Preparing for Winter

lauren_1

Does anyone have any good ideas to help insulate my lounge and hall, the lounge a very big room which has a open doorway (no door) in to my kitchen which runs parallel and both have doors (the kitchen is a basic wood and glass and the lounge is a large double patio door) opening in to the conservatory, blinking freezing come October

The hall leads in to the kitchen (again no door)

I have heavy duty curtains lined with fleece blankets, pillow cases filled with odd socks to act as draught excluder's and its still freezing. I could save a fortune by turning off my fridge freezer and just opening the doors, the temp inside the conservatory is the same as the garden most nights.

tara747

smileyt wrote: »

I can't understand those of you who love winter! I've realised this year that I only truly relax when pottering in the garden, and I also suffer badly from SAD. So winter is a double whammy for me!

This year I'm going to experiment with taking Vitamin D, if I can find a reasonably priced vegan one. It's supposed to be the sunshine vitamin and there's evidence to suggest it can help with depression. I do also have a SAD lamp but it's no substitute for a sunny summer's day!

My SAD affects me so badly that on the longest day I feel miserable because I know the days start getting shorter!

I know how you feel. I so love summer - longer days are THE best thing about it, also the warmth, the garden, lighter food, light summer clothes (not having to put on layers, oh the joy), going barefoot, or wearing sandals and NO SOCKS, bright mornings, everyone in a good mood, cheaper bills, doing 'holiday' type things like going to the beach or picnicking. What's not to love?

I can't believe this thread is going at the start of JULY - when it was active in August I thought that was a bit much but this is getting odder by the year. I don't see a 'planning for summer' thread in January! :rotfl: Why not just enjoy the summer? I know it's good to spread the cost of bills etc all year round and pick up mega bargins out of season etc but to say you're looking forward to winter at the height of summer really baffles me.

Strangely enough, I work with a few people who say they 'hate summer' and won't elaborate on why they hate it. I am always at a loss to work out how someone could hate summer, living as we do in a temperate climate with no 40C heat/mosquitoes etc to spoil it for us. Summer in these islands is really lovely imho. :A

I would be really interested to hear your views on this.

ETA: Just wanted to point out that I do *love* this thread and find it invaluable but I can never bear to actually read it till about mid October! :rotfl:

mardatha

I love summer because I can wander in and out all day, potter in the garden, & walk around barefoot all the time. I love winter because I can sit at the fire to knit & read, go walks in the snow and see all the wee animal tracks & watch the geese fly over in big wedges. I love spring because the peewits & plovers come back to the hill, the sun reaches into the kitchen again, and the sheep come inbye for the lambing.
But I HATE autumn !!

beingfrugal

tara747 wrote: »

I know how you feel. I so love summer - longer days are THE best thing about it, also the warmth, the garden, lighter food, light summer clothes (not having to put on layers, oh the joy), going barefoot, or wearing sandals and NO SOCKS, bright mornings, everyone in a good mood, cheaper bills, doing 'holiday' type things like going to the beach or picnicking. What's not to love?

I can't believe this thread is going at the start of JULY - when it was active in August I thought that was a bit much but this is getting odder by the year. I don't see a 'planning for summer' thread in January! :rotfl: Why not just enjoy the summer? I know it's good to spread the cost of bills etc all year round and pick up mega bargins out of season etc but to say you're looking forward to winter at the height of summer really baffles me.

Strangely enough, I work with a few people who say they 'hate summer' and won't elaborate on why they hate it. I am always at a loss to work out how someone could hate summer, living as we do in a temperate climate with no 40C heat/mosquitoes etc to spoil it for us. Summer in these islands is really lovely imho. :A

I would be really interested to hear your views on this.

ETA: Just wanted to point out that I do *love* this thread and find it invaluable but I can never bear to actually read it till about mid October! :rotfl:

I love the summer too! I love the 'thought' of being all snuggly in the autumn.. not wishing for it to come now though :rotfl: I'm active on this thread as I have to start to think about it now due to lack of money. I spent the winter in this house last year and it is not up to scratch. To think I had to pay for everything in October scares me therefore I'll pave the way now as it won't be a shock to the budget sheet.

Make sense.. or still blimmin' stupid lol

tara747

mardatha wrote: »

I love summer because I can wander in and out all day, potter in the garden, & walk around barefoot all the time. I love winter because I can sit at the fire to knit & read, go walks in the snow and see all the wee animal tracks & watch the geese fly over in big wedges. I love spring because the peewits & plovers come back to the hill, the sun reaches into the kitchen again, and the sheep come inbye for the lambing.
But I HATE autumn !!

Why, just out of curiosity?

Your post was lovely btw.

I have certain things I love about each season, but I do wish we had 3 months of each and not 7 months of wet cold winter brrr. The period up to Christmas is bearable because of all the anticipation etc (and my bday is before Christmas) but 1 January signals the start of 3 months of pure grey dullness for me. Urgh!!!!!!!!!! I wish I could go abroad for those 3 months.

I rejoice on the last weekend of March when the clocks go forward. Summer and I go together like wine and cheese, spuds and butter, tea and biscuits, Morecambe and Wise. :beer:

mardatha

Noo, Jan 1st is NEW YEAR, a new start, the year when it might all come together. (or fall apart LOL ) Autumn everything is withering, dying. I hate it so much.

pumpkinlife

tara747 wrote: »

Strangely enough, I work with a few people who say they 'hate summer' and won't elaborate on why they hate it. I am always at a loss to work out how someone could hate summer, living as we do in a temperate climate with no 40C heat/mosquitoes etc to spoil it for us. Summer in these islands is really lovely imho. :A

I would be really interested to hear your views on this.

NO MOSQUITOES???? I have been kept awake for the last 3 nights by more than one of the little blighters squealing around my house. Perhaps it is because we are an island, they like a muggy, trapped prey population. Though they were rife in Norfolk when I lived there and that was practically savannah in summer.

Summer is OK in the UK. I used to like Norfolk in the summer because it was bone dry with wide open skies and beaches. I think I like extemes seasonal weather, none of this temperate nonsense . High desert ranch here I come!

I do think we need a prepping for summer thread. I think one briefly appeared here last spring and then never took off?

Patchwork_Quilt

mardatha wrote: »

Noo, Jan 1st is NEW YEAR, a new start, the year when it might all come together. (or fall apart LOL ) Autumn everything is withering, dying. I hate it so much.

But think of the fruit, the chutneys, the pickles!

Money_maker

Great to see this thread up and running again! Thanks for all the tips folks, look forward to catching up from time to time.

I love the anticipation of winter - the fun of Christmas planning, fluffy socks, snuggly fleeces and candles on the table at dinnertime.

Summer is fine by me so long as there are no prolonged heatwaves (like now) and a good balance of sun and rain. I love my garden in the summer so hate to see it so dry. Autumn is great - the season of harvest when all your hard work culminates in a veritable feast of produce for freezing/bottling/jamming (jamming?!). Time to forage for natures harvest and enjoy beautiful sunsets. I also get a bit of a 'downer' after the 1st of January - Jan and Feb seem to drag for me so look forward to the bud burst of spring.

Am hoping when DD goes to playgroup that I can get a little bit more creative and try making some bits for Christmas and my home. I will be organised this winter and thank each and every one of you for your tips on here.

mardatha

I only like strawberries and they are summer fruits. I dont do chutneys and "pickley things" lol!