Preparing for winter IV

rising_from_the_ashes

Confuzzled wrote: »

can you imagine sleeping for months on end, what bliss

*sigh* .... heaven!:p

Confuzzled wrote: »

i've come up with a new trick for drying clothing faster, we have a hall heater and it's in a part of the hall that isn't used much, the airer fits nicely in that spot and since it's narrow it's a bit like a funnel for warm air so my clothes are drying much faster there than in the front room where i normally put them,

Funny you should mention that DM said to me the other day that I should get the small airer out and put into the downstairs (tiny) cloakroom at night.

I have a huge airer upstairs in the spare room but it's getting really damp in there & stuff does take a while to dry:(

Seriously thinking about it as even if I've just got the radiator on in there a fraction, it's really warm in there as it's sooooo tiny - it would just be a bit of a pain of where to put it during the day!:p

smithkinson

Just wanted to say hello and thank you for this thread. I have spent the past few days reading through it all slowly and have picked up some great tips.

I am ashamed to say I have never really 'prepared for winter' before. This will be our first winter since becoming homeowners, and our second winter as parents, and I would really like to be better prepared. Luckily we weren't caught out last year, but I wouldn't like to think of how we'd have coped if there had been particularly bad weather and we had been stuck at home with no electric or water etc etc with a one year old baby as we had no preparations whatsoever.

Our house is a new build, and is doing fairly well warmth wise. I feel the cold a lot more than my husband and daughter, so I have been considering how to dress better etc and have been buying some thermals and things to layer. I am a stay at home mum and we spend a lot of time each day at home, so I am trying to warm myself up as best I can so I don't have to spend too much on extra heating. I would be happy to if my daughter was feeling the cold but as it's just me it feels a waste!

I'm planning to put a curtain up at the door as the hallway can get quite chilly and the door itself is stone cold to the touch though I can't feel a draught anywhere really. Our house is three storeys, with a basement kitchen and toilet, and it does get very cold down there. Planning to replace the cheap thin ikea curtains with some thick thermal ones. I feel a bit hesitant to line the existing curtains with fleece with it being in the kitchen. Also planning to put bubble wrap up on the toilet window as it is incredibly cold in there and rarely used.

I've also started to put together car kits for the both of us. I always have a selection of things in my car for bad weather such as some blankets and snacks, and things like deicer and scrapers, but haven't really put much thought into it and my husband, who drives to work every day, has nothing in his which I feel quite terrible about now that I've realised it.

I also need to put together an emergency box for the house. I have gathered a few candles, some matches, and a wind up torch so far but that's all I really have. I need to buy a few wind up lanterns for if we are without power but struggling to find cheap ones. We don't have a lot to spend on these things but I want to be as prepared as possible.

So yes, I just wanted to say a big thank you for all the ideas so far and I'll be following along from now, although I feel a bit late to the game! If anyone else has some tips for preparedness for a complete newbie then fire away. I feel very silly for not having taken precautions earlier, but now that I can see the importance of it all I want to do as much as I can.

Eenymeeny

slm6002 wrote: »

Think i must have been asleep but only just realised i hadnt seen the last thread for a while only to find out your aleady 42 pages into the new thread lol. Maybe its my way of dealing with winter - hybernate. Anyway back with you now

Nice to know that I'm not the only one! It took me a while too:o It's a pity that your subscription to a thread isn't transferred when a newer one is started isn't it? Never mind, hopefully we've all caught up now...
We've actually had a dry day with some sunshine here. Hopefully it'll have given the drains a bit of a chance to clear some of the excess water.
It's getting dark now and low temperatures are expected.... the last thing we want is ice:eek: Let's be careful out there...please:)

rising_from_the_ashes

smithkinson wrote: »

I have been considering how to dress better etc and have been buying some thermals and things to layer. I am a stay at home mum and we spend a lot of time each day at home, so I am trying to warm myself up as best I can so I don't have to spend too much on extra heating. I would be happy to if my daughter was feeling the cold but as it's just me it feels a waste!

Re wrapping up in the house - due to a medical condition - I don't regulate heat well & once cold, the only way to get warm again is to have a bath and I sometimes end up having up to 4 / day in winter!:eek:

I'm currently housebound and have been really worrying about staying warm and not needing the heating on all day / having to bath every few hours.

I have the heating on for an hour in the morning, get up and have a bath and put on the thermals straight away (ETA and obviously other clothes on top of them:o) - heating is then on for 1/2 hour at lunchtime so it doesn't get too cold and then comes on again around 7pm for another couple of hours. This is my normal heating regime so - touch wood - it's not on any extra just now even although I'm at home.:T

I can honestly say that in the past 6 weeks, there's only been 2 - 3 days where I've been cold and have needed an extra bath (and it's only been the 1 extra one :T).

I often wear (and have one on now!) a scarf as a lot of my t-shirts / jumpers are v-necks and I tend to wear my hair up so get really cold around my neck and chest - works great!

A bodywarmer is great to have handy - can really add some extra heat but not too bulky as you've still got your shoulders / arms free so you don't feel restricted.

HTH & welcome to the thread.:)

craigywv

UPDATE ON THE CLOTHES OUTSIDE ON THE LINE COLD AND CRISPY!!! 80% dry so happy!

fuddle

When I'm in the house by myself I tuck a fleecy blanket around my body (like a towel getting out of the bath). Leaving only my arms free to do my jobs. If the door is knocked I whip it off. A blanket lying round is normal in this house so no one knows I just looked like a complete fool

smithkinson

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

HTH & welcome to the thread.:)

Thanks for the tips, and the welcome! I often wear a scarf at home too, and a hat if I'm very cold, though if I put a hat on my daughter thinks we are off out. It's mostly my legs and feet that get cold. I usually wear jeans, and thought for some reason that jeans should be warm, but they're really not! I bought some thermal leggings to go under them and this helps, but have found tracksuit type bottoms better for in the house - just I only have one pair as they're not something I wear out of the house so need to get some more!

I'm on the lookout for some decent slippers too. I get at least one new pair every year and they are always trashed within a few months but I soldier on until the next christmas. With spending so much time at home it really would be sensible to spend a bit more on some that would actually last and be decent. It would be like wearing trashed shoes to work every day and expecting to feel comfortable.

Confuzzled

craigywv wrote: »

UPDATE ON THE CLOTHES OUTSIDE ON THE LINE COLD AND CRISPY!!! 80% dry so happy!

do you have clothes lollies now then?


got to be careful at your house you might be offering pantsicles to guests if you have too many that froze on the line :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


sorry couldn't resist! well done you for getting them that dry, least now they won't go all musty smelling when you finish them off in the house

Confuzzled

smithkinson wrote: »

I usually wear jeans, and thought for some reason that jeans should be warm, but they're really not! I bought some thermal leggings to go under them and this helps, but have found tracksuit type bottoms better for in the house - just I only have one pair as they're not something I wear out of the house so need to get some more!

I'm on the lookout for some decent slippers too.

there is a saying 'cotton in the hills, kills' ie they are NOT the best for retaining body heat (and really bad if they get wet eek) i've found leggings made with about 95% viscose & 5% elastane are brilliant for keeping me warm either on their own or under trousers and they are light so they don't make you feel too bulky

i use a fleece blanket over my lap, i have a super thick one and it's brilliant for warmth, so much so i'm still just wearing my leggings alone with no heat on for most of this month.

slipper boots are a wonderful thing, they keep your ankles from going cold and they are so snug. if you're really cold you can wear a pair of thin socks with them. you can usually pick some up for around £8-12 this time of year, i watch and pick mine up in summer and pay about half that price.

the thing with slipper boots is don't wear them outside it trashes them very quickly. also, try not to wash them til the end of the season, they tend to go all wonky and not as fluffy or warm as before. that's with machine washing, handwashing might produce better results. i now have three pairs of them in various stages of 'decay' one pair i've had for 2 years now and despite being washed they are still warm enough for me most days.

it will always be cheaper to heat locally and easier on the family in general if you always feel the cold more than they do, it's awful sweating because someone else is just thawing out at that temp!

it'll be a good lesson too for your daughter to grow up seeing mum and dad wear layers and do sensible things to keep warm and have a lower house temp. she'll get used to it and just do it herself as that's the way it was always done, nothing weird about it, it'll be all those more wasteful people that are the weird ones

welcome to the thread, and congrats on taking your first steps towards overall preparedness...watch out though, it can get addictive

2tonsils

I find jeans much too cold to wear in the winter...they seem to hold the damp next to your skin and if I am on the scooter they make me feel frozen where the wind hits me.

I find sports trousers better as the lycra seems to stop them feeling damp. When its really cold I wear them with ski thermals under them and its wonderful and warm. I just found some neoprene (like diving suits) leggings with a thermal lining at the Chinese shop at only 3 euros. They are waterproof and wind proof and perfect for riding the scooter as they will tuck into my boots.

I hate feeling cold so have a large supply of scarves and pashminas as well as gloves. Normal scarves let the wind go through on the bike so I wrap a pashmina around my shoulders under my jacket. I also have a snood which goes up my neck and tucks under my helmet and its lovely and warm. The only problem is that it sheds fibers all over and I end up looking like a rainbow lol.

Definitely colder here tonight, we have the fire built right up and my husband still keeps saying he feels a bit cool....his blood pressure must be down lol...going to give him a cuppa and a brandy. This cold damp weather plays hell with his three slipped discs...

If I wear slippers I find my ankles get too cold, so this year I bought a pair of soft leather boxing boots with rubber soles and fur lining....they are not coming off my feet till next April at this rate!!!!! I also bought some woolly socks that are thigh length and look like silk stockings complete with a garter and bow on the top.......can't wait to wear them LOL