Being Prepared Takes Time: Make Your Bed

A beacon of light in the chaos of life. 

 This is a marathon, not a sprint!  It is also a two steps forward, one step back sort of thing. 

And I feel like I am starting all over again.  Because I am starting all over again, I thought I would blog about my journey.

First, let's talk about what it means to be "prepared".  "A Prepared Mom" started as my blog documenting my thoughts on emergency preparedness, mom tips for traveling with kids, quick meals, and such.  As I continued to blog, I felt like I was just reiterating the same topics over and over again, so I stopped blogging because I felt I had nothing additional to offer. 

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about our change in situation and where we are now. I thought I would start this blog again to perhaps help someone else going through this transition too.

So, here we are.  When I first started blogging, I had little kids.  Now my little kids are not so little anymore.  They are all adults.  One no longer lives with us.  One is on her way to grad school overseas, and one is still living with us but living her own life very, very independently.  We are experiencing this in between phase where sometimes we are almost empty-nesters and then other times we are back to a pretty full house.  I never know when people will be home for dinner.  I struggle with others making a mess and not cleaning it up or helping to clean up general family house mess.  So here I am.  Messy house. 2 growing puppies. 2 adult kids who can't seem to clean up after themselves.  A husband who works way too much.  Chaos.

I keep reminding myself that one day I will miss not having the kids around and without this constant craziness.

So today I will make my bed.  Since it is Sunday, I will actually strip my bed and change the sheets too. Why do I choose this one thing?  Some bloggers have chosen the "Fly Lady" method and pick clean your sink.  But I choose Make Your Bed as my one thing that I do every day.  I have a long laundry list of things I want to get done but today, I will make my bed. 

When I was a first year in college my roommate was awesome.  She was patient and so forgiving of my mess, my clutter, and me.  About 2 months into our year, I noticed that every so often she would make my bed.  One day she asked me if I would do her a favor and help her out.  She said that the mess around the room didn't bother her as long as my bed was made.  She said all I had to do was pull up the sheet and comforter and plop my pillow on top.  It didn't even have to be wrinkle free or sheets have hospital corners, just pulled up and pillow on top. I figured I was getting the better end of the deal.  I could not worry about my mess, clothes on the floor, books everywhere, piles on the desk as long as I made my bed.  She encouraged me to do it as soon as I got up. And I did.  For her.

To this day, I make my bed every morning. I have come to love this little thing I do for myself and my husband (though he pulls his side up when he gets out of bed too).  I find that no matter how horrible my day turns out, or how unaccomplished I feel at the end of the day, I can always climb into a bed that was made.  So I DID accomplish something.  Even if it was that one thing.

How does this relate to being prepared?  Moms have 50 thousand things going on and are pulled in 85 different directions all the time.  Moms also are tending to everyone all the time.  Making your bed is one little thing that takes all of about 15 seconds, 30 at the most.  This little thing prepares you mentally for the day.  It allows you to check one box right away.  This check will perpetuate into feeling more productive throughout the day.  But if you weren't all that productive, when you climb into bed you will look at your made bed and know you accomplished at least one thing that day and you will feel better for it. So why not spend the 15 or 30 seconds and straighten up your bed as soon as you get out of it?  Your future self will love you for it.

Stocking Up For Winter

 Like squirrels and nuts, this family stores away food in the fall for the winter.  I am sure I have talked about this before in previous posts but here is the long and short of the why we do this.  My husband and I own a lawn care business.  Well, he does; I just help out when and where I can.  Winter is a down time in the business.  Grass doesn't grow around here in the winter.  However, in the fall, we have two of our most profitable seasons, aeration season and leaf season.  So we are more fluid right now.  Because of this, we like to stock up on provisions for the winter season now. 

I have pretty much just finished stocking up.  I am proud to say I have about a three month supply of most food groups.  I have also added to my  longer term food storage. I also have at least a three month supply of all hygiene products that we use, as well as household cleaning supplies.  I will continue to increase my food storage and other supplies through December.

My logic on this:  Each year we have a "planned emergency".  This is the time from January through March, but really it lasts to the beginning of May. I have always been a "prepper" and it has proved essential to us time and time again!  So when I realized that we were tending to need to use our food storage during our off season, we chose to think about this in our preps. One fall, many years ago, my husband did a big job and handed me a bunch of cash (I think it was like $500) and he said, "Go out and get everything we need for food for the next month and include all the stuff for Thanksgiving."  I spend the next couple days making an enormous list.  I scoured the ads from the local grocery stores and made a plan of attack. That year I was not only able to get enough groceries for that next month and for Thanksgiving, but also was able to put away enough meat for us for another couple weeks too.  From that point on, we made a point to start squirreling away food and supplies in the fall. 

This is what my list structure looks like:

1.  Menu planning:  My first step is to sit down and think of all the meals we love to eat in the winter.  This includes, chili, soups, chicken and potatoes, spaghetti, tacos, pork chops, meatloaf, etc. I stretch this out and create a 25 day meal plan.  Some meals we will eat more than once in that 25 day period. I also figure we will eat out 5 days in the month for dinners and more often for lunches.  I do this meal plan for breakfasts (which often look like "breakfast bars, poptarts, frozen sausage biscuits, pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, omelets) and for lunches (which include a lot of planned leftovers, frozen entrees, ramen noodles, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches). I also make a list of grab and go snacks (microwave popcorn, chex mix, chocolate, peanut butter cracker packs, pretzels, nuts, cheese, etc). For the record, this is super hard for me because we eat pretty healthy and I don't have a lot of processed foods in our house. Stocking up on fresh foods is not in the plan, but I try to switch fresh for frozen.  I also do have three on-the-go teenagers/20-somethings who have classes and jobs still living in the house. {sigh} Meal planning is the hardest part.  My 25 day meal plan is for a month.  If I am wanting a 3 month supply of food then I might add a few more meals and multiply the number of meals by 3.  I will also include any holiday meals or birthday meals that might occur. Oh and think about a few desserts.

2.  Meal breakdown:  My next step is to break down each meal into the ingredients and amounts I need for each meal.   I also include spices and seasonings, too. 

3.  List making: I make a master list of all the ingredients from the meal breakdown step. I add all the same items up.  For example, if I am using  a pound of ground beef for each meatloaf I make and I am making it twice in the month then I need 2 lbs.  If I use a pound of ground beef for tacos and a pound for chili, then my total for the month is 4 lbs. Then I further this list to creating lists for each grocery store.  Some stores have specific products my family likes.  I also use the ads from each store, checking for sales.  If there is a sale on a certain product, I will include the sale price next to the item. This will come in handy when shopping.  

4. Checking inventory: Before heading out, I add anything else that we are getting low on.  Think about spices, seasoning packets, flour, sugars, coffees, other drinks.  This is the time when I go through my pantry and clean out expired, unwanted items, dust the shelves.  I pack up the unwanted items and send them on to the food bank. I sort and organize the drawers and cabinets in the bathrooms, and organize the cleaning closet. I add any additional items we are getting low on to the grocery lists.  While doing this, begin an additional list of little chores that need to be done.  These chores could include changing out the batteries in the wall clocks and smoke detectors, replacing burned out lightbulbs, swapping out baking soda boxes in the refrigerators, etc. 

Once the lists are made I head out.  I will shop one store a day. This gives me time to shop and not be in a big rush and come home and put everything away. While I am in a store if I see an item on sale and I have it on another store's list, I will compare the price at the other store with the sale price and then buy the better deal.  I keep all the lists with me so I can mark off any item found at a different store.  Remember when I said to put the sale price next to the item on your list?  This is where it might come in handy.  You can compare the sales. 

Things to remember when stocking up like this:

1. A place for everything.  You need to have a planned place for everything you buy.  I have a separate set of cabinets in my basement for our food storage.  This helps because for us, it is not up in my working pantry.  Out of sight, out of mind. Over the years we have acquired three refrigerator/freezers, one full size stand up refrigerator, one stand up full size freezer, and one chest freezer. We don't use all of them all year long but in this case, these will end up all pretty full.

2. What you bring home, family members will think it is all free rein.  It is best to remind family members that this extra food is not free for the eating.  This is for later.

3. Lots of items can be frozen.  Some items are better fresh.  For example, you can freeze milk but it separates and doesn't always come back together like it was fresh when thawed. However, butter freezes just fine.  In our "planned emergency" time, I still have a small budget for fresh items.  I buy those when needed not during this stocking up time. I focus on the meats, veggies, spices, seasonings, dry goods, bathroom supplies, cleaning supplies. However, if you are stocking up for winter or a time when you know you won't be able to get to the grocery store (like a big snow storm) I would consider adding shelf stable milk or powdered milk (blahhk).  Fresh eggs might be hard but you can include "Egg Beaters" to your freezer. Most cheeses will freeze just fine and so do yogurts.

Why would I want to do this?

Great question.  I do it because I know we have a poor time and I can alleviate some expense now with food storage. If you have a time where you know it will be difficult to get out then this might be a good method.  Perhaps you have a planned surgery coming up. Perhaps you know that each year you get snowed in for a period of time. Maybe you are having a baby.  Or more timely, maybe you may have to quarantine for a few weeks due to the pandemic. These are great reasons to stock up. My sister stocks up each month for the last week of the month when she and her husband are too busy with work and deadlines to shop. All these are "planned emergencies". 

What is different from this type of stocking up and stocking regular emergency food storage? 

Another great question.  For the most part it is not really that different other than the fact that you know you will be using your food storage.  I have our regular food storage and because I know I will be using our storage each winter, I stock extra so at the end of the winter I am not left with nothing in my food storage.  So this is a little extra because I know I am going to be using it. Do I then have double? Not really,  more like 1 1/2 times the normal amount. I continue to grab items when I see them on sale and put them in my food storage, but this is extra.  This also is funded by extra money, not my regular storage budget. 

Can't I just use what I have in food storage for my "planned emergency" without stocking up?

Yes, you can.  But a planned emergency isn't a REAL emergency.  Plus our additional income allows me to beef up our storage during this season.  If you use your emergency food storage during your planned emergency, you will just need to understand that your emergency storage will be depleted by the time you come out of your planned emergency time.  You will have to work to restock it quickly.  With this method, I am "restocking" ahead of time. Because I know it is coming, I can plan. 

What sorts of things do you forget?

I don't know....ha ha ha.... Honestly, Ziploc bags, aluminum foil, trash bags, dishwasher detergent, wine.  It is the little things.   But those little things are sorely missed when gone. 

Winterizing Your Car Emergency Kit

Each year around this time in my area, the leaves begin to change and the weather starts to get cooler.  There is always one evening where I am out and by the time I get home it is dark and quite chilly.  I shiver as I rush to or from my car. This is when I make a mental note to myself that I need to start carrying a sweater or jacket with me if I am going to be out.

Usually the next day I grab my car emergency kit and begin its seasonal overhaul.  In the summer we don't need extra blankets, hand warmers, or hats, gloves and scarves.  In the winter we do.  I also will toss in an extra old jacket or two.

Now that my  kids are older they all have their own vehicles.  I insist that they keep up their own emergency kit (bag) in their cars too. My car now holds less items as I don't usually have the whole family in the car with me. However, when they do go out with me, I insist that they grab a jacket on the way out and if it is really chilly, hat, gloves, and scarf too.

So let's talk about what is in my emergency kit (bag):

First let's talk about the bag or container.  I use an extra large canvas bag that had a zipper on top.  I could fit most all of the items in it and zip it up.  I tossed it in the back of my SUV where we could reach it from the inside of the vehicle.  Some people use a Rubbermaid or plastic tub with a top on it.  The idea is to keep it all contained and in one place. If you drive a sedan you might choose to keep it in your trunk.  That is okay too.

1.  Blankets: small, afghan size, usually fleece or fleece-lined.  I grab older blankets we don't use at home anymore and throw them in. One for each member of the family.  I can't tell you how many times the kids used these blankets while traveling in our car.  I would too.  My husband and I don't always agree on where the heat should be set in the car. 

2.  Extra Warm clothing items: hats, gloves or mittens, scarves, hand warmers, warm socks. A set for each member of the family.

3.  Food/Water: Look for food items like protein or breakfast bars.  You don't want anything that would explode or leak if it freezes. Peanut butter crackers are also a good choice.  Water bottles. No explanation but a caution here.  Place them in a ziploc bag and check them often because they will freeze and thaw throughout the season. 

4. Old Towel (s): with little kids, I always kept an old towel or two in the back of the car.  I never knew when I might have to clean up a mess.  Also, it gave my husband something to lay on if he had to lay on the ground under the car. So I keep an old towel in my emergency bag.

5. Portable Radio: I would choose one that is hand crank over battery operated so you don't have to worry about saving battery power or if the batteries are working.  This radio could keep you informed on weather alerts, news, and entertained while you are waiting on help. This is a new item not in my old posts about car emergency bags. If you are stuck in the car your gas and car battery will eventually run out and this portable radio will serve you well. You will be glad you had it. This should probably be in your regular emergency bag in your car.

Questions you might have:

I already have a car emergency kit.  Why do I need additional food/water and other similar supplies in my winter emergency bag?  You don't.  If it is already in your car then you might just want to refresh what you have.  No one wants to eat stale peanut butter crackers.  

I don't want to keep water sloshing around in my car.  Any other ideas? Sure, when I was working outside the home, I took my lunch each day.  In my lunch box (insulated small cooler), I kept extra water, extra snacks, napkins, plastic utensils, and small packages of condiments (salt, pepper, etc.)  I did not keep water in my car at that point.  When we would go out later in the evenings I would throw a bottle or two of water in our kids diaper/toddler bag.  I had water covered wherever we went, but it was not stored in the car.  I just kept it top of mind. Make your own plan. Make it work for you.  The idea is to be prepared.

I have read other blogs and they are recommending additional survival equipment. Why aren't you?  This Winter Car Emergency Kit (Bag) that I am talking about is what I switch in and out as the seasons change.  I do have some additional emergency supplies in my car all the time.  I don't want to double up on supplies.  For example, I have flares, a multitool, first aid kit, and other items already in my basic car emergency kit. The items I add are specifically to keep me and my passengers warm while we are waiting for help.

The take away:

A couple years ago my daughter and I were out running errands.  It was super cold outside. While we were out I noticed that I was really low on gas and began heading to the gas station.  Well, we ran out of gas.  I pulled off the road but wasn't able to make it into a parking lot and the gas station wasn't close enough.  I called my husband to come "save" me.  While we waited it was quite chilly in the car.  The wind was blowing pretty hard outside and the car got pretty cold quickly. Luckily, I had our winter coats in the car and my daughter climbed into the back and grabbed our winter emergency bag with the blankets. We bundled up and were warm while we waited.  Luckily we didn't have to wait too long but we were thankful we had those blankets in the car with us.

Your winter kit should have the items that you all need.  Think about what you might need if you ran out of gas or had car trouble and needed to stay with your car and wait an hour or two for help. Think about what you might need if you needed to wait overnight for help.  Think about who might be in the car with you.  These ideas might help you formulate your own kit personalized for you and your family.

Hope these ideas help. Stay safe.

Eating at Home - Meal Kit Delivery

****added note: In the wake of our country currently "social distancing" because of the Coronavirus spread, I am posting this post that I wrote for my other blog (Whitney's Cooking). I thought that it might be helpful for us "Prepared Moms" who might be finding themselves a bit overwhelmed by needing to cook, grocery shop while staying socially distant, and try to keep fresh, wholesome meals on the table during this crisis.****



If you have read some of my other posts you already know by now, we just moved. We moved 4 miles away from our previous house into a wonderful new (to us) home.  More bedrooms, more space, more land!

Because moving is hard and EXPENSIVE we have been eating more at home.

Let me back up a bit.  Over the past several years since the meal kits have come on the market, I have been interested in trying them but every time I go to sign up, my budget minded brain says, "you can make this same meal cheaper than they can deliver the food to you", and I don't bite.

About a month ago, I was sitting in the car waiting for my son to join me for an impromptu lunch.  I had been packing all morning and was looking forward to our lunch together, just me and him.  While waiting, I was scrolling social media on my phone and yet another meal kit delivery program popped up on my feed.  For some reason, I clicked.  And for some reason, it finally clicked in my brain that it was actually more budget-friendly than I thought. Why did my thought process change? I think it had a lot to do with me being tired of eating out all the time.  I was tired of the same end of the day conversation we have. "what's for dinner?", "I don't know what do you want?", "I don't know, what do you want?", "I have chicken.", "I don't want chicken.", "It's late. By the time we fix dinner it will be even later. Let's just go out and eat.", "Kids! Put your shoes on. We are going out to eat!" And we go out.  Not to a fast food restaurant usually but to a sit down restaurant.

So here is my normal weekly money routine for food: (Family of 5, 1 in college and home on weekends, 2 in upper teens - hit or miss if they are home for dinner)

Grocery store: $200 - I end up throwing at least a third of the food away eventually because we don't eat it.
Restaurants: Breakfasts $30 (one to two times a week)
                     Lunches $100 ($25 to 30 each time we go and sometimes that is 4 to 5 times a week)
                     Dinners $350 (3 to 4 times a week and usually $75 to $100 each time)
Total:  $680 a week!!!

We also go out to eat a lot because my kids are sick of what we fix when we are in a hurry.  We have gotten into a rut and have been eating the same things over and over again.

You know (from my past posts) that we have meal planned and that works for a little while but we end up in the same boat over time, fixing the same meals.

So, that day, sitting in the parking lot, all this information running through my head, I clicked the meal kit ad.  Suddenly, it all made sense to me.

This meal kit gives me 3 meals a week for 4 people.  I spend about $75 including the shipping price a week.  I pick the meals which rotates so I can't pick the same ones over and over again week in and week out. This kit is based on whole foods.  If you have mashed potatoes on the menu, you start with whole potatoes then mash them. Nothing is prepackaged.  It is all fresh ingredients. All meals take less than an hour from pulling out the recipe card to putting it on the table.  This includes finding all the ingredients in the box, washing all the veggies, cutting everything up, cooking or baking, and then plating. Best of all I don't get half way through a recipe and realize I don't have an ingredient I need. Even more fun, we all have LOVED every single meal we have cooked!!

So for my budget I went from $680 a week to:

Meal kit program: $75
Grocery store: $150
Restaurants: $150 (fast food lunches are reduced because we usually have left overs, we still eat or take out once or twice a week)
New Total: $375 That is a savings of $305 a week!!!

Wow!!! We use Every Plate right now as our meal kit program.  It has an app that you can use on your phone to choose your meals.  I am not giving you a special link because I don't want you to think I am seeking out affiliate credits.  I am not.  I am just giving you information that I have learned.

Coronavirus - What do I do with my kids?

Many public school systems are closing for a period of time.  In our area, schools have closed for 2 weeks.  At that time they will further assess if they need to continue the closures or reopen.  So what do we do with our kids for THAT LONG???

If you work full time or part time and need child care you may think you are in a real pickle.  Look to your friends and neighbors and your child's school friends to see if any of their parents can help you out while you work.  Some neighborhoods and communities are organizing a list of people who can take in a child or two or ten during this crisis.  Even if your child is old enough to stay home by themselves for short periods of time, you may not want them staying home all day long day in and day out for weeks on end.  Look to friends, neighbors, and community.  I have seen already in my area a volunteer list for those who can help and matching those in need.  Others will be in the same boat as you.  Use social media to tell others what you need.  Don't be afraid or embarrassed to ask.  We are all in this together.  We need to come together and help each other out.  If we don't know you need help, we don't know to help you. Ask for help.

If you work from home or are able to stay at home with your kids and still wonder what to do with them, I have a few mom tips for you too!

1.  Alleviate your child's fears.  Many children, my own included, had lots of questions.  I answered their questions as best as I could.  Mine are in their upper teens now so they can understand much more than an 8 year old who was just told that they wouldn't be going to school and wouldn't be seeing their friends and wouldn't be playing sports or going to dance class or even going to church for a while. When answering their questions try to answer the questions they ask.  Some kids just need to know some information.  Others may need to  know more.  They will ask until they are satisfied with the answer. I suggest also that  you don't sugar-coat it.  Tell them the facts.  The facts at this point are that no one really knows a whole lot about this nasty bug.  The kids who they know have gotten it, haven't had much more than cold symptoms, but that kids may give the virus to their parents or grandparents and when the virus is in older people they can get much sicker. So by closing schools, the people at school can clean it really well and you and your friends won't give it to each other who might give it to an older person who might get really sick.  Let them know that they will go back to school when this is all over and that they will see their friends again and that they will be able to play sports or dance again.  But for right now, we are staying home and away from others as much as possible.

2.  Create a schedule.  Some kids will come home with schoolwork to do.  Others may have schoolwork to do online.  Some may not have any schoolwork at all.  But all kids need a schedule.  They need a plan.  YOU need a plan. If you are staying home with them, create a schedule that will include time for schoolwork, meals, chore time, free time, perhaps an organized activity (hiking, biking, board games, etc), and a quiet time(I will get to this in a minute).  Schedules don't need to be by the minute but kids will do better when they know what the plan is.  Plans can change, so be flexible, and schedules can change to better fit your needs.  If you have someone else watching them outside of your home, let your kids know of your plans for them. Help your caregiver to create a list of activities that your kids might enjoy. (see next point)

3.  Activities.  Brainstorm some activities that you think the kids might enjoy. You may even want to get the kids to help you with this list.  Write them down.  Seriously, trust me on this. Write. It. Down. You will need this list to refer to when your kids 3 days into being at home comes to you and says "I'm bored" for the 50 millionth time.  Refer to the list and suggest an activity.  Also have a few "surprise" activities up your sleeve for when they are truly wracking your last nerve and you all need to do something or you will end up killing each other.  These surprise activities might be something your have never done or something that you rarely do. 

Here are a list of activities to get you started:
board games
card games (teach the kids a new one)
coloring
create a great big card for your next door neighbor just to say hello
Facetime or Skype with a friend, neighbor, or Grandma
watch a movie together
bake cookies, cook a meal together
make slime
read a book together
create a cardboard city (use boxes or other cardstock to create a town with stores, houses, park, school, etc)
play with legos

Surprise Activities:
get in the car and head to the park for a hike or biking
create a scavenger hunt in your back yard for them
rent or Netflix a new movie you all haven't seen yet, make popcorn
get in the car and take a drive.  Just drive. Maybe go through the drive thru and get a snack or milkshake


4.  Have daily quiet time.  You can thank me later.  Everyone needs quiet time.  30 minutes or an hour where you are away from everyone else in the home.  This can be quiet reading time or nap time for littles.  This might just be the one thing that will save your sanity during this crisis.  Insist on it. Don't give in.  Everyone will benefit.  Set the oven timer or the alarm on your phone. 

5.  Turn off the TV.  If you tend to have the news on in the background all day long.  Turn it off.  Kids will see the news stories of the Coronavirus over and over again (because news channels talk about it all day long).  They might become overwhelmed by the news media reporting it over and over again.  Turn off the TV so they aren't bombarded with it. 

6. Get outside.  Stretch your legs.  Just because we are socially limiting right now doesn't mean we have to be inside.  The kids can be out in your backyard playing. You can take walks. You can be outside.  Your degree of limiting is set by you.  If you feel like it is safe to play with neighborhood friends then do so.

We are in unprecedented territory here.  We don't know the extent of this crisis and we don't know the outcome.  It is always good to remember that we are all going through this together.  We are stressed and doing the best we can.  We will have good days and bad days.  This crisis will test us.  Patience and kindness is always appreciated.  Be patient with each other.  Be kind with each other.

Coronavirus 19 - Unprecedented Times - Preparing for Medical Events

**Disclaimer: I am NOT an expert in anything medical. I am NOT an expert in anything, really.  I am a mom.  I am bringing a mom's perspective on how I am interpreting the bombardment of information, opinion, and what I am doing to keep my family as safe as possible in the most responsible way I know.
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We are in the midst of unprecedented times right now.  There is so much fear in our community.  No one knows how this viral pandemic will turn out. Community leaders are making decisions based on CDC recommendations and WHO recommendations.  The most immediate concern is the transmission of this disease in such a rapid manner that it overloads our health care system and harms our most vulnerable population.

On my blog (this blog where you found this article), I try to help others to prepare for emergencies.  I posted another post HERE about my immediate thoughts on Coronavirus and what I did to prepare along with everyone else in my community at the same time.

We didn't see this pandemic coming.  We didn't expect it to be uncontrolled as other viruses, MERS, SARS, Ebola, similar to Coronavirus (COVID-19), had been quickly controlled and we were unaffected.  We expected this virus to be similar to the other viruses.  So now we find ourselves rushing to prepare for something unknown.

What we don't know:

We don't know how this will play out.

We don't know if this virus will infiltrate our bodies or our family.

We don't know how the virus will present itself in our bodies. Will we have mild symptoms? Will we be asymptomatic and not even know we have it? Will we become severely ill?

We don't know how long we will have to remain socially secluded.  Will life go back to normal quickly? Will we all be on "lock down" for a period of time and how long?

We don't know if we will feel comfortable enough to go out to the grocery store when we need more supplies or if people will be able to bring us supplies if we can't go out.  Will deliveries stop? Will Amazon be able to deliver my packages?

What we do know:

We know that the virus is spreading quickly.

We know that it will eventually get into our communities.

We know, sadly, that we will know someone who gets it.

We also know that kids rarely are showing symptoms of this virus.

We also know that most healthy adults are showing minor difficulties getting over this virus.

We know that elderly and those with health conditions will have the most difficulty with this virus.

We know that we all need to help prevent the spread of this disease so that those most susceptible don't get it until a vaccine is made available to them.

We know that this too shall pass and life as we know it will go back to "normal" again.

A good big part of the panic is all the unknowns.  The other part of the panic is that we just don't think about preparing for disasters, medical quarantines, or hard economic times.

My husband and I hopped on the "prepping" bandwagon about 15 years ago.  There wasn't anything in particular that sparked us but we developed a plan and began stockpiling storing extra items that would be helpful in an emergency situation.  However, because we just moved into our new house, we had very little food storage and very little extra items because we used what we had prior to our move so we didn't have to move so so so much stuff. {sigh} Lesson Learned!

How do we prepare?

When preparing for this kind of emergency here are some things to think about while preparing your list of items you should have on hand.

1.  Food/Drinks:

I would think that at least a month's worth of food. 21 days has become a popular  number floating around in other articles for preparing for an event of this magnitude.  This isn't just a 3 day snow storm!  We may need to be quarantined for up to 14 days and if we get sick, we could be home for a month!  When making your list, think about foods that will stay fresh for a month or freeze well.  Also begin to menu plan.  Make a menu for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.  Create a 7 or 14 day rotation so you don't get bored.  With a 7 day menu, multiply all the ingredients by 4.  For a 14 day menu, multiply by 2.

Sample menu: 
Day 1:

• Breakfast: Instant Oatmeal w/ dried fruit. Orange Juice/Milk
• Lunch: Sandwich w/Deli Meat, fresh carrot sticks, Ranch dressing 
• Dinner: Grilled Chicken Breast, Broccoli, Rice

Day 2:

• Breakfast: Eggs, Bacon, Toast
• Lunch: Canned Soup, crackers
• Dinner: Hamburgers, Fries, Fresh or Frozen Veggie

Day 3:

• Breakfast: Frozen breakfast sandwich or make your own.
• Lunch: tuna sandwiches, chips
• Dinner: Spaghetti with marinara sauce, garlic bread.

Keep in mind that fresh items will go bad so use them first.  Back fill fresh items with frozen items.  Frozen vegetables are great for steaming or boiling.  Frozen fruit is a good substitute for fresh fruit.  Dried fruit lasts the longest.  If you get grapes for your menu, think about raisins for the menu later in the month.  

Don't forget to put snack items on the list. 

Luckily with this event, we most likely will have heat, A/C, and electricity.  This will make preparing foods and meals much more easily.

2. Medications/Medical Supplies

Keep the standard over the counter medicines on hand. Advil, Tylenol, cold meds, allergy meds, etc.  Also make sure that your prescription meds are up to date and filled.  Locate a pharmacy where you can access a delivery method if you need to have your meds delivered to you in a quarantine situation.

In addition to medications, you will want to have a good thermometer, cold/warm packs, rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial soaps, and a good first aid kit.  Add any other medical items that you may need.

3.  Cleaning products

Make sure you have enough laundry detergent, your regular cleaning products, a gallon of bleach (always good to have around), a gallon of vinegar (great natural item that kills germs), soaps, paper towels, etc.

4.  Personal Items

These might include feminine care products (I always have at least a couple months' worth), toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, and shaving items, shower items, shampoos, conditioners, etc.  

5.  Kids

Make sure that you have activities and school supplies at home for when the kids are home from school.  Outside activities are being cancelled left and right currently and many public schools are closing for extended periods of time.  You will need some activities to keep the kids busy while you are hanging out at home.  Going to friends' houses may not be possible so think of some activities, board games, scavenger hunts in the yard, etc. Keep a couple ideas in your pocket for when the kids are really getting bored and beginning to drive you crazy.  Don't give all your ideas away right away.  You will be glad you held something back!

Kids may have schoolwork to do during this time.  Take it from a homeschooling mom that a schedule will be your friend.  Make a schedule and stick to it.  Get the kids up at a certain time, breakfast, schoolwork, break, lunch, schoolwork or quiet reading time, play time, dinner, evening activity, bath and bed.  Make your schedule work for you. We could be in this mess for a while so plan now and begin a schedule right away.  Make adjustments to your schedule as you need to.  However, I would like to add that I STRONGLY suggest that you schedule some 'apart' time where everyone is in their rooms or apart from each other and quiet.  Some days this might just be your saving grace!

How Can We Help Others?

Some of our neighbors may need help during this time.  How can we help them?

The best way to help others is to check in with your neighbors and friends.  This can be done by phone, visiting while standing well away from each other, Facetime, Skype, etc.  Check in with them and see how they are doing and if they need anything.

Our elderly or immune compromised may become too scared to go out and run errands and may need things.  If you are feeling up to it or can pick up items from the grocery store, Target, Walmart, for them, it can be helpful.

Parents who work full time or part time may need babysitting.  You could offer a couple hours or a couple days of babysitting if your schedule allows.

Some communities are putting together sign up sheets online to gather lists of volunteers for babysitting, respite care (an hour or two) for parents to unwind, snacks and treats (neighbors baking bread or cookies to share with others), meals for elderly and match them to neighbors who need those services.  Think outside the box as we move through this crisis.  

This crisis will bring out the best and worst in everyone.  Through all this we will all find ourselves stressed, tired, and frustrated at times.  Please remember that how we treat others will rub off.  We need to remember that others may be struggling.  Kindness and patience will go a long way even when we have nothing else to give!  Smile and know that we are all in this together.  :)

Influenza - A Possible Remedy

It is flu season again.  It happens every year. 

Have you ever had the flu?  I have.  I got it several years ago.  I am pretty sure I caught it while we were in Disney World.  On the drive home I started to get a funny cough.  As the day wore on it got worse.  The next day I woke up with a fever, chills, body aches and persistent cough.  It was 2009 and it was the Swine (H1N1) Flu.  It was also Christmas Eve.  I took a ton of over the counter meds and struggled through Christmas and then spent the next week doing nothing but watching tv and recovering from this awful mess.

Yes, I had gotten the flu shot.  We get it every year.  That year the Swine flu wasn't in the flu shot.

This year (2018) the experts say the flu shot is only about 30% effective.  This year's flu is particularly awful.  They say it is the worst flu season since 2009.  This particular strand is rough on kids who haven't built up an immunity to any flu strains and those with compromised immune systems. 

Influenza is a virus.  It doesn't respond at all to antibiotics, as those only kill bacteria.  It has to run its course and your body has to fight it off.  However, there are some things you can do to help your body out.
1. fluids
2. rest
3. fever reducer (Tylenol, Advil, etc)
4. and this:

I have heard that taking these two items will help to reduce your symptoms and boost your immune system to fight the virus.  I have heard it shortens the time you have the flu by up to 50%.

I don't have the flu and hope I don't get it this year, but I will be stocking this in our medicine cabinet.

Holiday Shopping Safety

Recently I have heard of several new schemes that not so nice people are using to get women away from their car or to stop their car so the not so nice people can do bad things to them.

With only 9 weeks left before Christmas and the sun setting earlier and earlier, us women will find ourselves shopping and in parking lots in the dark.  Now is the time to prepare ourselves.  Personally, I hate shopping at night.  I particularly don't enjoy driving at night anymore.  I try to avoid being out after dark particularly alone anymore.  However, with the sun setting around 6 now and by Christmas, just before 5, I will find myself alone, in the dark, in a parking lot.

So, here is what I have heard before and this is what I will be telling my teenage girls.

Recent stories have told of bad people (sometimes bad women, not just men) will leave something on your windshield, like a shirt or a piece of paper.  You don't see it until you are in your car and getting ready to pull out of the parking space.  You stop, open your door, get out to take the item off your windshield and they grab you.

Sometimes you go to your car and a van with dark or even no windows is parked right next to your car.  You go to get in your car and they open the door and grab you.

Sometimes they will throw raw eggs at your windshield and then wait for you to stop to wash it off or get the egg off in some way.  Using your windshield wipers don't work as it only smears it and makes it worse.  Water mixed with raw egg will make it cloudy.

Your best protection is awareness.

1.  look around you, not at your phone, keep aware of your surroundings and others around you.

2.  keep your keys in your hand.

3.  keep your whistle on your keychain and don't be afraid to use it.

4.  if the hair on the back of your neck stands up, listen to it and go back in the store, ask the store manager to walk you out to your car.

5.  don't ever stop your car to take something off your car.  drive to a well lit place with lots of people like a gas station.

6.  if you have to stop, lock your doors, use your horn, call 911 for assistance.

7.  if you have a key fob on your keychain for your car, keep your finger on the panic button,  or the lock/unlock button, or whichever button will make your car look like it is acting funny so others will start to pay attention to it..

8.  if you can, don't go out alone.

9.  if you find someone grabbing you, scream, make a commotion, try to scratch them and poke their eyes, knee them in the groin.

10.  if you are alone, don't be helpful.  Don't help someone who asks for help in a parking lot.  If they need help, don't get close to them.  Go back in the store to ask for help.

Again, your best defense is awareness.  Be aware of your surroundings.  Park in a well lit area, as close as you can to the store.

Hope these little tips are helpful.

Visit me on Facebook.  Search "A Prepared Mom".  That's me!  :)  I post other things there.

A Much Needed Break ----- Prepping For a Trip

Yesterday we took a much needed mini vacation.  It was only a 24 hour vaca but it was so so so good to get out of town for even just an overnight trip.  My husband and I and the three teenagers packed in no time flat (we are record packers trained by many years of traveling to and from our beach house or river house each weekend) and we hopped in the car and headed an hour away for the night.

The plan was to check into the hotel and then go out to eat a nice dinner, spend the night and then the next morning go apple picking, have lunch and then meander back home again. The plan went splendidly!  It was perfect weather.  We found an open air mall and walked through a few stores and then had a wonderful dinner in a great Italian Restaurant.  The next morning we awoke and had a bit of breakfast in the hotel. Then we packed up, checked out and headed to the local apple orchard.  We ended up with a bushel of apples, three bottles of wine, a gallon of apple cider, and two dozen apple cider donuts.  It was wonderful to just hang out with my family and my kids.  We get so caught up in the mess of the days that we forget to just be together.  As the kids have gotten older it has also become more difficult for us to schedule time together, and when we are home we often find ourselves in separate rooms, doing separate things.

In the end, it was a much needed, quick, break from our lives.  Ahhhh.....

So how do we prep for emergencies while we are on the road?

1.  Pack for layers.  The weather was going to be fairly warm but might be chilly inside places or at night.  We pack for layers.  A sweatshirt, a sweater, a tank top.  Light jacket. Long pants, short pants.  Extra underwear (just in case we end up having to stay longer than expected). Extra outfit (in case we stay longer or in case we spill something and need an extra outfit). 

2.  Toiletries. Normal toiletries plus a full set of nail clippers, tweezers, nail file.  (it is amazing how often we need one or more of these items while we are away!  Plus they can come in handy if you need a mini tool for something or another. Trust me, you will use them.)

3.   Flashlight.  I carry a small but bright one in my purse, particularly when traveling.  AND I used it while we were away.  Now it wasn't for an emergency but the lighting was dim and the flashlight came in handy.

4.  Snacks.  We pack snacks and a cooler of drinks and water bottles when we travel.  We don't always eat or drink them but if we find ourselves stranded somewhere we have some protein and some carbohydrates and veggies to snack on until we get rescued.

5.  Blanket.  In the winter I try to pack a blanket for every person in our family in the car.  We will use them while traveling to sleep in the car or just snuggle under when my husband declares the car too hot and turns on the AC or the heat down.  This time it wasn't too cold yet and I grabbed two blankets.  My son brought his own as well.

6.  Emergency car kit.  We always have emergency car equipment in the car.  Basic tools, battery jumping cables, rope, chain, extra fuses.

7.  Extra battery charger for our cell phones.  We have a portable charger and I make sure it is all charged and ready to go - you know, just in case.

8.  Small first aid kit.  My small one is a small cosmetic bag size.  It has a few band-aids of different sizes, antibiotic ointment, pain reliever, and benadryl.  Oh, and antacid.  It is not big but it works for us. When the kids were little I also carried a thermometer and a few other items. Now that we have grown most of them have their own bags and carry the items they feel are necessary for them personally, like feminine supplies, allergy meds, etc.

Do we overpack?  I don't think so.  Did I use everything I packed?  No.  I didn't use the first aid kit. No one needed any band-aids this time, but we have needed them in the past.  We also didn't use our car emergency kit, but it is always good to have it around for those times when we do break down.  I didn't need to extra battery charger either but it is small and always good to have.  Yes we ate some snacks, not all, yes we used the fingernail clippers and the nail file this time. I used a blanket on the bed in the hotel room because my husband loves to crank up the AC and freeze me out of there.  I already told you I used my flashlight and well, packing in layers is always a good idea.

A Whistle Can Save Your Life

Yes, a whistle can save your life!  Put on your list of emergency supplies to get a whistle.  I have one on my keychain.  It is a small plastic "very loud" whistle.  The "very loud" part is what was in the description when I bought it.  And it is very loud.  But any whistle in a pinch will do.

As a woman I worry about attacks in parking lots when I am walking out to my car at night alone.  I always get my keys out in the store prior to leaving.  I have my keys in my hand and thus my whistle too.  If I feel threatened (knock on wood - haven't needed to use it yet) I can blow my whistle.  That will get other people's attention and hopefully ward off those who want to do me harm.  However, there are lots of other times where a whistle will come in handy too.

Have you heard of the instance where you get lost hiking?  The thought is if you get lost the best thing to do is to stay in one place and blow your whistle every so often.  You can use the SOS method of blowing your whistle, three loud blasts, and people searching for you can hear it.  Yelling and screaming can be effective but it takes a lot of energy to yell.  Blowing your whistle is much more effective and efficient.

If you are in an emergency situation where you are covered in rubble, whistles are effective for people finding you. 

So when a weather emergency occurs (tornado warnings, hurricane, etc) put a whistle around your neck and you will have it in case you need it. 

Whistles are inexpensive and can be found usually in the sporting goods section of Walmart, Target, Kmart, and in sporting goods stores.  Get one with a lanyard so you can put it around your neck.  They are usually only a few bucks if that.  In fact buy two or three!  They also make great stocking stuffers!!

Pack one in your bug out bag, put one in your car emergency kit, put one on your keychain and in your purse. 

Emergency Planning on a Budget (a $5 plan)

A few ideas for how to stock up on a budget:  I was thinking more about the post I wrote the other day here and wanted to give a few ideas on how to stock up with just $5 a week.

I have said before that I am not a "hard core" prepper.  But I do like to have some supplies on hand at any given time.  My "emergencies" are not the sort like the end of the world, full-blown nuclear meltdown, complete economic collapse, or an apocalypse type event.  My "emergencies" are more of the "oh my we had to pay a large bill this month and are a little short of grocery money", winter storms, hurricanes, and oops the power went out.  I find that from time to time we have to use our supplies for one of these reasons.

I don't buy the long-term, 25 year food storage items.  A 5 gallon bucket of oats or whole grains or even flour isn't going to do me much good in the long run because that is not how I cook everyday.  Yes, I bake bread and sweets from time to time but it isn't my norm.  I buy extra of things we use everyday.  I like to have a three month supply of things so in case we need to use our food storage/supplies the items we normally use are there. 

How do I get a three month supply of things?  I start slowly and I stock up on things we use.  When things go on sale that is when I buy and for the most part food items go on sale at least once every three months.  At that time I buy what I need to the next three months.  For example, we use ketchup quite often (I have kids - it is part of the food pyramid!) I estimate we go through a bottle of ketchup a month. So when ketchup goes on sale I buy three bottles.  We are not big on canned veggies and tend to eat more frozen or fresh veggies.  We can't really stock up on fresh veggies for three months but we can stock up on frozen veggies.  Frozen veggies are regularly $1 a bag.  We eat fresh as often as we can but we use at least 3 bags of frozen veggies a week, sometimes more.  3 bags a week for a month is 12 bags.  Three months worth is 36 bags of frozen veggies.  I don't buy 36 bags at once.  I don't have that much money to spend on it at once.  So I buy a little at a time.  I will get a couple extra bags each week at the store until I have stocked up.

If you were to budget $5 extra a week to spend on emergency supplies you could plan out how you can spend it each week.

Immediate needs:
Food -
Water -
Lighting -
Cooking -
First Aid -

Start with water.  It is easy to grab an extra couple gallons of water for $5 a week.  A case of water bottles is usually $2.50-$3.  You can buy at least one case and then a gallon of water for $5.  Do this for a couple weeks and you have quite a stash of water.

Food - Start with foods you can eat without heating up.  Tuna packets, canned pastas like ravioli, beef a roni, spaghetti-o's, etc.  They are better hot but you can eat them cold in a pinch.  A box of protein bars, box of dry cereal, pop-tarts, instant oatmeal.  Canned fruits, apple sauce, canned and bottled (shelf stable) juices. Start slow and buy on sale.  These are all items you can eat without heating up. Make sure the cans are the flip and pull type or make sure you have a hand crank can opener.  Canned goods do you no good if you can't get into them.

Alternative cooking - One month save your $5 a week and try to find a camp stove or use your $20 this month to buy some cast iron pots and pans you can use on your grill or over an open fire.  Camp stoves like this one is a bit more than $20 new but you can buy one on Craigslist or at a yardsale for about $20.  If you own a grill or plan to use an open flame fire to cook in an emergency then use your $20 to buy second hand cast iron pans and pots.

Now that we have an alternative cooking plan - let's go back to food again.  Now you can start stocking up on lots of foods each week with your $5.  When planning what you will buy try to buy items that will make a meal. One week buy instant pancake mix and a bottle of syrup.  The next week buy a package of pasta and a jar of spaghetti sauce.  Another week buy canned soups that are ready to eat (Chunky, Progresso, etc).  This way if you have an emergency then you have a full meal and not just random parts of a meal.  Relish and crackers don't make a meal. You could eat it but it wouldn't be appetizing.

Alternative lighting - For $5 you can buy 5 small flashlights. (Walmart has them in the camping department, they are small but pack a bright led light)  You can buy a package of AAA batteries for $5 to go with your small flashlights.  For $10 you can buy a larger lantern.  For another $10 you can buy a package of D batteries for the lantern.  I used to stock up on candles but now I go for the lanterns and flashlights. Just the other day I found a great hanging battery operated light on sale for $3.49 at Office Max.  I think they were intended for a locker.  You could hang it in your locker and have a light so you can see your books.  The light is bright!  I bought 2.  The fact that you can hang them up on a hook or in a closet on a rod makes them perfect for your emergency supplies.  You can put it in the bathroom on the towel rack or hook it on a cabinet door knob in the kitchen. Each was under $5. Candles are cumbersome and dangerous as they have an open flame and can catch your house on fire if you aren't paying attention.

First aid - again, use your $5 to add to your first aid kit.  One week buy band-aids, next week buy ace bandage, another week buy antibiotic ointment like Neosporin.  One week buy pain-reliever (Advil, Tylenol, etc) another week buy chapstick.

Now that you have the basics for an emergency where you won't have power, begin to think bigger and start to plan and stock up for a time where you may be without a job or there is an illness in the family and money is tight, or when you just need to pay an extra bill this month and groceries and basic supplies will be hard to come by.

Make a list of popular meals that your family likes a lot.  Start to stock up a little at a time so that you have all the ingredients for these meals.  Stock your freezer with meats, veggies, and quick prepared meals.  Stock your pantry with spices, gravies, taco seasoning, canned goods, condiments, canned fruits and juices, boxed mac and cheese, soups, and anything else you normally buy.

Consider purchasing deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine supplies, soaps, shampoos, and other toiletries.  These can be some of the most expensive items you purchase on a regular basis.  Stocking up on these when they are on sale or when you have a coupon is a wise choice.  Other items to stock up on is laundry detergents, bleach, household cleaning supplies, and hand soaps.  Again the key is to buy these when they are sale or if you have a coupon.  No coupon?? Consider emailing or mailing your favorite brands and tell them how much you like their product.  They will often send you high dollar coupons in the mail.

The key here is that if you do a little planning.  You biggest emergencies won't be the end of the world type scenarios but the little annoyances of daily life. I can't tell you how many times we have used our food storage because of an unexpected expense or lack of money for some reason. Power outages are our second most annoying "emergency". I am glad that I have an alternative cooking plan and alternative lighting plan.  Our daily life doesn't change that drastically when these things happen because we have a plan.  Buy the things you use and eat.  Food storage isn't any good to you if you don't like what you have.

Benefits of food storage:  I love being able to go into the pantry and having a variety of options available to me.  We eat it on a rotation all the time so that no food goes bad or gets out of expiration date.  Because I have stocked it with the things we eat anyway, we are always rotating our foods.  My grocery lists look a little different sometimes because I am always restocking my food storage and buying the items when they are on sale not just when we need them.  So sometimes my grocery list will not have any meats on them or any veggies.  Sometimes my grocery list looks quite odd as it isn't "balanced". But I find I am saving money this way too!  :)

I also love being able to reach under my sink in my bathroom and immediately replace an empty toothpaste tube, or grab a new deodorant.  I always have an extra. I never run out of anything I need.  When I notice that something is starting to get low, then it goes on the grocery list.  I might not get it immediately because it might not be on sale.  But it will get purchased before I completely run out of it.

Emergency Kit for Kids Traveling This Summer

My teenagers are going on a mission trip this summer with our church.  Along with the required items that the church organization asks them to bring (raincoat, water bottle, sun screen, etc), I want to send them with a small first aid kit personalized for them.  I want it small enough for them to toss in their backpacks, not take up too much room, and not add too much weight or bulk.


Here is a list of items I will be including in their kits.

• Band-aids of different sizes
• Neosporin Spray
• Nail file, nail clippers, tweezers
• Bandana and safety pin (clean cloth for wound care or as a sling if needed)
• Advil
• Allergy medication (for my daughter)

It is not much but it will all fit nicely in a small bag (you can put it all in a ziploc bag if you want).

I am also sending the following with them:

• flash light (a small one with a wrist handle)
• Hand sanitizer (this won't go in their first aid kit but will float in their backpack as they will need it available more often than their first aid kit)
• a few snacks (my daughter is a picky eater so she wants to pack some pop-tarts, breakfast bars, and cheese crackers with her)

They are flying so the first aid kit will be in their backpacks while they fly.  The snacks and sunscreen will be packed in their suitcases which will be checked at the airport.  Nothing will be more than an ounce so they shouldn't have any trouble getting it through security.

My son has a small bag of bandaids and antiseptic spray in his baseball bag and  a larger kit in his car.  While his baseball team coaches have a kit they keep with them, my son tends to use his own band-aids from his bag and his friends have from time to time asked him for stuff too.  He likes the independence he has with his own stuff.  He knows his band-aids are the kind he likes and will work for him.  Again, this truly is about independence and lack of worry.  They know that in that bag is a little bit of love that mom packed and when they need a bandaid they might feel a bit of comfort from home.

How To Survive a Trip to the Store with Little Kids

Let me first add this disclaimer:  I am a mom of 3 teenagers.  From the oldest to the youngest they are 3 years apart.  I had three kids in three years.  I am not a mom of toddlers or young kids anymore.  This is my story, my observations, my opinions, and my methods from when my kids were little.  I think these are timeless and can enhance family time and/or your personal survival. I share these as my own ideas for surviving and enjoying multiple children.

Let's go to the grocery store!  I hear so often from moms of little ones that they HATE taking their kids to the grocery store with them or a run to Target/Walmart, etc.  When my kids were little there were a few times where a trip to the grocery store was without any little ones.  Those times were heaven!  I could stroll through the aisles, check out all the new end-caps, look for sales on things not on the list, etc.  However, note that I said few, because that is all I got.  Most often I had two or even three little ones tagging along with me.  I survived, and you can too!!

Wherever we were going, I started preparing the kids on that way there.  Telling them where we were going, why, what we would be looking for or purchasing, and how I expected them to behave.  There were no rewards dangled if they were good, no prizes at the end of the rainbow (check out line), none of that.  I didn't have the extra money to fork out prizes or treats if they were good.  Goodness was expected and they would receive my praise when they behaved.  That was all.  So we would start out similar to this:

 Me - "We are going to the grocery store and I will need everyone to listen to me and to pay attention to where we are going.  I will need my good helpers to help me find the things on the list. We are only getting the things on the list but we will see lots of other things we might want but we can't get them today. Who would like to help me by holding my list for me today?" (that person would get the prize of sitting in the cart seat)  Sometimes I would let them volunteer and other times I would select that person myself.  Then I would move on.  "The other two will have to help me find the things we are looking for on the shelves. Remember that your job is to help me by staying close to the cart with your hand on the cart while we are in the store." (this person or people had a rule that they had to keep their hand on the cart while we walked in the store and in the parking lot.  I didn't have enough hands to hold them all so that was the rule, period.  Even today with my teens I find them unconsciously putting their hand on the cart when we are in a parking lot - they still do it. :) )  Sometimes I would ask for a person to help organize the groceries - if we were only getting a few things and a kid could sit in the big part of the cart with the food while we rolled.  That way only one was out of the cart. When I had a baby who couldn't walk with us (under 3 years old) then that person always got the cart seat. The others were relegated to the basket or walking. Sometimes we would "ride" and I would let the walkers "hop on" the front of the cart and hold on while we moved through the store.  This was a fun treat for them.

When we arrived at the store, before we got out of the car, I reminded them again, "you all are such great listeners I know we will be so quick and can get home soon.  If we don't behave in the store then we will have to go home right away and not have the things we need to make dinner (or breakfast or whatever we were there for). Don't forget to put your hand on the cart when we are walking in the parking lot.  Cars can't see you but they can see me.  You are short right now and they can't see you so well.  They can see me because I am tall. Stick close and keep your hand on the cart."  I always tried to park close to a cart corral so I could grab one before getting in the store.  On the occasion when I couldn't grab a cart right away then they had to hold on to my purse or hold my arm or hold each other's hands.  No one was ever walking freely. The threat was always the same.  The people driving the cars can't see you and might run over you by accident.  That would hurt badly and we don't want that to happen.  The cars can see me because I am tall.  Stick close to me and hold on to me and the cars won't hit you. This was said over and over again every time we were in a parking lot.  Over time it all becomes habit; habit to say it, habit for the kids to hold on to me or hold the cart or hold someone who was holding me. It became their job to hold not my job to grab them.  Usually I was carrying someone in my arm and someone else was holding a hand.  The third would either grab my purse straps or hold my arm holding a kid or hold their sibling's other hand (as they were holding on to me).

As we moved through the store, the list keeper would help me by marking off the things we found, even if they couldn't read it was great practice for them to look for the first letter of the item and good practice for just marking things out.  The other two "finders" would help me look for their brand of cereal or the bacon or the "blue topped milk" etc.  I always praised them for finding it with their good eyes.  They know what the box of cereal looks like and the brand of milk we use, etc.  They are so observant even at a young age, say 3 or 4 years old.  We would mark everything off the list and move to the check out where they would be able to watch the bagger bag up our groceries or help me by putting the items on the conveyor belt.  It kept them busy and if they asked for things not on the list I would remind them that it wasn't on the list and we couldn't get it today, but when we got home we could put it on the list for next time. Usually they had forgotten all about whatever it was and never had to make a new list when we got home.  They were too busy helping me put it all away at that point.

As the kids grew older and learning to read, the list keeper became more important as they had to read what was on the list to us.  And even older (like 7, 8, 9 years old) we began looking for sales and comparing unit prices.  Sometimes if we had time one would use my calculator in my purse to add things up or help compare prices and quantities in the package.  Even at that age they can learn so much.

I know I have blogged about this before because I remember writing it, but when we were in the stores and saw a child who was misbehaving I would quietly point them out to my kids and tell them to look at how that child looked while he was screaming.  I would ask them to look at the mom and see how frustrated and upset she is that her child is misbehaving.  I would tell them that others see you when you misbehave just like we see this child.  I would thank them for behaving well and how proud I am that they don't misbehave in the store.

Now, my kids were not perfect and there were a few (only a few) times when someone would pitch a fit that couldn't be quickly extinguished and we would have to leave.  In those times, I would quickly try to find a worker who I could pass my partially filled cart to and tell them I was sorry but we had to leave right away.  I would grab the kids and out to the car we would go.  Buckle them all in and head straight home.  This only happened a couple times. But enough that they remembered and didn't want that to happen again.  No praise.  The idea is that I say what I am going to do and do it when it happens.

Before:
The idea here is to prepare them for what behavior you expect.  Kids are not mind-readers and they learn best when they know what is expected ahead of time.  Kids will learn from punishment of when they do something wrong but many times we can prevent the "wrongs" when we teach them how to do it "right".   The reminders in the car and telling them what they can expect helped so much.  They knew what we were getting and they knew where we were going and they knew how I wanted them to behave because I told them.

During:
In the store I gave them all important jobs.  Everyone always had a job, even if sometimes it was to "stand there and look pretty" (yes, that was sometimes a job). They were praised when they did their job and told how much they helped.  This made them feel good about themselves and they learned to function as a team.  Jobs ranged from "hold on to the cart and make sure it doesn't roll away" to "find the ketchup" to "help me push the cart" to "mark the items off the list" to "help me put the items on the check out counter".  It can be anything that will make them feel important.  Praise comes during our trip as well as after.

After:
Once in the car, I praise them again for doing such a great job in the store.  For helping me find all that we were looking for and for behaving so nicely.  If someone complimented my kids in the store I would remind them of that compliment and tell them that they should feel proud that they received a compliment, because I was!

I can't tell you how many times I was stopped by other people in the store after observing me with my kids.  They would say, "you are doing a great jog with those kids" or "I see you are teaching them money management early" or "your kids are so well behaved, a rare thing these days".  Ha ha.  For me I was just trying to survive.  I never thought about how it looked to others.  I just needed to get through the store with my kids and my sanity.  Ha ha ha.  Seriously, I was sleep deprived, never without a kid or three, and had to shop when I could and that meant bringing my brood along.  So in order to survive the trip we HAD to work together, help each other, behave the best we all could (including me) and return home with our groceries and everyone in one piece.  I do appreciate those compliments and often needed them when they came to continue to encourage me.

Kids love a job.  They love helping and they love feeling important.  That is what I tapped into so that our grocery trip or Target trip or whatever shopping trip we took was successful.

So, what happens when your child does act up in the grocery store?  Well, for me getting down on their level, eye to eye with them, holding their hands in mine and reminding them of their job during this trip and how important it was for us to work together to help each other and me usually straightened them up.  As I said before, there were times when I abandoned my cart and out the door we went, to the car and home.  This upset everyone but needed to be done so they learned that their poor choice in behavior hurt everyone including me, their siblings, and them. That fast response will teach them that you will do what you say.  As a side note here, most often poor behavior for my kids meant that they were tired and most of the time this occured when I was trying to push nap time and they really just needed a rest.  So when we got home to bed they went for a while.  Usually they fell right to sleep.

In short:
1. Prepare them for the trip.
2. Give them jobs to focus on while shopping
3. Praise during the trip and at the end.

I hope this is helpful.  Have a great day! :)

First Aid Kits - Home and Car Kits

I think I have posted a blog about this years ago but I am too lazy to go searching for it. Okay, I went searching for it and I did find this:

A Prepared Mom Purse

Our First Aid Kit

Both are exactly what I thought I had posted. Both were written 6 years ago and a lot has happened since then.

With three kids in their late teens we are pretty active and are in our first aid kit often.  Having also moved four times in the past four years I am so thankful that we started using a tool box for our first aid kit.  It was so easy to pack it up and take it with us wherever we were going.  Sometimes it was in the car, sometimes in our travel trailer (where we lived for a bit) and then it was always the first thing we moved into our new houses. And, boy, did we USE it!!!

I am currently restocking my big first aid "Tool Box" kit.  It is a true tool box.  Well, it is more like an art kit tool box.  It has a pull out shelf and it is translucent.  It's big enough to hold a full box of meds, bandaids, etc. It looks similar to this-------------------------->

 In it I keep:

• A tube of Advil (our go-to pain reliever) This is the small tube that you can get at the check out line section at the grocery store.  I restock it when it gets low from a larger more economical bottle of Advil.  This is the kind that has the twist off top and is a little larger than a chapstick tube.
• Chapstick - plain flavor not extra medicated.
• Spray neosporin - small, portable and easy to use.
• Tube of neosporin - because the spray isn't for everything. (like eyes or wounds where you don't want to be spraying something on it)
• portable thermometer - we have a regular old school mercury one in a protective case.
• gauze pads
• first aid tape
• ACE bandage
• pair of scissors
• lots of band-aids in different sizes, shapes, and materials.  Some are water proof, some are not.  Some are fabric, some are not.  Some even have cartoon characters on them.
• a clean, large, all cotton cloth (to be used as a sling, large wrap, tourniquet, etc.)
• fingernail clippers, toenail clippers, tweezers
• Allergy meds like Benadryl (we have a couple kids who have allergies and Benadryl works pretty effectively for them)
• Benadryl "after bite" itch cream.
• Small trial size of hand lotion.

There are a few things that I have found that over the years we have no longer use or that I feel like I can leave out of the first aid kit now.

• An extra pair of contact lens.  When we were living in our trailer in between homes, I kept an extra pair of contact lenses in there.  I also had an extra pair in my purse first aid kit and an extra pair in our bug out bag. It was redundant.  In a pinch we would grab our BOB and my purse before we would grab our big first aid kit.  So the contact lenses have come out of our big first aid kit.
• Bactine Spray - if it came in a smaller size I would keep it but I have found that Bactine over time will start to make everything stink like alcohol as the alcohol in the Bactine evaporates.  So I replaced it with Neosporin spray. 

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Car Kits:

In the car we keep a smaller first aid kit.  In my son's car he has the basics (bandaids in different sizes, neosporin spray, gauze and gauze tape, ACE bandage, tweezers, Advil, sun screen, chapstick, hand lotion)  He plays sports so I figure sports injuries will prevail, like cuts, scrapes, etc from sliding into bases and colliding with cleats.  I have a feeling his first aid kit will probably end up in his baseball bag and go with him into the dugout.

My daughter's car kit has pretty much the same stuff including a clean cloth and allergy meds.  

Our family car kits again, have pretty much the same stuff.  It also includes allergy meds and contact solution.

As you can see I have tailored the kits to what they will most likely need for whom will be in the car with them.

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Purse Kit:

In my purse I carry a small make up bag that I have filled with all the things we most likely will need.  I always have my purse with me so over the years the contents have become more tailored to exactly what we need.  Ready for this??? 

• bandaids - few in each size, one pretty large one (I replace these as we use them)
• Advil - a tube of Advil
• Benadryl tablets
• Dental Floss
• Eye rewetting drops
• Chapstick
• Cough drops
• Tampons
• A sanitary pad
• Hair rubber band
• Eyeglasses repair kit

In my purse I already carry a whistle on my keychain, a small flashlight (you can get these for a dollar or so in grocery stores or at Walmart.) so I don't need these items in my first aid kit.

********************

Travel packs:

My kids are going away this summer on a mission trip.  While there will be a guide and chaperones each will still take a small first aid kit in their luggage.  They will be flying so some of the items will probably have to be packed in their suitcases until they get to their destination.  Then they can move those items to their backpacks. 

In their kits they will each have:

• bandaids of different sizes and types
• neosporin spray and cream
• sunscreen
• chapstick
• a bandana
• nail file, nail clippers, tweezers (probably these will need to be packed in their suitcase while flying)
• Advil (travel size)
• Benadryl Tablets (for my allergy girl)
• small flashlight

They will be carrying a backpack each day with them while on their trip.  They will have extra socks (they will be hiking), flip flops, a sweatshirt, a rain jacket, water bottle, first aid kit, a bit of money, camera.... oh you get the idea.

Basically, think about where you need a first aid kit and then the items that you think you will need on a regular basis as well as on rare occurrences.   Find a bag or box to contain all the items in.  If it is for your car, do you need a soft pack or a hard case?  Does it need to contain a lot of items or can it be small enough to fit in your glove compartment?  Will you be using it to carry your other emergency gear like flashlight, jumper cables, rags or towel?  Personally, I like to keep these things separate from my first aid kit.  Often my first aid kit floats around in the far back of the car or in the trunk.

Everyone is different and everyone's needs are different.  Assess your family's needs and adjust the contents of your kit accordingly.  Think about these main ideas though: small cuts, bites/stings, pain reliever, allergy meds, larger wounds needing wraps (like gauze or cloth), more serious injury like broken bones or sprains.  

Another option is to buy a premade first aid kit rather than make your own.  A good kit has everything that you would need for general first aid events.  Then over time you can tailor it to your own needs.

Flashlights, Batteries, Weather Radio..... Oh MY!!!

We are in the midst of a "severe" storm.  It is a severe thunderstorm with the possibility of a tornado or two.  No big deal, right???  Right....

Yesterday morning my husband suggested we get our weather radio set-up, finally, here in our house.  We just hadn't done it yet since we moved in a little over a year ago.  Why a weather radio you ask???  I mean we have our cell phones and weather alerts are transmitted through them too.  Why duplicity???  Well, I am notorious for letting my cell phone die completely and not charge it.  My husband swears his phone doesn't hold a charge for as long as he would like, but he does charge it often and has a second, always charged, battery for his phone. A weather radio works on electricity AND battery power.  It is loud and can be heard all over our house when it sounds off.  I pulled the radio out of our closet where it has sat for the past year and my husband started setting it up for our locality (it is different from the locality where we used to live).  While setting it up last night he realized that the transmitter didn't work anymore.  It may not be the transmitter, it might be another part, but in the end, it didn't work.  We need a new one.  So that won't help us for this storm.

We moved on to flashlights and lanterns and batteries.  Our lanterns use the BIG batteries.  The D kind.  One lantern still worked with the existing batteries and the other one didn't.  We went to change the batteries and found corrosion in the battery cavity along with the fact that we had no more D batteries. {sigh} We move on to flashlights.  Why do I give flashlights almost every single year in my kids' stockings but when I ask if they know where they are, they can't seem to find them.  {double sigh}.  We found three flashlights for 5 people.  Luckily, we had new batteries for these flashlights and were able to replace the batteries and have extra for them if we need them.

It is the little things like these that I just assume that we are covered when this is the very things we are so not covered on.

Now in the midst of the beginning of the storm we still have power but if it does go out the house will be quite dark even though it is well into the morning.  We will need light sources if the power goes out.  We do have candles and will use them when we need them.

So while I finish this blog post, I encourage you to check your supplies now, don't wait until the night before when all the stores are closed.  Check them now.

Do you have a flashlight for each person in your household?

Do you have a larger light source like a lantern for larger areas like the kitchen table?

Do you have batteries, oil, or extra fuel for the light sources you plan to use?

Think about the rooms that have no window or are extra dark because of a little window, like a bathroom, and think about how you will light that area.

While you are thinking about it, do you have a flashlight in your purse?  A small flashlight can help in many situations.  Is there a flashlight in your car?  Extra batteries?

I am chalking this event as an emergency preparedness FAIL.  Batteries, a weather radio, and extra flashlights are being ordered today from Amazon!!

Tacos on the Grill AND a Lovely Surprise!!

Tonight we cooked tacos and quesadillas on the grill.  Remember??? Our stove and oven are broken.  The repair man comes on Tuesday so we are cooking on the grill.




Our grill came with a cast iron griddle and that is on the left.  On the right of the grill I used my cast iron pan for the taco meat.  There is a burner far on the right where I made the Mexican rice for dinner.

The quesadillas were really good. This was the first time we had used the griddle on this grill and it worked beautifully.  I also used the griddle to heat up the tortillas.  Yum.

It was sort of chilly outside so I used the grill top to keep the heat in while the food cooked.


All in all the only thing I can think of that we need in an emergency situation is a tray with high sides to carry things from the kitchen to the grill area.  I had a folding table behind me as a prep station.  I should have taken a picture of the whole set up for you but ..... well while I was out there cooking we had a bit of excitement .......





One of our cows had a baby!!!














Isn't it cute????  It must have happened sometime today when we weren't looking.  Mom and baby seem to be doing well.