Tuesday, September 25, 2007

WFMW- emergency storage tips

*Please look at this post for my daughter's birthday and give me your advice.*

Lizbit- I know I've heard the little witch story. But I just can't remember how it goes. Something about cutting out a little house. Right? Could you remind me? I know the kids would love it.

I actually considered not linking from Rocks in my Dryer so I wouldn't have to do an enormous amount of stomach crunches. But I decided to anyway. I'll just have to split up my crunches throughout the day. I have been a faithful Latter-day Saint hoarding away my food storage and drinking water to prepare my family in case of emergency. A few things that work for me:

1. Store powdered Gatorade to use with your emergency drinking water. If you have to boil your water, this will make it much more palatable. I figured out this one on my own. I m smrt.

2. Store Nestle Quik to go with your powdered milk if you don't like the taste of prepared powdered milk. (I just acquired this handy knowledge this last Sunday from a gal at church.) Or if you prepare your family like my sister, she gradually got her whole family used to the taste by mixing store-bought milk with mixed up powdered milk until they could drink it straight.

Updated note: Milehimama stores Ovaltine with her powdered milk because it has more vitamins. Very smart!

3. Use empty milk gallons for emergency flushing water. Be sure to write on them with a permanent marker what it's for. Pour gallon of water into a bucket. Use to flush. Here in the Frozen North, this has come in handy. There have been times when we've had the water turned off for maintenance or frozen pipes and whatnot. At one point I was tired of seeing three dozen gallons of water in my storage room, so I used two dozen to water the garden. And then I recycled the gallons.

I love emergency storage tips. So, if you have some, please share. I would love to expand my knowledge and preparedness. Thanks for stopping by!

19 comments:

Jennifer @ Fruit of My Hands said...

This is a comment about your sidebar-reusable toilet paper? Seriously?

Nikki said...

Jen-

Hehe. That question was thrown in there because I read an article about a family going a whole year not purchasing disposable and one-time use items. I think they were not using electricity either. I wondered about toilet paper. I have recently been reading about people who use flannel wipes and wash them. This is something I had never even imagined. Whaddayathink about that?

Joyful Days said...

I really like the WFMW ideas. Prepared is something, sadly, I am not. But I know I need to be. I will tuck these in my ideas though.

Ummmm...the TP issue...I'd really have to ponder that. I think a lot of it is biodegradable (but could be really off base on that) and if so, I'd rather be "green" about other things.

Mrs. Brownstone @ XBOX Wife said...

Ok - I had missed the reusable toilet paper on the side. Now I'm laughing from the above comments!

I love the stomach crunch idea - may I borrow it? It might be motivating for me!

These are great tips about preparedness! Thanks for sharing them!

Thanks, too, for stopping by my blog!

Milehimama @ Mama Says said...

Shereen at Waiting for Him blog makes and sells reuseable wipes.

For emergency water storage, we also freeze gallon storage bags with ice cubes. It is a store of drinkable water AND will keep the freezer cold in case of a (short) emergency.

We also store Ovaltine with our milk - it has more vitamins. And a Rubbermaid drink container that holds one quart to mix it in - just shake and go!

Anonymous said...

great tips~

Have a blessed Wed.

http://tonsofsons.wordpress.com/

Marcy said...

Nikki,

I just went to my first case lot sale! Oh the joys of having lots of cans downstairs. I've done the milk jugs of water for years but a lot of them spring leaks and that drives me nuts!

Can I add your link to my blog?

Marcy

Nikki said...

Marcy-

I had a milk jug spring a leak as well. It warped my shelf. But it only happened once to me.

I would be honored to be a link on your blog.

And I love case lot sales! I just missed the one that they had here at the commissary on base. I heard there were some really good deals.

Jennifer @ Fruit of My Hands said...

I love case lot sales too!

Regarding the TP again...um, weird! Although I have heard of people using washable maxi pads, and reusable washable tampon things (like a rubber cup!) OK, can we say Yeast Infection? I had a hard enough time trying to kill yeast on cloth diapers when my daughter had thrush, that stuff sounds like a nightmare to me! Ah well...to each his own! Er, her own, right b/c men don't use all that stuff...nevermind! LOL.

lizbit said...

I emailed you the story (let me know if you don't get it)

Anonymous said...

OK, I know this probably sounds really sad.. =)

But there have been times that we ran out of tp and couldn't get to the store immediately and I just shrugged and pulled out a stack of washcloths.

That being said, I'm NOT ready to give up my tp. =P

Nikki said...

Proverbs31-

I think it's awesome that your family went along with it!

Missy said...

I wish I was as prepared as it sounds like you are.I just never know where to start.Your tip may be the starting place for me.Thanks for the comment.Love your site.

Char said...

Thanks for the comment on my site. I will also be reading yours -- interesting stuff! I tend to go for a kleenex if I can't find TP, but I've heard they're bad for the pipes. :)

Anonymous said...

great list! thanks...and thanks for visiting me today too!

Dutchnic said...

Thanks for sharing. I just love WFMW!

Susie J. said...

For 72 hour kits... instead of trying to store a bunch of portable/shelf-stable/non-utensil-needing/kid-friendly foods (enough for X number of people for 3 days, at that!) I have switched to nutrition bars. I've found Luna bars to have the most nutrion for the money, and they're also the most kid-friendly I've found with my brood. Good texture, good taste, inexpensive and easy to store in the kits.

Nikki said...

Susie J.-
Very smart idea! Then the 72-hour kits would be much lighter weight. Thanks for the tip!

Julie V. said...

Milk jugs are not the best way to store water - they often leak. Apple juice containers or empty 2-liter soda water bottles are much better.
People used to use pages from the old Sears catalogs in the out house, so I decided to save a couple of old telephone books (thinner pages) with my storage in case we run out of Toilet paper!
Have you heard about the new canned butter product from Australia that has a shelf life of 25 years?? I just saw some at our grocery store this week - but I didn't check the price...
I just bought some big Rubbermaid-type storage bins to store packages of pasta, jello, etc.