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Thanks everyone, we're pretty excited. Now that the 'hangover' has worn off, it's time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. It's going to be tricky because the background check is a long slow process with interviews and things like that. I don't think she'll have any problems but you never know, so we are treading lightly, don't want to invest too much money until we are further along in the process. We've had a little cold snap down here this week, with temps dropping to lower 30's. Since we won't be getting there until late spring or early summer, we'll be able to gradually move into the cold season, I think our summer will be more preparation for winter than anything else. Wow, we're actually going to experience 'autumn', cool. Then the reality of having to rake leaves will kick in and it won't be so cool anymore. My kids are extremely excited about this new adventure, my oldest is dying to make a snow angel and my youngest wants to hit me with a snow ball. This change truly is a Christmas miracle and has really turned what started out as a lousy year end on a major high note. Thank you all again for your help, advice and prayers, I assume I'll start a new thread with more direct questions in the near future, for now, I simply have one:
Any suggestions on necessities for winter? I've never owned things like scarves or ear muffs or even gloves for that matter. What should I be looking for, brands, materials, things of that nature. Also, things like shovels and equipment, we hope to be renting a home at first and I figure I'll have to take care of things like that, and since I've never actually experienced a snowfall, either heavy or flurries (hehe, I'm starting to get the lingo down) I just want to make sure that we are prepared.
Again, thank you all for the support and information.
My sister and her family just re-located to Naperville, IL from Orlando this week. They have been in Florida for the past 6 years and are originally from the Chicago area. Her first Christmas there she remarked how odd it was to be running their a/c with the decorations and all.
I wouldn't say there is a brand of cold weather gear you should or should not buy. As is always the case you get what you pay for. I just bought a house last year and had used a snow shovel last winter for the driveway. This year I bought a snow-pusher. This seems to work out better on my back. Only had to use it Once so far on a 4-incher. Not really worth the expense right now to buy a blower. Perhaps when I get up there some in age.
Looks like we have another 4 inches or so tonight and yet another Alberta Clipper on Monday. Looks to be a white Christmas
Any suggestions on necessities for winter? I've never owned things like scarves or ear muffs or even gloves for that matter. What should I be looking for, brands, materials, things of that nature. Also, things like shovels and equipment, we hope to be renting a home at first and I figure I'll have to take care of things like that, and since I've never actually experienced a snowfall, either heavy or flurries (hehe, I'm starting to get the lingo down) I just want to make sure that we are prepared.
Again, thank you all for the support and information.
Well in my opinion forget ear muffs and scarves. All I think you really need is a winter hat and gloves, but I really don't know what brands to recommend. A lot of people here buy snow blowers if they really hate shoveling snow, but a shovel should be enough. Just make sure you don't get the cheapest shovel at the store because they always seem to break.
go to LLBean's website and look at the clothes ... shop accordingly ... it will give you an idea of what you need, so you can shop anywhere. I'm going on 11 years in my full length LLBean coat that is guaranteed to keep me warm in temps as low at -25 ...
as far as a shovel, I want one of these really bad!!!
My husband rarely wears more than a winter coat (although a nice oiled canvas one that really helps stop the wind). He'll wear a hat and gloves in colder weather. My teenager runs around in heavy sweatpants and hoodies, and although he carries a good coat in his car in case of a breakdown, he almost never wears it - apparently it's not cool to ward off hypothermia anymore. I am a total wuss and rarely go out without hat, gloves, scarf, and a vest under the coat for extra warmth. So YMMV as far as what you will want/need.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is a good ice scraper/snow brush for cleaning off your car. Even if you rent a house with a garage, there may be times you find your car parked outside (work, shopping, etc) and need to clear it off. I really like the long handled tools with a brush on one end and a scraper on the other. A small snow shovel for the trunk is a good idea if you ever find yourself stuck in a drift. An AAA card is a great idea for help if you've slid off the road or jumps if your battery gets too sluggish in the cold, etc.
My husband rarely wears more than a winter coat (although a nice oiled canvas one that really helps stop the wind). He'll wear a hat and gloves in colder weather. My teenager runs around in heavy sweatpants and hoodies, and although he carries a good coat in his car in case of a breakdown, he almost never wears it - apparently it's not cool to ward off hypothermia anymore. I am a total wuss and rarely go out without hat, gloves, scarf, and a vest under the coat for extra warmth. So YMMV as far as what you will want/need.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is a good ice scraper/snow brush for cleaning off your car. Even if you rent a house with a garage, there may be times you find your car parked outside (work, shopping, etc) and need to clear it off. I really like the long handled tools with a brush on one end and a scraper on the other. A small snow shovel for the trunk is a good idea if you ever find yourself stuck in a drift. An AAA card is a great idea for help if you've slid off the road or jumps if your battery gets too sluggish in the cold, etc.
This thing is an absolute certainty. Lemme tell you...when I first moved to the north in '03, that was a foreign concept to me. It took me all of the first snowstorm I experienced to see why people had them. Scraping ice off your windshield, brushing snow off the vehicle...all this stuff was foreign to me, took some getting used to. So did the snow. (Telling on myself moment: you know how your kids used to cut all those decorative snowflake shapes out of paper in elementary school? Well, the first time I caught a flake on my finger, I took a real good look at it--and much to my amazement, it actually looked like that, which I also unintentionally said out loud amongst my co-workers. That got a good laugh out of everyone there.)
Also, if you're anything like me, you'll probably freeze like a mess your first winter--but eventually your blood will thicken, and you'll find yourself outside in 30-degree weather with nary a long-sleeve t-shirt on and you'll be just fine. But yeah--fleece, and layers.
I am totally writting all of this down, keep it coming, I didn't even think about the ice scraper. I'm also wondering about the roof, as an architect, I'm aware that roof trusses are designed to handle certain loads, but wouldn't it be prudent to get that stuff off the roof as soon as possible, especially if it could easily sit there for weeks. That's a lot of stress on the trusses and sheathing, I could be showing my ignorance but is this something I should be concerned with? I hope to be buying a home within a year and would obviously like to maximize the life of my roof, as well as other components that I may not even consider.
Oh--one other thing, from one native Floridian to another.
Familiarize yourself with this term: winterization. We don't have to worry about this down in the sunny confines...but anywhere north of Georgia is a different story. Basically, it refers to your vehicle. before the winter hits, be sure to get your oil changed, transmission fluids replaced if need be (at the least, tested--it normally lasts about 30k miles unless you tow/pull a lot of stuff), brake fluids, all the basics. Also, that'd be the time to get a good lube job if need be--speaking about grease fittings, ball joints, axles, and spraying your undercarriage to prep it for the salty stuff it will encounter when the white stuff decides to fall from the sky, keep it from rusting (and as an aside, once your frame rusts, the vehicle's done for). And definitely get those brakes and tires looked at. As another helpful hint, once it does get cold, I wouldn't let your gas tank get below 1/3--that will help preventing gas-line freezes.
I'll let you know if I can think up anything else. Just know that sun is not nearly is abundant up here as it is in FL--but the heat and temps, once summer rolls around, can be.
I make sure to check my tires before winter hits to make sure they have enough tread left. I also make sure I keep an ice scraper (the long one with the brush works best I think) and a blanket in the car. That's probably not sufficient, but it can't hurt to have it in case I get stuck I learned last year that it's a good idea to have salt (I keep it in my trunk) so that if you get stuck on ice it can help give you traction...I should say I've never needed this before, but I wouldn't have gotten my car out without it last year. I also have winter mats I put in my car because all the slush and salt and junk will get on your feet and make the carpet in your car look nasty. During the winter I often start my car and let it run for about 10 min with the defrost on to loosen everything up...sometimes then you won't have to scrape the windows off. Of course if you have a garage you wouldn't have to do that.
Someone before said they don't bother with a scarf...I guess it depends on your coat and how much it covers your neck, but I think a scarf is a necessity along with the coat and gloves, of course. Sometimes I layer my gloves because you have to remember how functional they will be...I can get big mittens or really thick gloves, but I can't drive very well with those, so I get less bulky gloves with rubber on them to grip the steering wheel better.
As far as a coat, for me it depends on how long I will be outside...I've lived places where I walk and others where I don't have to walk as much--if I'm going to be outside much then a long coat is nice because it keeps your legs warmer. I don't mess with that though because I'm not outside as much and it's more to hassle with.
You also want to make sure you have some food and water stocked up because you never know when you wont' be able to leave your house due to snow/ice.
I make sure to check my tires before winter hits to make sure they have enough tread left. I also make sure I keep an ice scraper (the long one with the brush works best I think) and a blanket in the car. That's probably not sufficient, but it can't hurt to have it in case I get stuck I learned last year that it's a good idea to have salt (I keep it in my trunk) so that if you get stuck on ice it can help give you traction...I should say I've never needed this before, but I wouldn't have gotten my car out without it last year. I also have winter mats I put in my car because all the slush and salt and junk will get on your feet and make the carpet in your car look nasty. During the winter I often start my car and let it run for about 10 min with the defrost on to loosen everything up...sometimes then you won't have to scrape the windows off. Of course if you have a garage you wouldn't have to do that.
Someone before said they don't bother with a scarf...I guess it depends on your coat and how much it covers your neck, but I think a scarf is a necessity along with the coat and gloves, of course. Sometimes I layer my gloves because you have to remember how functional they will be...I can get big mittens or really thick gloves, but I can't drive very well with those, so I get less bulky gloves with rubber on them to grip the steering wheel better.
As far as a coat, for me it depends on how long I will be outside...I've lived places where I walk and others where I don't have to walk as much--if I'm going to be outside much then a long coat is nice because it keeps your legs warmer. I don't mess with that though because I'm not outside as much and it's more to hassle with.
You also want to make sure you have some food and water stocked up because you never know when you wont' be able to leave your house due to snow/ice.
water? do you not have a sink in your house???
It's not like you'll be iced into your house for days on end ... maybe a day, tops, especially in the Indy area. Heck, all those stranded motorists on SR 2 and US 30 in Valpo were out within 24 hours. Plus, you really find out who your nice neighbors are when the snow hits! You won't be alone if you live in a neighborhood.
The car tips are key though ... you should keep some ice melt or a bag of cat litter in your trunk along with a blanket or two. Shovel and an ice scraper with a brush. I saw a nifty ice scraper in the store the other day with a super warm glove attached to it ... cool! But if you keep your car in a garage, you should be ok. keep windshield wiper fluid on hand too.
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But yeah--fleece, and layers.
