Wednesday Prep Day - One Day Late

I was thinking, "Maybe I should just make Thursday 'Prep Day,' 'cause I am continually doing 'Prep Day' a day late." Hmmm...I don't know...we'll see. So how is every one? I hope all is well. I've been thinking about life and how it's not always perfect. Sometimes we go through crazy times and it doesn't make sense. But, the Lord loves each of us and wants us to be better. Realizing this gives me strength. Joseph Smith made a comment about this. "Never be discouraged. If I were sunk in the deepest pit of Nova Scotia with the Rocky Mountains piled upon me, I would exercise faith, keep good courage and eventually come out on top."

Now, for our 72 hr. kits, we are going to gather an ax and shovel this week. Keep these in a place where they can be accessed easily in an emergency - or maybe just a camping trip, or lawn project. There have been times where an ax would have been so handy! And a shovel, well, they work lots better than sticks and rocks. (I know this from experience). We must arm ourselves!

How is your three months of storage coming? Do you have a plan? If so, keep pluggin' along. You'll get it. If you don't have a plan for your three month supply, lets make one together. To start, make a menu: seven breakfasts, seven or fourteen dinners. Seven's easier to plan, fourteen gives you more options.

1. Write the recipes for each breakfast and dinner down.
2. If you do seven meals, multiply the ingredients by 13 to find out exactly how much of each item you need for three months. If you do fourteen, you can multiply all of the meals by seven or half by seven and half by six. It's up to you.
   
3. Make a master shopping list.
   
4. Begin shopping always remembering to stick to your budget. Little by little you will cross all the items off. Just be persistent and patient.

This month, we are collecting Rice for our long-term storage. Liesa Card suggests a food storage program that fits the way we collect long-term storage on this site; although, there are many ways to go about gathering your storage.

Another way that makes sense is gathering a one year supply for one person at a time. (When you have one year gathered, just do it again). If you have one year for one person, you will also have a six month supply for two people, a four month supply for three, and so on. Isn't that COOL?! (I thought you might like it)! Happy collecting...

Wednesday Prep Day - One Day Late

Wow, everybody! It's Thursday...where did Wednesday go?! This week, for our 72 hr. kits, we're going to gather personal documents. After reviewing two sites, Safely Gathered In and Food Storage Made Easy, I've compiled a small list of items you may want to have.

• Birth Certificates
• Marriage Certificates
  
• Will
• Passport
• Vaccination Records
• Credit Card Information - front and back
• Automobile Insurance Policy
• Homeowners Insurance Policy
• Life Insurance Policy
  
• Social Security Cards
• Bank Statements
• Retirement Statements
• Internet Passwords
• Utility Statements
• Work/Tax Documents that would be difficult to replace
• etc...
  

Whether you choose to keep these items in your 72 hr. kit, file cabinet, fire/water proof box, or ziplock bags in the freezer - yes, people do this too - it's up to you. Just make sure you have a way to remind yourself to grab them when it's time to go.

Now, how is your three months of storage coming? Do you have a plan? If so, keep pluggin' along. You'll get it. If you don't have a plan for your three month supply, lets make one together. To start, make a menu: seven breakfasts, seven or fourteen dinners. Seven's easier to plan, fourteen gives you more options.

1. Write the recipes for each breakfast and dinner down.
2. If you do seven meals, multiply the ingredients by 13 to find out exactly how much of each item you need for three months. If you do fourteen, you can multiply all of the meals by seven or half by seven and half by six. It's up to you.
   
3. Make a master shopping list.
   
4. Begin shopping always remembering to stick to your budget. Little by little you will cross all the items off. Just be persistent and patient.

This month, we are collecting Oats for our long-term storage. Liesa Card suggests a food storage program that fits the way we collect long-term storage on this site; although, there are many ways to go about gathering your storage.

Another way that makes sense is gathering a one year supply for one person at a time. (When you have one year gathered, just do it again). If you have one year for one person, you will also have a six month supply for two people, a four month supply for three, and so on. Isn't that COOL?! (I thought you might like it)! Happy collecting...

Wednesday Prep Day

Good Morning Everybody! Okay, when I started writing this it was morning. Now it's after 10:00 p.m.! Where does the time go? Today we are going to begin collecting a First Aid Kit for our 72 hr. kits. You can make it as basic or involved as you want. You can even have your regular first aid kit and keep it in a place with the 72 hr. kits so you can grab-and-go if needed. If you want ideas for a first aid kit, click here. I also know that I saw one at Walmart a week ago. I didn't get a chance to look at it, but I did note that it had 72 pieces and was $9.00. What else...Oh, check out the American Red Cross for ideas too! Their site is full of information.

Another thing I just want to mention about 72 hr. kits. You don't have to have everything for everyone now. Would it be nice? Of course! Is it always practical to collect everything all at once? No. You must always consider your resources, budget, etc. Five flashlights would be ideal for my family; but, one or two is still better than none. So do what you can and just keep working at it. If you're persistent, you'll get there.

Now, how is your three months of storage coming? Do you have a plan? If so, keep pluggin' along. You'll get it. If you don't have a plan for your three month supply, lets make one together. To start, make a menu: seven breakfasts, seven or fourteen dinners. Seven's easier to plan, fourteen gives you more options.

1. Write the recipes for each breakfast and dinner down.
2. If you do seven meals, multiply the ingredients by 13 to find out exactly how much of each item you need for three months. If you do fourteen, you can multiply all of the meals by seven or half by seven and half by six. It's up to you.
   
3. Make a master shopping list.
   
4. Begin shopping always remembering to stick to your budget. Little by little you will cross all the items off. Just be persistent and patient.

This month, we are collecting wheat for our long-term storage. Liesa Card suggests a food storage program that fits the way we collect long-term storage on this site; although, there are many ways to go about gathering your storage.

Another way that makes sense is gathering a one year supply for one person at a time. (When you have one year gathered, just do it again). If you have one year for one person, you will also have a six month supply for two people, a four month supply for three, and so on. Isn't that COOL?! (I thought you might like it)! Happy collecting...

Wednesday Prep Day

This week for our 72 hr. kits, we will be gathering one set of Scriptures per family, flashlights for each person, and batteries. Don't get left in the dark; we all need spiritual and physical light to help get through tough times.

How is your three months of storage coming? Do you have a plan? If so, keep pluggin' along. You'll get it. If you don't have a plan for your three month supply, lets make one together. To start, make a menu: seven breakfasts, seven or fourteen dinners. Seven's easier to plan, fourteen gives you more options.

1. Write the recipes for each breakfast and dinner down.
2. If you do seven meals, multiply the ingredients by 13 to find out exactly how much of each item you need for three months. If you do fourteen, you can multiply all of the meals by seven or half by seven and half by six. It's up to you.
   
3. Make a master shopping list.
   
4. Begin shopping always remembering to stick to your budget. Little by little you will cross all the items off. Just be persistent and patient.

This month we are working on gathering wheat for our longer-term storage. Even though I can't eat whole wheat, I know this grain is essential and we need to learn to use it. Hmmm...maybe I should finely sit down and learn to sprout it. Orson Hyde said "There is more salvation in wheat than in all the powers of men combined."

Just think about that for a second.

**Edited to add one set of Scriptures per family**

Wednesday Prep Day

Hey Everybody, today is prep-day! Hooray!!! This week we will be gathering an extra pair of clothes for each member of the family. Safely Gathered In has an awesome idea to help keep track of everyone with a matching family shirt. Click here to find out more about it.

How is your three months of storage coming? Do you have a plan? If so, keep pluggin' along. You'll get it. If you don't have a plan for your three month supply, lets make one together. To start, make a menu: seven breakfasts, seven or fourteen dinners. Seven's easier to plan, fourteen gives you more options.

1. Write the recipes for each breakfast and dinner down.
2. If you do seven meals, multiply the ingredients by 13 to find out exactly how much of each item you need for three months. If you do fourteen, you can multiply all of the meals by seven or half by seven and half by six. It's up to you.
   
3. Make a master shopping list.
   
4. Begin shopping always remembering to stick to your budget. Little by little you will cross all the items off. Just be persistent and patient.

The hardest thing about food storage is starting. As you begin collecting it, you will find places for it. And then you'll find lots to do with it.

This month we are collecting wheat. Wheat is an amazing grain that can be made into many different foods. We'll learn more about it as we go along.

Wednesday Prep Day

Alright everybody, for our 72 hr. kits, we're going to keep working on what to keep them in. Backpacks, rolly Tupperware, and buckets are good examples. If you will be leaving in a car, you'll want them to fit in the trunk. If you'll be walking, backpacks or wheels would be nicer than buckets.

This week, if you don't have a plan for your three month supply, make a menu: seven breakfasts, seven or fourteen dinners.

1. Decide if you want seven or fourteen meals to rotate. Seven's easier to plan, fourteen gives you more options.
2. Write the recipes for each breakfast and dinner down.
3. If you do seven meals, multiply the ingredients by 13 to find out exactly how much of each item you need for three months. If you do fourteen, you can multiply all of the meals by seven or half by seven and half by six. It's up to you.
   
4. Make a master shopping list.
   
5. Begin shopping always remembering to stick to your budget. Little by little you will cross items off the list. Just be persistent and patient.

The hardest thing about food storage is starting. I don't know why that is. But as you begin collecting it, you will find places for it; and, you will find uses for it if you're looking.

This month for long term storage, we are collecting wheat. Oh wonderful wheat! What can I do with you? Hmmm...let me see...

Weekly Menu Plan

I saw this post on Joy this week and thought it was a very handy idea! After seeing it, take a step back and ask "How can this affect my short term and long term storage?" Well, once the menu is outlined, recipes assembled, and shopping list made, multiply by the number of weeks you want the meals for, and voila! You now have a plan and a goal for your storage. Isn't that AWESOME?!

http://justorganizeyourself.blogspot.com/2009/06/todays-menu-monday-is-breeze-now-that-i.html

Remember, a goal without a date is just a dream. So as scary as it may be, if you haven't already, make a date for your food storage goal and write it down.

Wednesday Prep Day

I really like how the website Safely Gathered In has set up gathering items for emergency car kits, 72 hr. kits, and short and long term storage! So I am adopting this into my blog. Thank you Safely Gathered In! I'm just going to start where they currently are because we will come back and finish after the 72 hr. kits are complete. (It will keep both cycles the same and hopefully not cause confusion). Thank you again Safely Gathered In!

"Every [Wednesday], we post specific items you should gather in order to supplement your emergency car kit, your 3-month supply, and your longer-term storage. If you are new to our blog, don't worry! You won't be left behind. Just start up where we are and follow along. You will eventually have everything completed! Once the car kit is complete, we'll be putting together 72-hour kits again (week by week). Once those are done, we'll gather the car kits again. So don't worry, just jump on in and join us where we are today!"

"This week for your car kit, add some hand sanitizer (just a small travel bottle should be fine) and a small notepad and pens/pencils. Hand sanitizer is always a good idea to have around, and the pen and paper could come in handy for a variety of reasons - taking down information from someone, playing a game, making a grocery list on the go, etc."

"How is your three month supply coming along? Do you have a master shopping list? Do you have inventory of what you have? I know it's really overwhelming to think about all of that, but it's the perfect activity for a rainy day or just some down time (I know... that's hard to come by sometimes!). However, if you keep an up-to-date inventory of what you have, it makes your food storage seem so much easier."

"We're still gathering "other" items this month for longer-term storage. Are you catching up on another basic item that you missed, or are you gathering something completely different? Whatever you decide to get, good luck! Make sure you store it well so that it doesn't go bad. 5 gallon buckets or #10 cans are perfect... gotta keep the bugs out!"