Just a quick note before we begin securing our home against disaster. Have you been aware of what is happening with gas prices? The price of gas is now at the highest point ever, this time of  the year. Experts, who were correct the past few years, now expect the price of gas to go up to $5.00 per gallon by summer. Now is the time to be looking at what we are doing  to get ready for another big hit to the budget. Food is going up. Do you have  your food storage so by summer you are eating out of your General Store and garden and only shopping when items are on sale? Have you seriously cut everything you can out of your budget now and putting aside what you are saving? Make sacrifices now and place that money into an account so your Christmas next year can be a cash one. Have you taken a good look at the possibility of a Stay at Home vacation? 

Two years ago I highlighted those who had stared at home businesses to help you with ideas for things you might be able to do to make a little extra income. I would love to do the same again this year. If any of you or your friends have started businesses at home and would like to share what you have done, to help motivate others, please let me know. Send me a note at: Carolyn@TotallyReady.com. 

By becoming more aware of conditions around us, we acquire a giant advantage by simply acting on common sense observations. When we look at our home and neighborhood, do we really “see” what an outsider might see in their first impression? Do we live in a high fire risk area? Have there been floods, earthquakes, or hurricanes where we live? Is the land around our house stable, or subject to landslides? Have there been natural or man-made disasters in our town? What is the history of our home area? What would the old-timers tell us about past emergencies in our town?

To protect the safety of our homes and families, there are a few things we can do now to prepare our house and property for trouble tomorrow:

Clear the area: Consult a landscape expert or research on the web to determine how fire resistant the plantings are near your home. If they are highly flammable, remove them and add more “fire friendly” planting. Clean brush, dead trees and foliage from around your home for at least thirty feet. Make sure wood piles are not stacked next to your home.

Clean the garage: Discard any old chemicals, oily rags, stacks of newspaper or any other flammable items stored in the garage that are not being used. Clearing room in the garage now will ensure you will be able to move outdoor items such as picnic tables and toys inside your garage quickly as a storm or flood approaches. Any items left  outside can act as missiles during a major storm, smashing through windows and walls.

Fire Extinguishers: Purchase a few good fire extinguishers if you don’t already have them. If you have them check them – make sure they are still charged. Make sure every member of the family knows how to use one.

Fire/smoke/carbon monoxide detectors: If you don’t have them, now is the time to get them. We are all candidates for a house fire. If you have detectors, check them every six months to make sure they are working properly.

Escape: Make sure there are two escape routes from each room in your home. If you have a second story, invest in at least one fire escape ladder. A ladder for each second floor bedroom is an even better idea.

Brace water heaters: Check the building codes in your area and strap water heaters accordingly. There may not have been a code in place when your home was built, and following the current code is a smart thing to do.

Elevate: Build a raised platform for your furnace and water heater, and raise your electrical panel if they are in areas that may be flooded.

Valve wrench: Place a gas shut off valve wrench on a hook next to the valve and teach your family how to use it. In an emergency, you may not have time to search for a wrench. If you are not at home, your family or neighbor may not know where to search for a wrench.

Anchor foundations: If you live in an older home or are unsure if your foundation is well anchored you should have your home inspected and correct any problem that may exist.

Strengthen walls: Do you remember the scene in the movie Mr. Blanding Builds his Dream House when Mr. Blanding (Cary Grant) is asked if he wants lintels between the lally columns? He has no idea what they are talking about, but seeing dollar signs he answers “no”. Immediately the builder yells to take out the lintels and 2x4s start falling from above. Make sure your home structure is properly built and reinforced to withstand the pressures of a storm or earthquake. When you build, use an architect or engineer, and avoid shortcuts.

Strengthen foundation: Check your foundation. Is it cracking? Is your home still level in all directions? Do some of your floors sag, just a little? It is time to have your foundation inspected. Some fixes are expensive, but will save you money in the long run since neglected repairs can lead to more costly consequences.

Chimney Inspection: How often do we have our chimneys cleaned and inspected? This one task can greatly reduce the risk of a home fire (ask your neighbor the fireman about chimney fires). It can also help save your home in an earthquake, wind storm or hurricane. Additionally, if you should ever have to heat your home using your fireplace, you will be grateful it is working properly. What an awful time to discover there is a problem.

Now, it's time to make a list of any of these items that need to be addressed in your home. Remember we are making a list of the things we can't afford, or don't have the time to do now. 

Now, one more thing, If you haven't already done so, now is the time to make a preparedness binder. How do you do this? I guess that is really up to you. There are many articles and tips that we have published that apply to several categories. As an example, an article on preparing for a winter power outage could be filed under, power outage, or winter storms. A flooding article could be filed under floods or hurricanes, since those normally produce floods.  Create sections for your binder that are specific to the area in which you live. Don't forget a food storage section and a recipe section too! Now, copy posts and your copy of the Totally Ready Newsletter and divide them into the categories you have created. If you have the first year of newsletter those alone will be 140 pages in your binder. There is so much information on the blog and in the newsletters. Get them organized now. During a disaster the power will almost surely be out and you will not be able to look up helpful tips! Do it today.

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Listen to Carolyn's radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows: http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts-preparedness/ready-or-not/

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Today I have been thinking a lot about education. We have had quite a spirited discussion on the yahoo group about the new health care and it reminded me just how important it is to become well educated. It is my goal to educate you to the dangers that are or may be around the corner and giving you the skills to deal with them. I have tried to do that through our General Store, our Money Saving Wednesdays, our Friday tips and now helping you to see what others are doing to earn extra money so you can support them or get inspired.

Today I want to talk abut ways to get books inexpensively or for free. I discovered some new apps which are, unfortunately, only on the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi right now. You can purchase these books for 99 cents. Check them out at: http://appible.com/a/our-apps/palm-webos/ They currently have 56 titles available. Many of these are collections so you actually receive more than one book and some of the books in the collections are not published individually. Prices for collection range from $1.50-$3.50.

One example of a collection is called the Romance Classics Collection and includes: Little Women, Anna Karenina, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Great Expectations, A Room With A View, Wives and Daughters, & The Scarlet Letter . This collection sells for only $3.00 or 27 cents a book!
Included in their selections are many of the books our children are required to read in junior high and high school. I always tried to read what my kids were reading so I would know what was being required of them.

Books in this format are great for those times when you are waiting for soccer or ballet practice to end. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear they are offering these on other platforms.

We have talked in the past about swap meets and they are a great way to get “new” books for free. Families with children slightly older than yours will probably have the books your kids need for school and will be happy to swap them for some newer titles. If they don’t want to swap then maybe you can borrow but please be prompt about returning them or they won’t be anxious to loan next time.

We often forget about the library. Most small libraries have an agreement with a larger library and they lend each other books. You have to “order” these but it usually only takes a few days for them to come in. Libraries also often have yearly book sales at which time they clear out older,damaged books and books which are not being checked out on a regular basis. You can often pick up some really great books that you remember from your own childhood but have been republished with more up to date artwork. I’d much rather have the older editions.

For all of you bloggers/book club members, publishers will often send you a free copy of a book if you review it on your blog. Most publishers state their review copy policy right on their website and many are anxious to share with those who will promote the book through a review. Please follow through and review the book if you are making this type of request. Many book companies will also send copies of books to be used at school fund raisers. The request should be submitted on school letterhead.

PaperBackSwap is another resources for getting books free! You do have to pay postage to swap books. You start out by adding 10 books to their system. Once you’d added your 10 books, you’ll receive credits to spend on books you want. They do have a wish list so you don’t have to look through all the listings if you already know which books you are looking for. Remember you will have to pay the cost of shipping the books you are offering to those “purchasing”.

Finally check for promotion codes on line from book stores. There are many book sellers on line. Find a book you want to purchase and then look for a promotion by searching on the store name/promotion code.

Keep reading. The education that comes from reading is fundamental to making wise choices and securing your future.

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I’m sorry but I just can’t let last night’s vote on health care go unnoticed. I am angry, frustrated, and feeling betrayed. When you look at the cost of the government option, added taxes, an increase of 24% at inheritance taxes, and all the expenses of the pork in the bill I don’t see how anyone who is self employed will be able to avoid bankruptcy. I know in the farming industry here there will be many who will reduce their office staff to part time and who will be forced to employ many seasonal workers at a part time level also. This will kill jobs. It is more important than ever that we work together to become self reliant as this will inevitably collapse.

In the past I devoted one day a week to promoting the businesses of those trying to supplement their family income. I will begin that again. Some have “stores” online, some have start up companies, some have sold homemade products locally. Please send me the information about your money making venture and I will promote it on this blog and through our yahoo group, and try to help you increase your customer base. If you have been adding to your income in a creative way that is not appropriate to promote, please share your ideas and they may encourage someone to try a similar project in their hometown. This may include teaching or child care or even a creative way to help someone celebrate Valentines day, like selling roses around the neighborhood. We need each other more than ever so please share your ideas.

I hope you are tracking the items that you were asked to date. Next week we will check those items to determine how much you have used during the past month. This will allow you to store items in the quantities appropriate for the needs of your family. If you haven’t already dated items do it today and you can track on your own and catch up with us. Date toothpaste, shampoo, dish detergent, after have, deodorant, facial tissues, soap, any item you do not use up when you first open it. For TP, remove the wrapper and place it an a drawer. In a month, or even a week, a month will give you a better indication, count the wrappers and you will be able to determine how much you would use in a three month period.

This week add a First Aid manual to your home, 72 hour kit and car kit. Also add  a bottle of sun screen. We are headed into the warmer seasons when we will spend more time outdoors. Sun screen we be on sale later and you can stock up on more then, but for now, add a bottle. When you are out working in the yard or attending a child’s ball game you will need it, so don’t wait.

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Many of you have asked when my pandemic ebook will be finished. I am waiting patiently and I am trying to be very patient but I know you are anxious to budget for preparations specific to a pandemic. I am so proud of my tech team and understand the delay. They have been busy putting together a presentation for two different competitions. One was an Entrepeneur of the Year, for the best new idea of 2009. The other a cash prize to be awarded to a new business showing great potential who could use a cash infusion to take their business to the next level. I am happy to announce they won both competitions!

What do they do that is unique? They have developed a system for creating iphone APPs for a very, very reasonable cost. They are also completing development of a system for anyone to create their own APP to promote a business or just as an APP to keep in touch with friends and family. I’m sure I did not do them justice with that description. You can contact them yourselves at http://appible.com This will be a huge help to businesses of all kinds. The APPs are designed to be used on the iphone, Google Android,Windows, Mac, Linux, and soon on Nokia, Blackberry and Palmpre. If you have ever thought about an APP of your own contact them. Hopefully now, they will have time to finish my APP and formatting my ebook. That’s what happens when your tech group outgrows you.

Today was web cast day. If you missed it you may want to listen when you have time to catch up. Also, be sure to check out the first web cast I did with James. Both are a discussion of pandemics.

Today’s web cast:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/James-Talmage-Steven/2009/06/20/Family-Preparedness-Guide

May’s web cast:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/James-Talmage-Steven/2009/05/23/Family-Preparedness-Guide

I will be sending out the first issue of my Newsletter this week. If you have not already signed up please do so. You don’t want to miss any of these!

http://blog.totallyready.com/?page_id=736

One of the steps in our Seven Steps program was to learn a new skill. To help us get through the present financial disaster around us we are all going to need to make more money or save more money. In that spirit I have tried to highlight businesses that have been developed by you to provide added income for your family. Today I would like to tell you about a really fun ebook that will help you learn a new skill and save money, while helping Nancy make a little. On Nancy’s website this bio is posted:

I am a homeschooling Mom who loves to learn new things! I also like to see how information and skills learned in the past are used in the present. I went to Cosmetology school when I was a young person and only worked in that field for a few years. But a life skill like haircutting is just that; a skill that is useful your whole life. I’ve been cutting every member of my family’s hair now for almost 20 years!
One day I got this neat idea to take photos and write a book, and viola’ there it was, my first e-book. It has blessed many people and I know it will be a blessing to you too!

Nancy emailed me a copy of her ebook and it is great! I had two little boys and I cut their hair. It was a challenge, I taught myself, but I did it and they looked just fine. They are even blondes, harder to hide your mistakes. I wish I had had a guide like this at that time. She has lots of step by step instructions and pictures making the learning process very easy. Nancy is also a home schooler and has a second ebook: Homeschooling is our Life http://www.payloadz.com/go/sip?id=516865 I haven’t seen that book but I’m sure it is wonderful too.

Check it out… http://nancybaetz.com/

]]> http://blog.totallyready.com/haircuts-for-little-men/03/05/feed/ 2 http://blog.totallyready.com/our-general-storethink-frozen/03/02/ http://blog.totallyready.com/our-general-storethink-frozen/03/02/#comments Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:22:46 +0000 Carolyn http://blog.totallyready.com/?p=379

It’s March and that means several things to us today.

First, we want to congratulate Ohad and Chris at SeatKarma.com. You may remember we reviewed Seat Karma a few months ago and today they received a great review at Tech Crunch:  http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/02/seatkarma-helps-you-find-the-best-seat-in-the-house/

This is a big deal and a big honor for a start up Internet business. If you haven’t checked them out do it and if you have, go to Tech Crunch and let them know you are a fan.

Second, it’s time to announce our safety glow stick winner! …..Jeanette W..you won!!! Jeanette has been a faithful follower of this blog almost since the beginning so it was such fun to see her name come up. Congratulations Jeanette! I will be announcing our March give away tomorrow so check back.

Third, it’s Frozen Foods Month. That means this is the month to stock up. Obviously we do not want all of our fruits, vegetables and protein stored in a freezer. The power can fail at any time and this approach would be foolish. Check out your Sunday newspaper and coupons on line to save even more on your frozen favorites this month.

This week we are going to add vegetables to our General Store. If you have not already done so, this is a great time to sit down with your family to list your 10 favorite meals, record all the ingredients in those meals, and finally determine your family’s favorite fruits, vegetables, and grains and prepare to store them in those proportions. Again, these are not the only meals you will eat for three months but once you have the ingredients for those ten, you can mix and match to create dozens more.

Once you know the vegetables your family prefers begin looking for sales on those items. This week store 10 cans of vegetables per family member. For those who may be new, our goal is to have a three month supply of the foods we eat by the end of the year. I have spent a great deal of times calculating serving sizes and the amount of food which must be stored to meet your family’s nutritional needs. Ten cans may sound like quite a bit but in reality it is only a ten day supply.

Since it is frozen foods month think frozen when you think vegetables. One 16 oz. bag of frozen vegetables is equivalent to 2 1/2 cans of veggies. Also remember that tomatoes and spaghetti sauce count as a vegetable so if they appear as ingredients in your menu don’t forget to store some of them also.

If you have questions let me know. Good luck.

Congratulations again to Ohad, Chris and Jeanette!!

I’m finally getting this post finished and I really apologize to Carmen for taking such a long time to get this done. I love Carmen’s creations. You really need to check out her website to see all of her awesome products. I received the necklaces that you see above from Carmen so I could see for myself the quality of her work. They really are great. We all have a spark of creativity in us and we all have unique talents. I hope seeing the things others are creating to help their family incomes will encourage you to take that first step. I asked Carmen for a bio and I’m just going to let her tell you in her own words, all about who she is:

Hello, I am Carmen Lawson and I love to create beautiful things. Within the last 2  years I have found a couple of different outlets that help to pay for my fun hobbies. Last Spring I opened an online shop where I am able to sell my handmade products. That site is well known and is called Etsy.com. I originally sold only baby burp clothes on my http://www.carmenmadethis.etsy.com site because that’s what I was making in large quanities for a local buyer and for the many baby showers I attend. I have since added tasteful wooden pendants to the menu of things I sell. I also get regular requests for purses, totes, and quilts from buyers who know I sew and like my style.

I borrow a variety of styles from different sources and combine them to create modern–contemporary designs for babies and families. Every item in my shop has been carefully crafted for the style conscious individual. I love creating things with my hands. All of the designs are my own and are made in my smoke-free, but dachshund-friendly house in Southern Oregon. I obsess over finding the latest and greatest rich, vibrant, brilliant textiles and transforming them into functional products!  I have been engineering and constructing quilts since my Oregon State University days over five years ago where I studied Human Development and Family Sciences.  I have sold several quilts at the Sister’s Outdoor Quilt Show in Central Oregon. I have also designed and sold baby bedding on a local level.

I do not make a whole lot of profit and most of the money I make goes back into my hobbies–which I otherwise wouldn’t have a budget for since we live on one income…a public school teacher’s income at that.   When I am not fulfilling my own creative needs I am happily raising two righteous young boys Benson(4), and Luther (1). I am blessed to be a stay at home mom and even more blessed to be married to a man that followed his hopes and dreams in becoming a high school band director.

As a former Music Booster president (11 years) I love band teachers. They work so hard and get so little thanks for all the hours they devote to helpinig children discover their talents. They have a few things in common, and unfortunately, one of them is a lack of income. Many of us find ourselves a little short when those bills come. Be a little brave and take that step to do something you love and make your income grow.

If you have a business and/or  a product you would like me to review let me know. I have received permission to use these necklaces in a future give away so watch for that and you may win these great additions to your wardrobe.

Speaking of give aways….only a few more hour until we announce a January winner!!!

WE HAVE A WINNER…..SONDRA WON !!!!  Sondra at http://www.murrayandmathews.blogspot.com/ is the winner of our January Give Away !!!! Congratulations Sondra!

Kristen is full-time homeschooling mom with two boys ages 7 and 4. Her parents moved into the backyard in Sept. ’08 with their 26′ trailer because her dad could not find work.  They are living on social security with no savings or health care. Her husband commutes 60 miles to work one-way. When the gas prices went up this summer and the housing market crashed they knew were in trouble. They were also in the same position as many and found they owed more on their home than it is worth. So, they got busy and went to work.

The dream to live in suburbia for a few years while we shopped for a dream home in the country. With that in mind they sought inspiration to make their home into a homestead on their 1/4 acre suburban lot! Kristen read books on gardening, farming, and permaculture and subscribed to magazines to learn more about alternative energy and hobby farming.

For 2 years now, Kristen has been working hard to apply what she learned to make a self sustaining homestead for her family. 

Kristen says: “A lot of the local home school families and my neighbors found out about what I was doing and started asking me for tours of my yard and asked me for advice. They were fearful of the future and knew they wanted to do what I had done but had no idea where to start. That is why I wrote my ebook. I now have a list of 934 links to informative websites and blogs and I chat with people online from all over the country who are homesteading. I wanted to give those suburban families just starting to learn about homesteading, food storage and survival skills a basic plan of action. Many people who have bought and read the book thanked me for giving them direction and purpose. In addition to my “Survival in Suburbia” ebook I have added several other ebooks as bonuses and I have a blog that I continually update with more information and links as I come across them. I am also available by email for personal consultation. I am happy to help anyone who needs it because it is my passion to see everyone live a more self-sufficient life.”

I have reviewed Kristen’s ebooks and although I would not recommend everything she does, and I would do some things differently, I think she has compiled a great list of resources for any of us. Like anything else we all must pick and choose from the advice we receive, that which most compliments our lifestyle and our personal philosophies. This is a woman who saw a problem for her famiy and actually worked hard to solve the problem. I really admire that and hope you will visit Kristen’s site and take inspiration from her. I have no real knowledge of home schooling so if you are a home schooler, or thinking about it, take a look at what she has to say about that. I will be asking Kristen to help us by contributing guests post so after looking at the information on her site please let me know what you questions are and we will learn together.

Check her out at:

http://www.survivalinsuburbia.homestead.com
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/survivalinsuburbia/

Also, I have not forgotten my promise to answer questions but my canning took longer than I thought yesterday. I will do it!

SeatKarma.com is the brain child of two recent graduates of the Mays Business School at Texas A&M. Ohad and Chris were brainstorming over a chicken sandwich one day and the rest is history. I must note here that Chris is my son. As a mom I am very excited about his new venture but I am even more excited as a consumer.

SeatKarma.com is an internet service which allows you to compare ticket prices from 200 of the biggest ticket brokers in the country. Just imagine how long it would take to scour 200 sites for that same info. When you enter an event you would like to attend you will see a listing of all the tickets available for that event from all of those who are selling tickets. I looked at a Celine Dion concert and tickets in the same section of the arena were being sold for $156.00 to $312.00. That is a huge difference for the same basic seat. This feature alone is worth your time to take a look.

Speaking of venues…in many if not most cases, when you click on the event and venue you want a map of that venue will appear showing you exactly where tickets are located. Many of these venues have an interactive feature attached and as you scroll over an icon on the screen, an even more detailed account of the seat you are considering will appear.

I spent an hour exploring this site and the next time I need a ticket this is where I will go to purchase one. One of the features I love is that this site is not selling tickets so they are truly bringing you the best options.

Tickets are available for sports, concerts and theater events. They not only include professional sports, Broadway and large stadium venues but also college sports, regional theater and small clubs. If there is an event you want to attend and you need a ticket, they probably have it.  Tickets are available for sold out events as people who have purchased tickets need to sell them or as venues add more seating. SeatKarma.com has tickets for over 90,000 events at over 7,000 venues. I even searched for San Fransisco Giants tickets and they are all there for the coming season.

There are so many features you will just have to check it out for yourself. For a quick overview click on the large play button at the bottom center of the SeatKarma.com home page. Also note the box in the bottom right corner which has a pull down menu for the most popular events in each category, saves a little time.

Probably my favorite feature of SeatKarma.com is their commitment to give back. Each month they will highlight a different non-profit organization and donate 10% of their pre-tax profit. As recent graduates of the Mays Business School at Texas A&M their donation this month will be to the scholarship fund which helped them receive their education. So, if you are an Aggie now would be a good time to purchase those tickets. Next month’s charity is the American Cancer Society. I love the idea of helping while purchasing tickets I would have purchased anyway. If you would like your non-profit considered please send them a request for information at: info@seatkarma.com.

Please take a look today and pass along the information about this service to your friends and family who may be considering a ticket purchase. Send Ohad and Chris a message and let them know what you think.

Wow! It is really amazing what she can do. She did tell me she would love it if more people actually asked for a specialized order. She said most people choose a sample that is on the site and never ask for special colors or modifications. There is no extra charge for that! Ask about the dragon fly..I don’t think it is on the website yet and it is wonderful! We were able to make a few shirts with our favorite colors, not so bold, and also a few for the grandkids in their favorite colors. Oh course, from a Totally Ready perspective this is the goal: a “uniform” that is completely unique to your family, so ask for those special colors!

She also mentioned one of the orders from a Totally Ready reader went to spam and it took a few days to discover it. I have that problem also, from time to time, so if you don’t get an answer right away try again. Remember to mention Totally Ready to get a discount on your order. If you order today or tomorrow there is probably still time to get these before Christmas. They have a skull and cross bones that I think would be wonderful for a pirate birthday party. I am not a huge tie die person but as you can tell I got very excited about the possibilities.

I really would love to be able to promote other quality sites and products for those who are trying to launch a business. Please send me info if you would like to be considered. During this difficult economic time we need to support those, who like ourselves, who are striving to become self sufficient through hard work. I would like to make this a regular feature in 2009 so please let those you know, who are working from home or launching a small business, to send along their information.