September is National Preparedness Month - Are you prepared?

Many times we don't ever stop to think of what supplies we need for various situations in life until those situations actually arise. Just imagine if one of those situations was an emergency and you didn't have the opportunity to go get those supplies. That's what usually happens in an emergency situation so it's best to have those supplies on hand for that "just in case" event. I will admit we've discussed numerous times that we should have a kit put together and ready just in case we were ever stranded at home in the winter, or tornado came through and wiped out our power for days. But like many we never made that extra time in our schedules to make a list, and then actually go get the supplies. Earlier this summer a town a mere 10 minutes from our house was victim to a tornado and many were left with holes in their homes and without power for a week or more. Yeah, pretty scary stuff. And boy did it get me thinking. I have two kids to provide for and if it was us that lost power what would I do to make sure we could provide for them? Thankfully there are places online that has already done that thinking and research for me like Live Prepared. From their website you can order a preparedness kit not just for your home, but even your car. And the even have loads of other supplies and food items you can order individually if the kits don't have everything you want. They are all packaged in Sterilite Shelf Tote that stack on each other really nice so all you have to do is place it up on a shelf in case you ever need it. They even have a bunch of great videos, helpful resource articles, and even an emergency check list to get yourself in the preparedness mode. I have to say having an emergency preparedness kit in my home has actually lifted the weight off my shoulders a bit when bad weather hits now. I know that I have all the basic necessities I need and together in one place that's easy to get to. Don't be left asking yourself "what do I do now?" after an emergency occurs, take the time to get prepared now. It's an investment you won't regret.

About:
Proper planning and preparation is essential for a parent’s day-to-day survival, but in the case of an emergency, it can make all the difference in a family’s world. Seventy-five percent of parents agree that emergency readiness became a higher priority when they had children, yet 50% of parents don’t even know where to start.

The trick is finding the time to download the list of recommended products, running around to purchase everything, properly storing your kit items, and tidying them away in an organized fashion.

Live Prepared emergency readiness kits make it easy for parents to check preparedness off their to-do list by including everything they need to be secure, nourished and have peace of mind in an emergency. Having a kit on hand means parents can provide a prepared and peaceful home for their family, which in turn helps them worry less and enjoy their families more!

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Disclosure: I received the products featured in this post for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions state are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

Got Kids at Home? Here's Why You Need a Landline #ooma

Picture this:  It's the end of July—smack in the middle of summer.  Your kids are at home with a caretaker while you toil away at your 9 to 5.  Then, disaster strikes.  There's an emergency at home, and your kids have to call 911 for help.

Are your children calling from a cell phone or a landline?  And does it make any difference?  Surprisingly, the answer is yes.  According to the latest data, if you don't have a landline in your home, it could be putting your children in grave danger.

Here's a shocking fact:  According to an investigation by the USA Today [http://usat.ly/28L5wzD], the chances of 911 dispatchers being able to find you based on your cell phone's GPS can be as low as 10% in some parts of the country.  With a significant share of cell phone-to-911 calls being placed from within residences—and 45% of Americans opting out of landline coverage at home—countless people are left vulnerable in emergencies.  The question then becomes not why you should have a landline in the home, but why haven't you gotten one yet?

In the spirit of keeping you and your family safe, I recently partnered with Ooma leading Internet home phone service with reliable E911 technology—to deliver three tips for keeping your home safe this summer in addition to owning a landline.

TIP #1:  KEEP A FIRST AID KIT AT THE READY

Whether it's for a small scrape or something far worse, it's always a good idea to have a first aid kit handy.  People who call 911 from their cell phone are often surprised at how long emergency workers take to arrive on scene.  According to the recent Ooma.com 911 Emergency Response Study, more than one in five cell phone callers feel it takes too long—that's seven times higher than for people who call from a landline.  If you're often in situations when only a cell phone is available, consider keeping a first aid kit nearby.

TIP #2:  WRITE AN EMERGENCY CONTACT LIST

Make sure that no matter where you are, it's easy for the people around you to call your emergency contacts. Consider posting your own number, as well as first response numbers, on your fridge so your kids know how to reach you and your family, family members who live close by, or the authorities.  Post the name and number of a trusted friend or neighbor, too.  With Ooma's home phone system, up to three of these contacts can be notified by text message automatically when a 911 call is placed.  In situations when every second counts, this reliable Internet-based technology could save tens of thousands of lives.

TIP #3: RECOGNIZE THE FIRST SIGNS OF DANGER

Educate your kids about the sights, smells, and sounds of danger.  If they hear a smoke alarm or see an appliance overheating, advise your children to get outside as quickly as possible.  Planning an exit strategy is key to getting a safe distance away from the house so you can alert a neighbor and have them call the fire department.  Consider making a detailed fire plan with multiple escape routes and keeping a printed copy of your fire plan on visible walls around your house.

For many people, money is understandably a legitimate concern—but when it comes down to it, we really can't put a price on ensuring that the people we love are safe.  Luckily, first aid kits are both lightweight and budget-friendly, while the price of a secure Ooma landline pays for itself in just three months and costs less than a Netflix subscription on a monthly basis.

Got any 911 emergency stories of your own?  I wouldn't be surprised.  In the past five years alone, over a quarter of Americans have called 911 with a cell phone, and in that group, there were many dissatisfied callers.  If you've got a story you'd feel comfortable sharing, I'd love to hear about them!  Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below.

Always be prepared with The Storage Room

When I hear "freeze dried" my mind immediately goes to the space ice cream I remember enjoying as a kid when we visited the space museum in school. Then it wonders onto freeze dried fruits because I love them for on the go snacking. I've actually had experience with many different freeze dried foods from fruits, to veggies, to soup mixes. They all are actually quite convenient to have on hand. If you've not tried any of them before let me tell you it's definitely worth checking out. Freeze dried fruits are great for keeping in your car for on the go snacks when you forget to grab something on the way out the door. You don't have to worry about refrigeration, and they are super yummy. Freeze dried soup mixes make dinner time a breeze, just add hot water and let the soup do it's thing! Freeze dried foods can also be used for emergency situations like being without power for an extended period of time, or being stranded in your car.

It seems like until you've actually experienced a situation where you had to do without something you don't really think about "being prepared". I know I never would have even thought about having emergency food and water in my car before learning about it through The Storage Room. It's actually a really great idea, especially if you have children. I know we definitely could have used something like this when we got stuck in a traffic jam coming home from vacation during a winter storm. We spent hours in our van with no where to go and we were definitely not prepared. The Emergency Food & Water For Your Car Kit would have definitely been a blessing to have for my kids to help with with their panic attack about being in the car so long they would starve to death. We weren't there that long, but when kids are young they tend to panic much sooner than us as adults would. Since we weren't prepared we didn't have extra snacks or beverages in the car and having this kit would have provided us with both.

Why Buy Freeze Dried Food?
One of the great benefits of freeze-dried food is that it's easy to use. All you have to do is add hot water. Imagine mixing water with a pouch of food and having ready-to-eat Western Chili a few minutes later. It's that simple. For some foods, like fruits and vegetables, they can be eaten dry for a pleasant crunch. The fruit is also great in trail mix.

Freeze-dried food tastes wonderful, and it's because the processing is very gentle on the food. Some preservation processes significantly alter the food, but that's not the case with freeze-drying. Vitamins, enzymes, and phytochemicals are well preserved. Even the color and shape of the food are intact because the food's cell structure is unharmed during processing.

Through the years, the process of freeze-drying has been refined and perfected, leading to an increased shelf life. Freeze-dried food, if stored properly, can stay fresh for up to 25 years. That's great news for anyone who does not want to rotate through food storage each month. You can just buy some delicious food now and stop worrying about it for a quarter of a century. Unless you're a doctor, that's more years than you spent in school. In fact, if you buy a freeze-dried food supply and have a newborn child this year, you could have a grandchild by the time you need to think about buying more food storage. Yeah, it lasts that long. Freeze-dried food is a convenient way to prepare for an emergency, and there are many reasons why it has gained such popularity and widespread use throughout the years.

Giveaway CLOSED - The winner has been notified via email and confirmed.

Win it:  One lucky reader will win an Emergency Food & Water For Your Car Kit. This giveaway will end January 27th at 11:59 PM EST. The winner will have 24 hours to respond to my email. If no response, a new winner will be chosen.  Prize fulfillment will be made by the sponsor, I am not responsible for prize delivery or lost or stolen deliveries. Open to residents of the US.

Entry Method:  Please use Rafflecopter form to enter.