cookiejar

Originally Posted By: babysteps Originally Posted By: Homemaker You really would rather have your husband get you a load of manure dumped in your yard than jewelry for your anniversary! Or a load of concrete blocks to make a new raised bed... Or a grain mill... Or a greenhouse... Or a dehydrator... Or some goats... Or... ahem. Sorry. Honey, I hope you're reading this! I love that! *Ahem* You have a lighter in your purse and you don't smoke. (Showing my age) You'd win the $100 from Monty Hall on Let's Make A Deal because of all the gear you carry in your purse/day bag. If you could weed whack a meal If you've ever tried to figure out a way to put a gun rack on something other than a truck. I.E.-A motorcycle, Bicycle, ATV, Wheel Barrow, etc.,etc. If you've coveted a rider lawnmower or tractor the way a teenager does a race car. If you can work a discussion on goats, chickens, or gardening into a holiday dinner table conversation.

Guilty!!!! You've used Google Earth to find alternative water sources in your area...just in case. Your house would light up like Fort Knox if an intruder walked on your property. I.E. Motion detectors, guard dogs, etc. Clicking of weapons. Hey!! I'm bumping this up for the new people!! I know you newbies can relate to some of these!

Originally Posted By: indianawahm Thank you for this. I sometimes feel like I am just getting no where when it comes to getting prepared. But when I do take stock I am actually getting my family prepared pretty well, we still need a wood burning stove though. Welcome chica!! BTW I read your blogspot and it's really good. I see you getting that stove with the preserverance you've shown. It's common to see more holes in your preps then the gains (wholes!) you've made. I'm glad you like this and like it here. All of us had to start somewhere. Even just coming out here to peek is a start. That's why this thread is here, to let new people know it's okay to ask questions and they might have more than they know. That it's not as overwhelming as it sometimes feel. Very few are lucky enough to have been born into either a ranching/farming life or a family of preppers. Many of us had to have something happen to wake us up to the need to prep. or even, (dare I say )just learning to conserve and pinch pennies. To reuse, to rethink, to unlearn bad habits, to embrace a lifestyle that looks at everything we have and use in a new contructive way. That can see just putting supplies/goods/$$ aside is a prudent plan for the future. Sometimes simply to just *make do*. To learn and count our blessings no matter how small. Even the rawest and most timid newcomer usually has some wonderful pearl of wisdom to share. It amazes me how many people lurk, sometimes years before hearing that one question, that one subject they know about and just haveeee to post! My favorite line to see is,"I've lurked for months but, I just happen to know about _____. (insert nugget of knowledge). Knowledge is power, remember? So to you chica, and all our just looking-around, welcome! You've found home.

If you started out on these post for the humor and ended up creating a new list of ideas and things to buy/try Raise your hand if your guilty! If melted candles/candle wax would never make it to a trashcan (so many other uses!!!). Add points for Birthday candles saved. If you exercise by walking in case of TEOTWAWKI Add bonus points if you use the *exercise* to spot possible medicinal plants, edible critters, good field of fire and/or any other useful item. Double bonus if you smile and wave at the neighbors in a I'm-just-harmlessly-working-my-gluts way. If you've dempsty dumpster dived (Oh hi Officer, I thought I'd recycle for the environment!)

I've asked before and I think in light of our current economic status, that it would be good to brainstorm again. I'm shorter with funds then usual. So, to keep from fretting (and taking advice from fellow preppers), I did some NON-$$$ prepping. My example is: I reorganized my garage. Redid and cataloged my food preps. Pulled out my non-food preps like space blankets, rope, tools (etc.,etc.etc.) and arranged them by use and area. Set up the start of my container garden which was a gift from before. Aired out my thicker winter bed linens. and did a little private *count-your-blessings* list to remind me how much I do have. How do you Non-$$$$ prep?

Originally Posted By: onepoormomma I verbally abuse the chickens. I think they like it;?) But, seriously, I try to collapse and rest if I hit overload. I visualize the chickens all bunched up in one corner going,"IT'S HER!!!!!!"

Look, Things have been hairy scary lately: Our economy, prices, lay-offs, the Elections, increasing crime. All of these things can take a toll on your family, on your health basically on you. I know it's not quite the proper topic for Urban (but I don't care! ). Many would say,"I upped my PREPPING!!!!!" But, let's face it, prepping itself can be pretty stressful, and with the economics and our tiny spaces, down right daunting. How do you regroup? Do you garden? (Not just fret over producing enough food). Knit? Paint? Yoga? Take in movies? Go to the park/beach/mountains? Do you camp? (Not just SHTF practice). Got a hobby? Do getaways? What do you do to escape a bit? Are you a re-enactor? Do theatre? Go dancing? Do photography? Do crossword puzzles? Haunt the hobby lobby? Play games? Cards? Do you write stories? Poetry? Sing? Play an instrument? Pray and meditation can be included but please...no sermons . Here's a little of me-sometimes. when I need to be brainless and regroup...I videogame-RPG. I have several hobbies, but when I need to let it all go, I videogame. Yup. I'm either Walloping monsters with my sword or blowing things up with a bazooka. I get it all out of my system, I guess.

Originally Posted By: ArmyOfFive4God Grammy is awesome. If you're a member over there, she is a wise one! Is Grammy here as well? I don't know if she is but I hope so. I actually got this elsewhere but hope that she won't mind. That's why I put in her name and kudos. I respect her knowledge even if we've never met.

If even your relaxation fiction reading has *overtones* (Alas Babylon, Ill Wind, Lucifer's Hammer, First Light).

Right here!!cookie's hand shoots up! Guilty! *ahem* If you've down loaded so much prep information from the internet it requires it's own 3 ring binder. If you have enough said binders to stock a bookshelf. If you've *renamed* said binders to keep nosey folks out. If your binders have *levels* like the NORAD security colors (We're at ORANGE!!!).

For the newbies and my lurkers who can see themselves in these! If you can't take a simple walk without spotting three medicinal and/or edible plants. add 2 points if you *marked the spot* for emergency foraging Just in case add 2 more if if was in your neighborhood, neighbor's yard, school yard etc.

If you have an index card file box of *recipes* in the kitchen.The older the better. Folded inbetween (filed under stash pie? ). Tape flat bills to the back of children's art under magnets on the fridge. If it's $$$ your not going to go for soon, inside the tube of christmas wrapping paper and put it back in Christmas bin. Seal $$$ in a snack zippy bag. Empty frozen orange juice concentrate. Enjoy juice. Carefully rinse concentrate cylinder. Put in bag. Stand upright in freezer without lid. Fill rest of tube with water. Freeze. Then use ordinary glue to replace flat lid. This will give the frozen juice concentrate tube *weight* when touched. "Cold Hard Cash". Please take care of those hoofs... Keep em coming folks!!!

Hiding Places for Your Secret Money Stash By Amber Seber, published Dec 14, 2007 I have lived in bad neighborhoods and because I waited tables at night and could only deposit my money one day a week, I often had hundreds and sometimes even thousands of dollars in cash in my apartment. I was always afraid that a burglar might find my money if it hid it in obvious places like in the sock drawer or a cash box. Here are some great hiding places that I have used over the years that you can use to hide your car keys, house keys and money. For a while, my favorite hiding place for cash was in the front pocket of a dress shirt hanging in my husband's closet. Burglars might think to check shoes, but who would go through a huge pile of clothes hanging on a rack? Another of my favorite hiding places was folded inside a towel in the bathroom cabinet. If you have cats, hide your money underneath the litter box. No one will think - or want - to look there. Dog lovers can use their furry friends as cohorts as well. Simply seal your money inside a zip-top baggie and bury it in your dog's bin of dry dog food. Do you keep old letters? I keep all of mine in a shoebox in the closet. Simply place your cash inside an envelope and hide it at the bottom of the box of letters. The phone book is also a great place to hide a stash of bills. I once filed mine under "finances." Unless the burglar wants to make a local call while ransacking your home, he will never think to look in the phone book. Storage boxes also make great hiding places. Drop your stash into one of the boxes in your closet marked "Christmas decorations" or "clothes for charity." My mother once gave me a neat little gift when I was in college. It was a perfect replica of a Campbell's soup can, completely indistinguishable from the real thing in every way. It was even weighted perfectly to feel as though it had soup in it. The secret was that the bottom screwed off and there was a small secret compartment inside. Do you like to carry a little emergency cash in your purse? Clean out an empty lip balm tube and store rolled-up bills inside. If your purse is stolen, the thief will not find your money and will dump the purse. If your purse is found and returned to you, the money will still be inside.

Okay, we know I'm a nut for hidden spaces... and yes, I realize almost none of us could afford this, but click below and then run your mouse cursor over the pic. Very very cool. http://www.hidden-spaces.com/compartments

Prudy!! Your a girl after my own heart! I just drove by a canal on the way home and google map traced it to see if it went to a watershed! You are soooooo a Mrs. S girl BTW I did a picture layout of collecting water from shrubs with a zippy bag. *ahem* I'm a Hurricane Preparedness person Yeah yeah that's the ticket I heard a woman with 6 bags of rice, and three buckets say,"I'm a den Mother" 10 points if you know what a Den Mother is

Originally Posted By: Campy I mentioned this in another thread, but I will mention it again. For storing gasoline: 1. Keep it in an AIRTIGHT container. 2. Keep the containers in a COOL (preferably dark) location. 3. Keep the containers AT LEAST 50' from any dwelling. 4. "Stabil" will preserve the gasoline for 1 year. "Pri-G" will preserve the gasoline for AT LEAST 2 years. A study was done using Stabil and Pri-G. Pri-G restored 15 year old gasoline to a useful condition. The restored gasoline was comparable to what you get at the pump right now. I'm bumping this up because in these uncertain times and after the psuedo-gas rationing, it's wise to know how to handle these things. I saw a man and his wife the other dayprudently filling at least 5 different gascans at the station. What they were doing WRONG was leaving them in the back of the SUV to fill them. This is a big NO. Place them on the ground so there's no chance of static electricity. Food for thought Also a big to Campy for this

Originally Posted By: snapshotmiki Hi Cookie! It's my first time back in a while-again.Your survivalist jokes just tickle me. I have a couple of weeks so I will be seein' ya! Hey, I even learned how to post photos on my schnauzerlover site, so maybe I can do it here and now! Miki! Good to see you! Yes you can post your website in your qoutes section at the bottom of your profile