We have really enjoyed some nice weather lately, but it is inevitable that winter is on its way.  Winter … not our favorite time of year.  Away with the flip-flops and pool toys and out with the snow shovels and warm coats.  That means the snow and ice will soon follow. If you are like me you dread this time of year and all that it brings.  Of course we enjoy when the kids come over to go sledding, and they look forward to Grandma having the hot chocolate ready when they finally are frozen to the core!  But the older we get, the more we hate bundling up, slippery walks and roads, and paying the heat bill.  Having to worry about if your car will start in the morning, or if you need to take precautions to keep the pipes from freezing are just not fun.  Thankfully, with Afena’s home banking and bill-pay we don’t have to go out if we don’t want to.  We can transfer funds and pay bills, all the while staying “cozy”. 

Making sure we are prepared for the winter weather will keep my husband busy for a few days and give me a little much needed “ME TIME”.  Much as I love that man, I am still not used to him being around all the time!  So I have “helped him out” by listing a few things we need to take care of.  After all, he does not need to know that my ulterior motive is “me time”!  

Also, every year when the first snow is coming, my snow scraper is no where to be found.  Now I know this is because my wonderful Hubby has put it “away” somewhere … problem is he does not remember where!  Confronting him directly about this has not always worked out well for me, so I have snuck it in the list of suggestions below!

Winterizing Our Home Honey Do List

• Use caulking and weather-stripping around windows and doors to stop drafts. Another option is to use the plastic on the windows to help seal any unseen gaps and make sure that no drafts come through. 
• Get our heating system a check-up and make sure we have some new filters on hand.
• Make sure our chimney is ready for winter by getting it checked by a chimney sweep.
• Trim the trees around our house to prevent loose branches from falling on the house.
• Insulate our pipes and water heater to ensure that nothing can freeze during the coldest times and check for any leaks.
• Check our snow blower and winter supplies.  Start up our snow blower to ensure that no repairs need to be made and make sure that we have plenty of gas. Also locate our snow scraper, snow shovel and salt supplies. 

  See how I snuck that in!

• Make sure that our rain gutters are clean and ready for winter so leaves and debris do not end up frozen in the gutters. 

Winterizing Our Vehicle Honey Do List

• Make sure that we have an Emergency Kit, blankets and water in our car.
• Make sure our 4-Wheel drive feature is working properly. 
• Check all the belts and hoses. 

  My husband can be very pleasant replacing a hose in nice weather, but throw in some freezing rain and …well let’s just say I won’t be hearing any pleasantries if that happens!

• Replace worn windshield wipers and check the wiper fluid.  Perhaps we should purchase special wipers and fluid for winter?
• Check the defrosting and heating units to make sure that they are in proper working order.  No one wants to get caught out without any heat!
• Check the levels of antifreeze in our vehicles and make sure to top off if needed.
• Check the oil viscosity (thickness) before winter gets here.

  I have no idea how you check this or what it should be, but it was on the list I found on the internet so I am including it – who knows – maybe I get another 30 minutes of “ME TIME” with this one!

• Check the tire pressure.  Should we consider purchasing snow tires for our vehicle?

Now I know this seems like a lot, but Hubby will probably only really complete about half of the things on the list anyway, yet it will afford me some of my much-needed “ME TIME”.  And doing these things really can save us time and money!  And … maybe … just maybe … this year when the first big snow is on its way, I will actually have access to my snow scraper!  So I figure it is worth a try.