Straw Bale Gardening

This post comes from a blog written by a good friend of mine.  I am going to try this next year.

What is straw bale gardening?  You use straw bales as the soil for your garden plants.  They don't have weeds and you eliminate a lot of bending.

Continue reading: straw-bale-gardening

General Family Preparedness

Why Preparedness?

Disasters can affect any part of the United States at any time of the year, swiftly and without warning. Most people don't think of a disaster until it is too late; then they suddenly realize how unprepared they are for the massive changes it makes in their lives. Local officials can be overwhelmed and emergency response personnel may not be able to reach everyone who needs help right away.

Each type of disaster requires clean-up and recovery. The period after a disaster is often very difficult for families, at times as devastating as the disaster itself. Families which are prepared ahead of time can reduce the fear, confusion and losses that come with disaster. They can be ready to evacuate their homes, know what to expect in public shelters and how to provide basic first aid.

Continue reading:  General Family Preparedness

Emergency Survival 72 Hour Kits

I’m sure everyone has heard about the earthquake that hit in Virginia this week.  I always get so nervous when I hear about natural disasters and being prepared in case one hits close to home.  When disaster hits, it can take up to 3 days for relief workers to reach some areas. Having a 72 hour kit will supply you with supplies and food you need to survive for 3 days.

Continue reading at six sisters stuff:  sixsistersstuff.com emergency-survival-72-hour-kits

Just A Thought

Vehicle Emergency Kits

What should you put in your vehicle kit?  It depends on how many people ride in your vehicle, when and where you travel.

Everyone needs the basics....

• A good First Aid Kit
• A basic Set of Tools
• A Good Set of Jumper Cables
• A Coat or Jacket
• Flares and Reflective Triangle
• Gloves
• An old Rug or Mat to lay on
• Water
• Food or Nourishment of some type that will survive the hostile environment of your trunk
• A Blanket 
• A Shovel

Add to these contents based on your lifestyle.  If you drive very far to work you may want to add a good set of walking shoes.

Save on Prescription Drugs

The cost of prescription drugs can be an enormous drain on the budget. Enjoy this great article which gives some excellent suggestions on how to treat the high cost of prescription drugs.

http://www.walletpop.com/2011/02/15/savings-experiment-treating-the-high-cost-of-prescription-drugs/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl9%7Csec1_lnk3%7C201866

What Is Food Storage?

The Utah State Extension Service defines food storage this way “Proper food and water storage can assist families in case of a disaster. When a disaster strikes it may be impossible to obtain food and water, even at the supermarket. Therefore it is important to have adequate food storage and water available in case of a disaster. The Civil Defense recommends storing food and water adequate for each family member for two weeks.” In a nutshell food storage is food that you store for a time of need. In today’s world we see many needs for food storage either with a natural disaster or a disaster of an economy lurking all around us

The 25 Documents You Need Before You Die

It isn't enough simply to sign a bunch of papers establishing an estate plan and other end-of-life instructions. You also have to make your heirs aware of them and leave the documents where they can find them.

A site for getting your paper work in order
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303627104576410234039258092.html#project%3DDOC110702%26articleTabs%3Darticle

Old Wives’ Tales For Homemakers

This post comes from Tipnut:   http://tipnut.com/

This is a read that gives a look at superstitions from back in the day.


This collection is a little different than my regular lists of vintage tips as some are superstitious (though there are practical nuggets here too). It’s hard to say how old any of them are, how they came about or why they were considered worthwhile to know.
Old wives tales were a simple way to impress upon someone the importance of doing (or not doing) a particular thing, in a manner which would be remembered and easily passed on from one generation to the next. Sometimes you have to interpret the hidden nuggets (ie. maybe salt stopping evil in its tracks was code for pest control, or the dire warning of accidentally boiling over the milk was more about taking care of precious food stores).
The stories could be regionally important, culturally significant, spiritually necessary (in the minds of those who repeated them), or vital to the health of the household budget (remember there was a time when the prices of salt and other pantry items were quite dear).
I’m not claiming these should be taken seriously or are vital information, I just find them interesting and in some cases useful to know. I pretty much kept the collection light, avoiding the death warnings and the evil eye or witch fears…though if you’re interested in that, stock up on sage and salt STAT, lol…nothing too dramatic in this bunch. I hope you enjoy them and they pique your interest as they do for me  . 

continue reading: tipnut.com/old-wives-homemakers/

72 Hour Kits with nutritional and energy requirements in mind

Although it is not official church counsel to maintain a 72 hour kit, it is a good idea to have one in case of an emergency. 

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency states on their website: 

"You may need to survive on your own after a disaster. This means having your own food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days.

Continue reading preparednessmatters.blogspot.com