Emergency supplies for winter
All week long I have talking about getting ready for winter. It will be here before we know it. There is so much to do and get ready. Today I have been thinking about getting the emergency supplies for winter ready. If you are like me, you probably have a lot of these items already. It is just a good time to check your emergency supplies for winter and make sure they are all gathered and ready. Here is a list of a few of the things I am getting ready.
Flashlights or Lanterns
I’m sure most of us have flashlights and lanterns already. Are they in working order? Do they batteries and bulbs work? Do you know where they are? If you have kids like mine there is no guarantee when it comes to most of the flashlights. Track them down, make sure they work and put them in a few places that will be easy to get to in an emergency. This is one of the most important steps in getting emergency supplies for winter ready.
Batteries
Do you have extra batteries for flashlights, radios and other battery operated items? Think about the kids’ toys, do you want to be sure to have batteries for their favorites? I know if the power is out, it is nice to let them play with something to keep them busy. Batteries are an important item to have when you gather your emergency supplies for winter.
Emergency Radio
Do you have an emergency radio? Or a battery operated radio that can be used in emergencies? Radio communications are still very important in severe weather. Weather updates, power outages and other vital information is often broadcast on local radio stations.
Water
If pipes freeze and break your water supply could be cut off, restricted or made unsafe to drink. Now is a good time to make sure the water in your storage is fresh and in good shape. Be sure your water storage isn’t in a location where it can freeze and make a mess. Water is another very important item on your emergency supplies for winter checklist.
Heat source
This is one of those items that will be so good to have if you need it. Have a plan for a night without power. Locate sleeping bags and extra blankets. Make sure you have enough wood for the fireplace or wood stove. Do you have a safe space heater? Don’t use your oven for heat! A way to stay warm is another very important item on your emergency supplies for winter checklist.
Easy to prepare – no cooking foods
This is another important item that I talked about yesterday. You can see yesterday’s blog here: https://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/food-items-stock-winter You’ll want to have some easy to prepare and eat meals that don’t require power to prepare. Remember to have a non-electric can opener on hand. Also have food and supplies for babies and pets. This is another very important thing to remember when making sure everything on your emergency supplies for winter checklist is ready.
Have more tips to share with us? We’d love to hear them!
Food items to stock up before winter!
Winter weather is fast approaching and I have been doing a lot of thinking about getting ready. I’ve thought about getting my yard and home ready. I’ve made the lists and shared the lists with our readers. I started thinking about another thing I do every year to get ready for winter weather. I try to think about what would happen if a snow storm was to be significant enough to keep me at home for a couple days. I hate driving on bad roads so I like to make sure I have food items I need and stock up before winter.
I have a lot of emergency supplies. I have 72 hour kits and food storage. I have cans of this and cans of that. Those are the things that we usually think of when we talk about emergency supplies. When I think of being ready to wait out a snow storm or bad roads, I don’t usually think of those things. I think more of easy to use, quick things. I think of things that we run out of every few days or things that make life convenient. Here are just of few of the things I stock up before winter.
Shelf stable milk
I know I have many cans of powdered milk in my food storage. I could open a can if I needed to but I just don’t want to if I am stuck home for just a day or two. I like to get a few boxes of shelf stable milk to have on hand if needed. If a snow storm hits and I am out of milk, I don’t want to make a quick trip to the store because we are out of milk. It’s a good stock up before winter item!
Bread
Like the milk, I know I have the supplies I need to make a batch of bread. I could make some if I needed to but it seems so much easier to think about buying extra ahead of time. I grab a couple extra loaves of bread and add them to the freezer. If we run out during a snow storm, there is no quick trip needed in bad weather. If the power goes out temporarily, sandwiches are a good quick meal. It’s another good stock up before winter item!
Peanut Butter
This isn’t an item that I usually make a quick trip out for when we run out but in the winter I think differently about it. I think it is very handy to make peanut butter sandwiches as a go to snack or meal. It is also one of my kids’ favorites. Like the other items peanut butter is something that you can store an extra jar or two of easily. Is there something like this that would be a great go to item for your family? Peanut butter or something similar is another good stock up before winter item!
Easy meals without power
We’ve talked about having the basics for a few shelf stable meals on hand before. I like to keep them handy for saving money and avoiding buying fast food. In the winter, I add another reason. If the power goes out for just an hour or two, I don’t want to break into the food storage or open cans of more long term storage foods. I just think of our favorite easy meals and plan a couple that don’t really require power or much cooking to make. I grab all of the needed ingredients and just keep them together on a shelf in the food storage room. It is so easy to save stress later and stock up before winter with a bit of planning ahead of time.
Having those few things gives me peace of mind when a storm hits. Do you have a favorite food item that you keep on hand in case of bad weather? What do you stock up before winter? Let us know! We love to hear from you.
Get your yard ready for winter!
I love fall. I love the changing leaves, the cooler temperatures, football, pumpkins, and so much more. I love being outside and enjoying the fun fall surroundings. But when I am outside in my yard I realize there is something I don’t like about fall. When I look around my yard I tell myself “Get your yard ready for winter.” Ugh! That’s no fun. Fun or not, it has to happen.
Getting your yard ready for winter always seems like a HUGE task before I start. I dread it because it just doesn’t sound fun. Like so many other things, getting your yard ready for winter seems much less complicated if you break it into smaller pieces. Looking at the parts individually make the big task seem doable and less daunting. I’ve made myself a list and it really helps. Here are the items on my get your yard ready for winter list.
Trim trees
I actually like doing this once I start. Fall is a great time to trim and prune many trees. A simple internet search will yield many resources for instruction and tips on your kinds of trees. I think of it like giving a tree a haircut – go slow and don’t take off too much at first. You can trim the tree back further but you can’t reattach cut too short limbs and branches.
Trim plants and bushes
This is a lot like trimming the trees. Fall is usually a good choice for trimming. Another simple internet search or two and you’ll have lots of information on your specific plants. Many plants are much happier in the spring if they were trimmed the right way in the fall.
Clean out flower beds and pots
I’m always hesitant to do this job. Sometimes I think it makes the landscape look barren and ready for snow and ice. Cleaning out the dead growth and the overgrown plants is a very important part of getting your yard ready for winter. Make sure you know enough about your plants. Are they annuals or perennials? Don’t pull out the plants that are sure to come back in the spring. If you have plants you want to split or divide, so another quick internet search. Some plants prefer to be split in the fall.
Cut grass short
I think this is one step in getting your yard ready for winter that is often overlooked. Don’t skip it! Longer grass serves as a great home for rodents and other icky wildlife. Yikes! That is enough to make me mow the yard twice! I hate critters, especially when they try to move in to my space. Another plus to cutting the grass short is that grass that is cut short will also resist lying down or matting during the winter. Your grass will be happier in the spring if you cut it short when you are getting your yard ready for winter.
Wrap trees and plants
This is another of the get your yard ready for winter tasks that I overlooked for years. A tour of a local nursery opened my eyes to wrapping trees and plants. Not all trees and plants need to be wrapped but there are many that will survive cold winter much more easily if they are wrapped with burlap or another wrapping material. Again, turn to the internet and look up your specific trees and plants.
This is only part of what needs to be done outside to get your yard ready for winter. Watch tomorrow for part two of my tips! Have tips to share? Let us know! We love hearing from you!