Prepared Mama: Food Packs for 72-hr Kits

A few weeks ago for Family Home Evening we pulled out our 72-hr emergency kits. I was a little chagrined by what I found. Our packs had been last updated in November of 2006. That means our food was two and half years old--yuck! And we only had two kits--for our family of four. Not so good.

So we got to work.

We thought it important to focus first on our food packs. I pulled out my sizable file of preparedness information I've collected over the years and did some research. These two blog posts were also very helpful:
Prepared LDS Family: 72-hr kits food packs
Team Freeman: Project Prepared Part 3

Keeping their suggestions in mind I made my shopping list. I did some price comparisons and ended up doing most of my shopping at Sam's Club, picking up a few things that were on sale at my local grocery store.

This is what we came up with for a one day menu.

Kellogg's Pop tarts (twin) 4 oz.,
Chef Boyardee Ravioli, or other 7.5 oz.,
Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup, 3 oz.,
2 MM Fruit Snacks 1.8 oz.
Del Monte Fruit cup 4 oz. can,.
2 Quaker Granola bar .84 oz,
2 Peanut Butter crackers, 1 oz.
Plastic spoon
Gallon size Ziploc bag
napkin

*Note: This is the amount for one day. It doesn't look like much. Some sites recommend more food than this, but this is what we are comfortable with right now, keeping in mind portability and our budget. I would like to add some PowerBar Protein bars soon but I'm waiting for a good deal to buy them. The gallon size Ziploc bag serves as the holding container for each day's contents.

To keep things simple I kept the same menu for each day, for each member of our family. So multiply the above list by 3 and you'll have enough for one person's 72 hr (3-day) pack.

We then spent another Family Home Evening assembling the packs for our entire family. The 4-year old Ant Bug was very excited about helping with this activity, but the 20-month old Sweet Bee mostly just wanted to eat the fruit snacks.

The first step is to label each Ziploc bag. I used sticky labels and wrote "Day One-K", "Day Two-K" and "Day Three-K", repeating this with their initials for each member of my family. Using the Ziploc bag helps keep things organized; it's waterproof and it can also double as a trash bag.

Here is our food pile.

With all of our food gathered we then went around the table and filled up our bags.

A finished bag.

Water
Not included in the above menu is water. The recommendation is that you have 1 gallon of water per person per day. Obviously we can't carry that in our packs, so I just stuck 3-16.9 fl oz water bottles in each pack.

The Plan
I don't want to end up with two year old fruit cups and granola bars in our kits again. So our plan is to pull out our kits every six months and change out the food that is nearing expiration. The easiest way to remember to do this is to coincide it with General Conference sessions. It happens twice a year and you won't forget it! I've heard of this idea from many sources, so come October I'll be pulling out our kits again.

My next step is to finish putting together the personal supplies for our kits. How are you doing when it comes to emergency preparedness? Please leave a comment with your tips!

Helpful Resources
Prepared LDS Family: This site is amazing and very helpful! Read it, and you'll be inspired to do something to prepare your family!
If ye are prepared ye shall not fear: This thought-provoking site explores issues of preparedness for the coming hard times.
Team Freeman: Project Prepared Part 3: A real-life example of a 72-hr kit.
Ready.gov: Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed.

Nurture Mama turns a year old!

Nurture Mama has reached another milestone. This blog is one year old today!

Would you like to read how it all began? Read my very first post here and see why I do what I do.

When I reached my 100th post I asked for your help in creating a list of the 100 things that mothers do.
With your help we've listed 75 words in a mother's job description ! But I'm sure there are more. Feel free to send me your one-word inspiration in answer to the question: A mother's job is to...
Mothering brings me a lot of adventures and a lot of sweet moments. Thanks for reading and letting me share my moments with you!

"The joy of motherhood comes in moments."

"We need to remember that the full commitment of motherhood and of putting children first can be difficult...There are moments of great joy and incredible fulfillment, but there are also moments of a sense of inadequacy, monotony, and frustration. Mothers may feel they receive little or no appreciation for the choice they have made. Sometimes even husbands seem to have no idea of the demands upon their wives.

As a Church, we have enormous respect and gratitude to you mothers of young children. We want you to be happy and successful in your families and to have the validation and support you need and deserve."

Elder Ballard goes on to ask (and answer):
"What can you do, as a young mother, to reduce the pressure and enjoy your family more?

"First, recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction.

Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. … I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less” (Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11)."

M. Russell Ballard, “Daughters of God,” Ensign, May 2008, 108–10

Flags and Fireworks

With two important patriotic holidays to celebrate this week, we spent an afternoon making flags.
As suggested on No Time For Flashcards, we used a white paper towel for the base. Add the red paper stripes and trim to size.

Cut a square of blue paper. I drew the yellow stars and the Ant Bug colored them in. Then just glue it all together.
The Canadian flag is a little simpler, as long as you use a maple leaf template. Make sure you sing O Canada while you cut!
After all of this flag making, the Ant Bug was inspired to design a flag for her very own country.
The Fourth of July is not complete without fireworks, so we tried our hand at making these paper fireworks.
We used black construction paper for the sky and white paper cut in a circle. Decorate the circles, fold them up and cut slits before gluing them on to the sky. We also added a few star stickers to make our night sky more authentic.

Check out these great books to learn more about the USA.

How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the USA by Marjorie Priceman

F is for Flag by Wendy Cheyette Lewison

Looking for more ideas for Independence Day? Check out these posts:

Americana Crafty Round Up on Make and Takes
Red, White and Blueberry Skewers on Make and Takes
Red, White and Yummy on No Time for Flashcards

Holding tomorrow in your arms

"The charity of good women is such that their “love makes no parade”; they are not glad “when others go wrong”; they are too busy serving to sit statusfully about, waiting to be offended. Like Mary, they ponder trustingly those puzzlements that disable others. God trusts women so much that He lets them bear and care for His spirit children."

"We salute you, sisters, for the joy that is yours as you rejoice in a baby’s first smile and as you listen with eager ear to a child’s first day at school which bespeaks a special selflessness. Women, more quickly than others, will understand the possible dangers when the word self is militantly placed before other words like fulfillment. You rock a sobbing child without wondering if today’s world is passing you by, because you know you hold tomorrow tightly in your arms."

Neal A. Maxwell, “The Women of God,” Ensign, May 1978, 10

The One and Under Crowd

It's been four and a half years since I became a mother. My memories of those early months of motherhood are really just a blur of breastfeeding and diapers and all my energy spent getting to know this strange new creature who was my daughter. The transition from full-time-working-woman to full-time-stay-at-home-mother was a challenge I was happy to undertake, but I found myself wondering "What do I do with this baby, all day long, for an entire day, day after day?" So here are some ideas for the one-year-old and under crowd that worked for me.

Sing, Sing, Sing
Sing to your child. It doesn't matter if you are a great singer or not, your baby will love to hear your voice. Sing in the car. Sing in the bathtub. Sing while you're preparing dinner. Sing while you're snuggling. Sing before sleep. Primary songs top the list at our house, but we've also accumulated quite a list of favorite traditional children's song: Down by the Station, If all of the Raindrops, You are my Sunshine, Puff the Magic Dragon, etc.

(If you are interested in seeing our complete song list, leave a note in the comments or email me at nurturemama2{at}gmail{dot}com and I'll send a copy your way).

Read, Read, Read
There are so many wonderful board books available. Make reading (with regular trips to the library) a part of your daily routine. Don't worry if you only get through a page or two in each sitting--it's still worthwhile!

I've posted before about our favorites by Sandra Boynton and Eric Carle, but here are a few more that are well-loved in our home.


Two great articles on early literacy:
Developing communication skills in your baby or toddler
Helping your child learn to talk

Explore the Outside World
Load up the stroller and head outside. There are so many fascinating things to see and hear--trees, birds, cars, flowers. Fresh air and exercise is good for both of you! And if you have another mom to walk with, even better.

I really miss my days of living at Wymount and being able to step out my door and take a walk around the Provo temple and up into Rock Canyon!

Other places to explore: grocery stores, pet stores, museums, parks...the list can go on and on! Be creative. Talk to your child as you go and show them what a fascinating world you live in.
Give your child the opportunity to "touch and feel". A pile of leaves, cold winter snow, a sandbox, soft grass. Just watch closely because at some point they will likely do a taste test!

Explore the Inside World
Make your kitchen safe for exploring. Moms spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and so will your child. Have a few places like this that are safe for your baby to explore.

Plastic dishes are really quite fascinating things! So are measuring cups, spoons of all shapes and sizes, pots and pans. There's no need to go shopping with a kitchen full of toys.

Stimulate the Senses
Try finger painting with colored yogurt. Let them sniff the spices you use when you bake. Listen to stimulating music. Sit on the front porch and watch and hear and smell a summer rainstorm.

Most importantly, just hold your child close and let them see your smile and feel your love. That's the best thing to do everyday!

Immerse yourself in the scriptures

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994): “Success in righteousness, the power to avoid deception and resist temptation, guidance in our daily lives, healing of the soul—these are but a few of the promises the Lord has given to those who will come to His word. … Certain blessings are to be found only in the scriptures, only in coming to the word of the Lord and holding fast to it. …

“… Recommit yourselves to a study of the scriptures. Immerse yourselves in them daily so you will have the power of the Spirit to attend you in your callings. Read them in your families and teach your children to love and treasure them” (“The Power of the Word,” Ensign, May 1986, 82).

“Search the Scriptures Diligently,” Ensign, Apr 2009, 63