ThinMint

All of us get melancholy. Maybe we need to be in those moments, acknowledging the hurt, confusion, anger or fear. Maybe we need to share our angst with God instead of trying to hold it all together. Maybe we need to give ourselves a moment to mourn over what’s happened to our country. After we’ve grieved with the Lord, we can let Him comfort us, listening to His spirit whisper the promise that He’s in control. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” Psalm 126:2 When you’re ready, be still, listen…

Just a few ideas to get your own creative juices flowing. Be sure to enjoy your family, count your blessings, and take time to unplug. Happy prepping!

Not ready to spend money? Here are a few ideas: - Organize your pantry or cupboards. Check expiration dates and rotate goods. Canned goods are fine past their expiration date as long as there are no dents. - Do you have items such as toilet paper or paper towels taking up food real estate? Can you move those to the attic, garage or a closet? - Are your medical supplies organized, clearly marked and accessible? - Are there repairs to the home you’ve been putting off? - Clean your windows and make sure they are intact. - Clean gutters and make sure the roof is in good shape. - Make sure your points of entry are intact, and your front door can be secured from the inside without issue. - Do you have clear paths to exits in the home? Does the upstairs need a fire escape ladder? - Are your closet spaces organized? Can you get your hands on towels and blankets readily? Is the floor space walkable? Have you utilized every inch of the space to accommodate more supplies? Do you need to purge your closet of unwanted items that are taking up valuable real estate? - Can you sell the items you no longer require in order to have money for prepping supplies? - Do your kids have the clothing and shoe items they require for at least the next year? - What do you need to take care of to be ready for the upcoming winter? - Do you have on hand what you think you need for a power outage that lasts 24 hours? 4 days? 10 days? A month? - Have you checked your smoke detectors? Do you have one installed in the attic? - Do your kids know what to do in the event of an emergency? - Make an emergency binder. Have pages for “what to do in the event of…” List what would need to be done for that emergency (turn off water, turn off gas, unplug this or that, etc.). Have a list of contact numbers. - Do you know who you can count on in the event of a crisis? Trusted friends, family? Are there neighbors you could work with? Church or club members, co-workers? - Do you have cash on hand and a way to hide it? - Reach out to the neighbors who you think might be an ally, and have them over for dinner. Feel them out, don’t bombard them with doomsday stuff *lol*

Just a gentle reminder to work on preps this weekend if you can. Make a list of what you have on hand, and what you need to plug in the gaps. Do you have $100 in your budget for example? You can either go all in for food stuffs, or you can spread it over a few areas. Suggestions for prepping (do what works for your family): - Water and other consumable fluids (filtered water, Gatorade, juices, powders to add to water, powdered/canned milk) - General food items (canned goods, pastas, rice, sugars, flour, nuts, snacks –lots and lots of snacks if you have kids) - Spices and condiments (salt, pepper, garlic powder, cinnamon, salad dressings, oils, ketchup, mustard, Braggs apple cider vinegar, white distilled vinegar) - Paper products (toilet paper, paper towels, wipes, paper plates, plastic utensils, tin foil, plastic bags, garbage bags) - Personal hygiene and feminine products (shampoos, soaps, shaving items, toothpastes and toothbrushes, mouthwash, deodorants, cotton balls, Q-tips, nail products, lip balms, lotions [by the way, menstrual pads work for bleeding injuries too]) - Pet supplies (food, water, medicines, leashes, toys) - Medical supplies (bandages of varying sizes, peroxide, rubbing alcohol, creams, ear and eye drops, gauze and wraps, pain relief, cold and sinus, digestive relief, disposable gloves, colloidal silver, Epsom salt, natural supplements and remedies, first aid reference book) - Items for kids (non-electronic entertainment items, appropriate size and seasonal clothing, snacks, gifts, outdoor toys, diapers or pull-ups) - Items for the home (light bulbs, candles, flashlights, weather alert radio, batteries) - Cleaning supplies (bleach, vinegar, soaps, detergents) - Camping-style supplies (non-electric can openers, matches, flashlights/lanterns, fishing poles, campfire starters) - Repair supplies (tapes, sewing items, tools, tarps, ropes, eyeglass repair kit, work gloves) - Protective supplies (gloves, eye and ear protective gear, self-defense, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors)

Went to Costco today for some preps, and as I walked around I realized there are some tips I would be remiss in not sharing. In no particular order, here are some considerations for you: - If the power is out do you have a way to cook food such as an outdoor grill or portable propane stove top? A solar oven is another option. Have enough propane, charcoals, matches, tin foil, lighters, etc. - You’ll need a way to cook the food so it doesn’t stick. There is canned butter for long term storage. You can also get ghee for cooking. I picked up ghee at an Indian grocery store, and ordered canned cheese and butter online. - Be sure to include condiments (non refrigerated preferably) and spices in your preps. These are gold when you have to eat repetitive foods. - Make sure you have some comfort foods for a crisis such as candies and chocolates, or whatever sweet things you like. Believe it or not, these will help! - Nuts are an excellent item to add to your preps. Raw honey has no expiration date. Both are loaded with all kinds of good nutrients. - If you have kids/grandkids, get some new toys, activity books, crayons, bubbles, games, books, etc. and store them away. Bring these out for a distraction/as needed. Glow sticks are also an inexpensive item that you can use, and the kids will love. I’ve picked these up at the Dollar Tree for 8-10 sticks per pack for $1. You can also make each kid their own bug-out-bag, or “disaster” backpack. - If you have kids, buy clothing and shoes for a few seasons ahead. Second hand, Good Will, consignment sales are the best places for good deals on gently used items. - Have plenty of paper plates and plastic utensils in case you have limited water. - If you’d prefer Big Brother not knowing about your purchases, pay cash, and do not use any store/customer cards (ie grocery store reward cards). - Keep some cash on hand. In an event of a power outage or the first stages of a crisis, you’ll need a way to purchase supplies. If a crisis lingers, junk silver will be a good way to make exchanges. EDIT TO ADD: Young kids require as many normal activities as you can provide during a crisis. Consider getting birthday and/or Christmas presents now for these or other celebratory events in their lives.

To make sure you store enough food, use a food storage calculator to help guide your purchases. Using one is just a guideline; adjust based on food preferences. Keep in mind that a 10# pound can once opened, will have an expiration date so make sure you can/will eat it once opened, and can refrigerate leftovers if necessary. The LDS church is well known for their prepping skills, and they help the outside community benefit from their expertise. Here is a good calculator to figure out your supplies. Plug in the number of weeks, number of adults and number of children you need supplies for: https://providentliving.com/preparedness/food-storage/foodcalc/

Speaking of needing to buy in bulk… A conversation with family last evening prompted this post about prepping 🙂 When adding to your storage, be sure to have a variety of foods. You don’t want all MREs or all freeze dried foods (or just a few emergency food buckets). These are all fine, of course, but your body, which will be under tremendous stress requires more. MREs and freeze dried foods in particular are hard on your digestive system. While it’s tempting to buy 10 cans of artichoke hearts because they were on sale for 9 cents each, does your family really enjoy artichoke hearts? Stock your pantry mainly with food your family will eat then add in other long term food items. Water, oils and butter are essential for cooking your food stuffs. Be sure to keep plenty on hand, and rotate the butter and oils to avoid products going rancid before using. Your favorite seasonings will be priceless making long-term food more palatable. Another point to consider is stocking up on nutritional supplements. In a crisis when food may need to be rationed or hard to come by, your caloric and high-density nutrient intake will be restricted.

Looks like today is prepping discussion day! Lots of questions and suggestions about it so I will forward some info hopefully you’ll find useful. Again, don’t feel panicky: do what you can, when you can. These are not meant to pressure you, but to help you make the decisions best suited for your situation👇🏻

I’ve been awake for decades. Many of the things I’ve learned in this journey I kept to myself because it’s hard finding others of like mind, at least before things really started heating up with BHO’s election. I’m blessed to be married to a guy who has always been comfortable letting me be me, knowing I need to march to the beat of my own drum. That said, he didn’t fully awaken until last year. So I spent many years feeling the need to prep without his complete understanding of the importance behind doing it. Here are a few tips you may find helpful: - I stressed the need to prep because we lived in geological and weather phenomena prone areas. - I found areas of prepping that would interest him. - I didn’t overspend, didn’t purchase high end supplies. - I found deals on medical/health, water and food needs. - I didn’t constantly push the issue. - I didn’t share the fringe or conspiratorial topics. I stuck to the issues that were relatable, like economics. - I found ways to earn money for supplies so the burden was taken off him (he’s the sole breadwinner). Here are some articles about prepping without a cooperative spouse. Not all the advice may be applicable to your situation so take what you need. Hope this helps! https://www.backdoorsurvival.com/how-to-get-a-reluctant-significant-other-to-prep/ https://morethanjustsurviving.com/prepper-spouse-disapproves/ https://www.prepsos.com/blog/convincing-your-spouse-to-prep/ https://urbansurvivalsite.com/tips-for-preppers-with-non-prepper-spouses/ https://www.survivalsullivan.com/spouse-against-prepping/

What should be on your list? Your household’s needs will dictate the priorities. - Water should be a top priority for obvious reasons: health, sustenance, cooking, cleaning and personal hygiene. - Food: especially food that requires no refrigeration and/or little cooking methods (lots of snacks for kids!) - Paper products: toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates - Toiletries - Medical/medicinal supplies - Kid’s needs - Pet supplies - Cleaning supplies: bleach, distilled vinegar - Camping-style supplies: batteries, flashlights, propane, coals, matches, etc. Also, don’t forget to have some comfort food on hand. Your favorite candy, chocolate, drinks –whatever it is. These will be little luxuries that offer a sense of normalcy and calm, even temporarily. We’ll need the break! If you have children or grandchildren, do what you can to maintain familiarity and routine if things intensify in your life. Lastly, while you continue to push forward with prepping, don’t neglect your spirit. For many of us, we need to stay grounded in God’s words and remember His promises. Take time to be with your family and take time to unplug, be alone and reflect on the good things –the Things That Matter.

For those of you new’ish to prepping, I want to encourage you to not feel overwhelmed 🙂 Those little handwritten notes you make, the ‘to do‘ lists –they’re pretty powerful. Yes, those lists help keep us on track, however I think it can do something beyond that for us. It can be a method to keep us emotionally even. While you continue to work on your preps, utilize the function of your prep list: it is simply a technique to direct your focus on something purposeful. In other words, there’s no need to panic or become rattled you’re not doing enough or have enough. Be determined to do what you can, when you can. Steady determination. Yes, we are to put our trust in God! We prep so when difficulties arise we are better off emotionally to handle them because having prepped, it’s one less thing we have to worry about. We prep so we can take care of our families. We prep so we can help others during times of hardship.

Word of GOD

Good morning, Gorgeous Patriots!

The People

The Star Spangled Banner written by Francis Scott Key

President Trump full interview with Dan Ball (August 30, 2021).

The bible doesn’t say anything about folks who look like they got slapped in the face with a week-old fish. (I looked.) However, I did find something about a happy heart 👇🏻

An important reminder 👉🏻 Jen Psaki is the kind of person who brings a half cooked, tuna casserole filled with Brussel sprouts and lamprey to an outdoor summer potluck.