We’ve heard them all. If you make that face long enough it will stay that way. The crust is where are all nutrients are. And of course …the big one is coming! If we want, we can start intellectual arguments debating the validity of each. That the face over time will wrinkle where it is creased the most, that the crust really is made up of the exact same ingredients as the bread’s middle (Mom!) or that scientific data always seems to be flawed by humans and robots (sorry Pluto) so no one can really ever know when the big one is coming. But the real truth of these statements, is that no matter what, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
With that said, it’s time to get prepared people!
According to the gov, “you may need to survive on your own for a few days after an emergency. 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. In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, or even a week or longer.”
That means you need…
- Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
- Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Whistle to signal for help
- Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
- Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
- Local maps
- Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger
And for you over achievers who always got A+’s on your math tests because you did the extra credit AND somehow finished early, you’ll want…
- Prescription medications and glasses
- Infant formula and diapers
- Pet food and extra water for your pet
- Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
- Cash or traveler’s checks and change
- Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container. You can use the EFFAK Emergency Financial First Aid Kit – PDF, 277Kb) developed by Operation Hope, FEMA and Citizen Corps to help you organize your information
- Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov
- Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
- Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
- Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
- Fire Extinguisher
- Matches in a waterproof container
- Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
- Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
- Paper and pencil
- Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children
For a downloadable version of the emergency supply checklist, click here Ready.gov
Food and Fashion are two of my Favorite F words. But what about Fabric? Did you ever think it was important to look at the labels of your clothing other than to find their washing instructions? Well maybe it’s time you did. Due to loose farming regulations in the U.S., it’s become common practice to contaminate not only our food crops with pesticides, but also the cotton crops we use for the garment industry. What does that mean for you and me? Well, for one, itchy clothes for those who have skin sensitivities. But second, and most importantly, hazards to our health.
Some people feel guilty about throwing away paper, for others its sentimental keepsakes. But one area where we should all agree to feel guilt free, is throwing out old food. Yes, there are starving children in China. Yes, we have children starving here too. But I’m sorry, you preserving that month ol’ stale bread in the fridge or trying to use that expired mayonnaise, just isn’t going to solve any worldwide hunger problems. The only real purpose expired food has, is making you sick!
I can’t help it! I like the pictures. I like the brief but informative articles. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid! It probably dates back to the days of Highlights. You know, those magazines you find in the waiting room at the dentist or pediatrician’s office. Those hidden picture games were the best! Anyway, it got so bad in college, that I found myself lugging around boxes of saved magazines from apartment to apartment. And those boxes were heavy! Finally I had an epiphany. Why torture myself and my roommates any longer, when a simple solution was but an extra step away.
I receive a lot of coupons via e-mail. Not as spam, but by request. It’s part of my war on paper waste. And my foot soldiers (aka clients) have helped greatly in this cause. However, recently I came across a few “paperless clients” who had some pretty funny habits. I discovered that many of them were printing their e-mailed coupons! Which kind of defeats the purpose of the paperless coupon in the first place.