Preparing for Winter

downshifter

I have an underblanket, it's completely wonderful. I put it on for a while before going to bed and have to say there are times during the night that I reach down and switch in on to a low setting if it's particularly cold. I'm completely in love with it, to get into bed on a cold night and feel that warmth down your back, fantastic. Especially if you like to read or watch telly before going to sleep. The important thing is to check for those you can have switched on while you're in bed, I think with some you have to switch them off. My mother even removes hers before getting in. You also need to get them checked for safety now and then, my local fire service has electric blanket safety days when you can take it in to be checked for free. Also of course, no good if you're likely to spill your bedtime cocoa or anything else.

But I love my electric blanket

DS

Quasar

I use a fleece blanket to put under the duvet so that it's in contact with my skim. It gives a wonderful feeling of softness and warmth.

I'm a great champion of fleece. I have two tight fleece jackets from Primark, bought 2 years ago and have lasted me well. Last week I saw a fleece jacket in Marks&Spencers, a rather full and snug one, for £27 - ok not very moneysaving, but it's really the works: thick fleece, good length, fits snugly up to and over the neck and throat, and it looks smart too.

Warm slippers and indoors comfy trousers plus fluffy Primark socks will keep me warm as toast.

shelley_crow

What I have done so far:

1) Put thermal blinds up in my son's room, the kitchen and the bathroom (bad chilly breezes always come from these places)

2) Ordered thick thermal lined curtains from ebay for front and back doors, both wooden and single glazed.

3) Bought OH, myself and son new slippers. OH and son both have plenty of dressing gowns, I prefer hoodies.

4) I'm starting to look for a thicker quilt. My dog claimed my last thick quilt as his new bed, I looked into washing it at a laundarette (king size quilt) and the cheapest i found was £15, eek, that's a whole new quilt!

5) Am looking into Slankets for cold evenings, they are fairly pricey for what they are so might make my own out of fleecy blankets.

6) Unfortunately, I only have a gas fire that I won't use (my mom had an almost fatal case of CO poisoning) so i am making sure the central heating works fine.

7) Stocking up on hay for the animals I have outside (chickens and guinea pigs), might need more than one bale to ensure they have enough to keep them warm through the winter.

8) Need to check that my son and OH have hats and gloves each.

9) Stocked up on options hot choc while it is £1.49 from Netto, nothing beats a hot choc on a cold evening.

shaz_mum_of__2

shelley_crow wrote: »

9) Stocked up on options hot choc while it is £1.49 from Netto, nothing beats a hot choc on a cold evening.

And homebargains have big bags of marshmallows for 69p too:coffee:hmmm

alice-mary

Following the examples set by other posters on this thread, I looked for any blankets in one of my local charity shops this morning. I was lucky enough to find a lovely peach coloured full size wool blanket for only £1.99 and was told that it was donated just 3 days ago and had only this morning been returned to them after being cleaned! I couldn't believe it and would certainly recommend that other people try this too, so thankyou whoever it was that suggested this in the first place!!

shelley_crow

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

And homebargains have big bags of marshmallows for 69p too:coffee:hmmm

nomnomnomnomnomnom x

Patchwork_Quilt

kingshir wrote: »

Do you remember the fashion (a good few years ago) for wearing a big scarf or shawl around the shoulders, on top of your winter coat/jacket/mac? It was a brilliant way of keeping warmth and it extended the life of a wintercoat no end, especially if you had several scarves to ring the changes. I might dig some of them out and wear them like that again - sod the fashions!!:p

Goodness, yes. Was that the 80's? But why not wear the huge scarf across the shoulders under the coat? It won't extend your coat life at all but you will be extremely warm. I used to do this way after the big scarves went out of fashion and all you can see is a bit of scarf at the throat, which is quite nice really.

Thank you for all the brolly advice, everyone. I am on the case.

rigsby1967

5) Am looking into Slankets for cold evenings, they are fairly pricey for what they are so might make my own out of fleecy blankets.



I just bought myself one of those slankets tonight from ebay for £10 incuding P&P, there are some on there on the 20 and 30 pound mark :eek:.

winniepooh

what are slankets???

Gigervamp

winniepooh wrote: »

what are slankets???

Sleeved blankets?