How does your home feel different from summer to winter—what changes about how you live in it?

A natural way to answer

In summer the house feels open and social, with long evenings and people coming and going. In winter it becomes more of a retreat—warmer lighting, the heating on, and a slower, cosier rhythm to the days.

Key phrases to use

• hunker down — to settle in somewhere safe and comfortable, especially to wait out bad weather or hard times“We hunkered down at home during the storm.”
• cosies up — becomes warm, snug and comfortable“The room really cosies up once the fire's lit.”
• buckets down — to rain very heavily“It bucketed down all afternoon.”