Tuesday, May 7, 2013

The last few weeks has been a bit crazy around here. My oldest daughter attended her Senior Prom. I helped her pick out the fabric and made her dress. That was fun. I am so glad that I could do it for her but it was quite the project. I will have to post a picture or two, maybe tomorrow. We have passed around a cold. And all the normal day to day stuff that keeps me so busy.

One great moment of the last few weeks was when one of my favorite bloggers, MomwithaPrep held a contest where she was giving away an autographed copy of a book written by TheSurvivalMom (another one of my favorite bloggers).  I have been wanting to purchase her book for some time but haven't had the money. Well guess what? I won it!  I am so excited and so surprised that I actually won it!  I am intently watching the mail for it to arrive and will be sure to let you know when it does.

We also had a new retail store open up around here a week ago. It's called Gander Mountain. It is a firearms and ammunition store. The also carry some other camping and survival equipment. Since hubby and I haven't ventured into the firearms arena yet it was quite the experience to check out that store. At first I told Hubby that I felt like I should be nervous being there like all those guns made it dangerous, but then I realized it was probably one of the safest places to be. Who in their right mind would cause trouble or attempt to rob that store?!!!  Every other person had a gun holstered on their hip and that was just the ones I could see!

We made sure to fill out a card for Gander Mountain's gift card drawing. Maybe we will get lucky again and win that contest too! That would be something, wouldn't it?

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

So I am a little behind with this post, but I wanted to just say that I am learning more and more from our current events these days. The lock down in Boston on Friday once again validated my need to be prepared.

Some people had to leave their houses in a hurry as they were evacuated out of certain dangerous areas. A bug out bag would have been great for this even though the lock down lasted less then a day. We would have had cash on hand and even food. I could have taken my kids to the park to distract them from the events or even went to a friends house without worrying about whether I had what I needed or that I was a burden on anyone else.

Other areas, the people were told to stay in doors and not go to work or school. Some neighborhoods didn't have power. Being prepared here lessons stress and makes the event so much less traumatic. They talked like the lock down could have lasted a couple days. There's even a story of an officer dropping off milk to a family with a baby who couldn't get out to pick it up. Our 72 hour kits would have been a great asset here.

We are not talking major catastrophe here. Just normal day to day activities and goings on being interrupted by unseen circumstances and being prepared so that your family is taken care of.  I am feeling more and more confident that I am doing the right thing for my family.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

What are they planning?


The more I research and pay attention to current events, the more I realize just how much Americans really have no idea what is really happening around them. Most of us just go through the day to day activities and are oblivious to the rest of the world, the workings of our government, and the dangers forming. Unfortunately this mentality has given our government more power than it was really intended. This also makes us very vulnerable in emergency situations, what ever they may be. I do think people are starting to wake up. Things like the bombing in Boston are making sure of that. 

Once again in my research and perusing from blog to blog and article to article I found a blog that I think I really like and this particular article is outstanding.

http://preparedchristian.net/government-the-good-the-bad-and-the-what-are-they-planning/

She puts in words exactly how I feel. I am no conspiracy theorist or doomsday prepper. I just like to be aware of things and protect my family from unforeseen circumstances. She gives some great information about rumors that are going around on the Internet and really gives a voice of reason to this Prepper movement that some of us are finding ourselves in. Very well worth your time.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Emergency Preparation Advice From Someone Who Learned the Hard Way



I hate to keep posting so many blog posts from other writers rather than writing my own, but I am staying so busy researching and doing my own preparations that it doesn't leave much time for writing blogs. Nor does it seem all that prudent.  I think it's important to keep sharing with people the importance of prepping for emergencies, but I still have to prioritize the prepping I need to do with my family. Besides while I am researching I am coming across so much good information and so many great blog posts.

http://thesurvivalmom.com/2013/04/12/11-lessons-the-joplin-tornadoes-taught-our-family/

Love The Survival Mom!! I think it's one of my favorite sites.  This post was great because she gave her experience and the lessons she learned. This shows that disasters really do affect people here in the US (they were without power for 2 weeks!) and you should have a back up for your back up (they even got stranded away from their kids for a night in the aftermath and she talks about a bug out bag for your car).

Great post and well worth your time. Check it out!

Friday, April 12, 2013

Reasons to Prep

Just to keep things simple today I wanted to share another article with a list of questions that you should be asking your non-prepping friends and family. 

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/50-shocking-questions-that-you-should-ask-to-anyone-that-is-not-a-prepper-yet

Really these questions are designed to get people thinking for themselves and doing a little digging into what is really going on around us, rather then just blindly believing what we are being fed in the media.  The questions and links to additional articles are thought provoking to say the least.  It really drives home the things that I have already been seeing and what I've been feeling for years.

I have always had a different perspective of politics and government then my peers. I remember even in high school having debates with people over how our system worked and it's flaws. Then I grew up, fell into my own life and became distracted as I raised my children. Now that they are all half grown I am starting to pay more attention. Even several years ago I saw news on tv and told my husband that our rights were under attack. The things our government was doing lead me to believe that our right to choose our religion and our right to free speech were under attack. I also watched as one law (CPSIA) single handedly reduced the number of crafters making a living on ebay and etsy and I said then that it was like they (people in charge, government, lawmakers, how ever you want to describe them) wanted to kill free enterprise in America. It didn't seem logical in the beginning of a recession to make it harder for people to make money when we needed to jump start our economy.  As I am seeing all the pieces come together I think that my instincts have been right all along.  I am not worried about death, I know where I am going. However I do worry about whatever time I have left on this earth and the time my children still have on this earth.

What do you think about the state of the country? Are you encouraging others to think for themselves?

Thursday, April 11, 2013

It's been a weird week for me. I am starting to feel like a rubber band...back and forth, this way and that, I have so much going on and so much on my mind.

This stuff with Korea has me just a little on edge, watching the news. I have tried to just focus on my family and my household, getting stuff done.  I have really been stepping up my couponing and making sure to stop into stores whenever I get the chance to pick up freebies or great deals.  I don't intend to waste gas by making special trips out, with the exception of my weekly grocery shopping trip, and so I need to take every opportunity to hit up the stores that are already in the vicinity of errands I am running.  It adds a bit of extra time to my already busy schedule but it pays off with the money I am saving on household supplies and is helping me to build my prepping supplies a little faster.

I also found a dehydrator at a thrift store last week and I have been trying it out. So far I have tried canned pineapple slices and a sliced kiwi. Next I plan to try some apple slices. It seems to be working well but may be getting a little too hot. I need to do some more research on that.

I realize that I haven't given you much to research or work on this week, I thought this article on The Prepper Journal might be of interest to you.  It is a great list to get you started on your prepping. 

http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2013/04/11/25-things-that-you-should-do-to-get-prepared-for-the-coming-economic-collapse/

It helps to have an outline to get you started. Like I have said before, you can choose to prep more or less depending on your comfort level. I love this list because it not only includes physical items you should be buying, but it also includes things you can do and things to be thinking about. Pair this list with my 3 Phase Plan for prepping and you will be well on your way.

Let me know how you are doing with your prepping.

Friday, April 5, 2013

I found this little gem with funny man Mike Rowe while perusing old posts on another blog.  I love his sense of humor and he describes my childhood perfectly when he talks about "forced labor" as we would have called it then, but what was actually a great learning opportunity. I remember helping my father video weddings (one of his many money making ideas), build decks, dig post holes for fences, dig trenches for water and electrical lines, create office partitions and so much more. I learned how to use power tools such as miter saws, skill saws, drill presses, table sanders, etc from a very early age. I was taught the value of doing something yourself versus paying someone to do it.  Now as an adult I don't avoid the difficult tasks but work to find solutions to them.  I love to learn new skills and the sense of accomplishment that comes with success at mastering them. I am thankful for parents who taught me to use my hands and be thankful for the ability to do so.  It is definitely a dying art and most Americans have become dependent on others to do what they should be able to themselves. I hope I pass this tradition on to my children and they on to theirs.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Waste Not, Want Not!

In other blog posts I have talked about the older generation's mentality that when you waste not, you want not.  My Grandparents went through the Great Depression. They had to wash and save foil. They didn't have Ziploc bags to throw away after just one use. Even now my Grandfather saves things that we think he should just toss in the trash like empty pill bottles or paper that still has one side clean. So with that mindset I have been trying to find ways to use food and supplies that we normally throw away and try to stretch my grocery budget even further.

Today's post is specifically about saving and using those ends to your sandwich bread which most of us just throw away. Most members of my family prefer not to use the ends of the bread. I don't care either way and when making a sandwich I will use the ends. However, I rarely eat sandwiches so the ends tend to sit there until they are pretty stale. 

A few years ago I began saving the ends of the bread. Usually I just toss them, bread bag and all into the freezer and then when I have an hour or so to spare, I pull them out and let them thaw. Once thawed mostly, I cut them up into cubes. You can also use old hamburger or hot dog buns or french bread. I have even re-purposed old hamburger buns into garlic bread on spaghetti night and then still used the left overs in my bread crumbs. I never use bread that has already started to mold or soggy bread.

I spray my pan down with a nonstick spray and then spray the top layer of bread cubes down as well. Then I season them. Sometimes I use only garlic powder and sometimes I sprinkle garlic, onion powder, and Italian seasonings on them.
 
Then I use the low broiler setting on my oven and I toast the bread to a pretty golden brown. I usually toss them twice followed by more toasting each time to make sure they are completely dried out. This usually takes about 5 minutes between tossing. The next step is to put these toasted pieces in the food processor. Of course you could hand crush them or even put them in a zip lock bag and use a mallet to crumb them.  I have also stored them whole and used them as croutons.  
 
 
Lastly I packaged them using my Food Saver and labeled the date and the flavor. They should be good in storage for at least a few months.  I also have a bag in my freezer for longer storage.

 
Free bread crumbs using bread ends that usually just get thrown away. I have used them to bread chicken, make a breakfast casserole, and even to top my broccoli rice casserole. Waste Not, Want Not, right?

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Can you prep too much? by The Survival Mom

 

Can you prep too much?  Here's a great article about this by The Survival Mom.

http://thesurvivalmom.com/2012/02/27/can-you-prep-too-much/

Great information that should give you some ideas about what to avoid while prepping.  And she even uses lists!  See, I am not the only one!

I let the last week get away from me with the holiday weekend and I will try to get back into my blogging routine tomorrow.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Phase Three: Continuing the Preparation Process and Increasing Your Survival Skill Set

The third phase of your Emergency Preparation is continuing the Preparation Process and Increasing Your Survival Skill Set.  In simpler terms it means continuing to purchase supplies and increasing your knowledge.

I believe that even the best laid plans will fail if you are lacking in the survival skills department. You need to start another list ( I know! I love lists and sometimes go overboard with them but seriously it helps me stay focused) and start writing down what skills you are interested in learning or expanding on. You might even make a list of what skills you have already mastered. I have learned how to preserve food through canning, how to create a pattern and sew clothes, and how to grow a garden, but I want to expand on my food storage and my gardening skills. I also want to learn more about making soaps and candles and other convenient household items that we currently can purchase at a moment's notice. As I mentioned in yesterday's post I also want to expand my knowledge of firearms and practice using them at a firing range.  So I have lots to learn.  Reading anything and everything that I can get my hands on is the way that I increase my knowledge and skill set.

While you are researching and expanding your skills don't forget to keep up your original emergency preparation list. That list should keep changing and evolving as you learn more and more and realize where you need to improve and where you are proficient and prepared.

So my beginning list looked like this:

  • Set up a first aid kit

  • Create and store 72 hour kits (I am creating Bug Out Bags with 72 hour kits included)

  • Purchase and store water (1 gallon per person per day, 3 days worth to start)

  • Start to store non perishable food items



  • Now my list looks like this:


    ·  Set up a first aid kit I have a basic kit completed but I am still adding items (inventoried including expiration dates. I plan to rotate them each daylight savings.)
     
    ·  72 hour food kits completed (inventoried including expiration dates. I plan to rotate them each daylight savings)

    ·  Create BOBs or Bug Out Bags, I would say these are only about 40% completed. Still feeling my way around the recommended lists and deciding what to include in mine.
     
    ·  I currently have 2 gallon containers and 2 full cases of water bottles, plus the water in my 72 hour kits already stored. I also have 2 refillable water reservoirs that will go in mine and my husband's BOBs. My plan was to start with 3 days worth then 1 week, then 1 month and so on. If we can bug in we also have a 12 person hot tub full of water that we can use for washing clothes and flushing toilets.

     ·  I have purchased mylar bags as well as a new foodsaver with canning jar attachment and plan to store food using a combination of both methods. I have been increasing the volume of food in my pantry and storage areas for a few years now and perfecting my organization and rotating methods. I would say I already have about 2 weeks of food stored at all times (in addition to our regular grocery items purchased each week), maybe more. I am concentrating on dry storage right now with items like beans, rice, and salt.

     ·  Obtain a concealed weapons permit and purchase a firearm and the ammunition.

    ·  Need to research and add water filtration to my emergency prepping.
    ·  Copy and store all important documents (birth cert., passports etc) in a water tight container
    ·  Build an emergency cash stash at home in small bills.
     
    ·  Continue to print and add skills, recipes and plans to your emergency prepping binder that I mentioned in Phase One. That way if you don’t have internet access or power to turn on your computer you will still have a resource available to you.
    See what I mean about the list evolving?  I have realized that having a weeks worth of food and water for each member of my family should automatically be the norm for every household in the US.  I have also realized that I could go on and on with prepping. The list will likely never end. As long as I rotate my stored food and I am wasting nothing then I don’t see the harm in being prepared.
    Like I mentioned before, there is such peace in knowing that I have something put away in case there was some type of disaster or emergency tomorrow. I have something to keep us going though I know I need to work on much more. How is your list coming?

    Wednesday, March 27, 2013

    Firearms for Beginners; from the RoadWarrior

    I know I have been kind of scarce the last several days and only re-posting links to others' blog posts. I have been doing lots of research into things and continuing to work on my own emergency preparation. I am working on my next blog post which is the final step and then I will begin to break down some of the components of emergency preparation. I am a newbie at this too and I am sharing my tips and hints as I go along so that you will hear from someone who has the same questions and struggles.

    One of the things my husband and I have been discussing, but not yet decided on, is whether we want to own firearms to protect ourselves. It's been something on our mind for several years. We have never owned a gun because we believed the risk was too great before with small children in our house (not that it's wrong to own them if you have children, we just chose not to take the risk.) Now that our children are 18, 15, and 13 things are a little different. We believe we should have the right to bear arms and since that right is currently under scrutiny and danger of being taken away we also believe that it is time to exercise that right. It's kind of like a silent vote. If most people don't use the right then it is more likely to be taken away.

    However purchasing a gun is anything but simple. If you have never been around guns and don't have any knowledge to go on then it is a daunting task to be sure. We really have no idea where to start. Today I came across a blog post geared directly toward the beginner. Great information!  Already I am forming an idea of which guns we may want to start with and what calibers are most popular.

    http://www.shtfblog.com/firearms-for-beginners-part-one-ammunition/

    This is to be only Part 1 in a series so make sure to keep checking back for further blog posts. I am looking forward to the next post and I am searching for a copy of Cartridges of the World as I type for further research.

    Monday, March 25, 2013

    Check out the Snoman's sites

    We had a great but cold and rainy weekend.  Stayed very busy with the hubby. We did some shopping on Saturday. He was looking for more inventory for his online video game store so we were browsing flea markets and thrift shops. Sunday we attended church and then hung out at home. I added all my new supplies to my BOBs (bug out bags), made an inventory of my first aid kit, and even put together two emergency car kits. It was a productive yet oddly relaxing day for me.

    As you research and start purchasing your supplies I wanted to share this website that I found several weeks ago.  I have watched several of his videos on youtube and read many of his blog posts/articles. He's very informative and covers a wide array of material.

    http://www.survivalnewsonline.com/

    On Youtube his name is SNOmultimedia  and he also goes by Snoman. 

    Check out his site and information. I am sure there is some great information in there that you can use.

    Friday, March 22, 2013

    Perspective

    It's been a crazy week here in my household.  The fridge decided to go out on Monday and that created a little chaos as we had to move it's contents, put it on ice to keep from losing food, and then replace it.  Major purchases should never be made on the fly and in an emergency, but what can you do?

    So in order to keep things simple this week, I have chosen to share a few blog posts from others with you instead of writing my own posts.

    Today I am sharing a blog that helps to keep things in perspective with her motto; "Prepare Locally, Pray Globally". This pretty much puts into words my thoughts on emergency prepping. She also gives you some things to think about with her lists of things she's prepping. 

    Check out Mom with a Prep:

    http://momwithaprep.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/prepping-prepare-locally-pray-globally/?preview=true&preview_id=27&preview_nonce=e3dd8778fa

    Great blog and great perspective!

    Thursday, March 21, 2013

    I came across this blog post while perusing Pinterest recently. I found that it condensed all the information that I found on mylar bag food storage when I was researching dozens of blogs and websites.  So as you start to purchase your emergency food supplies and work through how you want to store your supply here is a great article on Mylar bags to save you some time in the research department.

    http://foodstorageandsurvival.com/8-tips-for-storing-food-in-mylar-bags/

    Happy Prepping!

    Wednesday, March 20, 2013

    Friday, March 15, 2013

    Phase Two Emergency Preparation: Purchasing Food and Supplies

    Phase Two is the more active phase of preparation.  You will need to start completing the steps on your list.  I have 4 things on the beginning of my list:
    • Set up a first aid kit
    • Create and store 72 hour kits (I am creating Bug Out Bags with 72 hour kits included)
    • Purchase and store water (1 gallon per person per day, 3 days worth to start)
    • Start to store non perishable food items

    This step can be overwhelming, so do this in the way that is easier for you. You can start with the first item and don't even think about the others until #1 is completed. Or you can do like I have done. I have chosen to work on  all four at the same time because I think that having some of these items is better then having water, but no food, or food but no first aid kit available to me. Even if my first aid kit isn't completed at least I will have some items organized and ready if an emergency event happens tomorrow. Plus some items we have here at home but they just need to be pulled to the side and organized.

    This phase can also be the most expensive, so you will have to decide how little or how much you want to purchase.  However with a little leg work and patience it doesn't have to break the bank. I do a lot of bargain shopping so I found that Aldi's and Ollie's both had great items for my 72 hour kits without breaking the bank. I picked up items each time I went grocery shopping and it took me about a month to complete my 72 hour kits. If I ran into Walmart for something then I made a run by the camping department and the clearance isle.  I found something to purchase every time and it usually was just a fraction of the normal cost. I also happened to go in Harbor Freight with my husband one weekend and found they had great prices on many items that I wanted to add to my emergency preparation. For my Bug Out Bags I searched my attic for old back packs and found 4 out of 5 needed bags for my family. The last I paid less than $4 for at a thrift store. Couponing is also a great way to stock up on needed items.

    One of the most important pieces of advice that I can give you is to be organized. Remember that 5th step in Phase One was to make a list and I recommended that you start a notebook to keep all your lists together. In my notebook I have my preparation list as well as a list for the Bug Out Bag for each member of my family. That way I know exactly what is in each bag (with a list of expiration dates as well) and I can easily see what I need to pick up. That notebook along with my binder will be 2 of the most important tools I have as I prepare.  How is your emergency preparation coming?

    Wednesday, March 13, 2013

    Phase One Emergency Preparation: Five Beginning Steps towards Emergency Preparedness

    I am becoming better prepared because I want to take care of my family. I am blogging about it because I want others to be prepared as well.  Being prepared is the right thing to do. It also makes logical sense to encourage others to do the same because if no one around me is prepared then my resources are going to dwindle even faster and then I won't even be able to take care of my family. Today's post is Five Beginning Steps towards Emergency Preparedness.

    The first thing that I recommend that you do is to research.  Check out the Red Cross site and the recommendations made for how much food and water to store per person.  Look at the recommended lists for a first aid kit. Check out other blogs on 72 hour kits. There are lots and lots of resources to read through like  http://teotwawkiblog.blogspot.com and/or  http://preparedness365.blogspot.com . You will find some bloggers have stopped posting but still have great older posts with information you can still use. If you are on Pinterest then search "emergency preparedness" or "72 hour kits" and you will find many, many more blogs and websites available to read. Research until you have an understanding for emergency preparation and survivalism and a feel for how deep or thorough you want to prepare for an emergency.

    The second step I recommend is to create either a pinterest board for all the links you collect or a notepad on your computer desktop with the urls to the different websites.  I have both. Pinterest is a great resource because you can search specific topics like dry canning or candle making and save the link to the specific blog post. You can also create a secret board on Pinterest so that no one really knows just how much you are researching and doing to prepare for emergencies. While it is good to encourage others to prepare themselves, I don't think broadcasting to the world that you have food and water for 3 months in your garage is a great idea.

    The third step is to put together a binder with information that you want to have in hand should there be no power or access to Internet.  I am currently working on mine and I am including recipes and directions for items that I might want to make like home made vinegar or emergency candles. I am also including first aid instructions that might come in handy. Anything that might be useful in an emergency you want to print it and have it on hand now. 

    Fourth, decide on an amount of money, no matter how small, and start putting it aside for your emergency fund. I recently cleaned out some rooms in my home and sold some items that I didn't want.  Instead of spending the money I decided to hang on to it for my emergency cash fund. I also found an opportunity to bring in an additional amount of money weekly that I will devote toward my emergency preparation. This way I don't put any added burden on my family. You could walk your neighbors dog, mow some one's grass, etc.  Or maybe you could quit smoking and use the funds that you would normally spend on cigarettes to purchase needed items. If it is important to you then you will find a way to squirrel away something each week.

    The fifth step is to start a list of things that you plan to purchase and store in preparation. I started using a notebook to keep my lists in so I could add things and mark them off once I have them.  Here is the beginning of my list:
    • Set up a first aid kit
    • Create and store 72 hour kits (I am creating Bug Out Bags with 72 hour kits included)
    • Purchase and store water (1 gallon per person per day, 3 days worth to start)
    • Start to store non perishable food items

    These steps are just the beginning.  This is a process and will take time. I have created this list to get you in the mindset and to prepare you for the process.   The steps listed here won't take much money but are active steps toward becoming more prepared. Once you have these steps completed then you will be ready to start actually purchasing and storing your emergency supplies.

    Tuesday, March 12, 2013

    Are you prepared for the worst case scenario?

    If you read my last few blog posts then you will see that I am working toward becoming the person that I want to be and on being a better wife, mother and all around better person. I am working on changing several aspects of my life right now. My main goals are on becoming healthier, (i.e. more active, eat healthier and in the long run a thinner, more toned body) and becoming more organized and prepared for what life throws at me. I have found that I am more cranky and ill with my family  when I am feeling the pressure, on a deadline and/or feeling overwhelmed and like I have no control over my life. I also become very emotional when I am over tired and/or haven't gotten a good night's sleep.  I tend to lash out at those around me and I don't like who I am during those times.  Therefore I know that I will be much happier if I can get my house organized and get myself on a great routine so that I don't feel overwhelmed by small schedule changes.

    The next change that I want to make is to become better prepared for emergencies (all kinds from natural disasters to health issues and financial hardships) so that I know my family is taken care of no matter what. I am not a doomsday prepper.  I didn't freak out with Y2K and certainly didn't think the world was going to end in 2012. However, I have mentioned in past blog posts that I think most of us are too reliant on stores and the current availability of supplies and we take for granted things that only a generation ago they had to do themselves.

    In a way I started working on these skills at a very young age. My parents taught me to be a problem solver and find creative solutions to problems we ran across. My Father taught us to use power tools and build and fix things.  I can use a drill press, a table saw, and other power tools better then some men I know. Right after I got married and had our first child, I decided that I wanted to be able to sew her clothes and used the basic skills my Mother taught me. I expanded my knowledge and was able to teach myself enough to teach others to sew and to create pretty much anything from fabric including curtains, clothes, costumes and even bridal and special occasion wear.

    As I have gotten older I have realized that I don't JUST want to learn how to do something. I like to understand why it works, other ways to do the same thing, and any other uses. I love to learn new things and expand on my knowledge.  I have now made candles, made my own paper, grew many a garden, started plants from cuttings, made home made bread, canned my own jelly, built small pieces of furniture like shoe shelves, refinished second-hand furniture and much much more.

    I am starting a whole new direction now. I am leaning more and more toward the self-reliant area of homesteading and survivalism.  I want to be prepared. My family experienced Hurricane Hugo in 1989 first hand and we had no power for at least 10 days. In the last decade I have seen major hurricanes hit New Orleans and New York, tsunamis and major earth quakes hit other countries, and snow storms and ice have shut down many a city over the years. There are forest fires, flooding, terrorism, that displace people every day from their normal lives. I don't want to over react or go overboard. I won't have a huge warehouse or storage full of supplies and weapons, but I want to be able to take care of my own family in the event of a catastrophe.  I want to pass on skills to my children and grandchildren that they can use to prepare for themselves in the future.

    So with that being said, my blog will have many more posts of that nature coming up.  Stay tuned and come back often if you want to learn new things of the survival nature as well.

    Monday, March 11, 2013

    Another month past and not a lot has changed around here.  The 2nd little munchkin I started keeping is finally adjusting to being in a home daycare setting away from his Mommy.  It's been a tough transition and I am just beginning to feel my head clear.

    I am still trying to carve out time each day to read my Bible and worship the Lord but most days feel like I am failing miserably. It's ok, still training.

    I am still working on self improvement. I have teamed up with my SIL and we are checking in with each other each day and trying to motivate each other to do 30 mins of exercise every day for 30 days.  I am choosing NOT to work out on Sundays and a couple days have been spring cleaning instead of organized exercise (like jogging or kickboxing) but I have don't pretty good. I have only missed one or two days in the last couple weeks where I didn't do any deliberate exercise.

    My husband and I have been putting forth a concerted effort to work on our ebay businesses and bring in some income worth the effort we are putting into it. That has been going pretty good. We have worked on it most evenings. I am learning to be very deliberate with my time and working in 5 minutes here and there (between toddler activities, feedings and diaper changes) whenever I can to accomplish the things on my todo list.

    The one thing that has really changed recently is I am making an effort to complete something as soon as I think of it. This means that I am more active during the day. I have to plan out the small blocks of time that the munchkins are napping for things that need to be done without little hands in the way.  And I leave things I can do while sitting with them for when they are otherwise occupied.  So far it's going pretty good. I stay busy all day, sleep better at night and feel pretty accomplished at the end of the day.

    As my life and I are simultaneously evolving into something that I am more happy with I have realized that I really want to be more prepared for the unknowns in life. Things like job loss, illness, natural disasters, etc really scare me. So I am working toward making myself feel a little more prepared. It gives me a focus for my couponing, budgeting and the time in my day.  This aspect of my life will soon become an even bigger focus of my blogging. I need a creative outlet and the blog is that outlet. So stay tuned for the next phase of life change for me.

    Monday, February 4, 2013

    Survivalist Synonymous with Anti-American?

    Since when did the term survivalist  become synonymous with anti-american? 
     
     
     
    My heart hurts for the family in Alabama whose child was abducted and is now being held hostage by the gunmen that killed his bus driver. You can see the story here.  It is sad how sick and mentally unstable people are and I don't understand how they can cause suffering and pain for those who've done nothing to them, particularly when children are involved.
     
    With that being said I am very frustrated, even angry that our media and news outlet are continuing to feed into the hysteria while our constitutional rights are under attack. According to the article even the chief investigator from the sheriff's department describe the man as anti-american and then went on to say "His friends and his neighbors stated that he did not trust the government, that he was a Vietnam vet, and that he had PTSD," Byrd told the civil rights group. "He was standoffish, didn't socialize or have any contact with anybody. He was a survivalist type."  These kinds of blanket statements and stereotyping not only vilify survivalist types but we also vilify war vets. How is this ok?
     
    Survivalist are people like you and I who want to be prepared. You know, boy scout motto, "ALWAYS BE PREPARED" types who want to be able to take care of their families in the event of a natural disaster. For example, in the case of tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis or even acts of war from other countries or terrorist groups. I believe that society has become to dependent on our world as it is. Most people think that stores will always be there to provide food and necessities for them.  Our grandmothers time of growing and canning our own vegetables is gone. Most of us don't even know how to make a loaf of bread or sew on a button, much less provide for their families in an emergency. That was apparent after Hurricane Katrina when the people of New Orleans couldn't even clean up after themselves while they waited for the "government" to come rescue them.
     
    If being prepared, and feeding my need to learn new things such as sewing, preserving, canning, and candle and soap making is considered survivalist then I guess I am a survivalist. However I am not anti-american. I believe in this great country.  Does that mean I agree with everything the government does or every law they create? No, but I don't agree with everything my kids or husband does either. Does that make me anti-marriage or anti-husband or anti-family? I don't think so.
     
    So, if you are in media or you write articles or blogs please, please be mindful of the words you choose. Don't fall victim yourself to the stereo-typing that is so prevalent in our society.
     
     

    Thursday, January 31, 2013

    Still training! Definitely not where I want to be but I saw improvement last week on my Bible reading.  I read two days the first week and managed to read consistently for three days last week. I am looking for the same number of days or better this week.

    I also decided last week to not only stick to my meal plan but to add in my BodyByVi shakes to the mix. I am not quite up to 2 shakes a day consistently but I did manage to tighten my belt one hole this week. That is exciting!

    Financially, I have a lot of irons in the fire. I babysit, sew children's clothing, sell on eBay and sell BodyByVi.  I have had a few sewing orders the last few weeks and have stayed fairly focused on getting them finished but have a lot of "training" to do to make it consistent. I took on a second toddler this week. Great news financially, but kind of a set back in the routine department. So back to square one with our routine and structure. I also had my first BodyByVi challenge party in several months. It was a great success. Multiple orders this month so I get my mix for free for February, Woohoo! And I may have recruited two new promoters as well.

    All in all I am very happy with the way the last week went. Definitely focusing on the things that matter to me and I can actually see things falling into place for the first time in a very long time. How are you doing with your resolutions now that we are ending January?

    Tuesday, January 22, 2013

    It's Not Trying, It's Training!

    I learn so much week to week at my church. I attend Elevation in Matthews, NC.  I love the sermons and my family and I have grown exponentially in our faith since we began attending, now four years ago. The recent series is called The New Rules of Resolution. The lesson that I got out of it is to change the way we think about changing our lives and setting goals for ourselves. We tend to set ourselves up for failure and expect too much too fast from ourselves.  We try for a while and then give up resigning ourselves to failure. This week's sermon point was "It's not trying...it's training".  We have to realize that it's a process and the changes in our hearts are not going to happen overnight. We need to take pride in the training and just keep going. Of course this all has to do with how we sin in our daily lives and seem to fail at being the people God intended for us to be, but practically speaking the principles can be applied to every aspect of our lives. For the last few weeks I have been really looking at myself and the things I want to change. I realized I am a major procrastinator (I already knew this really) and I am letting my life pass me by without accomplishing much that I want to accomplish.

    My current focus:

    • changing my diet and habits so that I am a healthy, active person who can be happy with ME
    • creating routines in my household that do not pursue perfection (that's a problem of mine) but keep me from getting overwhelmed, exhausted and bitter.
    • making my spiritual growth a priority and carving out daily time for prayer and bible reading
    • finding time to do what I enjoy and see as a way to add to my household income...happens to be sewing, but it's the first thing that suffers when life gets busy

    So, since last week I have been on a mission to overhaul my routine and attempt to accomplish everything that I really want to accomplish in this life.  I recently started doing a weekly meal plan so that I know what I am eating and when. I find that taking the decision making out of the equation at the moment when I am hungry and pressed for time helps me to stick to my diet. This also helps me with my grocery list and staying within my budget because I am not buying things I don't need thinking we MIGHT fix them for dinner. I know what is for dinner and when and even plan out the side dishes. It has also helps with the household routine as I look at the meal plan a few times a day and so I have to start thinking about dinner a head of time.

    I also found a Bible reading plan in a devotional that my hubby and I received for christmas. One of my goals this year is to read the bible from cover to cover. I like the way this reading plan breaks things down and then has additional daily devotionals that can be read day to day. I am making it a point to start my reading early in the morning before I eat breakfast and usually while I am waiting on my niece to be dropped off for the day. Realizing that I started trying to make a habit of reading last week only to stop it after a few days, I am on week 2 of "training" to read daily. The song from Finding Nemo keeps going through my head. "Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming." I have to keep working at creating the habit. I may not actually get through the Bible cover to cover this year but I will keep reading no matter what.

    So I will just keep swimming, just keep swimming.......... and keep you filled in on my struggles and challenges as I go along.

    Tuesday, January 15, 2013

    It's 2013! A new year.  A new chance for a new start. So I am getting back into routine and reinventing myself I guess you could say.  I plan on blogging more often this year and continuing with my organizing and life change.  I am so excited about what the new year has in store for me and mine. What are you doing to improve yourself this year?