed and I could take my smallest spinning wheel in so won`t get too bored

Oh must keep up with the chocolate store as we are muching choc almost every day

Cheapskate

A friend said that she thought it odd to be considering preparing for winter when it's not even summer yet, but I feel more squirrelly than ever this year! I'm another crochet learner, too, doing more sewing, including new, thicker window and door curtains, and various food preps will be ramped up for cold/uncertain weather.

A xo

115K

I need to buy some blankets for the winter. Someone on here suggested that allergies get better by using blankets instead of a duvet so I need to buy some warmer ones.

I want to get lightweight ones so they will be easier to wash and dry.

kboss2010

Eenymeeny wrote: »

Can I just add a little caution here please? I always stock up in advance for winter and Christmas. Some of the things I buy being chocolate, nuts etc for Christmas hampers when I see them on offer and with a good sell-by date.
This winter I was horrified to be woken by a scratching noise right beneath my bed! A mouse had decided to come in out of the cold and help himself to my store. Apparently the smell of chocolate is one of their favourite things and nuts another. (He'd bypassed the kitchen) Fortunately we did get rid but it was a really uncomfortable time with all food having to be locked away constantly and cupboards and surfaces cleaned and recleaned. (I took a lot of persuading that there'd only been one!)
He'd also been nibbling at the bag of scarves and hats stashed at the back of the wardrobe, it must have looked like a cosy nest...
I hadn't thought about the possibilities of mice until this happened so just thought that I'd warn you to wrap your stock up well!

My advice re mice is get a cat! The only time we've ever had a mouse problem was when our cat died. We got another cat and the mice left.

If you don't want the investment, "borrow" a neighbour's cat every so often, tempt it in with food and let it walk around your house for an hour. The smell of a cat having been there which humans cant detect will scare them away.

Frugalsod

kboss2010 wrote: »

My advice re mice is get a cat! The only time we've ever had a mouse problem was when our cat died. We got another cat and the mice left.

If you don't want the investment, "borrow" a neighbour's cat every so often, tempt it in with food and let it walk around your house for an hour. The smell of a cat having been there which humans cant detect will scare them away.

I would suggest offer to look after the cat whenever the person is away. If the cat comes to see you regularly then it will have the same effect as if you had one. Though maybe installing a cat flap will also work wonders. There was some research into cats and they regularly entered other homes via the cat flap to try out the food so if you do that any cats in the neighbourhood might make your home a regular stopping off point.

Eenymeeny

115K wrote: »

I need to buy some blankets for the winter. Someone on here suggested that allergies get better by using blankets instead of a duvet so I need to buy some warmer ones.

I want to get lightweight ones so they will be easier to wash and dry.

Have you thought about cellular blankets? Easy to wash and dry, and if you're lucky can sometimes be found in charity shops. They are quite expensive to buy new but as long as they're washed I don't have a problem with 2nd hand. (We find them useful as throws or extra layers during really cold weather)