To suddenly be frightened of the coming winter?

[KathrynKampbell]

I think it's just hit me how hard winter is going to be. I'm sat downstairs now (watching a film tut tut get to bed) and its really cold. Today was cold too and we had to have the heating on and off all day. I thought we would manage with maybe once a day for a bit and make do with layers but I hadn't realised how much the house would leak heat and how cold laminate floor is. And the temperature is obviously going to get colder over the next few months.

AIBU to be scared about the next few months?

I always think it feels colder at this time of the year than in January/February when it really is colder.

Something to do with moving from summer and being used to warmer temperatures maybe?

The upstairs stays warmer longer after the heating is off. Downstairs gets freezing again but upstairs stays at 21/22 degrees (according to baby monitor) right until 11ish even if the heating went off at 7pm. Meanwhile downstairs turns into a fridge apparently

A good winter goat - combined with boots and hat - is certainly a sound investment.

I was looking at microwave slippers earlier as extra pressies for Christmas. They warm up in microwave to keep feet toasty

what's with the goats?

Do they heat your house? Do I need a goat?

Be careful choosing the microwave slippers - I had some once that had 3 separate wheat bags in each slipper, all to be removed for microwave, then fitted back in. It was a right faff compared to just putting a wheat pillow in whole!

These are ones that you stick full slipper in oven as I thought the ones you're describing would be a faff!

RoseRedder - I would certainly invest in one. I wouldn't take any chances.

This may sound trite but get yourself to Dunhelm Mill and buy every member of your family one of these. They are quite simply the toastiest garment ever. I get up in the morning and put it on over my PJ's and I am just warm and happy straight away. I got the next size up than I need and just pull it on over my clothes as well during the day (only when at home obviously ). They are gloriously warm.

Don't, by any means, risk being goatless this winter.

I suppose the goat can be fed from the food recycling 'slop' bin.

Oooh they look so cosy! Teddy bear onesie and a goat it is.

To goat or not to goat - surely there can only be one answer?

Zhu Zhu slipper boots are essential. I think the head heat-loss thing was disproved by NASA and purely anecdotally, if my feet are warm the rest of me doesn't feel so cold.

Primark have a cheap version of the 'heat holder' socks. All fluffy inside. With my onesie and snuggie blanket I am creating enough static electricity to hook you all up free of charge.

I think it takes some time to acclimatise to a temperature shift.

Our house is only ever 21/22c in the height of summer, and I'd class 'cold' as < 15c so it's all relative.

Check out the Martin Lewis website for cheap deals on utilities & general household bills.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/

Electric blankets are the way to go, very economical and amazing getting into a warm bed

While it doesn't get as cold in my bit of Au, the less than wonderful insulation of Aussie houses means I can vouch for the following indoors in winter:
Uggs and fluffy socks. Indeed you can sleep nekkid in fluffy socks and you'll be warm.
A light scarf - someone upthread mentioned this, and it really works. If your neck's cold, you're cold.
Thin layers. I wear lots of fine merino vests, that look like T-shirts so are toasty warm. (I wear them one at a time, not all at once):o

It took me a while to get used to the idea that you can't go swanning around in a T-shirt, etc. here. Having said that, most Aussies houses are detached as well as poorly-insulated, so my UK experience gave me a distorted view. Had I lived in detached house in the the UK, no doubt I'd have been rugged-up like nobody's business.

I buy woollen cardies from op shops; the only places to get decent hand-knitted woollies.

Right now. we're booking in a chap to fit ceiling fans to cool us down for the summer.:o

First frost of the year here this morning. I was out at 5am, car needed defrosting and the council hadn't gritted last night. Some roads were very slippery.

Winter is on the way

You need a neck buff, a onesie and thermal socks. My DP hates my onesie until I say 'oh I'll take it off and turn the heating on then'.

Downtontrout never heard of council gritting roads for frost before .

of course tney do! Where have you been living?

Do people still have wood fires in the UK? I grew up in Australia where admittedly it doesn't get extremely cold for the most part but lived in a mountainous area where temperatures were routinely about -5 in winter. My father used to chop his own wood on weekends about once a month during summer/autumn and we'd all stay in the living room with a combustion stove during winter for as long as possible until bedtime. If it was especially cold, my parents would also light a fire in the old open fireplace in the same room and in an old castiron wood/coal fuelled oven in the kitchen (which was never used otherwise except as a large potstand). Central heating where you can walk around in t-shirts and other light clothing is still almost unheard of although a few more people have had it installed with new builds (we lived in a draughty Edwardian cottage). Lots of woollens and mugs of hot chocolate...

We had a wood fire this weekend, it feels cosy even if it's not the most efficient way to heat the house.
We have enough wood in our huge garden to keep us in a fair fires this winter (although we do also have a bit of coal to see us through in case we run out).
DH also spent a chunk of yesterday up in the loft laying extra insulation so it should be a bit more snuggly.