What are YOU doing to create a Peace of Mind?

I get asked pretty frequently so what do YOU buy?  What do YOU do to prepare?  I try to write mini posts from time to time on my favorite products, but I thought it might be more helpful to have a post each month where you can see my goals for the month and keep me accountable.  I in turn would also love to hear what you are doing to bring your home more peace of mind.

I am a very goal oriented, list making person.  It’s pretty silly but I’m even the type that if I’ve accomplished something that wasn’t on the list, I write in on the list and mark it off.  It helps me recognize all of my accomplishments and stay focused on long term goals.  I figure the beginning of the month when I am already planning my financial budget, monthly Q and purchases, and posting sales for the month would also be a good reminder for me to make a list of priorities on the blog.

Things I accomplished during April

-  I bought my Kindle Cook Kit and extra Flameless Pouches!

THRIVE Life just released the Kindle at Convention this year and I am particularly excited about this product because I think it will be perfect to add to my 72 hour kits.  Because it is a flameless heating source, it is something that I can even teach my 5 year old to use so if (Heaven forbid) we were to be separated for some reason, he'd be able to heat an instant entree.  (Just realized, I need to add the goal of teaching my son to use this and use his 72 hour kit to the list)

-         I bought my GP Tent.  Woohoo!

If there were a huge catastrophe, I want to be able to have a portable home for my family to live in should we be misplaced from our home.  This was something I've been waiting to get for 2 years.  I did a little happy dance 2 weekends ago when I was FINALLY able to check that off of my list of things to do.

-   Bought my Stove in a Can and Replacement Fuel

Although I hope for my Sun Oven to be my main form of cooking on a daily basis in an emergency situation and Volcano Stove to be my back up, I recognize that living in Denver means that the weather is crazy and unpredictable.  I need to start planning alternative options in case there are situations that prevent us from using our first two options. These are some of the benefits of the Stove in a Can:

     * Works well in extreme weather conditions
     * Can boil water in less than 5 minutes
     * Compact and portable (excellent for 72 hour kits)
     * Easy to set up and take down
     * Fuel source is safe and non-explosive
     * The replacement fuel is nice because each disk provides an hour of fuel.
      
-         Got more cooking oils in storage.

-         Got my Sawyer Water Filter

I love that this product is guaranteed for 1 MILLION gallons of water.  This means clean water for life.  Before this product was released, I had been most excited about my Katadyn Pocket Filter (which I still like and think will be good for on the go situations) but if we are going to be needing a filtered water source long term, I love that I won't be having to ask, gee, I wonder how many more gallons of water this filter is good for.  AMAZING!

Preparation Goals for May

***Main Goal*** I want to have a typed out Year Long Meal Plan for Food Storage.

-         Links to recipes (print outs of each)

-         Figure out amount of food I need to have to make them
-    Figure out cooking plan for these meals.  (How much charcoal would I need for my Volcano Stove if cooking on it once a week, which meals will work in the Wonder Oven, Sun Oven... etc)
          o  Get 3 bags of charcoal in storage for use with my VolcanoStove since it is cheaper during the summer.

-         Convert 2 recipes from this list to THRIVE for the blog

          o   Make at least one meal in my SunOvens (since I have 2 at my home -only one is mine-, I would like to make a main meal in one and side dishes in the other.  Check out tips here)

-         Have at least one meal that includes each of the May Q items in it.


-     Buy Food Saver so I can start dry packing meals to have on hand for easy meals or grab n go situation.

          o  Use Food Saver to pack a meal to have 1 day every other week for a year. (26 jars) 

          o  Use Food Saver to pack a cookie recipe to have 1 day a month for a year. (12 jars) 

-         Try one bread in a jar recipe from www.thatsmyhome.com

          o  Use Food Saver to pack a bread in a jar recipe for each day for 2 weeks. (14 jars)

-     Buy my cylinder stove for my tent.

-     Print out Emergency Grab n Go Binder from Misty’s Site

-     Teach son and nephew how to use the Kindle Cook.  

-     Update clothing in 72 hour kits since baby will be coming soon.

Preparing for Hurricanes

Luckily, I've never had to prepare for a hurricane because I live in the dry, humidless, rainless, cropless desert...did I mention there's very little moisture around here.  I was talking to someone from Florida who told me that  their area is in hurricane season nearly 6 months of the year! That has got to be so tough knowing that you might have to leave at a moment's notice half of the year.  If I lived in the hurricane alley, these would be my must-haves and why.  But first, here are some of the main pointers I've learned about preparing for a hurricane:

Before a hurricane:
If you've never had to leave in a hurry, you should take the calm before the storm to gather things you need for an emergency kit.  The following are things FEMA lists as most important to do before the storm.
~Board up window or use permanent storm shutters.  Lock doors.
~Install clips or straps to the secure the roof and prevent or lesson roof damage.
~Have well trimmed shrubbery and trees.
~Clear out your rain gutters and downspouts to help with the flood control.

Preparing for Evacuation:
~Make sure you have a full tank of gas since many gas stations close down in the event of an emergency.
~Unplug all utilities except your fridge and freezer.  (You will want to unplug these as well if you are at risk of flood)
~Have a battery operated (or hand crank/solar radio) so you can hear local instructions and news of what to do.
~Turn off your propane tanks
~Let others know where you will be going so they will not worry.
~Take suggested routes rather than short-cuts in case there are unknown blockages.
~Be on the look out for washed out roads, bridges, flooded areas, downed power lines.
~Fill large containers with water so you will have a clean water source for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and other sanitary purposes.  (Trust me, you always need more than you think.  Our family never realized how many times we wanted to flush the toilets or wash hands until we had 0 water access for 5 days)
~Moor your boat.

During a Hurricane:
~Avoid using the phone unless its a serious emergency
~Listen to your battery operated/hand crank radio
~Evacuate if you live in a mobile home or other temporary housing as they cannot be well-secured.
~Stay indoors, away from windows, glass doors, and as close to ground level as possible.
~Take refuge in a closet or small room of some sort.
~Keep curtains and blinds closed. Do not be fooled if there is a lull; it could be the eye of the storm - winds will pick up again






I know that I say this alot (but I feel like it is extremely important), my #1 priority would be a 72 hour kit.

There are different levels, but if you are just getting started and don't have a lot of money to spare, this one is so cheap that I guarantee you won't be able to build one that is this complete for this cheap, with as sturdy of  a backpack on your own.

This pack guarantees that you will have medication, shelter, light, warmth, survival food and water in case, perhaps, you were to get trapped in a bad situation.

The next thing you want to consider is water safety.  Even when most things are back to normal in the event of a hurricane, you usually have to question the water safety.  I own this Katadyn pocket filter personally and know that its works excellently.  The reason why I chose this above all of the others out there is because it is good for 14,000 gallons.  This is important to me because I don't ever want to have to question whether the quality of the water is ok or if I need a filter in the event of an emergency.  For many water products, the replacement filter price is so close to the original mechanism that over time you will spend a lot more on others that are only good for 400 gallons or whatever the case may be.

There are lots of water options so you can gaze at bunch.  Let me know if you have questions on the differences between them and what might be best for your specific needs.  I would also recommend a water barrel that you can store clean water in that you store before a storm happens.  This is what I have for my home (I have one in case of a drought).

Our company is currently out-of-stock of these as well as the official website, but I would suggest getting your hands on a WaterBob if at all possible.  It is well suited for people in a hurricane area as it stores 100 gallons of clean water in a safe place without a lot of hassle.

A battery operated/hand crank/solar radio provides you with the security of not having to find an electric outlet, or worry if you have current batteries.  This one even has a siren in case you were trapped and needed help, LED lights if the hurricane were to happen in the dark, as well as a USB phone charger.

Last but not least, food.  Many people know that the roads are often damaged and cooking can be near impossible when grocery stores are out of stock of fresh fruits and vegetables, much less canned goods.  Make sure that you can have peace of mind by having food in stock for your family (and if you are generous, friends and neighbors).

Our company has heard plenty of stories from people who were hit by the most recent tornadoes who were able to feed themselves as well as others due to the Just-add-water food they had on hand.  To learn more about freeze-dried food, food storage, or other emergency options please visit www.shelfreliancemom.shelfreliance.com for the best prices available.

If you liked this post, you might also like how to build water storage, would you be ready in 10 minutes, and what's your plan?  Time is running out to enter the drawing for the free Harvest 72".  To enter, "like me" on facebook by clicking here, follow me on my blog, or for full details, visit, click here.

Has the time to prepare come and gone?

Day 9- Are you ready to run?
There are 3 responses I get when I tell people what I do: 1. Laughing,  "You're crazy... Do you really think something like that could happen?" 2. That makes sense, but it's not important yet. 3.  "Oh my goodness, sign me up.  There is so much going on right now that I would love to have some supplies as soon as possible.  I have a friend that had .... happen.  Did you know that .... is happening in other parts of the world?"

There are events going down all over the world that are forcing people to leave their homes at a moment's notice.  What would you grab?  This (as well as a plan of action that my husband and I are writing) is what we have decided to keep as a top priority in our preparedness.  This 2 person survival kit is actually on sale for 51% off right now when you purchase it through my website.  Of course we sell tons of other kits, too, I just truly appreciate this one because it is so accessible for most people.  If you'd like to learn more about how to prepare, you can visit these other articles, What's your plan?, Food Storage isn't necessarily perfect, but it's perfectly necessary: Lessons from Japan, Would you be ready in 10 minutes.  Today, I wanted to give you a little food for thought so you'd understand why we think its necessary.


Are any of these scenes familiar to you?

Hopefully the answer was no, but if you've watched the news lately, its impossible not to hear about record tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, crop failure, drought, flooding, snowfall, heat, and cooling....  I read this article today and it just opened my eyes so much to what I already knew existed.  I hope that it stirs something within you to make you want to get your family ready.  If you have any  questions or comments, feel free to leave them below or email me at TiffsTreasures@gmail.com.

Here's the opening point of the article:

"     Here are some headlines from the past several days:
     “2011 Tornado Season has seen increase in Storms, Record Death Toll”

• “Missouri River Flood of 2011 one for the History Books”
• “The recent floods and tornado outbreaks mark the most costly disaster in American history”
• “Food price shock ahead”.

     All of these are headlines seen in the past few days in June. Is the time for preparing past?
     No, but it will now be much more expensive than it would have been just a few months ago.
     ...that alone is not the most interesting part of the story. What we should really be taking note of is the fact that we are returning to the weather patterns of the 1950s and 1960s. During those years there were serious weather conditions which hit the northeast coast of North America, the jet stream lowered its path, and temperatures were confused – it was much colder in normally warm areas, and much warmer in normally cool areas."

She goes on to talk about all of the immense crop failures which China is currently experiencing which is causing China to buy out much of the food supplies that the US and Canada would otherwise have depended upon, thus we will be getting a later food shortage shock.  She points out that while the time to prepare has not passed, what we are preparing for has already begun. Food is now pricier and less available than it was at one point in time, but it is going to get worse, much worse....so act now!

To learn more about this article, please visit Has the Time for Preparation Passed? By Carolyn Nicolaysen.
 I am not writing this to be preachy, but I just want you to know that I hope that you are in a position to do whatever it takes to prepare your families for whatever may come our way.  Until just a few days ago, our little town had experienced a record breaking amount of days without rain (over 120).  We were blessed to get some for an evening but are still in great need.  While we are experiencing this, there are raging fires in AZ which are close to power lines that I've heard supply 40% of the electricity to the company from which we get our electricity.  Lack of electricity means no AC during summers that are commonly over 100 degrees.  If you are from my area and have heard about the fires in Arizona, you should go here to learn more about the need for rolling black outs.  Still yet I have friends in other parts of the US who are drowning in rain, while still more are suffering from the effects of the tornadoes.  We have an eagle scout locally who was originally collecting hygiene kits for the Haiti victims, then with Japan happening, that became his next priority until all of a sudden things just a few states away occurred.  It is my personal feeling that things are going to continue to get worse and closer to home.  Please do whatever you can to get prepared in whatever means you think necessary.  Let me be clear and tell you that this is NOT an ad for my business, if you'd like my products, fine, but if you can afford some things from the cannery great, Sams or Costco, fantastic, wherever, SUPER.  Just do what you can to get your families ready, please.  My thoughts and prayers are with each of you.  Thank you!


Remember that if you are going to purchase products from Shelf Reliance, I can sell them to you for the best rate available (cheaper than Costco) as long as you go to my direct website by clicking here.  I'm your coupon! Best of Luck.