(Image &copy SuburbanHomesteader.com)

Prepping is a practical skill that can benefit any household. Even if you don't think the poop will ever hit the fan, our families don't have to suffer so much (if at all) when the next natural disaster hits or if a political/economic decision or act of war affects our food or household good supply lines.

SHTF VS. TEOTWAWKI

If you do decide that you want to err on the side of caution and prepare for a disaster that may be inevitable, there are two scenarios you need to know about. There are a lot of acronyms for both scenarios but they are known best as SHTF and TEOTWAWKI.

Read the rest from the Redneck Survivalist ...

As scary as any of those events may be, they actually aren't super hard to prepare for. Yes, you may have to learn some skills you would prefer not to but the outcome for your family is much better.

The Suburban Steader has a great post called "21 Prepper Skills You Can Improve This Weekend" that I highly recommend reading. It's not an overwhelming or complicated list. Just some solid self-sufficiency skills you might be surprised you may already know or can develop without too much trouble.

Wishing you much peace, happiness, and success,


P.S. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you feel I can ever be of service to you.

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It's sad but true: in an emergency, pets are often left behind because there simply wasn't enough time to grab them and their stuff. Images from the aftermath of disasters like Hurricane Katrina illustrate how lost they are, how sad and grief stricken their human family members are, and the dangers that first responders face when trying to rescue them.

It doesn't have to be that way.

Both the Humane Society of the United States and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have resource sections designed to help you plan for potential disaster and even have outlines for simple but dependable disaster kits. These kits can also double as ready-to-go travel kits, reducing your stress and prep time before/after trips.

Make a kit for each one of your pets and check the kits periodically - just like you double-check your family's kit - to make sure they are in good shape and everything is updated as needed.

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Ants. Ants everywhere! You don't want to wait until you have an infestation that feels like the scarab attack scene from The Mummy but you aren't ready to call in a pest control specialist yet either.

So, What Do You Do?

The fastest and easiest thing to do is mix about a 1:8 mixture of Dawn and water in a clean spray bottle. Then simply spray down any area you see ants! Counters, cupboards, the corner of the window where they are coming in. Don't rinse it off. Wipe it dry. The little bit of Dawn residue left should not be an issue for children or pets but it will bother the heck out of the ants. You can also spray their trail directly to disturb their progress.

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Water is one of the most essential - if not THE essential - item to stock up on in case of an emergency. It's usually one of the first things to sell out at stores but also one of the hardest to know how and how much to store.

Food Storage and Survival has a great post titled "FEMA Basic Water Storage Guidelines (With Commentary)" that can help get us all started on the path to adequate water storage.

Check out FEMA's water guidelines (which include a link to a downloadable PDF):
http://www.ready.gov/water

Then head over to read Food Storage and Survival's "FEMA Basic Water Storage Guidelines (With Commentary)":
http://foodstorageandsurvival.com/fema-basic-water-storage-guidelines-with-commentary

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Wheat germ is an easy way to boost the nutritional properties of the food we eat and I've been sneaking it into everything I can lately!

[su_quote cite="Wikipedia: Cereal germ" url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cereal_germ"]Wheat germ or wheatgerm is a concentrated source of several essential nutrients including Vitamin E, folate (folic acid), phosphorus, thiamin, zinc, and magnesium, as well as essential fatty acids and fatty alcohols.[8][9] It is a good source of fiber.[10] White bread is made using flour that has had the germ and bran removed.[11] Wheat germ can be added to protein shakes, casseroles, muffins, pancakes, cereals, yogurt, smoothies, cookies, and other goods.[12][/su_quote]

Concentrated source. Of all that good stuff! The stuff that was taken out of the flour we buy at the store. Flour we use in everything from our bread and tortillas to pastries and gravies.

Wheat germ isn't just a good but unexciting, spur-of-the-moment nutrition experiment. There are actually some really delicious recipes on Kretschmer's website that use wheat germ in some really surprising ways!

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Is your faith being tested? Are you struggling with a negative self-image? Do you feel like you are stuck in a cycle of negative events and wonder "where is my God"?

You aren't alone! At some point, we all go through seasons of doubt and struggle to understand and accept why bad things happen to good people.



What do you think? Leave me a comment below!

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Choosing to be your best self isn't just about how you look. It is about your mindset, self-care, and your wellness. We all know appearance isn't everything (or at least, it shouldn't be) but it does impact how you present yourself and interact with others.



What do you think? Leave me a comment below!

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