Preparing for Winter V

FairyPrincessk

Just a quick tip for those with children or child-sized feet. My local Ald! is selling off unsold stock. They had children's thermal socks (the ones that are either heat for your feet or similar) at 49p. The largest size they had was a 12-3 1/2, I wear a 4 but I know the socks run big so got two pairs of those. Not sure if they'll be at all locations, I think each store is just selling off whatever they have lurking around but maybe someone else will get lucky.:D

alice-mary

Afternoon All!

I finally got around to booking the Chimney Sweep yesterday (I usually do this in May but have been very late with it this year). So on the 18th of August I will be able to tick that part of my winter preps list. I also need to book a delivery of logs and coal, hopefully while I am still on holiday from school....that way I can have a fire all laid out, ready to light whenever I decide it is cold enough after a long day at work (why is it that the September days always feel much longer and colder than they actually are?).

Take care,

Alice
xx

betterlife

Hi all, This weather lately feels rather Autumn like! so is encouraging me to crack on with my winter preps
I`m self employed, and sept-jan tends to be pretty quiet, which is not great when you have a family of 6 to support! so i`m stocking up my cupboards with items we use more in the winter (like oxo cubes, pulses, etc) and i`ve been buying cheap and reduced meat joints for the freezer when i see them, so that will certainly help when moneys tight. I`m trying to put some money aside as well but not always easy, especial with the 4 children home on summer hols. I`ve managed to get winter clothes needed from the millets sale, and have been buying bits for xmas throughout the year (have almost finished there stockings
I planted my runner beans late this year, so will be picking and freezing them for over the winter months, blueberries i will be making jam with. I`ve been seeing a few blackberries lately, so will keep my eyes open for when theres enough to pick, and we no of a local apple tree down by the river, that produces the loveliest apples, so will be picking them in sept and making lots of pies, jams, apple sauces etc.

[Deleted User]

We processed 2 sacks and 3 large bags of apples yesterday afternoon giving us another 14 litres of apple juice for cider , we've started to get offers of windfalls from other village folks and it really does feel like early onset autumn. I've already made 8 lbs of gooseberry jam and 9 jars (some 1 and a half pounders) of redcurrant jelly and will be making apple chutney and tomato chutney (both red and green versions) soon. Early in September we'll go foraging for crab apples for jelly which is a winter mainstay, the year seems to be turning, winter's not that far away is it?

[Deleted User]

My winter preps include garden and allotment and I have seen signs of autumn, some plants are already closing down. I am covering raised beds when they are emptied and have washed all containers to date, not put them away yet but will do that this week. I absolutely hate the outside tidy up when the weather is cold and damp so have started it early for the past few years. Well worth it, when I would rather be indoors, knitting and eating chocolate. I admit to hibernating during late autumn/winter

My car pack has been checked over and is fine to put back in the car

Stove is ready, just got to get some more fuel in, a job for september

Large upright freezer was emptied and cleaned and will be re-filled in october, small didddly one is bursting at the seams

Cupboard space made for some more tins of quick food, in case of power cuts

Hobby stuff and chocolate already stashed

Doveling

Bought a little coat for the dog yesterday.
Not a fan of clothes for animals but he is an old boy so will need a bit of protection.
It's more for rain and dark as it's waterproof and fluorescent and only lightly quilted.

He didn't seem to mind me fitting it on him so I presume his previous owner may have had him wearing one. He really hates the rain.

SpikyHedgehog

Rainy-Days wrote: »

Not sure if it is of any help to any of you, but Next have door curtains very reasonable in their online sale! Go to the homeware tab and then curtains and there is about five pages or so of reduced curtains!

http://www.next.co.uk/sale/

Thank you Rainy-Days! I went to collect my door curtains after work today and the lady asked me if we lived in a mansion as I'd got 7 curtains! No, but a 3 bedroom house with a cat who doesn't believe in shut doors . (The sales assistant lives in a 1 bedroom flat up two flights of stairs.) Now to find enough curtain poles for them all...

Lucy5781

Now wondering if we'll end up moving house any time up to February...

[Deleted User]

We've just come back from a drive almost across West Sussex and the beech trees there are starting to colour up their leaves quite noticeable, looking quite yellow in places. The cereal crops in the fields are ripe and straw coloured and the hedgerow fruits like hawthorn are very nearly ripe. I know it's only August but with the lack of rain we've had this year it really does look like autumn out there!

shoei

We have blackberries ripening in Derbyshire, lots of windfall apples, harvest well and truly underway and our paddock has a thin blanket of yellowing leaves already!