Prepping for Winter & Other Emergencies

It is shaping up to be a cold, wet and possibly very snowy winter here in the Pacific Northwest.  Add to that to all the media about the "big one"  (or a potential 9.0+ earthquake), and  the fact that our Chihuahua is being extremely clingy, and our family has been talking a lot about getting prepared for emergencies, both big and small!

 Here's what we've done so far:
1. Bought an emergency jump starting battery from Amazon: BESTEK 400A Peak Current Car Jump Starter Battery Charger with 11000mAh Power Bank with 2.1A USB Charging Port, Built-in Escape Hammer, Air Compressor Outlet, Powerful LED Flashlight*
 I saw  one of these emergency battery jumpstarting gadgets on QVC in the middle of the night a couple of nights ago [the one downfall of cutting the cord and not having dish network anymore is being forced to watch home shopping channels when insomnia hits!]  And realized what a boon this could be to our emergency kit.  actually, it will come in handy pretty regularly, since our tractor battery is constantly going flat! This gadget also has an air compressor outlet, flashlight, and you can even charge your phone with it!  Needless to say, this win at the top of my Christmas present list for hubby - killing two birds with one stone - prepping and gifting!

2. Bought an emergency kit. I just fell in love with these kits when we got them in at work and had to have one!  Heck, it even includes astronaut ice-cream! I've already added a few extra things to it, but it has lots of eco-friendly/green features, and gave me a great place to start without having to run out and spend a lot of time gathering items, which is hard to do with twin toddlers!!!  Use this friends and family link then just search for the kit - you'll get 15% off your order! http://apothecaryshoppe.refr.cc/ZKJJLKB*

3. Bought a copy of San Andreas*. Because there is nothing like a bit of CGI to get hubby motivated to stock up our emergency rations!

4. Bought a NOAA radio*. Because Blake (the daughter) got hold of one in San Andreas and it seemed to come in mighty handy! 

5. Restocked our emergency rations! We've been eating them the last 3 months to ensure that they don't expire, so it was time to replenish. I use amazon*, costco, and grocery outlet (check the expiry dates carefully!) to stock up on canned food, dehydrated food, rice, and chocolate! I also have a stash of protein shake mixes. Ahem, lots of these are left over from various diets I've "done", but no-one else needs to know that! 

6. Drained and refill our water tank with emergency water supplies. It was slimy. Yuck. We will still boil water before using it, but at least we have something to boil!

7. Got my snow tires on and my chains in the trunk! 

8. Stocked the car with a first aid kit*, some bars*, extra warm coats, and water. Couldn't fit the folding bicycle* or inflatable kayak that my daughter wanted, plus where would I stash the little kids? 

What I want to do next:

1. Buy a generator. Our power has  nasty habit of going out and our fireplace needs the blower going to really heat our house. I'd love one of those fancy gas ones that turns on automatically, but since saving for that seems to be taking a long time, I might just go the diesel route for now! 

2. Get our curtains up. Help keep the heat in when the power goes out. My mum gave us her old curtains - so this energy conserving measure will be nearly free! 

3. Update my CPR training and have my hubby and oldest do it too! I need someone who can do CPR on me!!! 

4. Hook up rain barrels to the downspouts so I have plenty of water for the animals. We have a well so no power = no water. That loops me back to the generator...

What are you doing to get ready for winter?