Today I thought I’d take just a minute to highlight the other fantastic and hardworking ladies who help me maintain this blog.   They are all different from me and offer great perspectives as they have skills and experience in areas I simply do not have.  I appreciate that they share their knowledge and skills here and wanted to make sure you were aware of who they are and what they “specialize” in.  Feel free to ask them questions whenever they post!  Also, when / if you read a great post from them and that post helps you decide to purchase something, please do so through their links, not mine!  I appreciate the time they spend helping me to maintain this site and I want to do all I can to make sure they benefit from it!

And just an FYI, the majority of the posts on this blog are mine, but a few times each month, you will get to hear from someone else!

The Your Own Home Store Blogging Team:

Francesca – Try it with THRIVE

Francesca is a professional chocolatier, and I’ve often been able to benefit from both her skills and her incredible generosity.  She has talent AND a big heart! But her talents don’t stop there. She is simply a fabulous gourmet chef with a talent for turning the most simple ingredients into the most delectable dishes.  You will love her posts and will learn lots about how to start using and trying your THRIVE foods.

Francesca has been part of the Your Own Home Store blogging team since April, 2012.  She shares her talents here at Your Own Home Store on the 3rd Monday of each month and regularly on her site, Thrive Sisters.

Learn More About Francesca

Purchase THRIVE Life products through Francesca

Earn free products with Francesca (Ventura county, CA area)

Read All of Francesca’s Posts

Brigette – Backwoods Living

Brigette does not claim to be a “prepping” expert, but I sure think she is one!  This fantastic lady has skills and knowledge on so many topics and areas that are essential to serious “prepping.”   As you’ve likely noticed, this blog has never been “doomsday” or “fear” focused. Brigette keeps it that way while being able to take a more serious look at the extremes of prepping.  She likes to give serious information in a way that makes people smile and does not encourage anyone to prep out of fear.  She is a woman of incredible faith and dedication to God.  She is also highly qualified. In fact, she is currently filming a series of videos all about Backwoods Living.  One of the topics you will hear a lot from her about is stocking and using essential oils.

Brigette has been part of the Your Own Home Store blogging team since April, 2012.  She shares her talents here at Your Own Home Store on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. 

Learn More About Brigette

Purchase THRIVE Life Products from Brigette

Earn Free Product with Brigette (Madison county, GA area)

Read All of Brigette’s Posts

Andrea – Skill of the Month

Andrea is one of those people you just can’t help but like! She is full of energy, enthusiasm, honesty, and drive.  She loves learning new things and sharing what she learns.  She is an incredibly creative person with a sincere desire to change, improve and grow as well as help others do the same.  Her posts will give you a peek into the things she is learning each month about self reliance.  They are fun b/c they are real!  You get to see her struggle, learn and grow and do so right along with her!

Andrea did a few guest posts for me before officially joining Your Own Home Store blogging team in March, 2013.  She shares her talents here at Your Own Home Store on the 1st Thursday of each month and regularly on her site, Project Simple Home.

Learn More About Andrea

Purchase THRIVE Life Products from Andrea

Earn Free Products with Andrea (Spokane county, WA area)

Read all of Andrea’s Posts

Julie – Outdoor Cooking

Julie loves to camp, hike and be outdoors!  In fact, she decided to start selling THRIVE only after taking it camping and testing it in the great outdoors.  She has lots of experience cooking in the outdoors with lots of different tools.  Plus, she is funny, down to earth and an incredible mother.  Each month, she will share some of her outdoor cooking secrets here with us!

Julie has been part of the Your Own Home Store blogging team since May, 2013.  She shares her talents here at Your Own Home Store on the 3rd Thursday of each month and regularly on her site Lazy Green Mama.

Learn More About Julie

Purchase THRIVE Life Products from Julie

Earn Free Products with Julie (Venango county, PA area)

Read all of Julie’s Posts

You might also enjoy:

1. Introducing the “Your Own Home Store Team”
2. The Best of Your Own Home Store
3. Contact Your Own Home Store

The post Highlight: The Your Own Home Store Blogging Team appeared first on Your Own Home Store.

When you think about this series, on this blog, you probably start to think to yourself, “hey, this isn’t a survival skill!” However, when you have a 10-month old who just discovered mobility and is cutting six(!) teeth at once on a several hour flight, then yes…survival is the name of the game. If you ever find yourself in the same position as I was, here are a few tips and tricks to help you endure (and even enjoy!) your experience.

What to Pack for the Plane:

• Hard Shelled Roller Carry On Bag: I got one of these for my husband for Christmas and I think I’ve used it more than he has! One side totally zips close so I can keep all my non-diaper bag items contained, even when I have to open the luggage. Anything stored in here will be labeled COB.
  
• Diaper Bag: I love my diaper bag, but when I’m traveling I like to carry as few items as possible. I usually store my bag INSIDE the carry on bag until I am on the plane. Then the diaper bag goes under the seat and the carry on bag goes in the overhead compartment. Anything stored in here will be labeled DB.
• Lightweight Stoller or Carrier (COB): If you have an older baby/child, a stroller is the best way to move your child from gate to gate. You can check it at gate (usually for free) and it will be beneficial on your actual trip! You can also use a carrier if you have a lighter baby (or a good deal of stamina) and you can store this in your COB during the flight. As much as I love my MOBY, I wouldn’t recommend wraps for travel because they are hard to put on/take off during the flight and you CANNOT wear your baby during take off and landing. FAA regulations.
• A inexpensive ID lanyard with large pocket: I got one of these during a recent convention and they have been useful ever since! For this application I stored my boarding pass, ID, Kael’s birth certificate, and any other documents I would need to get through security. I still had to pull them out to be scanned (usually) but I didn’t have to search for them in my bags because they were around my neck!
• Feeding supplies (DB): I’ve used formula, pumped milk in a bottle, and breastfed with and without a cover while flying. My son chose to quit breast feeding a few months ago when I underwent some medical issues, so now I bring a bottle and a formula keeper. If you breastfeed, this article has some good information you may want to consider before heading to the airport. While I don’t agree with all of her opinions, there is some really great advice in here. Formula Keeper and Snack Cup
• Snacks (DB): I bring cereal, freeze dried fruit, and freeze dried veggies on the plane with me as snack for myself and my little guy. They don’t make much of a mess, and will keep Kael occupied for quite some time. Plus, they taste better than those little “snacks” that the airlines typically offer.
• Comfort Item (DB): Kael’s blankie is a MUST whenever we are out. Luckily it is multi-functional as a blanket, toy (peek-a-boo anyone?), play pad in the terminal, and possible nursing cover. Sometimes the excitement of travel is just too much for him and I will cover us both with it for some momma-baby time until he relaxes. A stuffed doll is also priceless if it calms an upset child.
• Toy (DB): Don’t bring the whole toy box! Choose one or two small toys that can provide some entertainment if needed. A new toy might keep toddlers occupied for longer, but I’ve had success with just a simple rattle for my little guy. If you feel like you might NEED more, then consider apps on your phone. I like this and this for my guy.
• E-Reader/Book for You (DB): If you are lucky and little one naps, you might find yourself with a few moments to relax and read.
• Extra set of Clothing for You Both (COB): If I have space, I pack two sets for the little one and one for myself. Right before my last flight, my little guy had a blow out that resulted in a total change of clothing for both of us. I typically dress my guy in lighter clothing and keep a sweater in the COB if the plane is chilly, this is much easier than the other way around.
• Cheap Foam Earplugs (DB): about 40 pairs of them. I got a store brand for less than $10. I offer them those around me in case they are needed later, but I have yet to have someone take them. Better to have them and not need them then need them and not have them. This lets my planemates know that I am prepared and trying to do my best to help everyone have a good flight.
• Pacifier (DB): On my last flight, the landing was rough. The pressure kept changing so much that even my own ears hurt. The 7 year old in front of me was crying in pain as we descended. Luckily, Kael was oblivious to the struggle because his paci helped him adjust to the changing pressure. Feeding also helps during take offs and landings.

What you pack is only half the battle. Having a solid plan of action also helps things run smoothly on travel day. Here are a few of the tips and tricks I’ve learned while flying with a baby:

Before You Fly:

• Book your flights during prime sleeping/nap time. My little guy clusters his naps in the morning hours, so I took advantage of this and he slept through most of our fly time. You can also fly red-eye flights, but I prefer napping time because he is used to naps being occasionally interrupted. 
• Get a good night’s sleep before your flight. Eat a good meal. When you are in a better mood you will be less stressed. When you are less stressed, things just tend to work out better.
• Give yourself extra time before your first flight, and between flights. You really don’t want to run from one end of the airport to the other in 10 minutes with a little one in tow.

At the Airport:

• While I was taking off my shoes and emptying my pockets, I had Kael sit in one of the security bins. While it isn’t a long term solution, I think the sheer oddness of the situation kept him entertained for a few minutes. 
• Liquid medication (such as tylenol and benedryl) in a labeled bottle are given a pass through security, even if the bottle is over 3oz. The same goes for pumpled breast milk, liquid formula, and even juice I hear. You still have to declare these, and they are subject to testing, but don’t be afraid to bring them if you need them.
• Ask the attendant at each gate if you can be moved to a place with an open seat next to you. My first few times flying with Kael, I always had a stranger right next to me. I tried this trick on my last trip and had an open seat next to me 3 out of the 4 flights.
• Take advantage of that early boarding. It gives you time to get seated, put your stuff away, and talk to the flight attendant about any special needs like warming a bottle.
• Use the restroom and change your baby before boarding…space counts.

On the Plane:

• Introduce yourself to your seatmates. Talk to them and help your little one get comfortable with someone new. When you are friendly to others, they tend to be friendly to you.
• If the ride isn’t too bouncy, try to let your child stretch his legs. Stand and walk with him. Little kids are used to stretching and playing. If sitting for long periods of time are hard on you, it is that much worse for a child.
• Try your best to relax. This keeps both you and your child calm. Even if the worst happens and your little one screams the entire flight, remember that you aren’t the first mother to endure this and you wont be the last. Smile, sing a silly song, and do the best you can.

These steps have worked wonders for me so far, and I should also mention that we are usually flying without my husband. The experiences haven’t always been perfect, but we usually exit the plane with compliments from other passengers about how well he behaved. Trust me, it’s not the baby that makes the difference; it’s the preparations you take. I hope these tips help you as you get ready for summer vacation. Happy Travels!

I want to hear your thoughts!

What tips and tricks have you used while flying with a baby?

You might also enjoy:

1. Skill of the Month — Making Homemade Tortillas!
2. Skill of the Month: Waterproofing Matches
3. Baby Food Storage: Make baby food in minutes from freeze dried produce

The post Skill of the Month — Flying with a Baby appeared first on Your Own Home Store.

Welcome to week #4 in the “Survival Kit Ideas: A week by week approach” series.

This series is all about making it simple and do-able (and a bit fun!) to get a survival kit (aka 72 hr kit, bug out bag etc) put together for you and your family: something that will help you care for yourself without the aid of others for at least 3 days!

Creating such a kit can be overwhelming and financially difficult to do all at once.  So, through this series, I’ve broken it down for you into 26 small steps!  Just take one small baby step each week and in 6 months you will have a well stocked kit!

You can even go through the series a few times over a year or two adding just the most basic supplies the first 6 months and then a few more  “extra” supplies each time you cycle through it again.

And don’t forget that I give stuff away each week too!  I not only want to make this simple for you, but each week, I’d like to help one of you out financially by providing supplies to help you fulfill the coming week’s goals. To enter the drawing each week simply leave a comment about what you have done or plan to do for your kit that week!

Last Week:

I hope all of you were able to add something to help you purify water to your kit last week.  Water is absolutely essential to life.  You will not survive 3 days without water.

Photo Credit: o5com

Week #4: Food

Goals:

You should have a few goals in mind when adding food to your kit.  Keep in mind that you may be in a variety of situations if forced to use your kit.  You may be on the move.  You may not have much water.  You may not have much fuel.  You may be very busy.  You may be overwhelmed / scared.  However, there is no one answer for all families.  Everyone is different and some of the following things may be more important to you than others.  But as a general rule, you want your food to meet as many of the following requirements as possible:

• Lightweight
• Can be eaten without a water / heat source
• Easy to prepare (if you choose to use water / heat to prepare it)
• Nutritious
• Appetizing / familiar (consider a few comfort foods)
• High in Calories
• Long shelf life (in case you forget to rotate every six months).  You can also vacuum seal much of what you include to make it last longer.

What to Avoid:

A few things I’ve learned from experience not to include (please add your own suggestions / thoughts in the comments):

• Pop-top cans (soups etc): They can pop open rather easily and create quite a mess in your bag.
• Jolly Ranchers: They melt!  Once they’ve melted they are difficult to eat. 
• Mint Gum: If kept with your other food, it makes everything taste like mint (but you could keep it elsewhere if this is a good comfort food for you)
• Nuts:  Because of the high fat content, they go rancid rather quickly.  If you are really good at rotating them every 6 months, they should be fine, but if you know you tend to rotate less often (like me), you may want to avoid them.
• Crackers / Granola Bars: These are great options unless they are in a position where they are easily crushed/ smashed.  Then, they become difficult to eat.  UNLESS, you use reader Tiffany’s tip: put them inside an older Pringles tube (or similar).
• Fruit / Applesauce cups: They just don’t stay sealed very well, which can result in a big mess all over your kit.
• Canned Goods: This is just personal preference, but they are heavy and bulky.  They don’t taste great cold.  If you do choose to include them, you will also need a can opener.  I think freeze dried options are better.  Ideally you would have water to hydrate them, but if not, they are safe to eat dry.  I will include both options in the list below as canned goods are far less expensive and this benefit may be more important to you than weight.

Breakfast Suggestions:

• Dehydrated / Freeze Dried fruit  (I get the pouch sizes as they are VERY lightweight.  Freeze dried = same nutrition as fresh, but my kids think it tastes like candy)
• Raisins / Craisins
• Fruit Leather
• Canned Fruit (include a can opener)
• Squeezeable Fruit Pouches
• Squeezable Applesauce
• Instant Oatmeal Packets (you will need water and a heat source to eat these)
• Instant milk (Milk is a HUGE comfort food for my kids and this tastes just like fresh.  Buy in in a pouch size and make sure you have water)
• Dry cereal (like cheerios) in a vacuum sealed bag
• Fruit drink mixes (These are vitamin fortified and will provide needed electrolytes)
• Hot cocoa (Follow the link for some from Shelf Reliance that is vitamin fortified)
• Shelf stable Almond or Rice milk
• Cans of juice (single serving)
• Crackers with a small jar (non glass) of jelly or honey.  Put crackers inside an old Pringles tube (or similar) with a knife all ready to spread peanut butter!  (-:  Thanks to reader Tiffany for suggesting this!
• Trail Mix (Be careful of the shelf life on the nuts…I suggest vacuum packing this if you do choose it)
• Rice cakes
• Granola
• Granola Bars / Nutri-grain Bars

Lunch Suggestions:

• Thrive Express! (I will actually be switching ALL my lunch / dinners in my kit to these.  They taste fabulous and are nutritious.  But you will need to make sure you have water to eat them)
• Tuna Pouches (the pre packaged ones at the grocery store with crackers and everything)
• Raw nuts (I suggest vacuum sealing them b/c of the short shelf life)
• Jerky
• Laughing Cow cheese wedges (no refrigeration required)
• Dehydrated / Freeze Dried fruit  (I get the pouch sizes as they are VERY lightweight.  Freeze dried = same nutrition as fresh, but my kids think it tastes like candy)
• Canned Fruit (include a can opener)
• Canned Ravioli / Spaghettios etc.
• Canned beans / chili / stew
• Canned chicken / tuna + mayo / relish packets
• Dried soup mixes (will likely need to be cooked to be eaten…most include dehydrated foods which must be cooked).  These can be purchased in a larger size and then re-packed with a vacuum seal into smaller more manageable sizes..
• Raman Noodles / Cup of Noodles
• MREs (taste similar to Chef Boyardee. Usually come with their own heater and require no separate water / heat source.  Relatively long (5 yr) shelf life.  Are prone to exploding)
• Squeeze Fruit Pouches
• Squeezable Applesauce
• Raisins / Craisins
• Fruit Leather / fruit roll-ups
• Fruit drink mixes (These are vitamin fortified and will provide needed electrolytes)
• Crackers with a small jar of peanut butter.  Put crackers inside an old Pringles tube (or similar) with a knife all ready to spread peanut butter!  (-:  Thanks to reader Tiffany for suggesting this!
• Trail Mix (be careful of the shelf life on the nuts…I suggest vacuum packing this if you do choose it)
• Granola Bars / Nutri-grain Bars

What we have done in our family:

And don’t forget….

Add $1 per person to your survival kit this week.  Make sure you use $1 bills and / or quarters.

Last Week’s Winner:

I had 19 entries (only 1 entry per person and only comments between May 8th and May 15th) and according to random.org, comment number 2, or Vanessa, was the winner of the THRIVE Express!

Congrats Vanessa!  I will contact you by email with details about how to claim your prize that should help you with this week’s challenge!

Skip to:

You might also enjoy:

1. Survival Kit Series Week 5: Food Part Two
2. Survival Kit Series Week #25: Rotate
3. Survival Kit Series Week #7: Eating

The post Survival Kit Series week 4: Food Part One appeared first on Your Own Home Store.

Water, Water, Water

Water is absolutely essential to life.  You will not survive more than 3 days without water.  Having enough water for your family should be the very first thing you think about when creating an emergency plan for your family.

I’ve been talking about water on the blog a lot the last week or so, and when I found out that THRIVE Life (formerly Shelf Reliance) was having a great sale on some water products, I thought it would be great to combine the tips and the sales into a post that would hopefully both educate you on how to store, purify and filter water as well as help you afford to do so!

Articles on Water E-Prep:

3 Basics of Water Storage:

Today, I want to talk about the 3 basics of water storage and then give you some additional resources to make this project seem a little  less overwhelming….READ MORE

7 Ways to Make Water Safe to Drink

Chances are if forced to evacuate, you will come across water sources in one form or another…However, since you will be uncertain of the source or cleanliness of these sources, you will need a way to make them safe to drink.   There are many methods of doing this.  READ MORE

Rotating Your Water Storage

It can be quite a chore to empty a 55 gallon drum!  I’ve been looking for ways to make this a bit  less of the dreaded activity that it has been.  Well, while we were in Utah we had a few family water fights… READ MORE

Water Storage Tips

The human body can survive for weeks without food, but it cannot survive very long without water. The recommended amount of water you should have stored in order to survive a 2 week period if your water supply was cut off is 14 gallons per person….READ MORE

My Favorite Way to Make Water Safe to Drink

FEMA recommends storing 1 gallon per person per day for a minimum of 3 days.  This is enough water to drink / sustain life with just a little left over to clean wounds and prepare just a bit of food.   How long would you want to live like that?  What if your water supply was cut off for more than a week or two?  Or what if you have access to water, just not safe water? … READ MORE

Storing Water in Limited Space

Everyone knows that water is essential to survival, but remembering to store and stockpile water can be difficult when you are busy and living in cramped quarters. The following tips have helped me to maximize my water storage without sacrificing the appearance of my apartment….READ MORE

Adding Water to your 72 hour kit / Bug out Bag

Water is essential to your emergency plan and survival kit.  But there is one problem: water is heavy! At a minimum, it is recommended that you have at least 1 gallon of water per person per day.  That would equate to 3 gallons of water per person, or 23 regular size (16.9 oz) water bottles in a 72 hour kit.  3 gallons of water weighs 25 pounds! … READ MORE

Please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email if you have any questions about water storage!  I’m happy to help!

Save On Water Supplies:

All of the specials listed below are technically “unadvertised” meaning that THRIVE Life (formerly Shelf Reliance) will not sell them on their website.

If you want to purchase them, you must have an independent consultant order them for you.

Well, I am an independent THIRVE Life consultant!  (lucky you!)  So if you’d like me to order any of the following for you, please use

this form.

If you have questions about any of the specials, just email me!

Thanks!

Misty

Oh, and ps…these are only available through June 3rd or while supplies last!

28 oz Seychelle Bottle 4-Pack: $70.99

Each bottle produces up to 100 gallons of great-tasting water.  They remove up to 99.99% of bacteria, virus, contaminants and pollutants found in drinking water.  Retail price is $31.99 per bottle.  Savings: 45%!

• Learn More About This Bottle Here.
• Order 4-Pack Here

55 Gallon Water Kit: $107.80

Package includes a 55 gallon food grade barrel, a Seychelle advanced filter pump (adjustable from 14-37 inches), 2 extra advanced filters, and bung wrench. Retail price is $160.95. Savings: 33%!

• Learn More About the pump here.
• Learn More About the replacement filter here
• Learn More About the Wrench here
• Learn More About the Barrel here
• Order Package Here

H20 Reserve 20 pkg: $136.99

These are stackable and great for small spaces!  Each heavy-duty Mylar bag holds five gallons of water and comes with a built-in easy pouring spout.  Package also includes 2 standard 100 gallon carbon filters and a pump that filters fit inside of.  Retail price is $214.77. Savings: 36%!

• Learn More About Boxes here.
• Order Package Here

You might also enjoy:

1. Rotating Your Water Storage.
2. Water Storage Tips
3. The Three Basics of Water Storage

The post Water: Education and Savings! appeared first on Your Own Home Store.

This is Brigette coming to you with some thoughts about doing your business in a grid down situation. This article is intended to help you start thinking now about how to address your families sanitation needs when there is no power or running water.

Every family will need to make preparations for their needs based upon their own unique situation. A family in a high-rise apartment building is going to prepare differently from a family in a secluded area but the health issues are the same.

If you are in a situation where there is no running water or working sewage system then handling human waste correctly is the vital first step to stopping the spread of disease. Many illnesses can be spread through feces not to mention insects that are attracted to improperly contained human waste.

Proper Handling

The Average person will urinate 2-3 pints everyday and elimiante close to 1lb of excrement. Multiply that by the number of people in your home or building and you can see how improper handling could fast become a health issue.

Some basic steps to take are:

1. Always wear disposable gloves when handling human waste.
2. Wash hands frequently.
3. Clean underneath your nails.
4. Use hand sanitizers.
5. Dispose of properly.

Septic System

If you are on a septic system then you might not experience any difficulty with using your toilet. If your septic field (the underground area where your sewage drains into the ground) is level with or slighlty lower than the land your house is on then you should be able to continue to use your toilets.

If your septic system is not an issue and you have plenty of water, then you fill the tank portion of your toilet and simpy flush. You could also pour a bucket of water (2 to 3 gallons) directly into the bowl, this will force the water and waste out through the trap of the toilet.

If your septic system is even slightly uphill from the land your home is on then the previous method would probably not work. If the septic field is higher than the holding tank (the holding tank is usually located several feet from your house and about 2 feet down.) Then you would normally have an electric pump topump the waste up to a second tank and then out to the field. Once your first holding tank is filled then it would start to back up into your house.

Community Sewage Lines

If you are on a city sewage system you might be able to flush your toilets using the water methods above, but you will need to find out if the main sewer lines are down. If they are then do not flush your toilets or your neighbors waste could back up into your pipes.

Making Do

What do you do when using your toilet is now longer an option? Improvise! Once I was on a camping trip with 100 of my closest friends when the campground’s septic system became over loaded, the result was we were asked to not flush unless we had to. Our motto became, ‘if it’s yellow let it mellow but if it’s brown flush it down.’ If it is possible to urinate outside then do so. The general sanitation rules are to not urinate within a minimum of 200 feet from water sources (wells and their lines included), campsites, or walking paths. Also try not to urinate in an area that collects water or is a rainwater runoff as this could further pollute waterways.

Bag Over Toilet: This option is a good temporary solution if you are dealing with a very short term power outage. First remove as much water from the toilet bowl as possible then place two heavy-duty contractor’s grade trash bags into the bowl, draping about 6″ around the outside of the bowl, then lower the seat. You will need to have lime, kitty litter, or sawdust nest to the toilet so you can liberally sprinkle onto waste. When the bag fills to about 2/3 the amount the bowl will hold remove it and sprinkle more lime into bag or spray with disinfectant. Tie the bag and place in a sealable container to be disposed of later.

Bucket Toilet: The bucket methods uses the same means as the above but instead of placing the bag into your toilet you are placing it into a 5 gallon bucket or a disposable box. This gives you the added bonus of carrying the bag in the bucket to be disposed of and reducing the risk of waste leaking out into your home. This method also allows you the option of placing your toilet outside or in a garage or basement.

Camp Toilet: Flush-able camping toilets are wonderful because, well, they flush! They are under $100, have reserve tanks of water that hold up to 5 gallons are sanitary and familiar. The draw back is even though they are a chemical toilet when the tank is full the waste still has to be dealt with.

Composting Toilet: These are a great option but are rather pricey with the average being around $1500. Composting toilets are green toilets as they compost human waste into a fertilizer that can then be safely disposed of outside. They come in different sizes, water or waterless, battery operated or wind turbine operated in addition to electric. Composting toilets are used on boats and many secluded cabins were tradition toilets aren’t an option.

Out House: If you live in the country why not just go ahead and construct an outhouse? If you have an outhouse on your property then you are ready no matter what happens and you have a spare bathroom in the mean time. An outhouse is a small building measuring on average 4’x4’ and about 7’ tall. It has a bench seat across the back with a hole cut out and positioned over a hole about 4’ to 5’ deep and about 18”wide in the ground underneath the outhouse. (A purchased toilet seat isn’t required but recommended as it helps prevent splinters.) A pipe can be run outside from the top of the hole in the ground and up the back to the roofline. This will help keep odors down. A big bonus to an outhouse is flowers grow beautifully around it.

Latrine ditch: Not a favorite option but does work able in a pinch. Dig a hole as you would for the outhouse above but keep the width closer to 12”. A few boards across the hole and your done. Not comfortable but in a pinch OK.

Kitty Kat Holes: This option is quick and simple. Dig a small hole, 6-8 inches, do your business, then filling it in. This is not a comfortable option but does have the benefit of being able to disguise the hole so no one knows you were there.

A word of caution: Going to the bathroom or disposing of human waste outside is frowned upon in most areas and illegal in many others. Check with your counties health department to find out what the restrictions are in your area.

As always, thanks for reading. Till next time, enjoy your thriving life!

You might also enjoy:

1. 4 person Sanitation Kit

The post Sanitation When the Grid Is Down appeared first on Your Own Home Store.

Welcome!

Welcome to week #2 in the “Survival Kit Ideas: A week by week approach” series.

This series is all about making it simple and do-able (and a bit fun!) to get a survival kit (aka 72 hr kit, bug out bag etc) put together for you and your family: something that will help you care for yourself without the aid of others for at least 3 days!

Creating such a kit can be overwhelming and financially difficult to do all at once.  So, through this series, I’ve broken it down for you into 26 small steps!  Just take one small baby step each week and in 6 months you will have a well stocked kit!

You can even go through the series a few times over a year or two adding just the most basic supplies the first 6 months and then a few more  “extra” supplies each time you cycle through it again.

And don’t forget that I give stuff away each week too!  I not only want to make this simple for you, but each week, I’d like to help one of you out financially by providing supplies to help you fulfill the coming week’s goals. To enter the drawing each week simply leave a comment about what you have done or plan to do for your kit that week!

I hope all of you were able to gather some water to add to your survival / 72 hr kit last week.  Water is absolutely essential to life.  You could survive (though not comfortably) without food for 3 days, but you will not survive without water.

Week #3: More Water

As you gathered water to actually put IN your kit, you probably realized (if you didn’t already), that it is heavy!  If you were forced to evacuate your home and could take your car, then it is very realistic to take 3+ gallons per person in your family.  You should have at least this much water ready to throw into your car at a moments notice.

But what if you were forced to evacuate on foot?  It simply is not realistic to carry that much water for any real distance.  Maybe this guy (one of my cute twins at 4 yrs old) could:

but not me!  This is especially so if you have a large family.  I would need to carry at least 18 gallons for my family!  Yet, water is still essential to life.  So, what to do?

Chances are if forced to evacuate, you will come across water sources in one form or another: a lake, pond, backyard pool,  stream, river, rainwater, etc.  If you come across other evacuated homes, you may be able to use hidden water sources there: ice cubes, hot water tanks, pipes, toilet reserve tanks, etc.
*Note: You will need a distiller (in addition to a purifier) to make ocean water drinkable.

However, since you will be uncertain of the source or cleanliness of these sources, you will need a way to make them safe to drink.   There are many methods of doing this.  There are pros and cons to each method and no one method will work well for everyone in their current situation.

Once again, I’ve got a bunch of suggestions for you.  Choose what works best for your family right now!

Suggestion#1: Bleach

Pros:

• Inexpensive & easy method.
• Available at almost any store.
• Kills most microorganisms.
• Can treat a large amount of water all at once.
• Time-effective

Cons:

• Does not remove contaminants such as heavy metals, salts, and most other chemicals.
• Will not remove mud or dirt or make muddy water clear again.
• Will not fix the taste of contaminated water.
• Even clear water treated with bleach will taste funny.

If you choose this method:  If you choose this method, you will need to keep bleach in your 72 hour kit (find a small container at a dollar store or in the travel section).  Make sure to rotate it every few months!  You may also want to consider adding a drink mix to make treated water more palatable.  Print out the following instructions from FEMA and keep them with the bleach:

Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 to 6.0 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, colorsafe bleaches, or bleaches with added cleaners. Because the potency of bleach diminishes with time, use bleach from a newly opened or unopened bottle.  Add 16 drops (1/8 teaspoon) of bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. The water should have a slight bleach odor. If it doesn’t, then repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes. If it still does not smell of bleach, discard it and find another source of water.

Suggestion #2: Boiling and Distillation:

Pros:

• Very effective at treating microorganisms in water, and used in conjunction with distillation, it will also remove heavy metals, salts and chemicals.
• It will make your water clear to drink and make it taste relatively normal.
• It is also relatively inexpensive if you already have a pot and heat source.

Cons:

• You will need a LARGE pot, lid, and small stove in your 72 hour kit.  These items will take up some space.
• You will need to use fuel, which will be precious in an emergency, just to get drinkable water.  You may prefer to save your fuel for other things.
• You can only distill so much water at a time.
• This method is not time-effective.

If you choose this method: Add a large pot with a handled lid (see illustration below), a small cup, string, and a small stove (with fuel) to your 72 hr kit. Print these instructions from FEMA and keep them with your pot:

Distillation involves boiling water and then collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed vapor will not include salt or most other impurities. To distill, fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot’s lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water), and boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.  (see illustration)

Suggestion #3: Water Purification Tablets / Treatment solutions

Pros:

• Inexpensive: a bit more expensive than bleach, though not by much.
• If you live in Utah, you may be able to get them at the grocery store!
• Take up very little space.
• Usually taste better than bleach
• Will kill most microorganisms.
• Can treat a large amount of water all at once.
• Time-effective.

Cons:

• Will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts, and most other chemicals.
• Will not remove mud or dirt or make muddy water clear again.
• Will not fix the taste of contaminated water.

If you choose this method:  Make sure that the option you purchase includes directions and be sure to include them in your kit.  If you can’t get some at your grocery store, here are a few options: Aquamira water treatment , Purification tablets.  You may also want to consider adding a drink mix to make treated water more palatable.

Suggestion #4: Water Filtration Bottle

Pros:

• Relatively inexpensive (when compared to other water filters).
• Convenient.
• Filter water just as you need it.
• Treats microorganisms and filters heavy metals and chemicals as well as sand, mud, silt, etc.
• Can have one for each family member.
• Filtered water is easily portable.
• Filtered water will be clear and taste normal.

Cons:

• Will need to replace filter periodically (usually after filtering about 30 gallons).
• Sometimes difficult to push water through the filter: you can’t suck it out. You will need to push it through the filter into a glass or cup.
• Filter has a shelf life.  Even if you only use it once, you will need to replace it after 6 months.
  

If you choose this method:  You can get two different bottles through Shelf Reliance: One for $19.99 and one for $29.99.  You can also get a Seychelle bottle for $31.67.  If you want to get a group of friend together and purchase them in a 12 pk, you can get them for $14.60 each.  Contact me directly for that deal.

Suggestion #5: SteriPen

Pros:

• Very quick!  Water is ready in just seconds.
• Convenient. Small & Light.  Fits almost anywhere
• Fits into almost any water bottle or cup.
• Very effective against all microorganisms.
• Can have one for each family member.

Cons:

• Relatively expensive: especially if you buy one for everyone in your family.
• Does not filter heavy metals, salts, and most other chemicals or sand, mud etc.
• Will not fix the taste of contaminated water.

If you choose this method:  Purchase one (or more) of the SteriPens: The SteriPen Emergency or the SteriPen Journey and add it to your kit.

Suggestion #6: Water Filters

Pros:

• Effective against microorganisms and heavy metals, salts, and most other chemicals as well as sand, mud etc .
• Typically lightweight.
• Can usually pump and filter at the same time.
• Most can filter and incredible amount of water: some up to 13,000 gallons.
• Some can be attached to your faucet and used if you were to shelter in place and still had running water, but were unsure of its safety.

Cons:

• Expensive (the filters that Shelf Reliance carries currently range from $60-$360).
• You will have to replace the filter after you filter so many gallons.
• Filter has a shelf life.  Even if you only use it once, you will need to replace it after 6 months

If you choose this method:  Purchase one (or more) water filters and add it to your kit (here are those available through me at Shelf Reliance)

Suggestion #7: The Aquapail

Pros:

• It has an indefinite shelf life!  Wow!
• It is the fastest portable water filtration system on the market
• It is completely gravity fed
• It is 100% USA made
• It kills up to 100% of All Viruses & Bacteria (complete non-detection on all tests!)
• It is 100% environmentally-friendly, Totally recyclable green product

Cons:

• Even the smallest (gives you 400 gallons per person) is just a bit bulky for a 72 hr kit, but personally, I think it may be worth making it fit!
• Expensive ($82-$504 through Shelf Reliance right now)

If you choose this method:  You can purchase an Aquapail through me here. I suggest purchasing the smallest for your 72 hr kit and an 2nd larger one for your home.

What we have done in our family:

When we first started our 72 hr kits, we used purification tablets.  I still keep some in our kits.  Then we added a filtration bottle for each family member.  We have two in each of the large kits and one in each of the boy’s kits.  This will allow us to filter 180 gallons of water w/o changing any filters.  I like that my boy’s kits have their own: if they were separate from us for any reason, those helping them would be able to filter water for them.  Once I started doing well with Shelf Reliance, we used some of our free product benefits to add a water filter (that can also be attached to our faucet if needed) and the smallest Aqua pail (the 400) to our kits.

And once again, I know this series is about building a kit you can take with you, but we also have an Aqua pail 1000 & 5000 outside of our kit.

How about you? / Enter Drawing

Leave me a comment and tell me how you’ve decided to add the ability to purify / filter water to your kit.  Remember, everyone who participates by leaving a comment between today, May8th and 9:00 am PST on Wednesday May 15th will get one entry into this week’s free product drawing!   This week’s winner will win a 12 pack of the new THRIVE Express meals which will help them fulfill next week’s challenge:

And don’t forget….

Add $1 per person to your survival kit this week.  Make sure you use $1 bills and / or quarters

Last Week’s Winner:

I had 28 entries (only 1 entry per person and only comments between May 1st and May 8th count) and according to random.org, comment number 26 or “Tiffany W” was the winner of the water filter!

Congrats Tiffany!  I will contact you by email with details about how to claim your prize that should help you with this week’s challenge!

Skip to:

You might also enjoy:

1. Survival Kit Series Week Two: Water
2. Survival Kit Series Week #25: Rotate
3. Survival Kit Series Week One: Packaging Your Kit

The post Survival Kit Series Week 3: More Water appeared first on Your Own Home Store.

Water storage is essential because water is essential to life.  I post about water storage a lot. (click on that link back there to learn more!) I had a few thoughts after reading the comments you all left:

1. I am giddy that so many of you are doing something (even if it is something small) to beef up / improve your water storage!  Kudos to you!
2. Make sure you don’t store your water in these types of plastic bottles.  They will disintegrate very quickly leaving you with water that is not safe to drink and likely leaking.
3. Make sure you rotate your water frequently if you are using water bottles.  They will also disintegrate over time (though not nearly as fast as the other jugs)
4. There are lots of ways to get creative in finding space to store water.  It doesn’t have to be in huge 55 gallon barrels!  Read through the comments on the giveaway post to see some great ideas!

Alright, I’m thrilled to give this package away to some of my fabulous readers!  Thanks for all your entries!

Choosing The Winner

Almost all comments followed the rules.  I removed a few that did not, and I posted comments for those who weren’t able to.  Again, although I love these giveaways each month, they are also hard as I want to give prizes to each of you!  Unfortunately, that is not possible.  So, I let random.org choose the winner to keep things fair.  There were 115 entries and random.org chose #22 as the winner:

Congrats to Winona!    I will contact you with details about how to claim your water barrel package!

And thanks to each of you for your support of my little website here.  I sincerely appreciate it, and I look forward to the first Saturday of June for another fun new giveaway!

You might also enjoy:

1. Monthly Giveaway: 55 Gallon Water Barrels Pkg!
2. We have an Aquapail Winner!
3. Wheat Grinder Winner Announcement

The post We have a Water Barrels Winner! appeared first on Your Own Home Store.

You might also enjoy:

1. Monthly Giveaway: An AquaPail 1000!
2. Monthly Giveaway: TWO Grainmill Hand Grinders!
3. Giveaway! Win An Electric Wheat Grinder!

The post Monthly Giveaway: 55 Gallon Water Barrels Pkg! appeared first on Your Own Home Store.

Welcome to week #2 in the “Survival Kit Ideas: A week by week approach” series.

This series is all about making it simple and do-able (and a bit fun!) to get a survival kit (aka 72 hr kit, bug out bag etc) put together for you and your family: something that will help you care for yourself without the aid of others for at least 3 days!

Creating such a kit can be overwhelming and financially difficult to do all at once.  So, through this series, I’ve broken it down for you into 26 small steps!  Just take one small baby step each week and in 6 months you will have a well stocked kit!

You can even go through the series a few times over a year or two adding just the most basic supplies the first 6 months and then a few more  “extra” supplies each time you cycle through it again.

And don’t forget that I give stuff away each week too!  I not only want to make this simple for you, but each week, I’d like to help one of you out financially by providing supplies to help you fulfill the coming week’s goals. To enter the drawing each week simply leave a comment about what you have done or plan to do for your kit that week!

I hope all of you decided how to package your kit last week!

Week #2: Water

Water is essential life.  You cannot survive without it.  Therefore, water is essential to your emergency plan and survival kit.  But there is one problem: water is heavy!  At a minimum, it is recommended that you have at least 1 gallon of water per person per day.  That would equate to 3 gallons of water per person, or 23 regular size (16.9 oz) water bottles in a 72 hour kit.  3 gallons of water weighs 25 pounds!

It is unrealistic for you to actually be able to carry all that water, especially if you are packing for more than one person!  So, you will want (1) actual water products you can carry with you (which we will be discussing this week), and (2) products you can get to help you filter / use water you may find during / after and emergency (which we will be discussing next week).

Again, I will give a few suggestions / ideas below, but no one idea is right for each and every family.  Decide what works best for your family and move forward.  Leave a comment and let us know what you decided to do.

Credit: stevendepolo

Suggestion #1: Water Bottles

Just regular old bottled water that you can get at the store.

• These are easy to access and familiar.  They have a short shelf life.
• Can be tough to pack b/c they are rather awkward.
• Typically 16.9 oz.
• Inexpensive option.
  

  

• Easy to rotate since you can drink them anywhere / everywhere.
  

Suggestion #2: Water Boxes:

• They look like juice boxes, so my kids think they are great.
• Pasteurized and sterilized.
• 5 year shelf life.
• Fit great in smallish spaces in a pack.
• 8.45 oz.
• Expensive option (per oz) at $0.070 / oz

Suggestion #3: Water Pouch

• Unfamiliar.
• Tastes a bit funny (in my opinion).
• Easy to store almost anywhere in a 72 hr kit.
• 5 year shelf life.
• Relatively expensive option (per oz) at $0.055 / oz

What we have done in our family:

I like the ease of rotating & purchasing the water bottles, so that is what we use the most of.  We have one 16.9 oz bottle per person per day in our large adult kits (so 9 bottles per kit).  We also have 3 water boxes in each of our 4 yr old boy’s kits.
In addition, we have an entire suitcase on wheels full of water bottles.  If we have the time / capability, we will pull this along behind us if forced to evacuate on foot, or throw it in our van if lucky enough to drive.

We also store 6-8 cases of water and 50-60 juice bottles full of water.  If we were to evacuate in our van, we would take as much of that as possible.

And I know this is about a kit /water you can take with you, but in addition to that we have four 55 gallon water barrels in case we need to shelter in place.  We plan to add many more.

And don’t forget….

Add at least $1 per person to your survival kit this week. Make sure you use $1 bills and / or quarters for the first $100 or so and then start adding $5 and $10 bills.

How about you? / Enter Drawing

Leave me a comment and tell me how you’ve decided to add water to your kit.  Remember, everyone who participates by leaving a comment between today, May 1st and 9:00 am PST on Wednesday May 8th will get one entry into this week’s free product drawing!   This week’s winner will win a Katadyn Hiker Microfilter which will help them fulfill next week’s challenge:

Last Week’s Winner:

I had 33 entries (only 1 entry per person) and according to random.org, comment number 21 or Michelle was the winner of the water boxes and carriers!    Congrats Michelle!  I will contact you by email with details about how to claim your prize that should help you with this week’s challenge!

Skip to:

You might also enjoy:

1. Survival Kit Series Week #25: Rotate
2. Survival Kit Series Week One: Packaging Your Kit
3. Survival Kit Series Week #7: Eating

The post Survival Kit Series Week Two: Water appeared first on Your Own Home Store.

Like most, I never paid much attention to the scents in the products I was using. After all a scent is a scent and they were there to make the product smell nice but had no other value. Was I ever wrong! When I began to understand the complex structure of essential oils and their therapeutic value I became an essential oils snob.

My journey with essential oils actually began with soap. A chance meeting with a soap maker opened my eyes to the difference between real soap and ‘beauty’ or ‘deodorant’ soap (a subject for another time). As I grew to understand the impact topical applications have on your body I was lead to start making my own healthy bars of soap with pure, natural ingredients. While research ingredients for soap I discovered the benefits of essential oils as opposed to the fragrance oils commonly used today.

Essential oils have been used throughout history in ointments, incense, perfume, and for anointing the sick. The use of essential oils for medicinal purposes is recorded in Dioscorides’ first century writings entitled De Materia Medica.  In 1937 Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a chemist, published Aromatherapie: Les Huiles Essentielles a book praising the benefits of essential oils. Gattefosse relates the story of burning his hand and using lavender essential oil to treat it. During World War II French surgeon Jean Valnet used essential oils as an antiseptic for wounds.

Today essential oils are used in a variety of ways,  aromatherapy, massage therapy, personal care, and household cleaning solutions to name a few.

What are Essential Oils

Essential Oils are not true oils but are the aromatic, volatile liquids distilled from plants. The oil is most commonly extracted from the seeds, flowers, stems, roots, leaves, fruit, bark, or branches of a plant through steam distillation. Distillation draws out the aromatic essence of the botanical leaving you with a highly concentrated and complex liquid that is used for its therapeutic properties.

Pure therapeutic grade essential oils are expensive and while there are cheap alternatives out there please remember what our mothers taught us, “You get what you pay for”. To make a high quality essential oil takes thousands of pounds of plant material to make one pound of essential oil. If you are only concerned with the scent then low cost oils might satisfy your needs but remember you are only getting the scent not the benefits.

Essential oils are infused into the air or mixed with a carrier oil and applied to the skin. Some websites recommend apply the essential oil directly to the skin, this is called ‘neat’. However, I do not recommend it, I always advice the use of a carrier oil when essential oil is to be used on the skin.

A carrier oil such as olive, jojoba, or any of the many wonderful oils out there will:

1. Help to dilute the extremely concentrated essential oil.
2. Act as a lubricant to help the essential oil glide onto the skin.
3. Help prevent the evaporation of the essential oil.
4. Aid in the absorption of the essential oil into the skin and tissues.

Fragrance Oils or Essential Oils.

Although many people do not distinguish between essential oils and fragrance oils they are not the same. Think natural versus synthetic. As we have already discussed essential oils are extracted plant compounds. They maintain their aroma but most importantly have therapeutic benefits.

Fragrance oils are lab created synthetic scents. They are a combination of synthetic and natural chemicals blended together to mimic the scents in nature. Although scientist can duplicate the scent of essential oils they have failed to duplicate the benefits. Fragrance oils are sold under a variety of names such as fragrance, fragrance oil, parfum, and scent. They are used extensively in the cosmetic and beauty industry, as well as others, due to their much lower cost.

The Four Grades of Essential Oils

At this time there is not a formal standard grading system for essential oils. There is, however, a general grading system of four separate grades of essential oil:

• Therapeutic grade oils are usually extracted from organically grown plants by steam distilled methods. It is believed this helps to maintain the beneficial properties of the oil.
• Food grade oils may contain fertilizers or pesticides. The may also be extracted from the plant through chemical or heat extraction.
• Perfume oils, like food grade oils, may contain chemicals and pesticides. It is generally believed that perfume oils contain no therapeutic benefits. These oils are traditionally used in commercial cleaners, candles, and fragrances.
• Floral waters or hydrosols are a byproduct of theraputic grade essential oils. They are often used in beauty products.

Taking Care of Your Essential Oils.

Your essential oils should be stored in dark, glass bottles away from heat and light. Make sure the lid is tightly closed to avoid evaporation. Since essential oils are not true oils, such as olive oil, you do not need to worry about them going rancid. Most essential oils can be stored indefinitely with the exception of citrus-based oils, which should be used within one year of opening.

Summary

Essential oils are a valuable asset to your emergency preparedness supplies as well as your day-to-day living. When purchasing your oils you will want to consider the grade of oil to ensure you are receiving a pure product. Although therapeutic grade oils are more expensive you will use less due to their higher concentration of essential nutrients. Less is more! With proper storage you essential oils should stay fresh, eliminating waste.

If you would like to purchase therapeutic grade essential oils from me please visit me here.

If you would like to purchase some of my exquisite cold-process soaps please email me at brigettedennis@ymail.com

I would love to hear your testimony of how essential oils have helped you. You can post your comments below or email at brigettedennis@ymail.com.

No related posts.

The post Therapeutic Essential Oils appeared first on Your Own Home Store.