Self Reliance Christmas Gifts!

Remember the Emergency Evacuation Awareness Drill on 

Thursday December 5th!  

What to do:  At 10 am text all of your family members and check in
Future preparation: Think about what you would do if this were a true emergency and you were being asked to evacuate.  

• Where would you meet? 
• Who would you call?
• What would you take?  

This is a good opportunity to have these discussions!

23 Self-Reliant Holiday Gift Ideas:

Christmas time is a very busy time of year.  There is always thought about what gifts to get our friends and family.  I often wonder if anyone even needs or wants the things I give!  This year, include some self reliance gifts under the tree.  You know you feel good about giving them and the person receiving will be able to put them to use! 

Canning set – This is a great gift for someone who wants to start preserving their own food next year.

Fermenting crock - A fermenting crock will be used year round.  Look in second hand stores for great old crocks.

Dehydrator- Wonderful tool for storing extra produce and other foods.

Food storage jars- Food storage jars can be used to store foods you buy in bulk.

Fermenting, dehydrating or canning book

A whole Foods Cook Book

Re-usable bags- great to help reduce waste

Castiron cookware- castiron is great to cook on and can often be found second hand.

Heirloom seeds- store this in the fridge until next year’s growing season

Kneeling pads – this is great for saving knees in the garden.

A gardening apron- saves trips back and forth to the shed.  Keep everything right at your finger tips.

Garden Gloves

Harvest basket- perfect to carry your harvest in for dinner

A plant or two

72 hour kit – this is a very useful gift anyone would love

Quality first aid kit

Water storage tank

Head lamp

Dynamo torch - Hand cranked and solar powered flashlight.

Battery powered radio

Fire starter

Swiss army knife

Wool Socks! 

Getting Ready for An Evacuation Emergency

What To Prepare so you are ready to Evacuate your Home

Of course none of us want to be involved in an emergency where we have to leave our homes.  However, the odds are we will probably have to evacuate at some time, for some thing, even if it's very short term. 

This is a scary realization, but one you can prepare for.  There is a great article by houselogic.com that lists things I hadn't thought of before.  To see the entire article, go here:  What to do and what to take when evacuating your home

A summary of what they teach is to have :

1. A 72 hour kit.  This is a kit that includes essential supplies, such as water, food, and first-aid supplies so you could live for three days away from your home.

They also have a list to teach what should go in that kit here:  What to Put in an Emergency Kit

Another updated 2019 kit list: 72 hour kit list

72 hour kits for kids: 72 hour kits for kids

One more list! 72 hour kit list

2. Copies of important papers. Put these in a waterproof folder.  Include:

• Driver's license.
• Deed to your home
• Insurance, medical records
• Passports, Social Security cards
• Contacts, including one out of state

Site with free downloads for an emergency documents kit: How to make an emergency documents kit

3. Make sure pets are microchipped and you have some food stored from them as well.

4. Prepare your yard by removing overhanging branches.

5. Know how to shut off your water and gas.  

Here are some tips from FEMA about shutting off utilities: Know your utility shutoffs. Tips for shutting off Utilities

What to do when it's time to Evacuate

1. Turn off utilities.  Turn off water and electricity.  Make sure you are prepared to have the gas company turn your gas back on if you turn it off.  

2. Cover windows and doors to protect from high winds. 

3. Move valuables higher in your home. 

4. Take pets with you. 

5. Lock your house.

6. Listen to the authorities, but don't wait for the evacuation order.  If you feel it's unsafe to stay, leave sooner than later.  

7. Don't use a match when you return to your home until you've made sure there is no gas leak inside your home. 

8. Stay informed.  Make sure you stay in tune with emergency and city services. 

How to Prepare for Sanitation Needs in a Disaster

How to Prepare for Sanitation Needs in a Disaster

We had an amazing class for the stake on Sanitation by Kathy McMullin, better known as FirstResponderMom.com.

Her handout can be found to download here:

Sanitation in a A Disaster

For a short intro to why you should prepare for sanitation in a disaster, how to protect your home and your family,  and what you can store to be prepared, watch here:

The entire presentation can be found on youtube.  She has divided the course into five shorter segments so it's easier to get all of the information.  It is excellent info that I learned so much from!

Some highlights:

• Why sanitation is such a concern in a disaster.  I don't know why I've never thought about it, but if there is an earthquake, anything inside of the earth - like piping - will move and break.  So even if the water isn't out, the pipes will be broken.

• Why sanitation can be a life or death matter.  She will talk about disasters that happened and the fatalities that occurred AFTER the disaster was over.  They were largely due to lack of sanitation when disease and illness spread quickly.

• How to avoid sewer backing up into your home

• How to create a dry potty in your home and have it be smell and disease free

• How to dispose of that waste properly to keep your family and others safe

• What to store in your "potty kit".

• and more.....