Winter’s a-Coming

We’ve had our Indian Summer and weren’t some of the sunsets amazing!  Now apparently because the berries were on a certain shrub over August , we are in for a hard and cold winter.  I always thought that if the berries were untouched till late then it was because they were being saved for winter. Either way we are in for a cold and possibly white Christmas.

But before you batten down the hatches, store your tinned foods away and nestle down on a bed of hay- there are a few tasks to do.

• Free Loft and Cavity Wall Insulation- easy. Apply http://www.freeinsulation.co.uk/
• Line or interline those curtains- even attaching old blankets to the back of curtains over winter stops heat loss.
• Seal draughts- Strips of tape inside doors, a sticky pad over keyholes on inside of door
• Paint woodwork, it’s better to do it now in natural light than in artificial light.
• Paint the front door- There’s something kinda uplifting about nicely painted door.
• Look at changing your lightbulbs to more energy saving.
• Christmas is coming, time to change those dining chair pads!  1½ metre of material and a staple gun and that’s 4 chairs done.
• Don’t neglect the garden or window boxes.  Cut that grass, clear those leaves and pull out all the summer annuals. Better to have empty boxes than overgrown ones.
• Check that smoke alarm and buy a carbon monoxide one.
• Fit timers for thermostat radiators and close doors of rooms not being used.
• Close the curtains.

I’m off to make soup and fill my hot water bottle, we are in for a cold winter- don’t be caught out!