Preparing for Winter

nickynoo08

My god it was cold here this morning, i caved and put the heating on (only for an hr mind). Mainly because the thermometer in ds2 bedroom said it was too cold 12c Bbrrrr!
Not sure if anyone has mentioned it before but while i was in my local morrisons today they were selling slankets for £10, i was only looking at these on the internet last night and saw the same ones being sold for anything from £11 plus p&p to £25 plus p&p. Anyhoo i got 2 one for me and ds2 to snuggle in and one for OH. I've currently got mine on while ds is running like a loon not even noticing the cold.

Rummer

I wore a scarf and gloves today for the first time! I have now dug out the winter clothing!

Shortie

Cooo this wind and rain isn't doing us any good!

I can't dry my washing and need to clear the spare room to put the clothes horses out, and we have flap-less cat flap (whoops) and a breeze blowing through. Off to find a cheap catflap and a home for the cotbed in the spare room!

Still, at least my broad bean and pea seeds are getting a soaking :rolleyes:

twiglet98

DS21 has been off for a couple of days and lit a log fire because he was freezing, grumbling about having a cold coming... I came home at lunchtime to find him in bare feet, trackies and a t-shirt. Stiff talking-to, told him to put socks and a jumper on, get a blanket round him (got some of the brown £2 fleeces in Asda on Saturday), and NOT to waste logs during the day - we're not having fires at night yet, but I might let them light one if they have friends round at the weekend. Still haven't had the chimney swept, nor got advice about mending or replacing the open fire (the firebricks and grate are broken), just had a massive vet bill so it's not looking promising. On the list of jobs for tomorrow when I'm off, along with browsing charity shops for curtains.

My favourite winter book is The Magic Apple Tree by Susan Hill, an account of the four seasons in her Oxfordshire cottage. It's one I dip into time and again, just to read a paragraph that evokes what I am feeling, or wish I was feeling! Recipes and garden advice too. Also Elizabeth West's Hovel in the Hills, Kitchen in the Hills and Garden in the Hills. Wish I could find more time to read!

cheerfulness4

Reverbe wrote: »

Cheerfulness be careful if you get reading the Little House books. When I was younger I read all of them and theres loads....

You know I think I might just throw caution to the wind and indulge myself this winter with the lot!

Twiglet - I've heard the Elizabeth West books mentioned on here before but can't seem to find them on my online library catalogue. Most frustrating. :mad: I shall track them down, you see if I don't.
Will do a search for the Susan Hill book.

Will start compiling a list of cookery books to borrow for winter recipes and gardening books for planning the next years crops. Quite exciting! :j

Freezing here today but glowing with sunshine again. Have DH's thick, woolly cardi on and my booties slippers with a fleece over my knees so I'm snug as a bug. :T

mardatha

We've had some gorgeous sunny chilly days, its great to see the sun even if it's cold.
Twiglet try on Gumtree/Freecycle for bits for the fireplace.

mustangsal

Hi everyone, i cant beleive how organised you all are! It is freezing here atm. hailing right now. i had to put my heating on the other day, can only afford to run 1 radiator as it's electric storage heating and costs a fortune to run!:eek: it's not giving out much heat either, is well overdue a service, been here 4 years and the council have never once serviced it. I'm so jealous of all the lucky people who have a real fire or stove! i miss it so much! been waiting for word of a bigger house for so long! doubt we'd get one with a fire though. they've replaced most of them with either gas or electric heating. i'm going to start on a couple of draught exluders tonight. and i love the idea with the fleece blankets over the window! genius! will have to give that a try. Look forward to any more good ideas.

Confuzzled

it's lovely and sunny outside today here, not too cold, no breeze to mention

i think we'll be having frost soon though as the grass looked a bit dewy in the back garden as i hung out the clothes.

i've only had the hall heater on on wet days when i needed laundry drying so that's twice now other than the night i tried it out to make sure it works ok. last night though i was too hot in bed because i had it on so i'll have to figure out some sort of happy medium. i did make a point to stay up til after midnight to put the new load of laundry on (economy 7) and so i was able to put the laundry out on the line first thing this morning

not sure how much longer i'll be able to line dry clothes but i'd better make the most of it while i can as all my warm winter jumpers take forever to dry inside!

i'm quite pleased with how well the new flat holds the heat though. i also arranged my new direct debit for this flat yesterday and i was shocked to hear they only wanted 40quid a month, i actually told them to take 50 as i'm not sure 40 will be enough but it's significantly less than what i'd expected them to ask (100/month) so i'll put the other 50 away each month just in case. if i don't get into arrears with them then we can have that for a wee holiday in the spring :T

LJM

it is also a lovely day here today first this week where i have managed to get my washing outside

gentlepurr

I've stumbled on a good idea for chimney draughts, we've got one of those coal effect gas fires, but with a real chimney. I bought a cheap picture with perspex instead of glass, 20"x24" it cost me £3 from a charity shop. Ive thrown the picture out and used the perspex across the front of the fire, secured it with a couple of those velcro spots, and put the trivet in fron of it to keep it level at the base. ****nb - it also stops kittens from climbing up the chimney :rotfl::D

Oh, another idea. Ive been wearing joggy bottoms alot ( they're the only things wide enough to go over the leg brace ) and ive been tucking the bottoms into a pair of thick soft bedsocks in an attempt to keep my feet warm.

xx