As I sit here at our dining room table to write, I can hear the wind whistling around the house. It may be a sunny and bright fall day, but the bitter cold has made its return and we’re bracing ourselves for what’s to come in the next five months. I love that we live in an area where we get to experience all four seasons, each with their own ups and downs, but I do get this feeling of trepidation as the winter approaches. We’re taking Lucy trick-or-treating tonight and I’ll be stuffing her into her winter coat under her little costume, and taking a travel mug of hot chocolate for myself.
Although you know as soon as Halloween is over, I’ll start thinking about Christmas!….which really is the highlight of winter for me. I’ll be sharing some of our holiday plans in the November newsletter coming out this Friday morning. If you haven’t already subscribed, don’t forget to do so! Meanwhile, here at some of the things I am doing to get us ready for winter.
Every year I print out my Fall Cleaning Checklist to give me an idea of the things I need to get done. I don’t get to them all, but it does help to have the list handy on the fridge as I work my way through it.
This fall we built a lean-to shed to house our garbage and recycling bins, partly to keep them away from the house, but also to keep them protected from the elements. Digging out the bins after a nasty winter storm was always a drag. Now we just need to keep the path to the shed cleared and we’re good for winter.
Last week Garrett prepped the inside of the chicken coop for winter and this weekend we’ll prep the outside as well. You can read all about how to keep our backyard chickens warm all winter.
Keeping our dogs happy and healthy all winter is a big priority too, and I always take extra care to prepare everything for them as well. Whiskey and Cola are both around 12 lbs and have short hair, so they always feel the cold. I went through and washed all their winter sweaters and jackets for the year, and I’ve added a blanket to each of their dog beds for burrowing at night…although Whiskey rarely sleeps in his own bed now and prefers to be under the covers at my feet. I have to admit that I don’t mind snuggling up to him on those cold winter nights.
It’s also important to take precautions to protect yourself in the winter and prepare for an emergency. I have a full list with all the essentials that we stock up on every year.
Of course winter is also a great time get caught up on some crafting too! I’m working on some holiday crafts right now, but I also love to start a new knitting project in the winter too. This Infinity Scarf I made a few years ago was a great beginners project and is super cozy for wearing throughout the winter.
What do you do to prepare for winter?
Stock up your freezer with your favourite comfort foods? Dig out the skis and snowboots? Fly South until the snow melts? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
