Are You Ready For Winter?

You might have seen that a few of my recent posts and tweets have been complaining about the colder weather, well it's definitely cold here! Yesterday I gave in and put the central heating on, I'm not at all happy about that by the way! I don't like the cold weather, but I do enjoy a lot of other aspects of the autumn and winter months. I've found the best way to make them as enjoyable as possible is to be prepared, so I thought I'd share with you a couple of tips!

If you follow me over on Pinterest you can see some of my winter prep pins on this board (which you can also see below). I'm always adding more at the moment, so keep checking back!

Follow Hannah S's board winter prepare on Pinterest.

My first tip is to make a list, of everything. My to-do list is about 3 pages long at the moment, and I'm better prepared than I would normally be! If you get stuck for ideas then a quick search online should give you plenty of inspiration.

Pen and paper at the ready? Great, let's get started!

• Take a look around the room you're in right now, what jumps out at you? If there's a radiator is it clear, or do you have things in front of it blocking the air flow? Are your windows in good conditions or are there a couple gaps and draughts? These need to be fixed or you'll be throwing heat away! Work your way through the rest of the rooms in your home, noting down the areas that need attention.
• In your bathroom it's time to check your sealant around the bath/shower. It's a job so many of us overlook, but it is so important. A couple of years ago, I knew that I needed to do it but kept putting it off. Then after a quick shower one evening I was downstairs and I could hear dripping. I headed into the kitchen and there was water leaking through the ceiling!!! The water had ran down the tiles, behind the old silicone, underneath the bath and through the floorboards into the ceiling below. It meant ripping the side of the bath off, throwing as many absorbent things as possible underneath and putting a bucket in the kitchen to catch the water. Now I religiously check the silicone around the edge of the bath at least once a week. Whilst you're there are your tiles in good condition? Maybe the grouting could do with a touch up? Don't forget that bathrooms will stay wet for longer in the winter, so think about how you will control moisture buildup. We have an extractor fan, but I also use small portable moisture catchers in there. Dehumidifiers will also work as long as you plug them in away from the bathroom, but remember they can be quite expensive to run.
• I've already mentioned checking your windows, but what about your doors? I know that we get a bad draught through the keyhole in our front door, so this year I'll be putting up a door curtain and getting a keyhole cover (the actual name is escutcheon but that's too fancy)!  Take a look at the caulk around your door, and check weather stripping and seals. This will make sure your home is properly protected from the nasty elements outside. 

Your home is now ready, but are you? I live in quite a rural area, with a terrible bus service and no shops close by. If it snows or if there's bad ice, the roads become impassable and we're not going anywhere. Even if you live somewhere slightly more accessible, if there's bad weather wouldn't you rather stay at home? There's a few easy things to make it a lot easier on yourself this year:

• Make sure you've got food & drink in stock. Obviously, it's not so easy to stockpile fresh items, but don't let that put you off. Frozen or tinned fruit & veg will enable you to keep up with your 5 a day, and long life milk will mean you don't have to sacrifice your morning cuppa if you can't get the fresh stuff! I like to make sure we've got at least a week of meals in the freezer, as well as plenty of tinned soups, fish, stews etc. Have you got enough tea and coffee to get by? Don't forget the chocolate and biscuits though, they're important for your sanity! If you have pets make sure they've got plenty too.
• It's not just food & drink that are necessities. Have you got extra toilet rolls and tissues? What happens if the roads are thick with snow but you've ran out of Calpol for the kids (or yourself)?! Just making sure that you've got these things in the cupboard will save you a lot of trouble if bad weather hits. Some of the items I make sure we have extra in stock are: 
  1. Toilet rolls
  2. Kitchen rolls
  3. Tissues
  4. Soap, Toothpaste, Shampoo and other toiletries. Ladies don't forget your pads/tampons!!
  5. Dishwashing and Laundry detergents, fabric conditioner.
  6. Medicine; try and have a week or 2 extra of your prescriptions if you have them, paracetamol, ibuprofen, throat sweets and plenty of cold/flu remedies! 
  7. Batteries! Power cuts are more prevalent in the winter, so make sure your torches have something to run on.
  8. Candles, again due to power cuts!

Stepping outside your home for a moment, it's important to think about what you'd do if the weather turned whilst you were out in your car. 

• Tyres. Last winter I wrote this about winter tyres, even if you don't change your tyres for winter ones, make sure yours are within the legal tread depth (preferably with more)!
• Wipers. Are they in good condition or do they screech across the screen? The rubber needs to be in tip-top form to move all that rain, snow & ice, so if they need replacing do it now! 
• Fluids. Does your oil need changing? Do you need to top -up your anti-freeze? No idea what you're doing when it comes to cars? That's ok, Halfords will do a winter health check for free (I don't know if other providers do this, but I have personal experience of Halfords!). 
• Lights. You'll be using them a lot more from now on, so check they work and that they work well! Keep spare bulbs in the car just in case.
• Battery. Your car has to work harder to start in winter, I could go into lots of detail about cold coils etc, but you probably don't want that! Make sure your battery is at it's best now, so that it doesn't fail on you when you need it. No-one wants to be hanging around a freezing cold car park waiting for a recovery van or for a kind person to give you a jump start. Speaking of which...
• Make sure you have jump leads in your car, and a tyre pump! If you don't have a spare wheel, or if you don't want to change your wheel make sure you have a can of run-flat.. you attach to the valve, it fills the tyre, fixes the puncture and you can carry on your way! 
• If you do get stuck make sure you've got plenty of warm and waterproof clothes. You might have to walk, so wellies or walking boots are another great idea to have in the car with you. Extra socks are a must! 
• Some food and drink is vital, even just a bottle of water and a cereal bar will keep you going; but of course you'll need to make sure there's enough for all the people in the car! If you can take a flask with you that would be even better.
• TORCH! Do not even think about heading out without one. To be honest you should already have one in your glove box. Make sure it works and keep spare batteries handy. 
• Now you can see where you're going, make sure people can see you! High vis jackets for every person in the car and a reflective triangle will go a long way to keeping you safe. 
• Blankets, phone charges and some entertainments (books, playing cards, etc) are just a couple of other items you might want to keep in your car.
• Because you might have to get out of your car and move to a safer place, try and keep the essentials (clothes, food, drinks, torch etc) in a bag that is waterproof and easy to carry. 
• DON'T FORGET A FIRST AID KIT!
  

Home and car done, time to think about your garden. I know you probably won't be spending much time in it but you'll be looking at it, and wildlife will be living in it! 

• Once the leaves have fallen check to see if any trees need trimming back, we have at least one that is going to need looking at ASAP. Shrubs, roses and hedges could also do with cutting back, you don't need to go mad but it will all promote healthy growth in the spring.
• Give the grass it's final cut, make sure you've picked up all the cuttings, clean the mower and store it away carefully.
• Does your furniture need some tlc? I've just finished giving our patio table & chairs, and shed a lick of paint. Not only do they look better, which will bring colour to the winter garden, but they're now protected against the rain and frost! I'll probably buy a cover for the table & chairs to protect them further. BBQs should also be covered or stored indoors.
• Don't forget the animals! Food for birds will be scarce so consider hanging some feeders for them, try and find out which birds you have in your garden and then look online to find out which food is best for them e.g. peanuts are good for tits. Place any feeders high up and away from fences & other surfaces that predators such as cats could use to attack the birds. If you have squirrels you might want to invest in a squirrel proof feeder to make sure only the birds get the nuts & seeds. They'll also need plenty of fresh water, so if you have a bird bath check daily to make sure it hasn't frozen over. 

So there you have it, a quick run-up of my tips to make sure you are ready for winter! My list is much longer, but I couldn't possibly write it all here.. plus it's much better to write your own, that's suited to your needs!

Let me know what you think, are you prepared or have you got a lot to do? Drop me a comment below!

Stay safe and warm, x