image by Faith Goble

When I first received a sample box of Rover’s Reserve Freeze Dried Beef Hearts for Cats and Dogs from my very good friends at Freeze Dry Guy, I was a little skeptical. Would our dogs turn up their noses at the stuff?  What about the cat?

Delcie, our tri-colored Basenji, found it difficult to review the food while gulping it down.  It was embarrassing to watch this mature female wolf down food so quickly that she was unable to speak.  A little self-control would have been in order.  I did manage to ask her to give it either a paws up or a paws down.  Briefly, she gave it a paws up but then went back to her meal.

The second pet in line for the test was Daisy.  “Give it to Daisy. She hates everything,” I think of of my kids said.  Well, Daisy loves to chew on mylar bags and my daughter’s Bible, so I thought Rover’s  Reserve would be a shoo-in.  Not quite.  She did drool a bit and pick at the food I offered, but it’s my belief that she wanted to maintain her dignity and pride, unlike Delcie.

Finally there was Mouse, named for the huge ears that she never quite grew in to.  I wasn’t able to offer the food to Mouse by hand because I almost lost a finger when she grabbed the first bite.  Again, no restraint, no decorum, just a full-on gorge.  I didn’t bother asking her for a review.

I can say with confidence that we’ll be buying more of Rover’s Reserve. Since it’s freeze dried, I don’t have to worry about it becoming rancid and since it’s packaged in small mylar bags, it would be very difficult for pests to chew their way in.  We’ve stored the packets of Rover’s Reserve in a bucket with a lid to further protect it from insects and rodents.

With this type of food it would be wise to mix in a tablespoon or two of fat, such as bacon grease or oil.  Our pets need fat in their diets just as we do.  Three varieties, Chicken Hearts, Duck Hearts, and Beef Hearts, contain only those ingredients, freeze-dried hearts.  If your dogs and cats are on a raw foods diet, Rover’s Reserve is a great back-up.

*Freeze Dry Guy has a special place in my heart because four years ago, its owner, Ron, spent two hours with a couple of beginning preppers, teaching  us about food storage, freeze dried food, and offering sound advice.  My husband and I were that couple, and we appreciate Ron’s help.  I am now an affiliate of Freeze Dry Guy, which means I get a small commission from purchases made from this site.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

This Action Step doesn’t have anything to do with the movie, “Pay it Forward”, although doing kind things for people is always a good idea. This Action Step is all about doing something kind for your budget.

With warmer months approaching, many of you will be delighted to see the power bill in the mail because this season brings the lowest charges.  There’s (usually) no reason to turn on the heat, and often, just opening the windows and turning on a couple of fans is enough to stay cool.

If you live in a hot climate, the opposite is true.  Soon, you’ll be facing the largest energy bills of the year because at some point, the air conditioner will be running.  We have at least one $500 electric bill every summer.  It can be a real killer when times are tight.

Whenever you’re expecting the smallest power bills of the year is the time to pay it forward.  Add an extra $20 or $50 or whatever you can afford to that bill.  You’ll be accumulating a credit balance that will help cover the more expensive bills down the road or cover the expense for a month or two should your income take a dive.

Another method is to figure the average bill, using your annual total, and start paying that amount every month, beginning at the time of year when you’re using the least amount of power.

You can do the same thing with other utility bills.  It’s a good idea to stay at least a month ahead with this expense, if possible.  It’s money in the bank when you need it.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

Last year's happy winners!

Contest is now closed.  The winners were Jill and Brea.

I strongly believe that camping is one of the most powerful ways to teach kids useful, lifelong skills that will go a long way to prepare them for the future.  Not only that, but a camping trip is a great way for families to bond.

America’s National Parks provide some of the best camping experiences in the world and Nature Valley is committed to promoting the park and raising funds for their continued preservation.  As part of this promotion, they are giving two lucky readers Nature Valley prize packages, containing t-shirts and Nature Valley products!

Here’s how you can enter to win:

1. Visit Nature Valley Trail View and check out the three featured National Parks.  It’s a, “first-ever street-view style look at our national parks, complete with information for trip planners, including key points of interest and historical information.”
2. Return to this blog post and let us know which park is either your favorite or the one you would most like to visit.

Last year's adult tee.

If you purchase any specially marked Nature Valley products, you can enter their UPC codes to participate in the fund-raiser.  For each UPC code entered through December 31, 2012, a $1 donation will be made to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).

From the Nature Valley press release:

This year, Nature Valley is continuing to help preserve America’s national parks while encouraging education, outdoor exploration and support. To get the 2012 Preserve the Parks program started, Nature Valley is making a $300,000 donation to the NPCA and is inviting consumers to help raise an additional $200,000 by entering the Universal Product Codes (UPC) from specially-marked packages of Nature Valley products at PreserveTheParks.com. This year, in celebration of National Park Week (April 21-29), consumers are invited to visit the Nature Valley Facebook page and “Like” designated posts during that week to help trigger additional donations to the NPCA – $1 per “Like,” up to $50,000.

This year, the NPCA is working on these projects:

• Acadia National Park: Constructing a connector trail to provide better access to Acadia National Park.
• Everglades National Park: Improving public access to, and providing greater awareness about the Everglades and Everglades National Park.
• Grand Teton National Park: Protecting wildlife migration corridors near Grand Teton National Park.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Restoring land and wildlife habitats to benefit Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Joshua Tree National Park: Ensuring healthy ecosystems to benefit the wildlife of Joshua Tree National Park.
• Yellowstone National Park: Restoring pronghorn migration routes around Yellowstone National Park.

Watch for additional blog posts and giveaways related to family camping trips!  Good luck on this one.

Giveaway ends: midnight on Friday, April 27.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by Pink Sherbet Photography

Yesterday I spent more than 4 hours trying to transfer old voicemail messages to my computer.  These messages are as valuable to me as old family photos because they are the recorded voices of my children over the past 5 years.

My son’s first voice mail: “……(heavy breathing)…..press…..five……(heavy breathing)…..”

My daughter’s tiny, worried voice, “Mommy, when are you coming home?  I need you.”

Those voices, and memories, bring tears to my eyes, and I’m determined to preserve them.

It’s amazing what comforts us in times of crisis.  Following a house fire, tornado, or some other devastating disaster, I’ve seen women poking around the rubble of  her home suddenly break down in tears at finding a wedding album or an old school photo.

All this has me wondering about my other memories: photos, plaster handprints, my kids artwork, and all the other precious collectibles every mom and grandma has around the house.  In a worst case scenario, these will become more precious than we could ever imagine.  How can we keep them safe?

Here are a few suggestions for making sure you have these treasures to enjoy in the future and can pass them along to the next generation.

1. Think small.  Large photo albums and scrapbooks are wonderful to handle but heavy and bulky to pack.  Smaller albums, select treasures will be much easier to just grab and go.
2. Be picky.  Do you really need every photo taken at your wedding or could you single out just a dozen that capture the most special moments?  Likewise, can you sort through art projects, report cards, and other mementos and choose just a few that are most meaningful?
3. Utilize technology. My plan is to save my children’s voicemail messages on a CD and maybe even an mp3 player.  Unfortunately, when it comes to sound, that’s about all I can do.  I’ll be sure to save the mp3 player in a Tech Protect bag or some other type of Faraday container just in case an EMP ever occurs.  Storing photos on CDs, memory cards, flash drives…it’s all good.  However…
   

   Guilty of storing way too many "memories"!

4. A catastrophe that takes out our electric grid, long-term, would render anything stored electronically useless.  So, figure out how you might preserve the cream of the cream, so to speak, of your treasures.  Paper documents can be stored using a vacuum sealer, like a Food Saver.  Photos should be wrapped in chemical free paper before storing.
5. Have a plan for including your mementos in an evacuation.  We never think of throwing a few photos in a Bug Out Bag, but you could do worse.  Another option is to keep them stored in a water and fireproof container, stored near an exit door, ready to grab on your way out.
6. Consider storing duplicates with a friend or family member living at least 50 miles away and offer to return the favor.  If your neighborhood ends up under water, at least you’ll know where to find these special treasures.

Lest these suggestions give you the idea that I am some hard hearted shrew without any feelings of tenderness, take a look at my kids’, “memory filing cabinets.”  Yep, we started out with individual memory boxes holding their early drawings, school papers and mementos, but my sentimental nature quickly outgrew mere little boxes and we began filling up drawers in two empty filing cabinets we have out in the garage. I’ll be following my own advice in the very near future and weeding out what I can.

When we do let go of a physical memento, it’s important to remember that we aren’t letting go of the memory!

What have you done to preserve your own sentimental treasures?

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by lovelihood

A lot of us have seed packets left over from years gone by or we’ve saved seeds from our own gardens.  Have you ever wondered if those seeds are viable anymore?  What is their germination rate?  It truly would be disastrous to store seeds, only to find that, when planted, nothing sprouts.  Here is a simple way to find out just how viable your seeds are.

Take ten seeds of the same variety and lay them on a moistened paper towel.  Fold the towel in half so the seeds are covered.  Check on the seeds each day and keep the paper towel moist.  If, after several days, five seeds have sprouted, you can assume that the seed packet has a germination rate of about 50%.  If 2 seeds have sprouted, it’s 20%, and so on.

It will be up to you to decide when a germination rate is too low to bother with.

Keep in mind that heat and moisture are the enemies of seeds.  It’s important to keep seeds in a cool, dry place if you’re storing them for the future.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

Guest post by Kimber who blogs at KimbersGlen.

image by Judy**

If the S ever hits the fan, obviously cleaning house is not going to be your immediate concern,  survival is.  However, for continued comfort and health it is something that will need to be taken care of.  How can you keep your house and family clean in a worst case scenario?

Carpets/Rugs:

If your house has wall to wall carpeting and there’s no power, it’s mighty hard to vacuum with no electricity.  Using a generator can be loud,  it will call attention to yourself, and it can be a waste of resources.  Instead, try sweeping the carpet with a broom.  A rubber bristle broom such as the Bissell ARRGH Pet Hair Broom should work or use a carpet sweeper, such at the Bissell Swift Sweep Sweeper.  Both will work well on carpet to clean up surface dirt and pet hair.  To neutralize odors from pets, accidents, and spills, use baking soda.  Sprinkle liberally over the carpet and let it set overnight or as long as possible, then sweep up with your sweeper.  As a word of caution, damp baking soda may be hard to remove from carpet fibers so if you live in a humid climate, you may want to mist your carpets with vinegar instead of using baking soda.

For area rugs, bathroom rugs, or kitchen rugs take them outside and hang them over a sturdy clothes line or from a tree.  Beat them with a tennis racket, baseball bat, or even a sturdy piece of wood.  Be sure to have a cloth over your mouth and nose to avoid breathing in any of the dust and dirt you are trying to get out of the rugs.  Again, to remove smells you can sprinkle on baking soda or spray with vinegar.  Both are great at neutralizing acid based odors.  By the way, this is also a great exercise and a great way to relieve some stress.  If you let your

image by brandoncripps

kids do it, they get to burn some excess energy as well.

Clothes, Bedding, and Curtains:

We all need clean clothes and we’ve become very dependent on our washers and dryers, but laundry can still be done without these conveniences.  It will take longer, but it’s still do-able.  Only you can determine what is the most effective way for you to do your laundry when there is no power, but here’s a way we suggest.  Have at least two very large buckets (you can pick up some 20 gallon tubs at the big box store for just a few dollars), a Rapid Washer, a wash board, and wringer if possible.  If you don’t have the funds to purchase an actual clothes wringer, a mop bucket wringer will work as well.  You need something that will get as much water out as possible to help the clothes dry quicker. You will also need to have a clothes line outside or some sort of rack inside to hand the clothes out to dry.

Start with warm water in one bucket with a minimal amount of soap.  You need soap to clean but too much and it will take longer to get the soap out of your clothes.  Place clothes in the bucket and just let sit for a couple hours or overnight.  Much of the surface dirt will come out of your clothes.  Use the Rapid Washer (or your hands to agitate the water).  The Rapid Washer though will help circulate the water and  separate the dirt from the clothes.  In your second bucket you will place your rinse water. Wring out as much of the dirty wash water that you can and put the clothes in the rinse bucket, again agitate to get soap out of the clothes, wring.  Your first bucket of dirty water is then dumped and refilled to make a second rinse bucket.  If you need to do a second load of laundry, you can reuse the first rinse bucket and repeat the steps.

image by ericskiff

Sheets and curtains can be washed the same way but won’t go through a wringer very well.  But this is a great way to get the kids to help.  Let them twist the sheets to get as much water out as possible.  Of course getting them to keep them out of the mud could prove to be an exercise in patience all of it’s own.  If it’s warm and dry outside, hang your clothes to dry.  If it’s cold and/or rainy, use drying racks or shower curtain rods.

Of course, keeping clothes clean in the first place helps cut down on laundry.  There’s a reason why aprons and pinafores were so popular in days gone by!  Use an apron to cover your clothes while cooking and cleaning.  It’s easier to wash an apron that an entire outfit.  Have a set of clothes for inside that can be worn a few times before being washed and a set of coveralls for outside work.

Dishes:

Washing dishes would be similar to washing your clothes. Fill one bucket or side of the sink about half full with very warm water and let the dishes soak a bit, wash, then rinse.  A bit of vinegar in your rinse water will cut down on soap suds for both clothes and dishes.

These are just a few suggestions.  Of course, trying to do them for the first time in an emergency could prove to be very frustrating.  Practice these things before an emergency, and you will be more prepared to handle them when things aren’t going so well.

For a lot more tips on living without electricity, for a few hours or much longer, read Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family for Everyday Disasters and Worst Case Scenarios.

Read more from Kimber at KimbersGlen.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

Marjory Wildcraft is one of my favorite gardening gurus.  You can learn more about her at Grow Your Own Groceries.  Last month I had a chance to meet up with her, and we recorded this video.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by Eric Begin.

My suburban neighbors consider rabbits cute, fuzzy pets. I consider them hasenpfeffer that will be a continuous source of meat if needed. I can even easily move the huts into my garage to prevent theft. Hubby wants a Giant Flemish Rabbit but he hasn’t talked me into that yet, though that is a nice chunk of meat!

image by Stuck in Customs

Reptiles are still on my no-no list. My son loved his Green Anole and I admit it was cool to see him eat crickets. My problem is reptiles can carry bacteria. You can’t use them to help the homestead unless you let them go to kill insects. The big problem with that is you then have no control over their population growth, and again, you are back to having a pest control problem.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

“This is the third time I’ve told you to take out the trash!”

“How many times do I have to tell you??”

“If I have to tell you one more time…”

image from graph-jam,

I always swore I’d never make statements like that as a mom, but of course I have.  However, I’ve realized that in a crisis, I will need their immediate and focused attention and obedience.  Here are two strategies I’ve used to train them to do this

1. I noticed that the tone of my voice is pivotal to quick obedience.  I generally have a very soft voice, and if you’ve heard any of my radio shows, you know that!  I sometimes wonder if that makes it easier for my kids to ignore my directions and requests.  So, what I’ve done is train them to recognize the difference in my everyday tone of voice and the one I would use in an emergency.  I did this by demonstrating different tones of voice from, “Please empty the dishwasher,” to “Get out of the road NOW!”  The key is instantaneous obedience. Rising flood waters just isn’t a good time for a kid to yawn and say, “Yeah, yeah.  In a minute, MOM!”
2. If a situation ever arises when a gun may be fired in our home, say in the event of a home invasion, I don’t want to worry about my kids being in the line of fire.  If I’m the one armed and ready to protect my brood, hesitating just for a second could mean the difference between life and death for all of us.  My kids know all about gun safety, so what I did was to sit down with them and explain how important it was for them to be out of the line of fire if an armed and dangerous person is ever in or near our home.  Here’s what the are to do: drop to the ground immediately and without question. To rehearse this, on occasion I’ll yell, “Kids!  Drop to the floor!”  or just, “Kids!  Drop!”  Then, I check to make sure that wherever they are, they’ve dropped!  I know, I know.  It  might sound crazy, but what’s crazier?  Having innocent kids wandering around in a lethal situation or training them ahead of time to avoid danger?

By the way, I started teaching this to my kids when they were 8 and 10 years-old.  The only reason I didn’t teach it earlier, is because I didn’t think of it!

Here’s what some people on the Survival Mom Facebook page have to say about this topic:

From Prudent Pantry: I am blessed with 5 kids, 4 of them have autism. I herd cats for a living BUT I have a special mommy voice that I use ONLY in emergencies that everyone attends to. I draw a clear line between hurry up we need to go to church and the house is burning down get out.

From Andrea Lynch: This is weird, but we have a sort of code word for our kids that means “this is for real, listen up.” Thought it might come in handy.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by Dharmuti

I love this idea from the GardenGirl, whose videos you can find on YouTube.  Start saving toilet paper tubes, get some potting soil or use what she uses, coco fibers.  Toilet paper rolls are probably the cheapest potting pots I’ve ever heard of.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.