Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,
Congratulations to the George Romo Family! They won the June FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing. They won pasta, canned tomatoes and Spaghetti sauce for their Food Storage.
July FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing Weekly Question....Why do you need to add paper products to your Emergency Supplies and what is one thing you should "be wise" about? Email me your answer to theark.carsonward@gmail.com. Remember to include your name if not in your email address. If you answer the question each week in July, you will have 4 chances to win.
New July Goals....(see below)
In our daughter's hallway on the way to the front door there is a small caulkboard with "Be Wise" written on it. This is to remind the family to "be wise" in keeping the commandment, how they exercise their agency and being a disciple of Jesus Christ. But you know me, I will also apply this to Emergency Preparedness....
Be Wise Temporally...
Be Wise in only storing what you and your family will eat.
Be Wise in rotating your Food Storage so you do not waste food and money.
Be Wise if you store deydrated foods, they require extra water storage. Store a variety of foods, dehydrated, commerically canned, frozen, canned in Mason jars, etc..
Be Wise in purchaisng food that it not close to the expiration date or has expired. Watch the discount stores expiration dates. Remember, this is for long storage.
Be Wise in purchasing your food storage, figure out the cost per serving, it is a savings?
Be Wise in having a 72 Hour Emergency Backpack Kit for each family member.
Be Wise in properly storing water and rotating it as needed.
Be Wise in having emergency medical supplies and extra perscriptions.
Be Wise in having a family emergency preparedness savings account, and keep cash in your house in small bills.
Be Wise in knowing where all your important papers/documents are and keep them together in one place.
Be Wise in having an out of state contact person each family member knows.
Be Wise in having an evaculation plan.
Be Wise in having a home fire escape and earthquake plan.
Be Wise in knowing what is going on around you, in your neighborhood, your community, your state and our Federal government. How will their choices effect your life? If the President of the United States declares Martial Law how will it effect you? Do not be complacent!
Be Wise Spiritually...
Be Wise in striving to keep the commandments.
Be Wise in staying close to the Spirit and following the guidance of the Holy Ghost.
Be Wise in reading your scriptures daily.
Be Wise in praying daily, and praying for daily guidance.
In a recent article in the July 2012 Ensign, "In the Aftermath of the Tornado", page 66, it reminds us of how important it is to stay close to the Spirit and how prayer will protect and guide us.
"After the tornado, says Bishop Chris Hoffman of the Josplin First Ward, 'As we realized that things were a lot worse than we thought they might be, we started to try to establish communications.' But those efforts were frustrated by phone outages. Even so, he and ward members tried to collect what information they could that night via sporadic phone calls and text messages. In the instances where those methods failed, they turned to prayer.
In a situation of this magnitude, Bishop Hoffman said, 'You recognize very quickly how reliant you are on Heavenly Father for answers, because you need them, and you need them quick. But the answers came. They alwasy did. They always will.'
Despite the destruction and disruption of the tornado, members in Joplin say their gospel perspective has carried them through." (To read this entire article see the July 2012 Ensign magazine or go to lds.org [Menu, Magazines, Ensign, Current issues, once the July issue shows up, click on the article])
Be Wise in being prepared both Spiritually and Temporally!
July Goals: Non-Food Items (paper products) and Adding Condiments to your Food Storage
If there is an emergency situation you will not want to use your water to wash dishes, and they may be broken or not accessable. You should store paper products like plates, bowls, cups (cold/hot), napkins/paper towels and plastic silverware. How much should you store? Figure how many meals your family will eat and what type of paper products you will need for that meal. Multiply that by the number of days in 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year, which ever goal you are working towards.
Condiments are ketchup, mustard, relish, mayonnaise (if you did not add it with your Fats Food Storage in May), and other types your family eats. Only store what your family will eat! Store then in a dry, dark, cool location.
Weekly Non-Food Items Assignment:
1) Determine how much you will need for your family for 3 months, 6 months or 1 year. Set a goal to purchase them.
2) Determine what type of paper products your family will need.
3) This week add paper plates to your Non-Food Items Food Storage.
Weekly Condiment Assignment: 1) This week add 1-3 months supply of one of the condiments your family eats. If you purchase them at the 99 Cent Store, Dollar Tree, etc., watch the expiration dates. Sometimes they expired in just a few days, and sometimes they have already expired.
Food Storage Ideas:
Honey verses Sugar....
Honey is an important part of your Food Storage. It keeps forever. Do not store in metal cans, only heavy plastic bottles. Every 6 months turn your honey over. If it crystallizes, which it will in time, you can heat over a double boiler, on in a sacue pan (low heat so it does not burn). After calling several honey companies all over California, I have found Costco and Sam's Club are the lowest in price, about $14 for a 5 gallon bottle. Honey is more inexpensive than sugar, but it is better for, and good to add to your Food Storage. Needs to be kept in a dry, dark, cool location.
Sugar stores forever too and less expensive. Keep in its originally bag and store several bags in large plastic storage bin. You may first want to put the origianl bag of sugar in a large plastic zip lock bag to protect from water damage. It will harden in time but can be pounded into the same consistancy as when you purchased it. Needs to be kept in a dry, dark, cool location.
Personally, I would store some of each. Check out the "Food Storage" Posting on the right for how much to store per person.
Emergency Preparedness Ideas:
Holidays, like Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, and Summer (BBQ & picnics), are a good time to stock up on paper goods and condiments due to sales. Costco and Sam's Club are also a good place. But watch for sales, sometimes regular store sales might be cheaper that Costco or Sam's Club. Remember, calculate the price per piece to see if it really is a savings. Also, the thinner/cheaper the paper plate the more you will probably use! One of the great things about paper products, you can store them in your garage, attic or back yard storage shed.
We are grateful for your comments, experiences and suggestions.
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