Earlier in the Spring a friend of mine suggested I try out Sub-Irrigated Planters, also known as “SIPS” or sometimes “Self-Irrigating Planters.”  These types of planters can be purchased or improvised, and employ a reservoir of water that allows the plants to wick the proper amount as they grow.  My SIPS are mostly constructed from materials I had around the house or purchased from The Dollar Store, while many other effective designs can be found online.  I am amazed at how the plants thrive in these planters, and at how little space they require.

This Plant Spa was purchased at The Dollar Store for less than $5 as part of my experiment.  Please note the reservoir opening at the bottom.

I improvised two large SIPS by using standard hole-in-the-bottom planters.  The reservoir is made from a plastic colander and an inexpensive plastic dish tub (see below.)  The colander and tub prevent over-watering and root-rot by allowing excess water to overflow out of the planter.  The colander also allows for aeration as the plants “wick” the required moisture.

Lastly, I improvised a “colander” out of a juice bottle so that I could turn an ordinary clay planter in to a small SIP.  A hack saw was used to saw the bottle in half.

Next I used the awl of my Swiss Army knife to punch holes in the plastic, giving it the look of a colander.

The clay SIP ended up looking like this:

I stirred a dash of lime into my fertilized potting mix, then added tomato and pepper plants.  During the first week, I watered the plants from the top, ensuring that the reservoir below was always full.  Since then I only add water to the reservoir as the plants are clearly wicking the perfect amount.

After six weeks of growth, I am thrilled with the size of my plants!

My design was inspired by Jim Annerton’s detailed PDF, which can be downloaded here.  I am so thrilled with the results that I cannot wait to try more SIP designs next year!

About the Author:

“Heatherly makes you feel like you could survive on your own (for at least a little while) after reading this book (The Cave and The Sea) — not that I’m going to give it a try any time soon.” -Forever Young Adult

“’The Hunger Games’ smash-hit book and movie got my daughter and one of her friends interested in archery. Maybe John A. Heatherly’s novel ‘The Cave and the Sea’ will do the same for teenagers regarding learning primitive survival skills…” -SurvivalCommonsense.com

“I don’t throw the term ‘life changing’ around lightly but this book (The Survival Template) has very likely altered the way I think, the way I plan and the way I see my future as I’ve laid it out.” -SurvivalMonkey.com.

© 2013, John A. Heatherly. All rights reserved.

Here are their answers to the question, “What advice do you have for new Survival Moms?” Thanks, ladies!

From Courtney: My best advice is that it’s okay to start small and to take baby steps towards preparedness. A lot of people are quick to give out checklists and say, “You need to go out and buy all of these items RIGHT NOW”, when in reality, it’s okay to start shopping the Buy One Get One Free deals and just keep a couple of extra cans of food on hand.

Maybe next week you can start planting a garden. Take a couple of classes on survival related topics. Stock up on books (hard copy, not e-books, preferably) that will help you through a difficult situation. Over time, you’ll be prepared and you’ll feel better about it.

From Sarah: It’s normal to get overwhelmed and panicked at first, to have the, “I am so unprepared!!!!” feeling. But that’s the jumping point. That’s the time when you make the decision to change and DO something about it instead of just obsessing.

It doesn’t need to be expensive. Water goes on sale often. Set a $5 a week goal. Use $5 a week or set it aside until you have enough for a major purchase. Just get started.

You can’t hunt or grow toilet paper. Look for great sales and stock up. Utilize your garage rafters for items that won’t be effected by heat or cold (like TP and blankets or extra clothes).

Breathe. Pray. Thank God that you realized that you needed to prepare for something and then thank God that you have something in place, even if it’s only a weeks worth of food and water.

Yes, there will ALWAYS be more that you can do. Don’t forget to prepare for tomorrow but live for today. Matthew 6:34: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” This verse goes hand in hand with the woman of Proverbs 31. Prepare for tomorrow, but do not worry about it.

From Amy: Don’t wait until tomorrow! Start small but start now. Start planning how to organize what you have, what you need now and what changes you need to make this happen.

From Lisa: It took some work to communicate to my husband my concerns. He’s a trained Boy Scout, he knows what to do. I had to remind him that I never made it out of Brownies. I didn’t know all that stuff about lighting fires and building shelters.

This clinched it for me. We’ve been paying off debt and listening to Dave Ramsey on the radio, who often quotes Proverbs 6:5: “Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler”. I went to my Bible to read it in context. The next line reads “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise”.

Discovering this site, and being encouraged by it, has made me be more organized in my prepping. It’s not just flashlights and candles for the next black out. That’s the biggest thing, read all you can, and get your ducks in a row. That’s empowering.

From Donna: 1. The fact that you are even thinking of becoming more prepared is a REALLY big step. Now, just keep walking forward.

2. Start small. It is so overwhelming when you first start, but remember, every little thing you do brings you peace and comfort.

3. Know that preparedness is not a destination, it is a journey. You will likely never arrive and feel that you are done, but be ready for a wonderful experience.

4. You are not alone. There are a lot of us who want to prepare not only for ourselves but to help others too. Work with those around you and the journey will be much less overwhelming.

From Sandi: Take it slow and steady. Focus on one skill at a time. Trying to do it all at once becomes overwhelming.

From Lezlie: My best advice would be to never let anyone make you feel like you are ‘crazy’ or a ‘worry wort’ or even a ‘hoarder’. If they can’t see that you do what you do out of love and for their safety, and you’re out of breath from trying to educate them, then smile and ignore Seek out other like minded people.and again….get to know your neighbors!

From Alanea: First, stop giving your family food from fast food chains. They are laden with addictive chemicals! And if a long term situation exists, you don’t want the stress of having your kids craving a happy meal and the ultimate tantrum that will ensue when you cant provide.

Also to prepare your kids, learn how to play Dungeons & Dragons. Every week we have “electricity free night”, (usually the same night as BBQ night). And now, because of D&D they actually look forward to it. Having card games and coloring books is all great, but what if you’re out of a light source, or having a light source is just not safe? D&D is a purely verbal game. According to my kids, I’m the best Dungeon Master EVER!!! I also do a lot of orienteering games with my kids disguised as treasure hunts. And my kids and I also have another good game, not hide and go seek, just hide. When we go on walks or are around town I randomly shout “HIDE” to them and they find cover wherever they can. They are getting really good. But never forget to talk to them. We aren’t scared, cause we are prepared!

From Jacqueline:  There is so much a Mom can do daily to be sure you’re ready for anything. Right down to a case of the stomach flu, you have a bucket with all supplies in one spot. I am in the process of really re-organizing because our needs are always changing. I am not the best at this, but I am getting good at it. I have gained so much knowledge that I think that is more valuable to me than my supplies. My skills on how to cook from scratch and having certain spices to sewing and crocheting along with my husbands labor skills we can fare pretty well. However, I am not to sure of myself. I am working on taking mental notes of those in my neighborhood and how we could pull together if need be.

As I said when I started out, I have encouraged more to start to do something by just talking a little bit about what I have learned with out letting people know exactly why. It is a small group right not that really know why I do this. It all started because I was laid off of my job. I thought I would always be working. So thank you Survival Mom, you inspired me and I have continued to do so as well!

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

Along with sunshine, though, come a few not-s0-fun health challenges. Here are just a few, along with some strategies for dealing with them.

1.  If anyone in the family has sensitive skin, buy the smallest possible size of sunscreen. There’s no point in spending $10 or more, only to find out too late that it causes a serious, itchy rash on some unfortunate loved one. (I speak from experience!)

2.  Speaking of itches and rashes, check out the new Itch Relief Patch! These clear, round medicated patches can be placed directly on any itchy area. From the company itself:

“BeKOOOL’s new Itch Relief Patches can now be found online at Drugstore.comand Walgreens.com , and in the anti-itch sections of the following retailers: Walmart, Dollar General, Harris Teeter and H-E-B.”

My son wandered into a mound of ants two weeks ago, and I was very glad to have some samples of these patches! They prevented him from scratching the ant bites and the novelty of being covered with a few of these patches made the experience kind of fun.

3.  Living in the desert, I’ve learned there are 2 ingredients for staying cool: water and moving air. Always have extra water in your vehicle for times when you’re stuck on the side of the road or end up somewhere far from air conditioning! Keeping 1 or 2 small battery-powered fans* in your vehicle emergency kit would be another good idea as well as a small spray bottle.

It’s amazing how just a few mists from a water spray bottle helps keep the body cool.

*Be sure to keep plenty of extra, fresh batteries on hand!

4.  A small aloe vera plant can be grown just about anywhere, and it’s one of the best ways that I know of for cooling sunburned skin.

image by Lin Pernille Photography

5.  A very simple product to keep on hand for warm weather problems is cornstarch. It’s great for soothing chafing from sweaty skin and diaper rashes.

6.  Keep in mind that certain groups of people have a particularly hard time when the weather gets really hot: babies and toddlers, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with chronic health issues.

If anyone in your family fits in one of these categories, have a plan for keeping them cool, especially if the power goes out and takes the air conditioning with it.

7.  Dehydration can become a serious issue during the warmest months of the year. Watch for sales on cases of water, Gatorade, and other drinks that include electrolytes. We just discovered Activate, which includes a dose of real vitamins and supplements.

Here’s a recipe for making your own rehydration drinks.

8.  Summer air pollution and pollen can set the stage for a really unpleasant asthma season. Make sure you have the right kind of medication with you at home and in your purse and/or vehicle.

Check to see if a local news station posts pollen reports on their website to help keep track of local conditions. You can also visit airnow.gov.

9.  Lyme disease continues to affect thousands of people every year. In 2008, there were more than 28,000 who contracted the disease. (I couldn’t fine more recent stats than ’08.)

You should know that the possibility of Lyme disease is greater in some parts of the country than others. If you live in one of the higher-risk zones, keep a vigilant eye out for any sign of  a tick bite. Keep in mind that the most dangerous ticks that can carry Lyme disease are the nymphal ticks (babies), and they are about the size of a poppy seed!

10.  Sunstroke. I’m adding this one because it happened to me one summer when I was about 9 or 10 years old. I remember the horrible sunburn, the blistered skin, the fever.

Pay attention to outside temperatures, especially if your kids are playing outdoors during 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.* Their little bodies heat up quickly, and if they are distracted by all the summer fun, pool parties, etc., they won’t notice a bad sunburn until it’s too late.

(*Can you believe that we used to call those the, “peak tanning hours”??? How crazy was that??)

Stay safe this summer, Survival Moms!

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

Photo by Colby Codner

Walking Onions, also known as “Tree Onions” or “Topsetters,” may be the toughest plants in the garden.  The picture above was taken in Oklahoma, where 12 original bulbs survived the heat and lack of water of the last few summers to take over a raised bed and part of the yard.

If planted in the fall, these onions are hardy through the winter and produce topsets of bulbs the next year.  These bulbs can be harvested and eaten, or they will fall over and start to root (hence the term “walking.”)  The green shoots can be eaten like ordinary green onions and taste great when filled with cream cheese or in other recipes.  The base bulb can be harvested as well, though if the bulb is removed the plant will no longer be there to spread.  My plan is to let these onions walk all over the wild areas of the property, then harvest green leaves, top-bulbs, and a few root bulbs later in the year (Mine were ordered online – Ebay and Etsy have them – and they arrived bundled in tape and cardboard.  Pretty cool.)

Can anyone offer any creative recipes that use Walking Onions?

About the Author:

“Heatherly makes you feel like you could survive on your own (for at least a little while) after reading this book (The Cave and The Sea) — not that I’m going to give it a try any time soon.” -Forever Young Adult

“’The Hunger Games’ smash-hit book and movie got my daughter and one of her friends interested in archery. Maybe John A. Heatherly’s novel ‘The Cave and the Sea’ will do the same for teenagers regarding learning primitive survival skills…” -SurvivalCommonsense.com

“I don’t throw the term ‘life changing’ around lightly but this book (The Survival Template) has very likely altered the way I think, the way I plan and the way I see my future as I’ve laid it out.” -SurvivalMonkey.com.

© 2013, John A. Heatherly. All rights reserved.

What if you find yourself in the midst of a chaotic, violent event, such as the Boston Marathon terrorist attack? What can you do?

1. Unless you are trained as a first responder, get out of the way. When you see these heroic first responders rush to a scene, the last thing you want to do is impede their progress and function by getting in the way, asking questions, or trying to help unless asked.
2. Get your kids to safety. If you are able to help because you either having skills, knowledge or supplies, get your kids out of harm’s way immediately. If one of them is old enough to be put in charge, give them orders to call a relative or friend for help and stay put. I wouldn’t do this with a kid under the age of 11 or 12, and maybe even older, depending on the kid.
3. Of course if your kids are little, there’s no question about leaving them unless there’s another adult with you, even if you’re a trained medic.  Wandering kids will only add to the confusion and, potentially, cause even more tragedy.
4. If you are not trained to help and you’re able to get out of the way, begin taking video and photos with your phone or camera.
5. Be on the look out for anyone who needs help. They may not be physically injured but dazed, or looking for loved ones, or in need of a cell phone to call home. You may not have many resources with you, but if you can offer a calming presence, an arm around the shoulder, you’ve done something important for that person in the midst of chaos.
6. Are there certain EDC (Everyday Carry) items that could come in handy? Your cell phone is critical for documenting the event and communicating. If it’s a smart phone, you’ll be able to get information about the event on the internet or use one of the many helpful apps out there, including ones that tap into police scanners, first aid information. Even FEMA has an app called Are You Ready?  Don’t forget that your smart phone can be used as a flashlight. Other items discussed: Swiss army knife, diaper bag contents
7. And of course this is assuming that cell phone coverage hasn’t been interrupted. In that case, try to get to a business that has a landline you can use, or just wait it out.
8. If you have paper and a pen, jot down anything and everything that comes to mind that you observed or heard up to the event, during, and afterwards. You know how LE often says, “SOMEONE saw SOMETHING…” well, you might be the person to have observed something critical but in the chaos that follows an event like this, you can’t expect your memory to be perfect, so write it down!

Interview with Richard Stephenson, author of Collapse, his first novel. Richard lives in Texas and has experienced first-hand all the chaos and panic caused by major hurricanes. He based his characters and plot on his own experiences.

To listen to the full 60-minute show, click here.

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

Tess Pennington was one of my first readers and regular commenters on my blog. I remember reading her comments and thinking, “What a fabulous name! I should get to know this person!”

Well, since then, I learned that Tess blogs at Ready Nutrition, and we’ve become good friends. As you might imagine, I was thrilled when her first book, a cookbook, arrived on my doorstep. The Prepper’s Cookbook is an attractive book with more than 200 pages, nicely indexed.

At first I thought it was “just” a cookbook, which would have been fine, but when I opened the book and began reading, I was thrilled to find that it was so much more.

Tess draws on her background as a caseworker specialist with the American Red Cross to include a first chapter devoted to an introduction to prepping and basic water and food storage principles.

It’s more than a cookbook. It’s also a handy guide for beginning preppers who have wondered, “So what do I actually do with all this extra food I’m buying?”

Tess provides dozens of simple, food storage friendly recipes and some great tips along the way. I loved the pop-out boxes with titles such as, “Canning Off the Grid”, “Use Your Noodle” (ideas for using ramen noodles in a variety of ways), and “The Tasty Tater.”

I invited Tess to be the very first guest on my new radio show, and you can listen to our interview here in Episode 1.

As a bonus, I have a copy of her book to give away to a lucky winner! Simply leave a comment following this post, and a winner will be selected at random on Monday, April 22.

You’ll enjoy Tess’s collection of preparedness tips and recipes in The Prepper’s Cookbook.

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by beccafawley

In the first chapter of my book, I talk about identifying why you are preparing. From the book

Here are a few possible disasters to consider. Which ones are most likely to affect you?

• ƒƒNatural disasters—Mother Nature at her worst: wildfires, floods,
  earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and more
• Extreme weather—“Storm of the Century,” ice storms, drought,
  intense heat waves, blizzards
• Personal disasters—loss of job, decreased work hours, illness
  or injury affecting the ability to work, your mother-in-law
  moving in
• ƒƒNuclear events—including, but not limited to, an electromagnetic
  pulse (EMP), suitcase bombs, and actual mushroom clouds
• Terrorist attacks—these could happen anywhere, anytime, although I
  have to admit that terrorists seem to favor New York City
• Social unrest—riots, strikes, large-scale and violent protests
• Increased crime rate—home invasions, car-jackings, burglaries
• Economic collapse—the devaluation of the dollar, bank closures,
  hyperinflation, a significant stock market crashƒ
• Biological catastrophes—epidemics or pandemics, biological
  warfare
• ƒƒUtter and complete collapse of civilization—it’s happened before,
  and it can happen again

This is all very good advice, of course, but many of you are prepping, “just because.” Maybe you’ve just had, “a really bad feeling about stuff.” Or, if you’re a spiritual person, you believe that you’ve “been led” to prepare.

It could be just a gut feeling, an instinct, your intuition, but whatever it is, you can’t quite put your finger on why you’re preparing.

Well, guess what?

That’s okay. I am a strong believer in the accuracy of those vague warnings. In fact, I’ve taught my kids to trust their instincts if/when something ever just doesn’t feel right.

In this video I go into more detail about being okay with vague feelings of uneasiness when it comes to preparing and survival.

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

Spring is here in Florida and I am amazed at the amount of sorrel growing along the highways.  There is far more sorrel than a single survivor could forage!

If you have never tasted sorrel, you will find that it is sour but not unpleasant.  I think of it as snack food for the trail – kind of a wild edible that you munch on while walking or working.  It contains Vitamin C and should be eaten in small portions, as large quantities can block the body’s absorption of calcium.  Sorrel is great in salads and can add a spicy/sour flavor to soups.  It can also be steeped into a tea that is good with honey.

Has anyone used sorrel in recipes?

© 2013, John A. Heatherly. All rights reserved.

For about $20, the Rome Cookware Double Pie Iron proved to be a priceless addition to our outdoor cook-set.  My three-year-old son went absolutely bonkers during the entire grilled-cheese process!

To make ordinary grilled-cheese “smoky” and extraordinary, we simply buttered the bread, added cheese, then enclosed it in the pie-iron.

Caution!  The pie-iron heats up quickly, so use the wooden handles and keep leather gloves available.

Cooking time is about five minutes, with a few flips.  The pie iron is easy to open to check for charring.

The results are self-evident!

© 2013, John A. Heatherly. All rights reserved.

image by *Zoha.Nve

More than 20 years ago, I learned this tip from a roommate, and now I’m using it so my family always has a crisp, healthy salad. Now when my kids say they’re hungry, I say, “Go eat a salad!” For a main dish, we add whatever cooked meat is in the fridge, along with some cheese and hard boiled eggs.

Super quick and super easy because I only have to make a large salad every 7-10 days.

All you’ll need is a large bowl with a snap-on lid, 2 paper towels, and a salad.

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.