Cuisine & Culture the Chinese Family Way
The cost of living has risen dramatically and with the lack of direct Government support for energy bills, many of us are feeling the squeeze. Instead of heating the whole house for just two of us, my husband and I have been using different forms of portable electric heating throughout the house. They are more cost effective and more efficient in targeted areas.
Move over autumn and make way for a cosy warm winter. As the daylight is getting shorter each day, that can only mean one thing – that winter has finally arrived! My favourite outdoor activity is going back inside and getting cosy in my cosy winter fashion. I am not braving this cold weather if I can help it. So let’s take a look at what I have in store for you to set up for cosy winter nights in!
Infrared heating panels have been popular in Europe for well over a decade but they’re something of a novelty in the UK where we tend to rely more on central heating for our winter warmth.
However, with rising energy prices and the cost of living crisis, many people are seeking out alternatives. And that’s why infrared heating panels are starting to become more widespread. People are looking for non-conventional alternatives.
But what are the benefits of infrared heating panels? Let’s take a look.
The summertime is the perfect opportunity to get ahead of any home repairs you may need before the cold weather hits. By taking care of these fixes now, you’ll be prepared for winter and avoid any costly or inconvenient problems down the road. This blog post will discuss eight essential home repairs that you should take care of this summer.
Every homeowner has a list of things that they can’t stop worrying about. Whether it’s weather damage or fretting about whether today is the day that the oven finally gives up and stops working, you’re never going to be short of things to fret about on a sleepless night. It comes with the territory, but one of the best ways to help you feel a bit more secure is to conduct regular and thorough safety checks in and around your home.
You can’t prevent the unexpected happening, but you can identify problem areas and make sure that you stay on top of any foreseeable risks. Here are some of the most important safety checks that everyone should make.
A lot of people only pay attention to their boilers when something is wrong. However, that boiler of yours might be outdated, and you might be suffering the consequences as a result. Some of the inconveniences you experience with your hot water might have nothing to do with your household’s habits but could be due to an underperforming boiler. An old and inefficient boiler could affect you in more ways than one – some you may not have imagined. Let’s take a look at a few signs that you may need to replace your boiler.
A reading nook is something many of us would say is on our dream home wishlist. We’d all like a cosy space where we can relax and read, sipping a nice hot chocolate and enjoying some precious alone time. Ideally, you’d like the walls lined with books, and a nice comfy seat to curl up in. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the luxury of being able to have a full library at home. You might not even have a box room that you can convert into your own reading room. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a reading nook. There’s nothing to stop you taking a boring and unused corner of another room and turning it into your perfect reading corner.
If you are looking quick and healthier ways to cook your food, then steaming food is one of the best cooking methods of all. It helps to retain the nutritional value of food by conserving the fibre, colour, texture and flavour of vegetables. It also helps in preserving the water-soluble B & C vitamins, potassium, phosphorus and zinc.
Do remember that steaming is not just only for vegetables and fish! There are plenty of ways to cook a meal using steam! You can also steam a cake/cupcake, dim sum, chicken and many more! Do check out my recipes: steam rose bun, niao gao, rice cake, seabass, sponge cake.
Living with cold weather and extreme temperatures throughout winter can be quite difficult, leading many homeowners to invest in top notch heating systems in order to stay comfortable during chilly weather, or relying on Fort Collins furnace repair professionals. There are many heating appliances from which to choose, such as small wall units that provide radiant heat, to large HVAC systems that work year-round to ventilate, cool and heat the home. Other options include heating pumps and split or ductless air-conditioning units. Even though their names may indicate otherwise, such appliances efficiently function to both cool and heat a home’s interior. Regardless of what type of cooling or heating system is installed in your home, however, some kind of regular maintenance is required on a yearly basis. Therefore, most Northern Colorado property owners contact a professional company for their maintenance needs. Servicing of this kind should be completed every year no matter what type of central heating or HVAC system is found in the home. Virtually all manufacturers suggest that you have your furnace inspected and cleaned in late autumn or at the beginning of winter, as this is the time just prior to when the system experiences its hardest use.
A furnace is a powerful heating device that requires being installed by someone who has enough knowledge and the right skills. There are a variety of furnace installation companies that provide these services all over the worlds, but we cannot ignore the fact that finding a firm that is excellent can be a bit exhausting and hard. But, with the right tips and guidance, it would be easy for you to narrow down from the long list of potential furnace installation companies and be able to select the right one.
Coming into the winter months, we all get ready to put our heating on and slowly turn it up little by little until we’re comfortably warm during the bitter evenings. The only problem you might have with this, is that your home can naturally lose heat through different features without you even realising.
A few years ago, I came across the concept of “home automation” from a technology magazine. In it, it described the concept of having central control of many things around the home like all the lighting, heating and also having full control of the security system and your appliances, all while away from the home from either a smartphone, tablet or laptop.
I always like a challenge especially with home improvement, interior design and all sorts of DIY. This past year, I had set myself the goal to learn how to wallpaper, paint, and get creative with making a DIY picture using leftover wallpaper and all sorts. This time around, I used a £50 B&Q voucher to tackle two cold-looking corners of my house. I gave it a makeover to make it feel warm and snug just in time for Christmas. Thanks to HomeServe for this Winter Blogger Challenge. In addition to affecting the ambience, I wanted to also reduce actual heat loss by using radiator reflectors. This is a thin sheet of foil applied to the wall behind the radiator to reduce heat loss into the wall. This increases the effective heating power of the radiator and so reduces fuel expenditure.
Our conservatory gets very cold during winter time. So we want to welcome Father Christmas into this room with a rattan star light (Half price £9.50) in the corner of the room. We have decorated with Poinsettia (£12) and a golden candle with wreath (£1.50) too to make it more welcoming. Also, we mustn’t forget to leave a cup of milk and cookie for Santa!
Autumn is here and whilst I love the season for those cool, crisp, clear Autumn days, it also means it is time to dig out the warmer clothing and wrap up warm. At what point do you put your heating back on? One of our friends will target a date (e.g. 1st October) and stoically won’t budge until then. On the opposite side of the scale, some family members don’t really turn off their heating at all although they will have their thermostat set to about 22°C.
