This week my Word of the Week is:
It hasn't just been cold it has been freezing but cold is a better word to describe my week. All of those people who say they love winter and can't wait for it in the summer, are you happy now? lol
I feel so grateful that almost this time last year we got the insulated wall put up in the living room. It really has made such a difference in here, it isn't as cold and when we have the heating on it stays warm. I moved my armchair in front of the living room window before Christmas to make room for the Christmas tree and in previous years I would have been freezing sat here but it's actually OK. I think the new boiler we had put in during the spring has made a difference too. This is the first cold spell in years that we haven't been complaining about being cold when we are inside.
On Monday Ellie came home from college cold as she had lost her coat. She put it on a wall while she was faffing around in her bag and then the bus came, her coat was left. It wasn't an expensive coat, it was a couple of years old, it was more an inconvenience. So she had to borrow one of Becky's coats on Tuesday until I got her a new one delivered. She was due a new one and we got her an Adidas one which ended up being cheaper than a no name one from Sports Direct in their sale.
I have read about people having snow but so far we've had the tiniest snow flakes falling on Monday but nothing has settled. Ellie was hoping for snow, hoping to get a day off college but even if the snow did effect traffic her bus runs on one of the main roads which is always well gritted so I doubt it would be cancelled.
The coldest room in our house was the kitchen, well it was until we got a tumble dryer on Sunday. I have been catching up on the piles of washing and had the tumble dryer running a lot and it has made the kitchen so warm. I was worried it would make it damp but so far it has been absolutely fine. It feels like a win/win situation. The washing gets done easily and it warms the kitchen up.
One good thing about it being so cold is that it seems to have been sunny and bright. I hate the dark, grey, gloomy days we have been having before this past week but when the sun is shining I have so much get up and go. Don't get me wrong there are times when all I want to do is sit under a blanket with my hot water bottle but if I get up and keep moving I have the motivation to get stuff done. It has been so nice to see blue skies, it makes me feel like warmer days are coming!
For the last week or so I have been waking up each morning feeling like I am getting a cold, that scratchy feeling in the back of my nose and throat and feeling stuffed up. I realised mid-week why! Stu keeps shutting the bedroom window, he gets up during the night feeling cold and shuts it. He doesn't need to, the bedroom is warm enough, I have told him to put some proper pj's on and not just sleep in a t-shirt and shorts. lol
Yesterday we got the last quarters gas and electricity bill which I was dreading, I always do at this time of year and plus over the last quarter we've had a shower put in so I thought that was going to bump up the cost. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, in fact we paid less this time than compared to this time last year. I feel now we can have the heating on a little bit more, instead of waiting until we're cold to put it on I can put it on before we feel cold.
According to the weather forecast after today the temperatures should rise. If the forecast is to be believed it will be 13 degrees on Tuesday, that's practically summer weather. lol.
How has your week been? I hope you have had a good one!
I'm glad all those improvements have paid off, makes it all worth while when you feel the benefits. We'll all be wearing shorts on Tuesday! LOL! Karen - Early Rising Mum
ReplyDeleteIt's really great that your heating bill was lower than last year. That insulation helped. Do you plan to do the same for the rest of the rooms? It might be worth it in the long term.
ReplyDeleteYour house sounds nice and cosy now. I don't know what I would do if I were Ellie. I certainly would not come off the bus I didn't have a coat on! You would have to come and meet me with a coat! OMG. I hate the cold so much!
ReplyDeleteI bet since the house is better insulated it's able to keep more of the heat in and you are actually using less of it while staying warmer so that is definitely a win/win! I don't mind the cold nearly as much on those days with blue skies and sunshine as I do on those dreary gray days. We got another tiny dusting of snow last night so everything looks pretty and white today but should all be gone by the end of the week since it's supposed to warm up quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteBoo has 5 coats! Everyone else in the family (apart from her big sister) has only one. She is a bit of an addict with coats though, if she lost one we would not hear the last of it! I'm glad your house is warmer, insulation makes a big difference. The inside walls of this house are like cardboard but the outside walls are super thick. My latest electric/gas bill was in credit...in winter!!
ReplyDeleteI’m glad the insulated wall has made a big difference with your house feeling warmer. Oops to Ellie losing her coat. At least it wasn’t a new one. Having brighter days has been the nice side of it being cold. That’s good that the gas and electricity bill wasn’t as bad as you thought it might be. It is an expensive time of year for energy bills! #WotW
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