I got caught with my pants down on this one :(
Here is the messy situation I find myself:
We just moved. We lived in our previous home for 4 years. Prior to that we lived somewhere else for a year and a half. Prior to that we lived in our RV for a bit over a year, and prior to that we lived in our first home for 13 years.
Each of those homes including the RV, I felt prepared. I felt like we had enough food stored (yes even in the trailer), emergency supplies, and first aid stuff.
Each time we moved including this one, prior to moving we would "eat down" our food storage. This way I knew it was being rotated, and it forced me to see what was actually rotating and what wasn't so I could be better prepared in our new home. It was also because moving is expensive. We would save money by eating our food storage. That is what it is there for, right? When times are tough. So by eating down our food storage, we weren't eating out as much, we were saving money by not having to run to the grocery store all the time, we could concentrate on packing, and we wouldn't be moving so much food.
It always sounded like a good plan. When we would settle in our new home, I would begin building up new, fresh food storage.
But this time......
COVID-19 happened.
And we just moved. Just two days ago, I got my bed set up in my room and am no longer sleeping on a mattress.
But now we are in the midst of a pandemic (announced today by World Health Organization).
I spoke with my husband a week ago and he told me not to worry. Today he told me to worry. I am pretty sure I had a full on panic attack. My chest felt heavy, I had shortness of breath, and I am pretty sure I my heart skipped several beats.
A week ago I began (like everyone else around here) to search out basics. Hand Sanitizer, antibacterial soap, and Clorox Wipes. Not too serious though, but it has been a hard find around my region. Each store I go into, I look. The shelves are bare.
I feel so under-prepared for this. I am too late to prep.
What I do have:
1. toilet paper and paper towels. I was able to grab a good supply of both prior to knowing that everyone was going to run out and purchase toilet paper. We were just out and I ran my usual errand to get some.
2. Advil, vitamins, and prescription meds. I am all stocked up on these supplies. Vitamins will be good to begin taking again to get my immune system even better able to handle the virus should I get it.
3. Some bleach, Clorox Wipes, and a little bit of Hand sanitizer. We have anti-viral/bacterial wipes in each of our cars. We can use these to wipe down the steering wheel, door handles, and our hands when we are out in public.
4. N95 face masks. My husband just placed an order today. They are on their way.
5. Some food. Not complete at all, but we have some breakfasts, some lunches, and some dinners. We will continue the meal kit deliveries and will continue to use the online ordering and pick up at the store or if the need arises, a delivery service.
And I have a plan:
1. Reduce my social interactions as much as possible in person. Avoid large gatherings, heavily trafficked public areas, and the likes. This means that my shopping and prepping will change. I will stay home as much as possible.
2. Shop online as much as I can. This means placing orders at the grocery store and drive up to pick the order up. Keep looking for Clorox Wipes and Hand Sanitizer online.
3. Food delivery services. Right before we moved I decided to "join" Everyplate and begin getting their meal kits. We get three dinners a week for 4 people and so far we have loved every single meal. It is about the same as I would budget for a dinner anyway and it all comes preportioned and the recipes are easy. I can even tell my teens to start dinner without me and they can follow the directions too. Why do I include this in my plan? Because since we won't be going out much for a while, these meals will be something a bit different than our "usual".
4. Cancel Easter dinner at our home. Every big holiday we host a family dinner and all the in-laws and cousins come to our house. Not this year. I don't want others (particularly little kids) coming to our home and potentially exposing us to this virus. The virus is showing that in little kids they have little to no symptoms at all and most symptoms go unnoticed. This virus is also showing that older folks have a more severe reaction to it and more severe symptoms. I can't risk having the little cousins over and potentially exposing my older in-laws who have some severe health issues anyway.
5. Try to keep a positive outlook on all this "family" time we will be getting. Colleges and universities are closing down as I type. We expect my middle child to be told any minute that they will be sent home from college indefinitely. My oldest will most likely also be told his college will be moving "online" as well. My youngest is a senior this year and we homeschool anyway. It is a good thing we got some new family games at Christmas.
Now, in a perfect world I would have had plenty of hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, and food storage. I wouldn't feel so unprepared for this pandemic.
What can you do if you are underprepared like me?
1. Read as much as you can on the disease. Know the symptoms and the latest information on how it is transmitted.
2. Wash your hands like crazy! I told my family tonight that from now on as soon as they enter our home they wash their hands before touching anything.
3. Clean your car, phone, clothing, and surfaces you touch often.
4. Stay home. Use online shopping, don't visit high traffic public areas/places. Work from home if you can. If you can't, stay out of others' space. Don't use the office break room. Eat lunch at your desk alone or in your car if you need a change of scenery.
5. Stop shaking hands and touching others. Keep a distance. Wash your hands.
Here is a good article that I found helpful and it calmed me down a bit from the panic attack.
https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-ten-reasons-why-you-ought-not-to-panic-132941
I will continue to update as the weeks go by about how we fared through this ordeal.
1. toilet paper and paper towels. I was able to grab a good supply of both prior to knowing that everyone was going to run out and purchase toilet paper. We were just out and I ran my usual errand to get some.
2. Advil, vitamins, and prescription meds. I am all stocked up on these supplies. Vitamins will be good to begin taking again to get my immune system even better able to handle the virus should I get it.
3. Some bleach, Clorox Wipes, and a little bit of Hand sanitizer. We have anti-viral/bacterial wipes in each of our cars. We can use these to wipe down the steering wheel, door handles, and our hands when we are out in public.
4. N95 face masks. My husband just placed an order today. They are on their way.
5. Some food. Not complete at all, but we have some breakfasts, some lunches, and some dinners. We will continue the meal kit deliveries and will continue to use the online ordering and pick up at the store or if the need arises, a delivery service.
And I have a plan:
1. Reduce my social interactions as much as possible in person. Avoid large gatherings, heavily trafficked public areas, and the likes. This means that my shopping and prepping will change. I will stay home as much as possible.
2. Shop online as much as I can. This means placing orders at the grocery store and drive up to pick the order up. Keep looking for Clorox Wipes and Hand Sanitizer online.
3. Food delivery services. Right before we moved I decided to "join" Everyplate and begin getting their meal kits. We get three dinners a week for 4 people and so far we have loved every single meal. It is about the same as I would budget for a dinner anyway and it all comes preportioned and the recipes are easy. I can even tell my teens to start dinner without me and they can follow the directions too. Why do I include this in my plan? Because since we won't be going out much for a while, these meals will be something a bit different than our "usual".
4. Cancel Easter dinner at our home. Every big holiday we host a family dinner and all the in-laws and cousins come to our house. Not this year. I don't want others (particularly little kids) coming to our home and potentially exposing us to this virus. The virus is showing that in little kids they have little to no symptoms at all and most symptoms go unnoticed. This virus is also showing that older folks have a more severe reaction to it and more severe symptoms. I can't risk having the little cousins over and potentially exposing my older in-laws who have some severe health issues anyway.
5. Try to keep a positive outlook on all this "family" time we will be getting. Colleges and universities are closing down as I type. We expect my middle child to be told any minute that they will be sent home from college indefinitely. My oldest will most likely also be told his college will be moving "online" as well. My youngest is a senior this year and we homeschool anyway. It is a good thing we got some new family games at Christmas.
Now, in a perfect world I would have had plenty of hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, and food storage. I wouldn't feel so unprepared for this pandemic.
What can you do if you are underprepared like me?
1. Read as much as you can on the disease. Know the symptoms and the latest information on how it is transmitted.
2. Wash your hands like crazy! I told my family tonight that from now on as soon as they enter our home they wash their hands before touching anything.
3. Clean your car, phone, clothing, and surfaces you touch often.
4. Stay home. Use online shopping, don't visit high traffic public areas/places. Work from home if you can. If you can't, stay out of others' space. Don't use the office break room. Eat lunch at your desk alone or in your car if you need a change of scenery.
5. Stop shaking hands and touching others. Keep a distance. Wash your hands.
Here is a good article that I found helpful and it calmed me down a bit from the panic attack.
https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-ten-reasons-why-you-ought-not-to-panic-132941
I will continue to update as the weeks go by about how we fared through this ordeal.
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