Category Archives: Be Prepared

We Remember… but are we prepared?

Posted on September 10, 2012 | 1 Comment

Nearly 3,000 Americans perished on 9/11.   I don’t know all their names, but I do remember where I was when I saw the planes hit.  I remember watching in disbelief along with the rest of our nation.  I remember watching an act of hatred and terrorism against our country … and the heroism and humanity of patriots.

Fallen #2

We all vowed we would “never forget.” I hope we don’t. I hope we all remember what compassion and self-sacrifice looks like. I hope we all can at least imagine the hero within each one of us – the man or woman who would sacrifice everything to save the life of another. Continue reading →

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Posted in Be Prepared

Tagged disaster prep, preparedness, survival mom

Perfecting my “Go” Bags for Last Minute Travel

Posted on September 3, 2012 | 1 Comment

This month we have had to leave our home unexpectedly no less than THREE times.  Once to evacuate my babies from a massive power outage that lasted two weeks, once for a family emergency and then again for a funeral.

The shortest notice I had to pack the family was twenty minutes.  I managed to do it -with time to spare – due to (a) the Survival Mom’s blog (b) my experience with the first evacuation and (c) our “go” bags always being fully stocked and properly stored.

Needless to say, after scrambling to pack up the family for TWO WEEKS away from home, I’ve become much more organized.  In addition to keeping our cars with at least a half tank of fuel at all times and prominently posting my laminated personalized mini travel checklists by the door, I now keep all our bags packed and ready to go – even after just returning home.

I use a similar technique to THIS SurvivalMom guest blogger in that I have systematized our family’s whole lives into little “Go” bags.  I have found that the best way to be prepared is to make it part of our everyday lifestyle.

Check out the rest of my post at the Survival Mom’s blog!

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Posted in Be Prepared, Parenting

Tagged preparedness,

Home protection – Security Basics

Posted on August 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

[This post is part of the "In Defense Of" Series]

Guest Post by RockstarDad - My husband is always conscientious of our family’s care and protection.  He also cares about the security and safety concerns of everyone he meets.  (Staying at a hotel is never simple as he is always inspecting the quality of the fire alarm systems in the places we stay; it is not rare that we pack up and leave if a building doesn’t meet code!)   It’s one of the qualities that make him great at his job, but it is also something that makes me feel loved – the fact that he wants to take care of me and protect our family.  This part of the series is focused on tips he has learned over the past 20 years in the security industry in keeping our homes safe.

Bad guys look for three things when selecting a home:

  • Get in fast
  • Get out fast
  • Remain unnoticed

It is your job as parents to make your home unattractive to the bad guys, keeping them out, and having a plan if they get in.

Home security starts with the locks

Every home typically has a lock on all of the doors. Is it a good lock? Has it been installed properly? Is the door the lock is on able to withstand kicking, ramming, or a crow bar? Continue reading →

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Posted in Be Prepared, In Defense Of

Tagged home protection, in defense series, security basics

Evacuation Plan in Action

Posted on July 16, 2012 | 7 Comments

This makes it sound like I had a plan doesn’t it? ;)  The sad part is that I thought I did!
Fallen trees on Oregon 18
Friday night two weeks ago, as we were preparing for our huge garage sale to begin the next day, a storm blows in without warning.  It comes in fast and frightening.  RockstarDad screams at me from the house door over the roaring wind to stop folding baby clothes on the tables in the garage and RUN inside NOW!!!

We hunker down with the kids and our flashlights as the storm blows through.  It even sounds scary through the foot-wide walls of our 100-year old farmhouse – a structure that doesn’t normally even creak in the wind.  Then the power goes out. Continue reading →

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Posted in Be Prepared

Tagged disaster prep, evacuation plan, lists, survival, top 10

Home protection: Fire Safety

Posted on July 2, 2012 | 2 Comments

[This post is part of the "In Defense Of" Series]

Guest Post by RockstarDad

RockstarDad is a licensed security and fire safety professional with 20 years experience designing, installing, and maintaining residential, commercial, and industrial security, fire protection and life safety systems. He has obtained the highest certification level from NICET (National Institute For Certification In Engineering Technologies) in Fire Protection Technologies.

House fire

Image by Ada Be

You only have 3 minutes to escape your home after the smoke alarm goes off.

So, What’s your escape plan?

Quick what do you do? Where are the kids? Do they know what to do? Where is your spouse? What do you take with you? Do you call 911 now? How will you know everybody is out of the house?

Wow. Scary stuff. You need a plan. Continue reading →

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Posted in Be Prepared, Homeschool, In Defense Of

Tagged fire safety, home protection, homeschool, preschool safety