Showing posts with label Winter. Show all posts

Top Winterization Tips For Your Home And Garden

Winter has just arrived, and ensuring your home and garden are prepared is critical for comfort, and safety, and to ensure you don't overspend on heating. These practical tips will help you winterize efficiently, reduce energy bills, and protect your property from the harsh elements.


1. Insulate Your Home for Maximum Efficiency


cosy woman


Seal Windows and Doors: Check for drafts and seal gaps with weatherstripping or caulking. For older windows, consider installing storm windows or using shrink-wrap insulation kits.


Upgrade Insulation: Add insulation in your attic, walls, or basement to prevent heat loss. Focus on R-values to determine the insulation’s effectiveness.


Install Thermal Curtains: These can reduce heat loss through windows by up to 25%


2. Optimize Heating Systems


Service Your Furnace: Schedule a professional inspection and replace the air filter to ensure your heating system runs efficiently.

Smart Thermostats: Install programmable thermostats to save energy by optimizing heating schedules.

Bleed Radiators: Remove trapped air to improve radiator efficiency if you use a hydronic heating system.

3. Prepare Plumbing for Freezing Temperatures

Insulate Pipes: Use pipe sleeves or heat tape on exposed pipes, especially in basements, attics, or crawl spaces.


Disconnect and store garden hoses: Shut off and drain exterior taps to prevent burst pipes.

4. Protect Your Garden


robin in garden



Mulch Flower Beds: Mulch insulates plant roots, protecting them from extreme cold.


Prune Trees and Shrubs: Trim dead or overgrown branches to prevent damage from snow and ice.


Winterize Equipment: Drain fuel from lawnmowers and store them in a dry place. Clean and store garden tools

5. Conserve Energy and Heat


Reverse Ceiling Fans: Set ceiling fans to rotate clockwise at low speeds to push warm air down into living spaces.

Seal Air Leaks: Check vents, ducts, and electrical outlets for leaks and seal them with foam gaskets or caulking.

Maximize Sunlight: Open curtains during the day to let in natural heat and close them at night for insulation.


6. Additional Safety Measures

Inspect Chimneys: Clean and inspect chimneys before lighting the first fire to prevent creosote buildup.


Stock Emergency Supplies: Prepare for winter storms with flashlights, batteries, bottled water, and a first-aid kit.


Install Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Heating appliances can emit carbon monoxide if not vented properly.

In Conclusion


Winterizing your home and garden ensures you stay warm and cosy while safeguarding your property. Begin preparations early to beat the freeze, and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with being ready for the season.


Do you have a tried-and-true winterization tip? Share it in the comments below!


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4 Ways To Keep Your Home Warm For Winter

Keeping your home warm and cosy during the winter can be challenging. The cold weather outside can make it even harder to stay comfortable inside, especially if your home has older heating systems and windows that aren't as energy-efficient as they could be. 

Fortunately, there are a variety of ways you can keep your house nice and toasty during these chilly months. In this article, we'll look at the four ways you can keep your home warm for winter.

Buy Thick Curtains

curtains
First, let's talk about a simple yet effective way to keep your home warm; thick curtains. If your windows are letting in a lot of cold air, thick curtains can make a huge difference to the temperature in your house. Choose thick, warm curtains that will insulate your windows and keep the cold outside. Additionally, you can tuck the curtains behind your radiators to help the heat spread around the room. This can be a great, cost-effective way to make your home warmer with very little effort.

Invest In New UPVC Windows

New, energy-efficient windows are one of the most effective ways to keep your house warm in winter. If your windows are old and don't have good insulation, hiring a window company to replace them with energy-efficient UPVC windows will help prevent warm air from escaping through them. If your home has old windows and you need to keep things cosy this winter, investing in new UPVC windows is the way to go.

Upgrade Your Boiler

It may be time to replace your boiler if it is more than ten years old. Newer boilers often have energy-efficient settings that can help reduce your heating bills. You can even get boilers that are specially designed to be efficient while also keeping your home warm. Another option you might worth considering is an oil boiler, which can be a smart choice if you are looking to lower your electricity bills. You can purchase heating oil in bulk from companies like PayLessForOil to fuel your boiler. Other benefits of upgrading your boiler include increased safety and reliability. If your boiler breaks down in the middle of winter, it could cause a major disruption to your life. Replacing your old boiler with a newer, more reliable model will help prevent this from happening.

Put Heat Reflectors Behind Your Radiators

Another cool trick to improve the warmth of your home is to put heat reflectors behind your radiators. This can be a great way to make your radiators more efficient, as well as help to keep your home nice and warm. If you have old radiators in your home, you can use these heat reflectors to reflect the heat back towards the room without having to replace them. Newer radiators often have a built-in reflective lining, but you can retrofit older radiators by installing heat reflectors yourself.

Final Thoughts

Keeping your home warm is essential during the winter months. If you follow the tips in this article, you should be able to keep your home nice and warm without breaking the bank. From investing in new windows and upgrading your boiler to buying thick curtains and putting heat reflectors behind your radiators, there are lots of ways you can improve the warmth of your home.
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Skiing or Snowboarding? Check out Protest Clothing

If you are a skier or snowboarded or even if you love chilly winter destinations with a light dusting of snow or perhaps you a good Christmas market, you know the importance of having warm, cosy clothing to keep the cold out.  So let you tell you about a quality brand that recently contacted me - Protest. This is an advertorial for Protest.

Protest hoody

Protest is a design-led sportswear company based in Holland, founded by a group of snowboarders, and yes you heard that right, snowboard enthusiasts from Holland! The clothes are made of the best functional materials that keep you warm and dry, both on the slopes and off.  


It's all in the detail with Protest clothing. They really care about the detail like the materials, the zippers, the stitchings, the fabrics, the finishes, and the washes. 


Materials like softshell fabric, that's windproof, waterproof and warm. as well as flexible for the slopes or walking around picture-postcard snow-dusted towns. 


Zippers on trousers that make it easier to get them into your boot, whether you are snowboarding or walking to the cute apres-ski bar.  


The breathability of jackets that keep you warm on the slopes or doing that Christmas shopping, as well as allowing moisture to escape keeping you fresh. These are the details that matter. So let's have a look at some of the ski and snowboarding favourites from Protest this autumn/winter season.

Fleeces


The fleeces that Protest sell are top quality. The mens fleeces and womens fleeces are stretchy, in a breathable fabric and super insulating. The fall/winter collection 20/21 focuses on sustainability, colours and prints that you would see on the high street.  

Whether you want to go snowboarding or skiing and using a fleece as a layer to keep the warmth in, or popping to the shops or a cafe for some delicious refreshments, then a fleece is a great autumn/winter stand by. 

Ski Jackets


The ski jackets that Protest sell are in a range of colours, from simple neutral tones to fashion-led designs. The mens ski jackets and womens ski jackets are made of multi-functioning materials as well, making them waterproof and warm too with ventilation zips.

Of course, a ski or snowboarding jacket can also be used as a great winter jacket, as they are made to withstand almost all weather conditions. A high K-Factor which is noted on their ski jackets shows how breathable and waterproof the jacket is. So go for the highest rating for a jacket that will keep the rain out.

Thermals

Thermal tops and thermal trousers are a winter must-have. No one likes to be cold and whether you are actively snowboarding, skiing or hiking, or visiting family or friends and the Christmas markets, you still want to be cosy. 

The selection of thermals from Protest are great, with patterns and prints that are fashion-led as well as basic block colours with turtle necks or a hood to keep your ears warm.


As you can see Protest have lots of great items that combine fashion with functionality for winter and whether you are on the slopes or not, it's worth checking out their website for your winter clothing choices. 

Green credentials

Protest are also focusing on sustainability this year, so are using recycled materials such as recycled PET, recycled nylon and recycled rubber in their jackets. They are also working to eliminate PFC from their supply chain (the material that makes jackets waterproof) so have to be applauded for that.

To get 10% off your order use the code diary10 at checkout. This coupon is valid until February 28, 2021. 

Let me know, what do you think of the Protest skiing and snowboarding collection from AW 20/21? Do you have any favourites from the designs featured?

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Winter Wardrobe Essentials For Kids

Are you all sorted when it comes to your winter wardrobe? How about winter clothing for your children? If you aren’t quite prepared just yet, this handy guide will tell you exactly what you need for their winter wardrobe. Read on to find out more.

A warm coat



With so many fun activities taking place outside in the winter such as Bonfire Night and carol singing, a warm coat is of major importance. It will be an item of clothing worn day in, day out throughout the winter, to school and out of school, so you want to make sure that it is good quality and will last this winter and others as well.

Some cosy gloves

Whilst the weather has been a little bit strange recently, going from bitterly cold in the morning to blazing hot in the afternoon, it is always handy to make sure your child has a pair of cosy gloves should they need them. There is nothing worse than cold numb hands, is there?

Invest in cotton layers

Whilst you may be thinking all about the warm aspects of clothing, remember that layering clothing also brings warmth and layers are also an important part of anyone’s winter wardrobe. Some cotton layers, much like the ones available at GAP Kids, are perfect for the winter as they are good quality and soft on your child’s skin.

Pick up some waterproof boots

If anything is the most worn footwear in winter, it is boots - especially waterproof ones. These are perfect for all the different weathers winter has to throw at us, whether rain, sleet or snow; as they keep out the wetness but also have a fantastic grip to keep your kids upright in even the most precarious of weather conditions.

Hats and scarves are a must



Now your child probably won’t always keep their hats or scarves on - and that is fair enough, hats can become unbearably warm and scarves can often come down and get in the way - but it is better to have them than to not have them when you need them. Picking up a new hat and scarf for each of your kids is essential for their winter wardrobe.

Comfy sweaters for everyone

Nothing beats sitting on the sofa, chilling out under the blanket watching TV and snuggled up in your new favourite comfy sweater. Everyone has that one warm and cosy sweater that they tend to opt for during winter and your children will be the same. If they haven’t got one or are in need of a new one, make sure to buy them a new one in preparation for the upcoming season. A cosy sweater is a must!

Earmuffs

Finally, and perhaps the one that least people opt for, is earmuffs. Now I don’t know about you but my ears get really cold during the winter and sometimes hats, whilst keeping our head warm, don’t really get the job done when it comes to our ears. There are so many cute pairs of ear muffs out there nowadays - why not pick up some for your children just in case.

What is on your winter wardrobe essentials list when it comes to children? Have I missed anything?

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My Dream Winter Destination - Cortina D' Ampezzo Italy

Italy is my dream winter destination. I was lucky enough to spend some time in the Italian Dolomites last year just before Christmas and I wished I had stayed longer. Snow topped mountains, warm friendly people, amazing food, this is why it is my ideal winter destination.
Cortina D'Ampezzo Italy

The Dolomites is a beautiful range of mountains and home to some lovely towns like Cortina D'Ampezzo.


Cortina D' Ampezzo, is a great place to go skiing, but over 70% of Italian visitors don't come here for skiing, they come for the glamorous life. Corso Italia is the main pedestrianised street lined by chic shops selling clothes, jewellery, delectable food, a couple of wonderful cafes selling THE BEST hot chocolate and a smattering of restaurants.

The soaring church at the heart of the town is picture-book perfect and adds to the atmosphere, at Christmas, it is lit up with luminous stars and snowflakes.




I love the hotels here, all gorgeous inside and out like the amazing fashion boutique hotel, Hotel Ambra Cortina, where I stayed last year. My dream would be to have a home here, in a destination remote enough to have some peace but close enough to the nearest restaurants and bars to have fun!

Now I thought long and hard about how I would decorate it, but in some ways, I'm a traditionalist at heart, so I've gone for muted tones, and a classic style with white, beige, faux fur and silver. A sort of Scandi style, but also fitting with a modern chic chalet in Italy. Think whitewashed walls, white floorboards, with the odd rustic touch.


I love this Julian Charles, white wish tree reversible duvet. In brushed cotton, it would keep me cosy when it's cold outside. and what a beautiful design too.


For my lounge, I would choose a lovely faux fur throw and some fluffy faux fur cushions. The mix of grey, brown and cream cushions fits perfectly into a chalet and the Scandi design. I adore snuggling under a faux fur throw when it's snowing outside, drinking a cup of hot chocolate and eating delicious cookies. Do you?

This Christmas star tea light glass jar is super cute and adds a Christmassy touch, whilst being an amazing bargain at only £3.50 too. Even though I like a lux lifestyle I always keep my eye out for a bargain.

All that is left is to get some delicious foodie treats, like some Italian panettone, and then it's time to cuddle up to my husband on the sofa watching It's A Wonderful Life.  

 You can read my review of Hotel Ambra Cortina here, and find out what we got up to in Cortina D'Ampezzo, on the travel blog I write with my husband Fly Drive Explore.

 Julian Charles has an ebook out about their dream Winter destinations, check it out for further inspiration.

 Cortina D'Ampezzo is my dream winter destination, what is yours? Tell me how would you #EscapeForWinter?

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Car Safety And Maintenance In Winter

Now that the winter months are rolling in, it is important to be vigilant about a number of things. This includes car safety and maintenance - roads can be much trickier to drive on during the winter so you want to make sure your car is 100% roadworthy before taking it out. You also don’t want to be stuck on the side of the motorway in the freezing cold just because you have forgotten to do some simple checks. Here are some quick tips on car safety and maintenance for the winter months.

Check the condition of your tyres



It is essential that your tyres are in good condition no matter what time of year it is but you want to be sure they are in perfect condition when it comes to winter. Driving conditions can often be wet and icy and you don’t want your tyre condition to be the cause of an accident. The legal minimum depth is 1.6mm but most places recommend a minimum of 3mm during the winter months, just to be on the safe side.

Is your battery OK?

Batteries can be the banes of our lives - running out and leaving us stranded in random places. It would be horrid to get stuck in the freezing cold with no battery to drive anywhere or even heat up the car. Give your battery the once over to check it is running as it should be. If you feel you can’t be too sure if your battery is ok, perhaps take your car to your nearest Kwik Fit and they will be able to help you out.

Antifreeze is your friend

Make sure you always have antifreeze to hand. Top up your engine coolant with antifreeze as topping up with water dilutes the engine coolant over time. During winter, the diluted mixture will freeze so adding some antifreeze should stop this happening. Also, top up your screen washer fluid with some antifreeze too.

Be prepared



Should the worst happen and you do get stranded, make sure you at least have a winter breakdown kit to hand. This should include a shovel in case you need to shovel snow, a torch, blanket, hi-visibility vest, extra screenwash, a scraper and some de-icer. Maybe also pack some food and drink supplies in case you are there for longer than expected. Make sure you have at least half a tank of fuel in case of any delays and enough oil too. Also, make sure your phone is fully charged whenever you set off on a journey.

Ensure you have details of a car accident lawyer to hand especially in countries like the US. This is especially helpful if you are involved in an accident that is not your fault.

Check your windscreen and other parts

Make sure there are no chips in your windscreen as these can grow in the cold weather. If you know how to (some people don’t), check everything brake-related to make sure they are working to full functionality too.

Finally...know what you’re covered for

You wouldn’t believe the amount of people who don’t know what their car insurance covers them. With winter being a prime time for accidents and damage to motor vehicles, ensure you know just what your insurance will and won’t pay out on. Comprehensive cover should, as the name suggests, be comprehensive - but so many people go for third party, fire and theft and then wonder why they aren’t covered in certain occasions. Be completely sure of what policy you have.

Do you have any more tips for car safety and maintenance during these cold winter months?

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LookIng After Your Car This Winter

With Winter approaching, now is the time to get your car ready for the colder months. Here are some top tips on car care and things to do now before the Winter.



Check your battery

 Make sure your car battery is charged and in good condition. During the Winter you will use your heater and lights much more than normal and this can put much greater strain on the battery. If your battery is old it may be worth buying a new one.

 Top up your anti-freeze

 Top up your anti-freeze in your radiator and in your windscreen wash. Both essential Winter procedures. Of course, both of these tasks use completely different fluids, so buy the correct one. Topping up your windscreen wash is straight forward but topping up your radiator is slightly more complicated. If you are not sure how to do it, check out a respected site like Halfords which has a video on how to do it, or take it to your local garage.

 Check your tyres

You need good quality tyres with excellent tread for the Winter months to avoid any accidents on icy roads. Check your tyres or get them checked by the local garage. You can buy a tyre gauge to check them yourself and always check the car's manual for the correct depth and tyre pressure. You don't want to total your car on the icy roads!

 Check your oil

 Make sure your oil is at the correct level to lubricate the engine and prevent it becoming overheated. There are many guides online on how to check your oil and your car manual will also explain but if in doubt Halfords does an oil check and top up for you.

 Prepare for emergencies

 Make sure you have some essentials in your car for an emergency, like a breakdown. I always carry a blanket, a phone charger, a torch with spare batteries and a first aid kit in the car. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) also suggests a fire extinguisher should be kept in a car, in the case of emergencies. De-icing spray or a windscreen scraper is also an essential piece of kit.

 Consider breakdown cover

 For peace of mind consider breakdown cover. Many start at less than £50 pounds a year and I feel is essential for peace of mind. I always remember being stuck on the M4 motorway near Bath in snow on Boxing Day a few years ago. We had breakdown cover which was a huge relief, and I don't know what we would have done if we hadn't.

 Rent a garage or a buy a carport


A garage or carport can protect your car all year around, but is especially useful in the Winter. A garage will protect the car from the cold, the rain and ice but can be expensive to build or rent if you don't have one. A carport is a great alternative. 

 A carport, which is a shelter for a car, with a roof and often side sheets can be surprisingly affordable whilst still protecting the car from the worst of the cold weather. They also protect you from the elements whilst getting in and out of the car, particularly useful if you have shopping or if you are a carer and have to move those with a disability, the elderly or young children with you in and out of a car. If you do move house in the future, many are portable too so you can take it with you, check out the selection from 123V.

 Brush up on your driving skills

 Break, the road safety charity has a section on driving in the Winter on their website, and I think it's always good to read up on this before the season starts. Be careful, be cautious and if the weather is treacherous don't go out. 

 So these are some of my tips for looking after your car (and yourself) this Winter. If you are not sure on how to do the practical elements of preparing your car your local garage may offer a 'Winter Check' which will cover most of these elements. It's also a good idea to ensure your car is up-to-date with its servicing too. 

 Do you ensure your car has a Winter check up? 

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