If your family is anything like mine you have already started to prepare for the upcoming winter season. Even though it is just mid-October, it is never too early to start. Already this week we have awoken to frost on the cars and had to scramble to find gloves. Of course, today I am back to wearing my sandals, but the evenings are definitely a lot chillier than last week. Fall is one of my favourite times of the year, but it seems to me it is the shortest season of all! Personally, if I had an in with Mother Nature, I would ask her to extend fall all the way into March and then flip the switch for spring. Do you think she would go for it? 😉
Preparing for winter can involve many things and we want to help give you a little guidance so nothing important is overlooked. Check this out:
1) Make a list and check it twice!
When the cold weather hits, it will not just be your hands that feel it. Before the snow flies make a list of the areas you know you want to check on like the car, your windows and doors and the garage and what lies within. Make sure you add winter gear to that list as well. Having a list to follow and check off will keep you on track so Jack Frost doesn’t nip you in the nose. 🙂
2) Be the equipment manager in your home!
Winter equipment is vital to survival so you will want to make sure it is all in working order before you need to use it. Gather your family around and assign each child and adult one or two pieces of equipment. Their job will be to check on the winter readiness of these items. Have the younger kiddos draw a picture of your house, then go around to each door and window (at least the ones they can reach) and put their hands to the cracks to see if they feel a draft. They can use different coloured crayons to mark on the house picture if a draft was felt or not.
Bigger kids can check on things like shovels, ice scrapers, windshield washing fluid and bags of ice salt. They can check the levels and let you know what needs to be filled up or replaced. Older kids or adults can tackle the car, check tire pressure, how well the wipers are working and even your brakes. They can make sure you have an emergency road kit, blankets etc in the car. This job may require the need of a professional, but it will be well worth it when you are driving home in a snowstorm at 11pm at night.
3) Prepare your winter wear!
Scrambling to find gloves on a cold morning is one thing, but not knowing where your boots are or if last year’s snow pants will fit when there are five inches of fresh powder on the ground, is another. Now is the time to haul out everyone’s jackets, snow pants, hats, scarves, mitts, long johns, turtlenecks and other assorted winter wear and make sure it fits, it works and oh ya, it doesn’t stink! Even things like helmets for wearing on the ice can get pretty smelly.
A good idea is to sort by what fits and then air everything out. Next, you will want to wash items that can be machine washed. Pro tip: Use a detergent that’s up to the challenge such as OxiCleanTM HD Liquid Laundry Detergent and Arm & HammerTM Plus OxiCleanTM Cold Water Power Paks – they are my go-to favourites!
4) Expect the unexpected..
While you are busy preparing for winter, just remember that the first snowfall can come at any time. Knock out your winter prep in one or two days on the weekend and you will be all set. That will leave you with plenty of time to practice making snowballs and memories. 🙂
The Giveaway:
To help ensure you’re ready for winter, we’re giving away some great cold weather essentials for all members of the family to enjoy:
- OxiCleanTM HD Liquid Laundry Detergent
- Arm & HammerTM Plus OxiCleanTM Cold Water Power Paks
- Arm & HammerTM Baking Soda
- Arm & HammerTM SpinbrushTM battery powered toothbrush The Ultimate Spider-Man TM
- OrajelTM Spider-ManTM Anticavity Fluoride Toothpaste
One lucky MapleMouseMama reader will win this fantastic Church and Dwight prize pack! To be eligible to win just complete the Rafflecopter below with your qualifying answers. This giveaway is open to Canadian residents, ages 18 and older. Please read our giveaway rules before entering. This giveaway ends on November 8th, 2016 at 11:59pm. Good luck!
What is something you always do when preparing for winter?
FT&PD
Suz
**For more fabulous prizes check out our Giveaways and Reviews page!!
**Disclosure: I am a 2016 Church & Dwight Ambassador and have been compensated for this post, however, all opinions are my own.
M james says
I get all the winter clothes & outwear out of storage for winter.
Juliee Fitze says
I always bring in the hoses and turn off the water outside. Bank the flowers and bushes .
Tara Betterley says
We store our patio furniture to protect from the snow, we cover our A/C and we also turn the taps off for the outside. We also pull out our blankets for the couches so that we can keep our house 1 degree or so cooler to save on energy
lori butler says
i make sure all the doors have weatherstripping in good shape
Nicole Aben says
I always install my winter tires to prepare for winter.
Florence C says
I get the winter clothes and boots ready to go. Store all the outside furniture. Clear gutters of leaves.
409cope says
I always bring in the patio furniture.
Cathy Oppedisano says
Something I always do when preparing for winter is search for winter attire that’s been put away. I have already located my boots.
angela m says
I always put the patio furniture away and wash the hats and mittens.
Elizabeth Matthiesen says
I always have winter tires put on my car and it made winter ready, in fact it’s in now getting them put on. 🙂
Janet M says
I check my snowblower and put away and maintain lawnmowers.
Glogirl says
When preparing for winter I rearrange the clothes in my dresser to have the winter clothing at top and easily accessible.
Julie F says
We pack away our furniture and rugs plus empty the rain barrels!
Audrey Stewart says
Cover all my furniture in my front room with plastic. I have 13 elderly rescue cats I shelter, and they all come inside for the winter.
kathy downey says
We bring out the winter clothing and store away the summer items !
Elaine G says
I cover patio furniture and flowers in the garden. I also weatherstrip the doors and plastic the drafty windows.
Erinn Lishman says
When prepping for winter I always have to change out kids clothes and outer wear! Rummaging through last years hats and mitts collection is brutal- and they always need new EVERYTHING!
Linda Fast says
I clean my balcony up and put away all the pots. I also cover the air conditioner and seal up any drafty places on the windows.
Piroska says
We put away all our garden ornaments, pots, chairs, etc.
nicky says
Get some warm clothes for everyone in the family, and make sure the flashlights have working batteries.
Jody D says
Cover up the AC unit outside to protect it
Brandee H says
My first step preparing for winter is to pull out all the winter stuff and see if anything still fits 🙂
I also change my emergency car kits. I put the winter one in my trunk for those just in case moments!
Elizabeth Robinson says
We bring in all the outside furniture and bring out all of the shovels.
Jeannie says
I always make sure I have my winter tires on, even before the snow hits.
Lynda Cook says
Wash and put away all the summer clothing and pull out the winter coats, boots, hats and mitts and get them washed and ready for the cooler days ahead!!
Linda H says
Put away patio furniture, empty the flower pots, turn off the water, and put on winter tires.
CheRyl says
We put on our winter tires, pull out our winter gear
Karla Sceviour says
I get out all the winter boots,gloves and hats,and put away summer sandals,etc
Mary Boudreau says
Make sure my winter tires are still good to go
LILLIAN BROWN says
When preparing for winter- I check to see what needs repaired or replaced with our head wear and mittens
sarah alexis says
I always buy my kids new coats and boots!
Judy Cowan says
The first thing we do to prepare for winter is shut down/winterize our Trailer. Then it is home to get out all the warmer clothes, coats, boots etc to see what we have and what we need.
Catherine Brown says
Bring in the furniture and garden accessories and cut back all plants.
Dianne G. says
I make sure the outside tap is off and that the leaves are all raked up in the winter.
tammy ta says
I always pile wood for the wood stove to prepare for winter.
Dawn gordon says
I make sure we are loaded down with Lysol and vitamins!!!
June M says
I change the furnace air filter for the winter season
Rosanne Robinson says
To prepare for winter the first thing we do is change the filter on our furnace and the batteries in our carbon monoxide & smoke detectors in the house, bring in the outside furniture, turn off the outside water taps & bring in hoses inside. We add warm blankets, snow scrapers, to our vehicles. We ensure the air pressure in our tires is adjusted accordingly and have the winter tires installed.
Jeanette Jackson says
I switch over our summer clothes for our winter clothes.
Wendy hutton says
go through my closet and bring out heavier clothing and summer clothes to the back of the closet
Jennifer P. says
We always turn off our outdoor water connections, cover up our patio furniture, and wash all our cold-weather gear. If the forecast ever calls for snow (not often here in my BC city) then my husband also puts the snow tires on our car.
Erin McSweeney says
getting my winter tires put on
Amy C says
We put awhile all the summer stuff.
Denise M says
I always pull out my crockpot when preparing for winter. I love crockpot recipes…especially when I come home and dinner is prepared.
Travelbuds says
I make sure my outside taps are drained and turned off
Rose says
Always make sure we have wood ready… just in case. Nothing like loosing power for a week, to make you appreciate that alternate source of energy.
Jonnie says
I always make sure I have my snow brush in my car
Doris Calvert says
Get out winter clothes and boots is the first thing i do
LisaM says
I always go through the closets and get rid of stuff we don’t wear anymore
Carole Dube says
I always have my winter tires install! I put summer clothes away!
Stephanie LaPlante says
I always get my flu shot, pull out winter clothing and decorate for Christmas early.
Brenda Penton says
I always wash and put away the summer clothes and take out and wash the winter clothes.
Lori L. says
We’ve been putting plastic on all the windows and find it really helps with the heating costs! Thanks for the chance to win.
KellyPC says
We wash all of our summer clothes & jackets before we put them away & we go through all our winter stuff to make sure everything fits & is in good condition!
Carol Denny says
I get the boot trays and extra mats ready for winter.
Lisa bolduc says
I have electric heat so I have winter. We have to put plastic on all of our windows
Julie bolduc says
I put away all my solar lights
andrea amy says
I find all the mittens and scarves and toques and wash them and organize them!
Tainan Lu says
I always pull out winter stuff
syed saba says
Change my car winter tires very safe driving
l p says
get all the winter clothes out to assess what each needs. thanks
Amber y says
We put plastic over the windows to help keep the cold out.
ivy pluchinsky says
We get the winter clothes out, put the summer ones away, put the lawn chairs and hoses away, and everything outside goes into storage.
Kim Barrett says
When I put away the canoe paddles, I pull out the snow shovels.
Jana Liu says
get my snow tires on
Brenda Witherspoon-Bedard says
we always install my winter tires to prepare for winter
missbobloblaw says
I always clean out the garden and put a layer of leaves over the tulips. I also wash all of the hats & mitts so they smell fresh!
Anne-Marie Tvete says
We drain the hoses and turn off the outside water taps to ensure they don’t freeze.
Cheryl says
I make sure our kids all have good boots that fit!!
Jenny Major says
I get all the winter clothes & outwear out of storage for winter.
mousecat says
I always wash the winter jackets, scarves, hats and mitts before we need them so they are ready to go
Anu Chopra says
I always check our supplies of hats, mittens and scarves as we lose some every year! I also check that our kids can still fit in their winter boots!
Robyn Bellefleur says
I put out our boot tray and some mats for the front door to catch the snow and water from boots.
Julie Lundstrom says
I get the winter coats out, our boots and shovels. I also get some ice melt for the walkway and driveway.
Stephanie says
Close all the windows, turn on the furnace or fireplace, and add lots of candles throughout the house!
joy says
get snow tires installed on our cars – stock up on hot chocolate!
Andrea says
We get out our winter boots and clothing!
Wanda Tracey says
When I prepare for winter I bring out the winter clothes,coats and boots.I put snow tires on my car
and put a shovel in the trunk,a bag of sand and a snow brush in my car.I also keep a bag of salt near
my front door in case of freezing rain.
dave says
always bring in the hoses and turn off the water outside. Put patio stuff away.
Patrick Siu says
I bring in my herbs inside.
Kim K says
Get our winter safety gear in the car, bring out warmer clothes and winter outerwear, clean up the yard, put everything away.
Amy Lovell says
I pull all my daughters winter clothes out.
Kathleen Roffey says
Put snow tires on my car
Lisa Halladay says
I put away bikes and lawn furniture outdoors. Indoors I check to see what winter clothing we have and what still fits and what needs replaced.
Sandi Tymchuk says
I empty our water barrels, disconnect our sump pump hose from the outlet, and cut back dormant perennials.
janine a says
make sure to leave a warm blanket and snow scraper in the car
Sarah De Diego says
For the past 14 years, at this time, I’m getting packed up to spend the winter in Mexico (December to April). This will be the first year that we and the kids have been in Canada. I’m buying boots and coats and gloves and hoping to stay warm!
Besos Sarah
Journeys of The Zoo
Donnas says
The winter tires are on the car and we have a full supply of salt ready for use.
Gracie Mc says
I always put plastic over my windows to keep drafts out.
Sandy Couzens says
Something I always do when preparing for winter is clean off the patio 🙁 The furniture gets stored, rugs rolled up and pots emptied. Then I settle into a good knitting pattern 🙂 Thank you for this great giveaway, all products I use !!
Cairine says
I take in my glads, dahlias and calla’s, plant new tulips or daffs. Cut back roses, herbs and do some weeding. Most of my getting ready for winter is outside the house.
Margaret H says
Put on winter tires get the car ready get the winter clothes out see what still fits
Tammy Dalley says
Put away patio furniture, & summer toys
DOris h says
I always check the window frames to make sure there is no heat escaping.
Anne Derkat says
I get my fur coat out of storage.
Kim M says
I clean up my balcony and pack away the chairs.
Erin W says
I always go through our summer clothes and get rid of everything that doesn’t fit so I don’t have to do it next year.
Crystal Porter says
Go through our clothes, check our vehicles, bring in some wood, get the gardens prepped…
Rhonda W G. says
So many things…Start using our humidifiers, take oregano oil, get a flu shot just to name a few…
Aarone Mawdsley says
buy new boots for the snow
LiNda svarovsky says
I go through the closets and change out from summer/fall to winter
Caryn Coates says
I go through all the kids clothing from summer and figure out what new stuff they may need for winter.
Marilyn Legault says
put on the winter tires and put a scraper in the car.
Amanda Fontaine says
I tidy up everything outside that is “summer stuff”, re-wash all the winter stuff before bringing it upstairs, go through everyone’s clothing and box whatever will not fit next year for giveaway or resale.
Joshua Spiers says
I always buy need snow suits for the kids and boots
Heidi c. says
We change the air filter, check the fire alarms, get the outside all cleaned up and everything put away.
Monique L.S. says
Get the car ready – switch to winter tires , add thick blanket to trunk with emergency kit, top up all fluids, find snow remover brush.
cindy legg says
plug in heät täpes for waterlines under my house and put up window plastic
Wendy Jensen says
Preparing for winter is always a big job. I have to clean out and put away all my outdoor plant pots, clean up the garden and turn it over to prepare it for spring. The vehicles have to be made winter ready and I have to find the snow shovels and bring them to the front of the garage. Then of course bring out all the snow clothes, gloves/mitts and boots.
Laurie W. says
We always go through our clothes and switch out from summer to winter in our closets, clean and repair, and donate anything that will not be used.
Carina vause says
RE Waterproof the ski clothes and rain gear
Maria says
I make sure we have vitamins and warm clothing for everyone ! We also make sure our car is winter ready
Gloria Amanda Bernard says
I bring up the winter coats, snow pants, mittens, boots, etc. up from the basement and I put all the summer stuff away.
Betty S says
I always make sure that your snowbrushes are in the car.
Krystal Dunlap says
We always put away our summer clothes and get out our winter clothes. To prepare for winter we also put plastic up on our windows and clean our furnace out.
Wanda jean p says
I always donate my spring and summer clothes to the local Thrift Stores and pick up Winter clothing