With the upcoming holiday season, many of us will be on the road, traveling to and from family gatherings. In order to make sure we're safe and ready for our trip, let's make some easy adjustments.
Take five minutes today and make an appointment for Monday or Tuesday to have the car serviced (check oil, fluids, tires, spare tire etc), or set some time aside to do it yourself. Places like Jiffy Lube will often give you free in-between service top-ups on your oil and fluids which is great if you're on the road for quite some time.
If your car looks anything like mine, this is the time to get a plastic trash bag and collect those wrappers and empty pop cans, soggy cheerios and what else you carry around in the back of your car and throw them away! If there's too much, just grab the first twenty things! You can pick another twenty items tomorrow :-) These items become dangerous flying objects if you have to hit the brakes suddenly.
At this point you might want to check and see if your registration papers and proof of insurance is in the glovebox. No? Let's find them before you go on the road and while you're at it, check expiration dates and know what you are covered for.
Now think of the trip that's ahead. That might not be necessarily a long roadtrip, it could be just a drive into town in the early hours of the morning to get your shopping done. Do you have in your car what it takes to provide for you and your family in case you get stranded, in an accident or lost?
Find a small tote or a backpack: this will be your car-pack. Filled with the necessities to keep you warm, hydrated and alert it will allow you to feel less overwhelmed in case something happens. Keep it in the trunk of the car, or behind the driver's chair. If you have small kids that might get into your car-pack, you may want to keep it underneath the driver's or passenger's chair.
So what can we carry in our car-pack? One of our ladies works for the Idaho State Police and she had the following suggestions:
- Flares, glow sticks and a flash light
- A basic First Aid kit
- Waterproof matches, a lighter and a large votive candle (a candle will heat the vehicle in case you get stuck in a winter storm)
- Granola bars, nuts or some candy bars
- Several bottles of water
- A warm blanket
- Boot/hand warmers (about 2 for $1.00 at the grocery checkouts) or those thermopatches for backaches, they will warm your whole body and keep you at a decent temperature for quite some time.
- A small and a large ice scraper
- A cell phone and car adapter
- A phone card and some cash
- Extra gloves, snowpants, hat/ear muffs, socks, several pairs, extra shoes, snow boots (depending on the severity of the weather in your area)
In the trunk you could place a small tote with a small bag of sand, ice melt or clean cat litter for traction in the trunk, a small foldable shovel and a reflective triangle.
Also carry with you a roadmap of the area.
Now.....do you know where your spare tire is? How to get to it, and how to use the jack, in case you had to? Make sure everything is in order!
If you are traveling alone, let somebody know when and where you will be traveling to and the year/make/model/color of your vehicle, and don't forget to mention your license plate number. You may want to write those down right now, while you are reading this. Leave a copy at home by the phone or with a friend, and place a piece of paper with the information in your car-pack. If we're in a stressfull situation like a crash or an accident, sometimes we can't remember simple things like that when asked.
One last suggestion for when you are on the road... Know where you are. Be alert and aware, keep track of landmarks and mile markers. Make it into a game with the kids, or track your progress on a map (not while you are driving !).
Know what highway, byway or interstate you're on, and if you're crossing state borders you may want to consider resetting your trip-o-meter. Why? If you have to call emergency services because you're on the side of the road with a flat tire, you'll be able to tell them, "I'm heading North on such-and-such highway, I'm forty one miles into the state of Nevada, and I'm stranded on the right hand side of the road in such-and-such vehicle with this-and-that license plate number and I just passed the Lucky Dog casino on my left" instead of the, according to our law enforcement friend, more usual, "Eh................ I think I am in Nevada but don't know what road and all I can see is a whole lot of eh......nothing". That's not helpful!
Imagine if the situation is worse than just a flat tire. Knowing your location could save a life.
Now get that car ready for the trip, take a deep breath and enjoy this time with friends and family!
P.S. The Boise Army/Navy store on Chinden Blvd has some great items for your car-pack, and at very affordable prices. Flares, scrapers, fleece, gloves and solar emergency blankets for less than two dollars! These also make great stocking stuffers :-)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Pictures and papers
Today is 10/10/10. For those that can read binary, the digits read "42". According to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe, 42 is the meaning of life.
For those of us that are not yet hitchhiking around the planets, we'll need to figure out another meaning to life. Whatever it is, may it never be unpleasant surprises, evacuations, emergency trips to the hospital, sudden changes of plans or anything else that might throw you for a loop.
But.....in case it is, make sure you are ready and prepared. Think for a moment what you would need if all of a sudden you would have to leave your house, or end up in the hospital, or there is an emergency evacuation of the neighborhood. Insurance papers, telephone numbers, some cash, checks, a family photo.....
Sometimes there is no time to go through drawers and piles of paper to find all this. Worse, if you can't get it yourself and you have to send somebody over to the house to get this information, where would you tell this person to start looking?
One easy way to have all you need with you is with an "office binder". It's one place where you keep the most important things you will need in case you need to leave the home in a hurry:
1. A copy of your insurance policies (home owners, medical etc)
2. A list with important phone numbers (doctor, children, family members)
3. A copy of your will
4. Your five most favorite pictures (family, friends, pets....)
5. Other important papers like birth certificates, diplomas etc
6. Your passport, social security card and other identification papers
7. A list of your current medications with doses, grams and frequency
8. A couple of 5,10,20 dollar bills and some loose change
As for me, this is also the binder that I keep my stamps in, my checkbook, empty envelopes and bills to pay. When a bill comes in the mail, I stick it in my office binder so I know where to find it when I get ready to pay my bills for this month. That way I don't have to chase all over the house looking for stamps, envelopes, pens, cards or anything else: it's all in my binder.
The binder I use is one of the sturdier cloth ones that zips up. I keep an extra pen or two, and some birthday and thank you cards in it, and a small notebook so I can jot down thoughts, start a shopping list etc.
TIP: while you're gathering up your insurance papers, check to see that all the information is still accurate. Is the house insured against its value from now, or from the time you first insured it? What exactly is included? Call your insurance agent if you're not sure.
Take some time today, while you watch the game or enjoy some downtime on the couch to sort through your stacks of mail and papers, and start setting those papers aside that you would need in an emergency.
P.S. Is your cell phone charged? Go and plug it in, nothing says "I'm Prepared" like a fully charged phone in the morning! :-)
For those of us that are not yet hitchhiking around the planets, we'll need to figure out another meaning to life. Whatever it is, may it never be unpleasant surprises, evacuations, emergency trips to the hospital, sudden changes of plans or anything else that might throw you for a loop.
But.....in case it is, make sure you are ready and prepared. Think for a moment what you would need if all of a sudden you would have to leave your house, or end up in the hospital, or there is an emergency evacuation of the neighborhood. Insurance papers, telephone numbers, some cash, checks, a family photo.....
Sometimes there is no time to go through drawers and piles of paper to find all this. Worse, if you can't get it yourself and you have to send somebody over to the house to get this information, where would you tell this person to start looking?
One easy way to have all you need with you is with an "office binder". It's one place where you keep the most important things you will need in case you need to leave the home in a hurry:
1. A copy of your insurance policies (home owners, medical etc)
2. A list with important phone numbers (doctor, children, family members)
3. A copy of your will
4. Your five most favorite pictures (family, friends, pets....)
5. Other important papers like birth certificates, diplomas etc
6. Your passport, social security card and other identification papers
7. A list of your current medications with doses, grams and frequency
8. A couple of 5,10,20 dollar bills and some loose change
As for me, this is also the binder that I keep my stamps in, my checkbook, empty envelopes and bills to pay. When a bill comes in the mail, I stick it in my office binder so I know where to find it when I get ready to pay my bills for this month. That way I don't have to chase all over the house looking for stamps, envelopes, pens, cards or anything else: it's all in my binder.
The binder I use is one of the sturdier cloth ones that zips up. I keep an extra pen or two, and some birthday and thank you cards in it, and a small notebook so I can jot down thoughts, start a shopping list etc.
TIP: while you're gathering up your insurance papers, check to see that all the information is still accurate. Is the house insured against its value from now, or from the time you first insured it? What exactly is included? Call your insurance agent if you're not sure.
Take some time today, while you watch the game or enjoy some downtime on the couch to sort through your stacks of mail and papers, and start setting those papers aside that you would need in an emergency.
P.S. Is your cell phone charged? Go and plug it in, nothing says "I'm Prepared" like a fully charged phone in the morning! :-)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Where is your First Aid kit?
It's one of those items that we hope we never have to use, at least not often, but we all tend to have one or two around the house: a First Aid Kit.
When is the last time you looked at it? Do you know where it is? Is there one in the bathroom, in the garage, in your car? What about the kitchen? While you are looking for it, why not think of a place that's easier to remember. When I started looking for mine, I ended up digging it out from underneath a pile of towels in the bathroom closet, forty-five minutes later. If I'd been bleeding profusely or having an allergic reaction to something while searching, I would have been in big trouble!
So take your time today to find whatever emergency kits you have and make an inventory of its contents: what's missing, what needs to be replaced or what needs to go.
It's better to build your own first aid kit than to purchase ready-made units. Often, it will be cheaper and you can stock it with items you know you will use.
One of my friends has a serious latex allergy. Their First Aid kit contains latex-free gloves. Other people I know cannot tolerate antibiotics, are highly reactive to bee stings or get a rash from certain bandages. A generic first aid kit might not meet their needs.
I've listed below basic First Aid kit contents. Jot down on a piece of paper the personal needs you have, and adjust your kit accordingly. Don't have time? Then sort through what you have in the kit right now, toss all the old stuff, and buy a ready-made kit from the store, or put it on your list for Santa.
This is also a fun activity to do for kids: have them chose a container they like (an old lunchbox or a small purse) and let them fill it with basic items such as colorful band-aids, floss, towelettes etc. They may want to keep it in their backpack, or in their room.
A First Aid kit should include the following, and this is just a very basic list:
If you're familiar with products such as Melaleuca, peppermint oil or aloe, you may want to consider stocking an extra set in your kit.
Not sure what to do with all that stuff if an emergency were to really happen? The local Red Cross chapters teach Basic First Aid and Pet Aid frequently. Click here for classes in Idaho:
http://www.redcrossidaho.org/class.asp?SN=2559&OP=2560&SUOP=2561&IDCapitulo=XS9D94N21E
For those of you that live out of state, click here:
http://www.redcross.org/, enter your zipcode and find local classes.
Don't forget to check your kits today! Just grab 'm, sit in front of the TV and check each one to make sure they're clean, up-to-date and stocked. You'll be glad you did when you need them.
When is the last time you looked at it? Do you know where it is? Is there one in the bathroom, in the garage, in your car? What about the kitchen? While you are looking for it, why not think of a place that's easier to remember. When I started looking for mine, I ended up digging it out from underneath a pile of towels in the bathroom closet, forty-five minutes later. If I'd been bleeding profusely or having an allergic reaction to something while searching, I would have been in big trouble!
So take your time today to find whatever emergency kits you have and make an inventory of its contents: what's missing, what needs to be replaced or what needs to go.
It's better to build your own first aid kit than to purchase ready-made units. Often, it will be cheaper and you can stock it with items you know you will use.
One of my friends has a serious latex allergy. Their First Aid kit contains latex-free gloves. Other people I know cannot tolerate antibiotics, are highly reactive to bee stings or get a rash from certain bandages. A generic first aid kit might not meet their needs.
I've listed below basic First Aid kit contents. Jot down on a piece of paper the personal needs you have, and adjust your kit accordingly. Don't have time? Then sort through what you have in the kit right now, toss all the old stuff, and buy a ready-made kit from the store, or put it on your list for Santa.
This is also a fun activity to do for kids: have them chose a container they like (an old lunchbox or a small purse) and let them fill it with basic items such as colorful band-aids, floss, towelettes etc. They may want to keep it in their backpack, or in their room.
A First Aid kit should include the following, and this is just a very basic list:
- Sterile, adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
- Assorted sizes of safety pins
- Cleansing agent/soap
- Latex/sterile gloves (2 pairs)
- Sterile gauze
- Sterile gauze tape
- Scissors
- Adhesive tape
- Tweezers
- Needle and surgical thread (I hope I NEVER have to use this one!)
- Moistened towelettes
- Antiseptic
- Rubbing alcohol
- Thermometer
- Nonprescription Drugs
- Aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever
- Antidiarrheal medication
- Antacid
If you're familiar with products such as Melaleuca, peppermint oil or aloe, you may want to consider stocking an extra set in your kit.
Not sure what to do with all that stuff if an emergency were to really happen? The local Red Cross chapters teach Basic First Aid and Pet Aid frequently. Click here for classes in Idaho:
http://www.redcrossidaho.org/class.asp?SN=2559&OP=2560&SUOP=2561&IDCapitulo=XS9D94N21E
For those of you that live out of state, click here:
http://www.redcross.org/, enter your zipcode and find local classes.
Don't forget to check your kits today! Just grab 'm, sit in front of the TV and check each one to make sure they're clean, up-to-date and stocked. You'll be glad you did when you need them.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
A quick message for this Sunday evening....
What if you KNEW you wouldn't fail? What would you be doing differently? What would you change? As you ponder these questions (and wonder what on earth they have to do with survival or emergency preparedness), get a garbage bag and look around the room where you are reading this message. Messy, huh ;-)
Now pick ten items that can be thrown away: an old magazine, a pair of holey socks, a half-eaten sandwich....you decide. But don't spend too much time on it, twenty seconds max. Just count to ten while you look around the room, then count to ten while you pick up the items. Then close the bag and throw it in the trash can. There, doesn't that look much better already?!
Found items that are too large for the bag? See if you can sell it on Craigslist (http://www.craigslist.com/) or give it away on FreeCycle (http://www.freecycle.org/).
Now.....back to the original question. What if you knew for a fact that whatever you undertook would not fail? What comes to mind? A business plan, a move across the country, a relationship?
We clutter our houses and our minds with stuff: our homes with items that give us a perceived security, and our minds with just the opposite, with fear of failure. Both bog us down. The clutter in our homes does not allow us to be mobile, and the trash in our head prevents us often from living out our calling, or a life that would be more fulfilling. Either one prevents you from being in an alert, aware state of mind, ready to deal with change.
So now that you've gotten rid of ten clutter-stuff things, why not think of some things in your head that need to go? Perhaps forgive someone for what they did? Maybe overcome the negative words spoken over you when you were younger? Pick yourself up after a nasty divorce?
It's cleaning time.
What if you KNEW you wouldn't fail? What would you be doing differently? What would you change? As you ponder these questions (and wonder what on earth they have to do with survival or emergency preparedness), get a garbage bag and look around the room where you are reading this message. Messy, huh ;-)
Now pick ten items that can be thrown away: an old magazine, a pair of holey socks, a half-eaten sandwich....you decide. But don't spend too much time on it, twenty seconds max. Just count to ten while you look around the room, then count to ten while you pick up the items. Then close the bag and throw it in the trash can. There, doesn't that look much better already?!
Found items that are too large for the bag? See if you can sell it on Craigslist (http://www.craigslist.com/) or give it away on FreeCycle (http://www.freecycle.org/).
Now.....back to the original question. What if you knew for a fact that whatever you undertook would not fail? What comes to mind? A business plan, a move across the country, a relationship?
We clutter our houses and our minds with stuff: our homes with items that give us a perceived security, and our minds with just the opposite, with fear of failure. Both bog us down. The clutter in our homes does not allow us to be mobile, and the trash in our head prevents us often from living out our calling, or a life that would be more fulfilling. Either one prevents you from being in an alert, aware state of mind, ready to deal with change.
So now that you've gotten rid of ten clutter-stuff things, why not think of some things in your head that need to go? Perhaps forgive someone for what they did? Maybe overcome the negative words spoken over you when you were younger? Pick yourself up after a nasty divorce?
It's cleaning time.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Canning and dehydrating
Oh, how I love this time of year! The abundance of affordable fruits and vegetables makes me happy and I'm ready to start canning or dehydrating anything in sight. Are you a canner? If not, find a friend who is and get started. It's a great way of saving money, of controlling what you feed your family and it's fun. If you don't know anybody who cans, find a class at your local Extension office. Canned and dehydrated foods add a large variety to your food pantry.
Canning jars are expensive to purchase at first, but they are well worth the price. If you browse yard sales, thrift stores and online auctions, you will often find canning jars for sale. Make sure they are Ball or Kerr brand, as mayonnaise jars or other glass containers will not withstand the pressure or maintain an airtight seal. When you do find canning jars, run your finger carefully across the rim. It should be smooth, with no knicks or chips. This will affect the airtight seal and may compromise the strength of the glass. Many a jar has broken while boiling in a canner because of a hairline crack in the glass.
Canning is fun, but should also be taken seriously. Make sure you understand what should be canned in a pressure canner and what can be canned in a water bath. Oven canning is not recommended, nor is steamer canning. Educate yourself (even if you are an experienced canner, you may want to look into the Extension courses, they share the latest on food safety information!) and familiarize yourself with requirements, safety issues and recipes for the foods you love. Use recipes from an approved source such as the Extension office or the Ball Blue Book.
Dehydrating is literally taking all the water out of food so you can store it dry. It also greatly reduces volume and weight, but not necessarily flavor. Dehydrated tomatoes, for example, have a wonderful deep tomato flavor, because all the water has evaporated, but all the flavor stays.
Today, I canned peaches that were soaked in a star anise/cinnamon stick syrup (see above), and I dehydrated several pounds of tomato chunks. Fresh from the garden, I washed, chopped and drained red and yellow tomatoes, then laid them on the dehydrator for approx. 9 hours on 135F. Once dried, a handful added to a stew or a soup this winter will be a wonderful reminder of summer.
Another dehydrated staple in my pantry are dehydrated zucchini chunks: they too can be added to winter dishes to add bulk and color. Take advantage of all those gardeners that have zucchini coming out of their ears and crank up the dehydrator, this winter you will be glad you did!
Canning jars are expensive to purchase at first, but they are well worth the price. If you browse yard sales, thrift stores and online auctions, you will often find canning jars for sale. Make sure they are Ball or Kerr brand, as mayonnaise jars or other glass containers will not withstand the pressure or maintain an airtight seal. When you do find canning jars, run your finger carefully across the rim. It should be smooth, with no knicks or chips. This will affect the airtight seal and may compromise the strength of the glass. Many a jar has broken while boiling in a canner because of a hairline crack in the glass.
Canning is fun, but should also be taken seriously. Make sure you understand what should be canned in a pressure canner and what can be canned in a water bath. Oven canning is not recommended, nor is steamer canning. Educate yourself (even if you are an experienced canner, you may want to look into the Extension courses, they share the latest on food safety information!) and familiarize yourself with requirements, safety issues and recipes for the foods you love. Use recipes from an approved source such as the Extension office or the Ball Blue Book.
Dehydrating is literally taking all the water out of food so you can store it dry. It also greatly reduces volume and weight, but not necessarily flavor. Dehydrated tomatoes, for example, have a wonderful deep tomato flavor, because all the water has evaporated, but all the flavor stays.
Today, I canned peaches that were soaked in a star anise/cinnamon stick syrup (see above), and I dehydrated several pounds of tomato chunks. Fresh from the garden, I washed, chopped and drained red and yellow tomatoes, then laid them on the dehydrator for approx. 9 hours on 135F. Once dried, a handful added to a stew or a soup this winter will be a wonderful reminder of summer.
Another dehydrated staple in my pantry are dehydrated zucchini chunks: they too can be added to winter dishes to add bulk and color. Take advantage of all those gardeners that have zucchini coming out of their ears and crank up the dehydrator, this winter you will be glad you did!
Building your food pantry $5 at a time
I received an email the other day that boasted having a system to build an affordable food pantry, $5 a week at a time. The concept in itself is great: purchase an additional five dollars of food items each week and after 12 months (or a mere $260) you will have enough food to hold you and your significant other over in times of crisis, lay-offs or other equally disastrous times. The article then showed the list of items to purchase: salt, sugar, cans of cream of chicken, mushroom and tomato soup, macaroni, wheat, yeast, tuna, powdered milk, mac&cheese, peanut butter, honey, shortening, aspirin and vitamins. Great list if you like and eat all those products.....but if I were to subsist on cream of mushroom soup, tuna and peanut butter, something else would be in crisis too: I would!
I was floored when I read that list: it read like a random shopping list instead of a well-planned pantry. What's the purpose of buying wheat unless you have a mill (and how are you going to power it?) to grind it and make flour to bake bread or biscuits with. I get the mac&cheese, but what am I doing with the macaroni itself? Boil it in tomato soup? Ewwwwwwwww.........and where are the veggies, where's the fruit? In times of crisis, you need comfort food to keep you going, something sweet, something familiar. The last thing you want to do, when all heck breaks loose, is learning how to feed your family on storage food that you don't use in your day-to-day cooking. You will be hard-pressed to find any canned cream soups in my pantry, or mac&cheese. It is not something I normally eat or use so I don't store it either.
Learn how to make your bread, cream soups and other dishes from scratch, so that you can focus on pantry staples instead of processed foods. Basic items like flour, sugar, salt, yeast, dehydrated milk, oils, pasta, rice, beans, dehydrated or canned fruits and vegetables......there's a myriad of dishes you can prepare with it and it will be a lot cheaper as most of these can be purchased in bulk.
Keep a check on what items you purchase the most, what have become staples on your shopping list? Those are the ones you want to stash away for later use and those will be a comfort when everything around you changes. When you buy, or when these staples are on sale, buy two additional cans, or an extra bag or another pound and put it in your food pantry. As these items are used frequently, you will have no trouble rotating them and using them up before they spoil. By adding on an extra $5 a week, when you have it, can quickly add to the security of knowing that you have enough to keep your head above water.
I was floored when I read that list: it read like a random shopping list instead of a well-planned pantry. What's the purpose of buying wheat unless you have a mill (and how are you going to power it?) to grind it and make flour to bake bread or biscuits with. I get the mac&cheese, but what am I doing with the macaroni itself? Boil it in tomato soup? Ewwwwwwwww.........and where are the veggies, where's the fruit? In times of crisis, you need comfort food to keep you going, something sweet, something familiar. The last thing you want to do, when all heck breaks loose, is learning how to feed your family on storage food that you don't use in your day-to-day cooking. You will be hard-pressed to find any canned cream soups in my pantry, or mac&cheese. It is not something I normally eat or use so I don't store it either.
Learn how to make your bread, cream soups and other dishes from scratch, so that you can focus on pantry staples instead of processed foods. Basic items like flour, sugar, salt, yeast, dehydrated milk, oils, pasta, rice, beans, dehydrated or canned fruits and vegetables......there's a myriad of dishes you can prepare with it and it will be a lot cheaper as most of these can be purchased in bulk.
Keep a check on what items you purchase the most, what have become staples on your shopping list? Those are the ones you want to stash away for later use and those will be a comfort when everything around you changes. When you buy, or when these staples are on sale, buy two additional cans, or an extra bag or another pound and put it in your food pantry. As these items are used frequently, you will have no trouble rotating them and using them up before they spoil. By adding on an extra $5 a week, when you have it, can quickly add to the security of knowing that you have enough to keep your head above water.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
It's not all doom and gloom....
Just a quick one to encourage you for the day....Life is good!
There was an old man and woman who had been married for over fifty years. Times were very tough and food was scarce. The old woman, driven by hunger, broke into the neighbor's root cellar and stole a jar of peaches. She was caught and brought before the judge.
After the trial was done the judge, showing pity on the old woman, asked how many peaches were in the jar. "Five, your Honor", she said. The judge said: "Then I will give you one day for each peach. You will serve five days in jail".
From the back of the court room her husband shouted:"Your Honor, she also stole a big can of peas!"
LOL - too funny! So in case push comes to shove, leave the peas and go for the peaches :-)
There was an old man and woman who had been married for over fifty years. Times were very tough and food was scarce. The old woman, driven by hunger, broke into the neighbor's root cellar and stole a jar of peaches. She was caught and brought before the judge.
After the trial was done the judge, showing pity on the old woman, asked how many peaches were in the jar. "Five, your Honor", she said. The judge said: "Then I will give you one day for each peach. You will serve five days in jail".
From the back of the court room her husband shouted:"Your Honor, she also stole a big can of peas!"
LOL - too funny! So in case push comes to shove, leave the peas and go for the peaches :-)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Shine a light............
In February I asked you to find your flashlight. Did you find it? Are the batteries still good? If you don't have a flash light, try to buy one on your next shopping trip: they're easy to find in second-hand stores or dollar stores. The dollar store is usually also the place to buy cheap batteries, so be on the lookout for those!
Power outages are frequent (at least in this part of the country). Having flashlights, and knowing where they are, is key to your safety during those times. A large variety of options are available nowadays, both battery-free, and with batteries. You can have squeeze flashlights (no batteries, the light is manually activated by squeezing the handle) or crank flashlights (you turn a crank for 30 seconds that will activate the light for up to five minutes). These are great if you don't want to invest in spare batteries or want to make sure you always have a working flashlight.
You may also want to invest in one of those headbands with LED lights. They allow you to have both of your hands available (it's easier to cook in the dark if you have a light shining from your head than holding a flash light in one and stirring with the other!).
I keep one flash light by the bed, one in the kitchen and one in each room of the house, usually in the top drawer. Each room usually has a drawer of some sort. Don't forget to place one in the bathrooms and more importantly, one in whichever room your breaker panel is at.
Candles and oil lamps are good to have for long term darkness, but open flames are NOT encouraged, it's way too dangerous. Make sure you understand how oil lamps work, and have abundant tea light candles that can be burnt in small holders. Long tapered candles will easily fall over or spill wax. By all means, do not leave any candles unattended!
Power outages are frequent (at least in this part of the country). Having flashlights, and knowing where they are, is key to your safety during those times. A large variety of options are available nowadays, both battery-free, and with batteries. You can have squeeze flashlights (no batteries, the light is manually activated by squeezing the handle) or crank flashlights (you turn a crank for 30 seconds that will activate the light for up to five minutes). These are great if you don't want to invest in spare batteries or want to make sure you always have a working flashlight.
You may also want to invest in one of those headbands with LED lights. They allow you to have both of your hands available (it's easier to cook in the dark if you have a light shining from your head than holding a flash light in one and stirring with the other!).
I keep one flash light by the bed, one in the kitchen and one in each room of the house, usually in the top drawer. Each room usually has a drawer of some sort. Don't forget to place one in the bathrooms and more importantly, one in whichever room your breaker panel is at.
Candles and oil lamps are good to have for long term darkness, but open flames are NOT encouraged, it's way too dangerous. Make sure you understand how oil lamps work, and have abundant tea light candles that can be burnt in small holders. Long tapered candles will easily fall over or spill wax. By all means, do not leave any candles unattended!
Friday, August 20, 2010
What to shut off and where
....first, shut off the panic button.....
Things are moving QUICK! Droughts, food shortages, lay-offs, hot weather conditions....you name it, it's happening. Should it worry us? No. Worrying will do us no good. Instead, accept the responsibility and
take inventory of what you've done so far to prepare. If you:
1. Have some food and water stored
2. Have some cash at hand
3. Have several ways of cooking food and keeping warm
4. Found and/or updated your emergency kit
5. Have gas in your car so you can get to a safe place
...or can at least say yes to at least three of these, you're way ahead of many others! I'm proud of you!
Now, in case you have to leave the house, either because of severe weather conditions, natural disasters or for whatever other reason .....you may be requested or instructed to shut off the utilities to your house in order to prevent larger disasters or accidents.
Now is the time to take fifteen minutes to find the main turnoffs for gas, electricity and water. Don't turn them off, just make sure that you know where they are, and that you have the tools to do it.
1. Power
This one is probably the easiest one to find and will not require going outside. The electricity circuit box is usually a grey metal panel box mounted inbetween two studs. Here's a video:
http://emd.wa.gov/preparedness/videos/video_turning_off_electricity.shtml Turn off the individual breakers first, before shutting off the main breaker, and turn on the main one before turning on all the individual ones.
2. Propane or natural gas
If you smell gas or hear it escape, turn it off as soon as you can. And for Pete's sake, don't smoke!:-)
Here's a video on how to shut off propane tanks: http://emd.wa.gov/preparedness/videos/video_shutting_off_propane_gas.shtml
To shut off the meters on natural gas, check with your gas company. There are a variety of gas meters, and each will have a slightly different shut-off procedures. Here's the one for Intermountain Gas in Idaho:
http://www.intgas.com/safety/shutoffmeter.html
Don't actually shut the gas off when you're out there trying to figure it out: a professional will have to come and turn it back on. Besides a possible fee, you don't want to risk being without gas for the next several days!
3. Water
Locate the shut-off valve for the water line that enters your house. This might be in a crawl space, in the basement or near the foundation of the house, but you want to know where it is!
Here's a picture of what some of the valves look like: http://www.tvwd.org/resources--outreach/shut-off-your-water.aspx
Have you found all three? Wonderful!! Make sure the rest of the household also knows where to find these and how to turn them off in case of emergency. If you need certain tools to turn the utilities off, you may consider keeping a separate set just for that purpose, so that in a case of emergency you don't have to scramble desperately trying to find the toolbox. Nothing so unnerving as having water coming up to your ankles and you without remembering where you left those darn pliers! So be kind to yourself and keep a spare set!
You may also want to write down the instructions, and draw a map and mark where the different shut-off valves are, and keep them with the set of tools. This will also make it easier on emergency personnel in case they have to shut off the utilities while you're not home.
Things are moving QUICK! Droughts, food shortages, lay-offs, hot weather conditions....you name it, it's happening. Should it worry us? No. Worrying will do us no good. Instead, accept the responsibility and
take inventory of what you've done so far to prepare. If you:
1. Have some food and water stored
2. Have some cash at hand
3. Have several ways of cooking food and keeping warm
4. Found and/or updated your emergency kit
5. Have gas in your car so you can get to a safe place
...or can at least say yes to at least three of these, you're way ahead of many others! I'm proud of you!
Now, in case you have to leave the house, either because of severe weather conditions, natural disasters or for whatever other reason .....you may be requested or instructed to shut off the utilities to your house in order to prevent larger disasters or accidents.
Now is the time to take fifteen minutes to find the main turnoffs for gas, electricity and water. Don't turn them off, just make sure that you know where they are, and that you have the tools to do it.
1. Power
This one is probably the easiest one to find and will not require going outside. The electricity circuit box is usually a grey metal panel box mounted inbetween two studs. Here's a video:
http://emd.wa.gov/preparedness/videos/video_turning_off_electricity.shtml Turn off the individual breakers first, before shutting off the main breaker, and turn on the main one before turning on all the individual ones.
2. Propane or natural gas
If you smell gas or hear it escape, turn it off as soon as you can. And for Pete's sake, don't smoke!:-)
Here's a video on how to shut off propane tanks: http://emd.wa.gov/preparedness/videos/video_shutting_off_propane_gas.shtml
To shut off the meters on natural gas, check with your gas company. There are a variety of gas meters, and each will have a slightly different shut-off procedures. Here's the one for Intermountain Gas in Idaho:
http://www.intgas.com/safety/shutoffmeter.html
Don't actually shut the gas off when you're out there trying to figure it out: a professional will have to come and turn it back on. Besides a possible fee, you don't want to risk being without gas for the next several days!
3. Water
Locate the shut-off valve for the water line that enters your house. This might be in a crawl space, in the basement or near the foundation of the house, but you want to know where it is!
Here's a picture of what some of the valves look like: http://www.tvwd.org/resources--outreach/shut-off-your-water.aspx
Have you found all three? Wonderful!! Make sure the rest of the household also knows where to find these and how to turn them off in case of emergency. If you need certain tools to turn the utilities off, you may consider keeping a separate set just for that purpose, so that in a case of emergency you don't have to scramble desperately trying to find the toolbox. Nothing so unnerving as having water coming up to your ankles and you without remembering where you left those darn pliers! So be kind to yourself and keep a spare set!
You may also want to write down the instructions, and draw a map and mark where the different shut-off valves are, and keep them with the set of tools. This will also make it easier on emergency personnel in case they have to shut off the utilities while you're not home.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
An extra twenty can make a difference
Perhaps you've had some money returned from your taxes, maybe there's been a small financial windfall. Either way, if you can spare an extra $20, get ahead and invest it in food. Now is the time to do it! Check out the sales, see if you can find any coupons or maybe you can buy in bulk with a friend and share.
Grocery stores usually have a three month sales cycle. This means that at certain times of the year, they'll put staples on sale: first you get a lower price on a particular product, the next week you can get that same product "two for one" and the third week it'll be even cheaper. The week after that, it'll go back to its original price until the three months are over and they start all over again. Once you know that, you can keep track of the price fluctuations and store enough to hold you over the weeks the product is at its highest.
Try to invest in basic food items: flour, salt, milk, potatoes, canned meat, dried beans, spices etc instead of prepared or canned meals or frozen so-called TV dinners. These items, although convenient, are riddled with unhealthy ingredients and are very expensive in comparison. If you don't know how to cook or preserve food, call a friend who does and plan a day of cooking together. Those of us that love to cook, enjoy sharing our knowledge with others so don't hesitate to ask! You can learn a new skill that will allow you to take control over your family's health and wellbeing and go home with a freezer and a pantry full of food!
You can store foods in several places, and in various forms. First of all, make sure that the area where you store your food is not subject to high temperature changes (cupboards over refrigerators or next to dishwashers or stoves can get pretty warm) or strong daylight. When buying canned items, the pull-top lids are easy and convenient, but do tend to burst if stored for a long time. Make sure you keep an extra (manual) can opener at hand, preferably in your food storage area, so it doesn't "disappear" from the kitchen.
That's it for now. More on food pantries and storage later. Know that for now, you are starting to get your pantry together. It's the most loving thing you can do for yourself and your family.
Grocery stores usually have a three month sales cycle. This means that at certain times of the year, they'll put staples on sale: first you get a lower price on a particular product, the next week you can get that same product "two for one" and the third week it'll be even cheaper. The week after that, it'll go back to its original price until the three months are over and they start all over again. Once you know that, you can keep track of the price fluctuations and store enough to hold you over the weeks the product is at its highest.
Try to invest in basic food items: flour, salt, milk, potatoes, canned meat, dried beans, spices etc instead of prepared or canned meals or frozen so-called TV dinners. These items, although convenient, are riddled with unhealthy ingredients and are very expensive in comparison. If you don't know how to cook or preserve food, call a friend who does and plan a day of cooking together. Those of us that love to cook, enjoy sharing our knowledge with others so don't hesitate to ask! You can learn a new skill that will allow you to take control over your family's health and wellbeing and go home with a freezer and a pantry full of food!
You can store foods in several places, and in various forms. First of all, make sure that the area where you store your food is not subject to high temperature changes (cupboards over refrigerators or next to dishwashers or stoves can get pretty warm) or strong daylight. When buying canned items, the pull-top lids are easy and convenient, but do tend to burst if stored for a long time. Make sure you keep an extra (manual) can opener at hand, preferably in your food storage area, so it doesn't "disappear" from the kitchen.
That's it for now. More on food pantries and storage later. Know that for now, you are starting to get your pantry together. It's the most loving thing you can do for yourself and your family.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Where to start.....
I've rewritten the start of this posting several times now, as I just don't know where to begin. You are on this blog because at one point or another you've thought about getting prepared, are preparing already or knew you were supposed to prepare for the times to come, but just didn't know where to begin.
I'm far from claiming I have any knowledge at all, but I do believe the time is short and the time is now. Many of us have hit hard times or know close friends or family that have, and it doesn't look like things are going to pick up anytime soon. I've been on this get-ready stint for the last four years now, sometimes dragging my feet, but finally feeling that was time to get serious. I am not scared or worried but I do believe we need to take some precautions and take personal responsibility for our own household, whether that's a household of one or many.
Several of you have asked me how to get prepared, where to start or what to do. I can only tell you what I am doing, and will gladly do so, hence this blog. For those of you that are familiar with the Flylady concept...
I usually don't spend more than 15 minutes a day getting things in order. If I can do it, you can too! If you don't know what I am talking about, and you are still living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anybody Over Syndrome), I suggest you take some time this evening or tomorrow and check it out: http://www.flylady.net/. There is no time like the present to sort what matters from what doesn't matter :-)
So........first things first. Please don't freak out, have sleepless nights or collapse in a depression on the couch with a bag of chocolates. I've done all that and it's a waste of time (except for the chocolate part). It's all going to be okay. We're in a tough time, but we're going to make it, and we'll all be the better for it. And let's have fun with it, we might as well! Together, each and every one of us has an incredible amount of skills, so let's learn from each other and with each other!
In the next couple of postings I'll be sharing with you what's in my GottaGo backpack by the door, how to shut off gas/water/power to your house in case of emergency, and how to get started on food storage. Food alone has gone up 13% in the last couple of months, so whatever you buy today will probably be cheaper than next week. Having these things in place have given me a sense of peace, knowing that I am doing my share. Everything else is out of my hands.
However, nothing can be done without water. So before you go to bed tonight, I'd like you to do two things: One: fill up two empty soda bottles with water, and set them aside. This is the start of your food storage. Two: see if you have a flashlight in the house. Found it? Keep it where you will be able to reach for it if the power goes out. No batteries or flashlight? No worries. More about that next time.
I'm far from claiming I have any knowledge at all, but I do believe the time is short and the time is now. Many of us have hit hard times or know close friends or family that have, and it doesn't look like things are going to pick up anytime soon. I've been on this get-ready stint for the last four years now, sometimes dragging my feet, but finally feeling that was time to get serious. I am not scared or worried but I do believe we need to take some precautions and take personal responsibility for our own household, whether that's a household of one or many.
Several of you have asked me how to get prepared, where to start or what to do. I can only tell you what I am doing, and will gladly do so, hence this blog. For those of you that are familiar with the Flylady concept...
I usually don't spend more than 15 minutes a day getting things in order. If I can do it, you can too! If you don't know what I am talking about, and you are still living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anybody Over Syndrome), I suggest you take some time this evening or tomorrow and check it out: http://www.flylady.net/. There is no time like the present to sort what matters from what doesn't matter :-)
So........first things first. Please don't freak out, have sleepless nights or collapse in a depression on the couch with a bag of chocolates. I've done all that and it's a waste of time (except for the chocolate part). It's all going to be okay. We're in a tough time, but we're going to make it, and we'll all be the better for it. And let's have fun with it, we might as well! Together, each and every one of us has an incredible amount of skills, so let's learn from each other and with each other!
In the next couple of postings I'll be sharing with you what's in my GottaGo backpack by the door, how to shut off gas/water/power to your house in case of emergency, and how to get started on food storage. Food alone has gone up 13% in the last couple of months, so whatever you buy today will probably be cheaper than next week. Having these things in place have given me a sense of peace, knowing that I am doing my share. Everything else is out of my hands.
However, nothing can be done without water. So before you go to bed tonight, I'd like you to do two things: One: fill up two empty soda bottles with water, and set them aside. This is the start of your food storage. Two: see if you have a flashlight in the house. Found it? Keep it where you will be able to reach for it if the power goes out. No batteries or flashlight? No worries. More about that next time.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Plan Your Pantry
Food storage is any food that you have set aside for later, whether that's for one day, one week, one month or one year. Personally, I recommend getting at least three months worth of food.
Why? For many reasons. Having food at hand gives you peace of mind that, if there is a shortage or rationing (remember rice and flour last Spring?) you will be able to provide for your family without lacking anything. If prices go up, you'll be saving yourself quite a bit of money. Having several months worth of food in the cupboard will allow you to make up for cut hours, loss of work or for helping out friends or family who need some extra help. These times are difficult for many of us, and knowing that you have the basics of food in your kitchen and a roof over your head, is certainly a comforting thought.
So how to get started? You could buy prepackaged emergency foods through an online distributor: a year's worth for one person usually runs you about $2,000, which is a very expensive option. The food will usually
just sit there until it's past its date and then gets thrown away, it is by all means "emergency food". Or you could adopt the LDS church's program (called "The Mormon 4", consisting of large amounts of flour, salt, honey and milk powder) but all your meals would be a combination of any of these items. Not something I want to face every day!
I chose to do neither one, but just focused on what foods I was buying already. Get up and look in your pantry or cupboards. What do you have stored that your family, or you, eats on a regular basis? I'm going to guess pasta, crackers, sugar, spaghetti sauce, canned vegetables, soups, canned fruits. That's great, and it's a good start! During emergencies, stressful times or otherwise challenging situations, it's best to have as little changes as possible. If all of a sudden you find yourself having to eat the 50 cans of tuna you've stashed away for an emergency but nobody in your family likes fish, it's just going to add more stress. Not good!:-)
Take 5 minutes right now, grab a piece of paper and a pen and jot down meals and snacks that you and your family enjoy eating, sorting them by category: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. For example: spaghetti, pancakes, chicken noodle soup, chili, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, tuna casserole, apple sauce, barbeque pork, popcorn....... This will be different for everybody. Don't stress if you can't think of anything right now. Try to do a mental review of what you've eaten in the last several days, or what you had for dinner tonight. You could also keep the list on the fridge and fill it out as you go.
Write about six foods of each on your list. This is a great start! Now, when you shop for your usual items, you can add one or two extra cans to your purchases. Instead of buying one jar of your favorite spaghetti
sauce, buy two more and put them on the shelf, buy an extra box of oatmeal, a spare couple of cans of beef stew, or whatever you usually eat. It'll be the least invasive way budget-wise, and because it's foods you usually eat, you will be sure that they will get used. Do make sure you check expiration dates on the cans and rotate them accordingly.
Why? For many reasons. Having food at hand gives you peace of mind that, if there is a shortage or rationing (remember rice and flour last Spring?) you will be able to provide for your family without lacking anything. If prices go up, you'll be saving yourself quite a bit of money. Having several months worth of food in the cupboard will allow you to make up for cut hours, loss of work or for helping out friends or family who need some extra help. These times are difficult for many of us, and knowing that you have the basics of food in your kitchen and a roof over your head, is certainly a comforting thought.
So how to get started? You could buy prepackaged emergency foods through an online distributor: a year's worth for one person usually runs you about $2,000, which is a very expensive option. The food will usually
just sit there until it's past its date and then gets thrown away, it is by all means "emergency food". Or you could adopt the LDS church's program (called "The Mormon 4", consisting of large amounts of flour, salt, honey and milk powder) but all your meals would be a combination of any of these items. Not something I want to face every day!
I chose to do neither one, but just focused on what foods I was buying already. Get up and look in your pantry or cupboards. What do you have stored that your family, or you, eats on a regular basis? I'm going to guess pasta, crackers, sugar, spaghetti sauce, canned vegetables, soups, canned fruits. That's great, and it's a good start! During emergencies, stressful times or otherwise challenging situations, it's best to have as little changes as possible. If all of a sudden you find yourself having to eat the 50 cans of tuna you've stashed away for an emergency but nobody in your family likes fish, it's just going to add more stress. Not good!:-)
Take 5 minutes right now, grab a piece of paper and a pen and jot down meals and snacks that you and your family enjoy eating, sorting them by category: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. For example: spaghetti, pancakes, chicken noodle soup, chili, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, tuna casserole, apple sauce, barbeque pork, popcorn....... This will be different for everybody. Don't stress if you can't think of anything right now. Try to do a mental review of what you've eaten in the last several days, or what you had for dinner tonight. You could also keep the list on the fridge and fill it out as you go.
Write about six foods of each on your list. This is a great start! Now, when you shop for your usual items, you can add one or two extra cans to your purchases. Instead of buying one jar of your favorite spaghetti
sauce, buy two more and put them on the shelf, buy an extra box of oatmeal, a spare couple of cans of beef stew, or whatever you usually eat. It'll be the least invasive way budget-wise, and because it's foods you usually eat, you will be sure that they will get used. Do make sure you check expiration dates on the cans and rotate them accordingly.
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