It's an Emergency!

The last couple of weeks have seen a HUGE number of visitors to one specific blog post.  Seriously- no one used to view this particular post and now, you guys are all over it!  Love that!  So are you curious which one it is?  I have to admit that even this has surprised me.  It's not any of my popular posts on being a Traditional Wife or anything to do with homeschooling or Motherhood.

It's about safety and emergencies.

Say what?!?  Ha!  Bet you didn't even know I wrote a few posts on this!  But here it is, the MOST viewed blog post last month.  The First 72 Are On You.  Alright, so now that you're over your shock and have read through this blog post- you might be wondering what the heck?  Why are so many people suddenly flooding this post?  I think the answer to that is simple- People are waking up.  They are realizing that in order to ensure their family's safety- they must prepare now.  They are figuring out that they can only truely rely on themselves when it comes to the safety and well being of their loved ones.  And of course, we are approaching hurricane season so I'm sure that has something to do with it.

All this is telling me that you want more.  You want to know how a typical Mom prepares her family for emergencies and you know what?  I'm gonna give it to you.

So, I've talked about the 72 Hour Kit and the importance of having some food and water.  I've also covered the importance of having a Car BOB or emergency gear for your vehicle and of course some basic information on Home Safety.  So what else is there?  Oh....I'm SO glad you asked.

Today I want to expand on the concept of the 72 hour kit.  That's 3 days folks.  And as I previously discussed, my family was once up shit creek for almost 2 weeks.  We were without power, heat and food in the middle of winter.  The kiddo was just 18 months old at the time and let me tell you- that sucked.  Balls.

Yes, having enough emergency supplies on had to get you and your family through the first 3 days should be your first goal.  But as anyone who has ever been in a "state of emergency" knows, three days will simply not be enough.

Here's what you need to prepare for those next two weeks:

7 gallons & BPA free!

Water:  Alright, so I have already covered some easy water storage containters.  My family personally has these 7 gallon BPA free ones by Reliance found at Walmart.  They are currently $12.99. The general rule of thumb is one gallon per person per day, pets included!  So for my family, I need 6 gallons daily.  I currently have only 3 of these containers so yes- that will get me through the first 72 hours.  We also have some water bottles from the grocery store, but these are NOT recommended for long term storage.

55 gallon barrels

Buy yourself some of these 55 gallon food grade barrels.  Costco and Walmart are great sources and I love that they come with a pump.  What good is all that water if you can't get to it?  And while you're at it, let's talk sanitation.  You should always have lots of bleach on hand to sanitize your water and other necessary items.  You can also buy some special drops but that can become costly.  My suggestion is to have 3 different methods to purify your water so that it's safe for drinking.  Bleach, boil and drops.  This way you've covered all your bases and since we know that water is THE most important item necessary for living, your water preparations should be the top priority!

Food:  You need enough for 3 meals per day per person and don't forget about your pets.  Seriously!  I will never forgive you if you prep for all the people but forget about your furry babies.

Since this will be LONG TERM food storage, you need to be thinking of food items that will last years.  Years folks!  Now, don't let that term "long term food storage" scare you.  This is really a no brainer.  Buy yourself some big buckets of dehydrated food from any of those long term food storage companies.  My family personally prefers Wise Foods Company, tastes pretty good, it's cheaper then other brands and has a shelf life of 25 years.  Can't beat that!  Buy from Amazon- because it's SO much cheaper and just buy one bucket per person in your family to get yourself started.  This will be enough for two meals for one month for one person.  Then buy a shit ton of oatmeal for breakfasts and your good to go!

60 serving bucket will feed one person for one month

 Personal Safety:  You might be wondering why I'm covering this here.  And the reality is sad but true.  In an extreme state of emergency, the shit will literally hit the fan.  Those who didn't prepare will become desperate and looting and riots will occur.  People turn into animals when they are hungry- seriously, I live with one.  So as someone who has taken the time to prepare for an emergency, you should also take the time to make sure you stay safe and can keep your preparations safe.

I have to admit that this area is not my thing.  I let my husband handle all of this because he knows what he's doing.  And this is simply my advice to you.  If there's someone in your family who knows about this stuff- seek their help and expertise.  Then learn all you can from them.

My personal means of self defense-
highly recommend for ALL the ladies in your family!

To be clear- I am NOT advocating that you run out a buy a buttload of guns.  Geez people....what I'm simply saying here and I've said it before, is to find a means of protecting yourself and your family that you are comfortable with.  Then master it.  So if you feel confident with guns, fine.  But make sure you practice and learn all the necessary safety rules and for goodness sakes- GET A SAFE.  However, if you're like me and mace is more your speed, then use that.  Perhaps your a hunter and a bow and arrow is your tool or maybe you are more into knives....seriously, just figure out a way to protect yourself if needed because you simply never know what chaos will ensue.

So now I've covered the 3 most important areas that you should focus on in an emergency.  But there's also a few items that I suggest you buy simply for piece of mind.

The first item you should have on hand is a radio.  I have to admit, I think this one is pretty awesome.  It's hand crank, has a flashlight and other cool stuff and can charge your cell phone.  Does it get any better then that?

Only $40 at Amazon!

You should also think about buying a generator.  Folks, this isn't a necessity but it is really nice to have on hand.  As anyone who's been without power can tell you- by about the 3rd day in, that shit gets old.  Fast.  If you have kids or even a cranky husband, the ability to watch a movie or heat up some hot chocolate in the microwave will work wonders for moral.  Trust me.

Finally- I have a homework assignment for you all.  I want you to walk around your house with a note pad and pen and write down all the items or tasks you need to complete in order to fortify your home.  What exactly do I mean by this?  It's simple- to fortify your home this just means that you make your home as strong as you possibly can.  Both inside and outside.

If you live in an area that sees lots of hurricanes, you'll probably want to buy some plywood to board up your windows.  If you haven't already done so that is....What if you live where there are lots of earthquakes?  Do you have large items that could fall and injure you or your children?  And let's not forget the importance of having a fully stocked first aid kit or plenty of blankets.  One important thing that I also encourage you to do as well is to simply put a working flashlight in every room of the house.  Then let everyone know where it is- this way, in an emergency, you will always have one nearby.

It's simple steps like this that will safely see your family through an emergency.  And now is the time to prepare for this- NOW.  So seriously, get up off your butt and go.  Your family is depending on it.