Me

Me

Thursday 12 September 2013

My thoughts turn to Autumn and Winter...

Hi everyone!

I've been away from blogging this week because Daisy has needed my time more than ever. She now has four back teeth poking through and she has suffered with it. She just wants cuddles. Tomorrow I will make matters worse for her...her next set of immunisations :-(

I know I promised a post on meal planning/shopping and how I did a thrifty party for Daisy, but these will have to wait, sorry!

Back to my post title...

The last couple of days have been a bit chilly here. I've heard of people putting their heating on, but we won't be doing that just yet. Ideally I want to get to October, but I obviously have Daisy to think about. She was shivering after getting out of the bath last night, so I put a cardy on over her pjs and thin tights under. I always cuddle her with a blanket wrapped around her once she's ready for bed to snuggle and she soon warmed up. I also slept in a cardy because my arms are always cold and I generally seem to feel the cold.

Now I'm thinking about what I need to do to prepare for the colder days and nights and what I need to buy. I obviously need to buy new outdoor wear for Daisy because she was very small last winter and has grown out of all her little hats/bonnets, coats and snowsuits, although we do have one pair of knitted mittens that fit. She has loads of warm blankets for when we're out and about and her cosy toes for the pram. She has sleeping bags for her cot because she won't stay under a blanket at night and it's dangerous to try because she could put her head under. I will need to get a snowsuit and coat, mittens and hats. She will also need a few new bits of clothing for winter and tights. She is growing out of her 3-6 months clothing now, but quite a lot of her 6-9 month stuff is summery. I will just put tights and cardies with those bits. Whenever I go carbooting, I buy knitted cardies for Daisy. I can't knit (yet) and the bought cardies are not warm enough, so I have bought bigger sizes when I have seen them. I don't think it will be long and we will be visiting Clarks for her first pair of shoes! She's not walking yet but standing with furniture for support. It's definitely going to be an expense this winter anyway.

I need a decent coat, a waterproof one. I will be looking out for one (second hand). My daughter picked up a fantastic coat, a good make, at a charity shop for a few pounds last year and it keeps her warm and dry when she walks Flo. I layer up to keep warm and will keep on wearing the same clothes I've had for years, although I do need to get the sewing basket out! I will pick up things if I see them, but I could manage as long as I can get the washing dry.

There are other things to consider for if snow comes, like food stocks and salt for our sloping drive. I need to do a list!

The slowcooker is coming out in a minute for some braising steak I found at the bottom of the freezer. We had dumplings the other day but could manage them again :-), so I will add diced potato and have it all in one pot (less washing up and electric) and then add some dumpling mix from my Approved Food stash (not the real atora ones I made the other day - yum yum!)

Is anyone else planning for the colder weather yet?

Mandy x

6 comments:

  1. Hi Mandy,
    lots of cuddles for Daisy then, poor mite, sore teeth and then the dreaded jabs, hope you have a good supply of calpol to hand.
    Ive started thinking about The colder months and how I can save as much money as possible. I have loads of dried goods that can be used to bulk out meals like soups, stews, pies, etc all bought for very little from Approved foods during the year. I too have loads of suet mixes as they were very cheap (compared with Atora).
    I also have loads of their batter mixes that were 99p for 3.5kg and you just add water, so useful for loads of Yorkshire puddings with various fillings.
    I get my shares from Next (where I work) in December and am seriously contemplating spending them on a log burner. We only have a small house but it is the coldest house I have ever lived in. We have a living flame gas fire in the living room but it doesn't throw hardly any heat out and is more for decoration so totally unpractical.
    I also layer the beds with a heavy winter quilt and also a lighter summer weight quilt. I always wear layers of clothes in the house with usually a thermal t-shirt (supplied by work) under a jumper with a thin cardigan over the top and ALWAYS wear socks under trousers and NEVER EVER don't wear slippers, sometimes even thick fur slipper boots around the house.
    I too feel the cold easily and prefer to be too warm rather than cold.
    I have fleece blankets that we bring downstairs for on the sofas for an evening whilst watching t.v.
    We eat loads of warming foods sometimes followed by hot puds and plenty of warm drinks.
    I only put the heating on for maybe 1 - 2 hours whist we have our baths and to dry any clothes that cant be line dried. Small items and towels get tumbled dried but only a couple to times as week as the tumble dryer is the most expensive piece of equipment I always think, it gobbles up electricity and as I am on prepayment meters for both gas and electricity I have to watch every penny to ensure they never run out before pay day.
    Look foreword to your meal plans and shopping plans and how you managed to save money on a birthday party. as always take care jane

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    1. Hi Jane, I'm dreading her jabs! It should be her mummy going, but let's face it - she wouldn't be able to offer Daisy the same level of comfort because she doesn't know her well enough.

      I still have a stash from AF and will do another order shortly to take us to Christmas. My OH didn't like the batter mix, saying it didn't have much flavour, but I will still need to use it!

      I wish we had a log burner. We have an electric fire in the living room which is good, but costly. We also have a couple of portable heaters that we used last year in Daisy's room and in Charlotte's room (she has a tortoise that has to be warm) and they are good. The heating will go on, but our boiler is old and could stop working at any time.

      We plan to buy a thicker duvet on Sunday (cheaper in the supermarket). I wear thermals when it's really cold, day and night! I layer with a vest top, polo neck jumper and cardy over. I wear thick socks and slipper boots.

      We put blankets on the sofa (look at my auntie Charlotte post)too.

      The slowcooker will be busy with various stews and casseroles. We have a pudding with custard... treacle sponge...yum yum! I am already drinking more coffee to keep warm in the mornings. I will start eating soup for lunch when I've bought some supplies.

      I dry my washing on a clothes horse in my bedroom in front of the radiator for Daisy's little bits and pieces, a larger clothes horse in the living room when the fire's been on (but it just broke and needs replacing). Obviously I use the washing line as much as possible and tend to just air the laundry and finish it off inside on a clothes horse. If it's raining, I won't do the washing for a couple of days. I've got a tumble drier, but that would only be used in emergencies.

      My saving money on electric challenges are to make sure the oven is always full and use the slowcooker as much as possible. I also plan to save the remaining water after the kettle has been boiled in a flask.

      I need to plan those other blog posts carefully, not ramble on, so hopefully next week???

      Thanks for your comment, Mandy x

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  2. Hi, so glad you have reminded me about salt. Loads of snow here last year and none to be had anywhere. I am hoping to do without the log burner until November
    I am so cross with b gas that we are trying to not use it at all this winter. I hate the cold though so will have to give in if unbearable. Hoping to dry in front of the fire which we did last year. We just leave the dryer in front when we go to bed. It's all closed up so not dangerous. I don't think there's anything wrong with a short shiver just shows how clever the body is. We are going to buy an electric blanket this year for the first few minutes before bed. Good luck for tomorrow with Daisy. Will be very quick and she will soon forget. X

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    1. Hi, We have a salt bin close to our house because there is a junction which people are supposed to salt. Last year, my OH and son were out there doing the salting when we don't even live on that junction or need to use it! The salt is only meant for that sadly, so my OH buys bags of it for our personal use. Our drive is quite steep and we wouldn't be able to get the cars/truck off without salting. The drive has to be cleared before my OH gets home from work if it snows during the day and luckily my son can help me with that. We try to be prepared!


      I'm dreading the jabs later but it has to be done!

      Thanks for your comment, Mandy x

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  3. Hi mandy,
    Hope the Jabs wasn't too bad for Daisy. As you talk about Winter it is coming into summer here in Queensland Australia. I will be looking at ways to keep electricity down without using too much. Our air-con packed in and we won't be replacing it. So on really hot days we will cool down by a swim, cold shower or our local Libary is always freezing cold with air-con blasting. I try not to have the oven on unless it is a cooler day, it heats the house up too much.
    Lors x

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  4. Hi mandy,
    Hope the Jabs wasn't too bad for Daisy. As you talk about Winter it is coming into summer here in Queensland Australia. I will be looking at ways to keep electricity down without using too much. Our air-con packed in and we won't be replacing it. So on really hot days we will cool down by a swim, cold shower or our local Libary is always freezing cold with air-con blasting. I try not to have the oven on unless it is a cooler day, it heats the house up too much.
    Lors x

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