Category: Family

Do you live in an area where you get winter storms? Consider creating a Winter Power Outage Survival Kit as soon as you can so that you’ll be prepared during a possible power outage!

Pictured above: The icy winter storm that hit the south in February 2014. Many were unprepared and faced electrical outages lasting for days. This is the view from my back porch. The ice was a few inches thick and covered trees, roads, poles, mailboxes, etc.

This winter, we faced a very rare ice storm in the south. The last major ice storm in our area was about 10 years ago, so many of the people in my community were unprepared for this event.

>>> Supplies for Winter Power Outage

Growing up in the south, I’ve never really had to worry about too many natural disasters. We were too far inland to worry about hurricanes or earthquakes, and we weren’t located in the tornado valley.

However, we are familiar with severe thunderstorms that could produce damaging winds and large hail and there’s also the possibility of another ice storm in the future. It happened recently and it could happen again.

Pictured above: This is a picture of a pine tree in our back yard. The limbs were hanging very low to the ground because of the weight of the ice on the pine needles and branches. One large tree limb did snap in half during this ice storm. 

When we heard that we had a possibility of an ice storm, I went into panic mode. I wasn’t prepared. I planned for the worst and tried to come up with an emergency kit that would get my family through the storm.

I made a list of all of the items we needed in the event that our electricity would be out for days. Then, I went to the store and stocked up so that I was prepared for the winter storm approaching.  

Thankfully, we didn’t lose our power during this winter storm, but we do know of several friends that lost their power for DAYS. I was thankful we had our emergency survival kit just in case we needed it!

It’s time to get prepared! You never know when a storm may hit causing power outages and other damages. It’s never too early to prepare and it’s a great idea to set aside a space in your home for an emergency survival kit for your family.

Winter Power Outage Survival Kit

Find a large storage container to keep all of your emergency supplies in.

Then, designate a space in your home to keep your emergency supplies so that you’ll know where to find everything in the event that you lose power or need those items. 

Include items in your emergency kit that will get you through an electrical outage.

Candles and Lighter or Matches 

***Update: I recommend using these LED flameless candles instead of real candles, especially if you have small children! Stock up on batteries for these flameless candles. ***

You’ll need candles for a constant light source during power outages, especially at night, just make sure you blow them out before going to bed of course! Also, keep out of reach of children.

I like to have a large candle for the main room and smaller votives for the smaller rooms.

If you don’t have any glass candle votive holders around your home, invest in a few of those and include them in your kit. I prefer unscented candles during these events.

Don’t forget the candle lighters or matches!

Update: Over the last two years, I have added two 4-packs of LED Camping Lanterns to my emergency kit. I love these lanterns.

We can set them all around the house and each kid can have their own lantern to carry around.

Flashlights

Flashlights are very important during electrical outages. It’s best to have one flashlight for each person in the family and it’s never a bad idea to have more in case they break during these events.

Flashlights are great for making shadow puppets on the wall with the kids! You’ll also need batteries on hand for your flashlights — this takes me to our #3 on the list.

Batteries

Stock up on batteries!

Stash away extra batteries in your emergency kit. I include most sizes: AA, AAA, C, and D batteries in my kit. I use them for our flashlights, weather radio, tap lights, and games for the kids during electrical outages.

Tap Lights

I love tap lights. It’s great to have several of these around during an electrical outage. They are battery operated and are perfect to have during an outage.

Just pop in the batteries into these lights and you are good to go.

I have a few tap lights for bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as one cute star and moon tap light for the girls to use at bedtime that projects stars and the moon onto the ceiling!

Weather Radio

I finally invested in a quality NOAA weather radio this year. After years of being caught off guard by thunderstorms, I decided it was time to get alerts before a storm hits.

This is by far one of my favorite purchases I’ve invested in for my family. I have my weather radio plugged in at all times and it’s also battery operated.

In the event that the power goes out, I’ll just pop in a few batteries and I can still get alerts during the outage.

First Aid Kit

You never know what kind of boo-boo’s might occur during an electrical outage. Have a well stocked first aid kit on hand just in case.

It’s also important to have a bag of your important medications on hand during these events.

You may not be able to leave your house due to ice on the road, downed power lines, or other damage. Make sure your prescriptions are filled before a storm.

Water

I keep a jug of water in my emergency kit as a back up. I recommend more than one jug, but I always keep at least one in my kit just in case a storm hits that I was unaware of and didn’t have time to prepare for.

If I know a storm is coming, I usually stock up on several cases of water.

Update: During the 2020 Texas Winter Storm, my dad called me to tell me they lost water. He was having to shovel snow into storage containers and allow time for it to melt for it to be used to flush toilets, etc.

I had a stash of clean milk jugs for milk jug crafts and decided to fill them all up to have on hand in case we had a problem that winter!

Food and Snacks

During an electrical outage, you’ll lose power to your refrigerator and freezer. Therefore, food will go bad and get spoiled if it’s not cooled properly. Include a few of your favorite food and snacks in your kit that have a long shelf life, such as canned goods, nuts, and other items.

I keep a bag of trail mix in our kit but as I mentioned above, if I know a storm is coming, I usually stock up on food and snacks and keep those on hand during power outages.

Activities For the Kids: 

Keeping the children entertained during a storm or power outage can be a challenge if there isn’t a plan. Sometimes children don’t understand what’s happening during a storm and can be frightened with the scary sounds and flashes of lightning.

Include activities in your emergency kits for the kids as well. Here are a few of my recommended items to include in your kit along with activities for the kids during these events.

Items to Include in Your Emergency Kit for Kids for Entertainment:

Books

Include a few children’s books in your emergency kits for the kids to read during a storm or power outage. Kids love using flashlights, so give them a flashlight and allow them to read during a storm or outage.

I keep weather related books in my kit to read to my girls. They are still young and get very scared when they hear thunder or see lightning. I read these books below to my girls to calm them down during a storm.

Coloring Books with Crayons and Markers

Coloring can be very calming for children. In the event that you find yourself waiting out a storm or even during power outages, coloring books with crayons and markers are perfect to have around to keep the kids entertained!

Games and Puzzles

Add a few games for the kids to play including card games, memory, or even battery operated games they can play during a storm. Be sure to charge electronic games before a storm as well.

I added a game called “Elefun” to our emergency kit. I chose this game because it includes Glow in-the-Dark Fireflies – perfect for an electrical outage! This game requires batteries that are included in my emergency kit.

Stickers and Paper

Stickers are always fun to keep around. Provide stickers and paper for your children and allow them to create picture scenes on their paper using the stickers.

Fun Dough

Kids love using their hands. Keep their hands occupied during a storm with Play-Doh! Allow them to create fun animals or other characters during the event.

Glow Sticks and Glow Bracelets 

Glow sticks are always fun to use during an electrical outage! Glow sticks usually last for a few hours and can provide entertainment for the kids.

Glow in-the-Dark Stars

Hang Glow in-the-dark stars on the wall during a power outage and watch them glow for hours! These may be great to include in the kid’s bedroom at night to ease their fear of a storm.

Hang Indoor String Lights

Hang up indoor string lights to produce some lighting during power outages. These can be hung on the wall, or laid across a mantle, etc.

Build an Indoor Fort

Allow the kids to get creative and build a fort or tent in the family room. Grab the flashlights and tell stories or read books in the fort.

Make Shadow Puppets on the Wall

Use flashlights to shine onto the wall and make shadow puppets with your hands as a family. Put on a puppet show with your children and have fun!

Remember to Have Fun

Try to make the most out of your time if you are stuck inside during a power outage or storm. Make memories that will last a lifetime.

You can never be too prepared when a natural disaster, ice storm, or severe thunderstorm occurs. Create your home emergency kits soon and find a safe place in your home to store it so you’ll have it on hand during any one of these events. Stay safe!

What else would you include in your home emergency survival kit? 

I work from home most of the day and keep two of my children home with me. I guess you can call me a WAHM (work-at-home mom). My 4 year old daughter and my 4 month old baby boy require a lot of attention during the day.

I take several breaks from my work to pay attention to their needs. There are many days where I choose to work at night after the kids are in bed because I simply can’t get a lot of work done when I’m taking care of them during the day.

I set my alarm each day for 1:45pm. This is the time I need to start wrapping up what I’m doing and prepare to pick up my oldest daughter from school. I have to pick her up by 2:30pm. From 1:45pm to about 2:15pm, I try to feed the baby, change his diaper, and load up the car. Sometimes I’m still trying to get myself dressed for the day at that time!

Juggling all of these daily tasks can be exhausting. By the time I pick up my daughter, I’m worn out and know that I still need to pull it together to spend time with her.

As soon as my daughter gets home from school, it’s snack time! She heads to the pantry and the refrigerator and rummages around until she finds a few snacks that she likes. With three kids in the house, I have to keep a stockpile of snacks around for my hungry little ones.

I compiled a list of our favorite snacks that we keep on hand for the kids. I chose my top 5, and here they are! Stock up on these snacks during your next shopping trip!

After School Snack Ideas

Pretzels and Peanut Butter

Pretzels and peanut butter are a great snack combination! Simply dip the pretzels in the peanut butter for extra protein! Choose between pretzel sticks or fun pretzel shapes.

String Cheese

Cheese sticks are easy and convenient to serve as an after-school snack. They are made with milk and are a good source of calcium and protein.

These tasty, easy, and convenient cheese sticks are perfect for lunch boxes as well.

Apples

Keep fresh fruit on hand for the kids to munch on after school. Eat them whole or slice them up! Apples are also great for dipping in peanut butter, too.

Crackers

There are many different types of crackers to choose from to serve as an after-school snack. Pair crackers with string cheese to add protein!

Yogurt

Yogurt is a popular choice at my house! Yogurt is easy to serve and includes calcium and protein, too. There are many different flavors to choose from. Add fresh fruit or granola to the yogurt!

These are our top choices for after-school snacks: pretzels with peanut butter, string cheese, apple slices, crackers, and yogurt.  I’d love to know what snacks you would add to the list.

Create a plate with a few of the choices and serve them all together if you wish!

What after-school snacks do you stock up on for the kids?

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Over the last two years, my husband and I have been working on getting our finances in order. We’ve always considered ourselves as “frugal” and we do love to save money and invest in our future. However, we knew that we could do an even better job of saving, especially now that we have three children. Looking into the future, there will be cars to save for, college, and weddings! If we don’t start saving now, we won’t have the finances we need to pay for these hefty experiences. The last thing we want to do is go into debt.

I’ve had a lot of confidence during this time to make several lifestyle changes so that we can get back on track financially. With kids at home, I’ve been very creative in finding ways to save money. It has taken a lot of hard work and dedication to get to where we are today, but I do want to share our family tips with you that have helped us save more for our family’s future. If you are a mom or a parent, you can apply these tips if you want to start saving more, too!

How to Teach Kids to Save Money

1. Purge excess toys.

We donated a lot of toys. Our goal was to simplify and minimize the toys and control our spending on future purchases. Our children seem happier with fewer toys and our bank accounts are happier, too! We see our children using their imaginations more during play time.

2. Check out books at your local library.

We stopped paying for books at the book fair and book stores. Instead, we visit our local children’s library every two weeks and check out new books. My girls look forward to checking out new books. This also teaches our children responsibility because they have to keep up with their books and gather them all before we turn them in.

3. Save gift money.

When our children receive money for gifts, we invest it and match it. Each child has a college account that we make regular investments into. We do allow them to keep some of their money to spend.

Shop piggy banks to help you get started!

4. Encourage smart purchasing decisions.

If you give a child money and take them shopping, chances are they will pick out something that will be tossed aside shortly after they bring it home. When I’m out shopping with my girls and they are using their own money to pay for things, I ask them a series of questions to make them think before buying something.

– Is this something you need or want?

– Do you want to save your money for something else?

– Is this something you really love?

– How long do you plan to use this item?

– How useful is this item you want to buy?

5. Shop smart during the holidays.

During the holidays, we shop smart by buying things that are still considered fun and awesome to our kids, but things they need, too. This can include items like new toothbrushes, shoes, clothes, accessories, sports equipment, art supplies, etc. We no longer buy items that end up as clutter in our home. Gifts are useful instead.

6. Pack a picnic.

To avoid high food costs, we pack picnic lunches for our family and head out to the nearest parks to enjoy time together. This helps us save money on eating out at restaurants and provides more memorable experiences for our family.

7. Shop at thrift stores. 

I take my children with me to thrift stores to find clothes and other items like books. We rarely shop at retail stores and pay full price for anything. I love getting more for less. When looking for clothing, we do look for items that are free from stains, holes, rips and tears, etc. I can find new to almost new clothing for all three of my children at thrift stores.

There are many other ways we save for our family’s future, but these are the top ways we save. These savings add up over time!

Read How to Teach Kids About Money

The Importance of Family Game Nights

The Importance of Family Game Nights

My husband and I made a commitment to spend more quality time with our children this year.

My girls are at the age where they both enjoy playing games and they ask us regularly to play games with them.

I believe that a family that plays together stays together!

I also believe that game nights are important because they teach good communication skills, problem solving, strategy, teamwork, and great sportsmanship!

How I Choose Games For My Family: 

I do a lot of research on games before choosing the ones that I feel are right for our family. I need these games to be entertaining for everyone, including my husband and me!

When choosing games, I make sure I read the reviews to get an idea of how the game is played and if it’s something we will all enjoy.

It needs to be a game that’s so fun that it will “survive” my next decluttering session.

1. Quality

The quality of a game is also important to me. I like games that are well made. I need games to last and not fall apart the first time we play.

This includes the box that the game comes in as well as the pieces or cards inside the box. Games to me are an investment and I want them to last a few years!

It’s not fun to have broken or torn pieces to a game. I make sure the games are something that can easily be stored and games that are designed to last.

2. Educational

I look for games that are educational. Many of the games we have are educational and some are more for just simply having fun.

I like to find games that help my girls add or subtract, read, count, you name it. I also like games that challenge their thinking and help their memory.

Learning while playing is very important to us! If they can have fun learning, I’m a happy mom!

3. Affordable

Finally, I look for games that are affordable. I always try to make sure I find good deals on games before buying.

I like to browse through the games at Amazon to add to our game closet! Here’s a list of games to help you get started on game nights!

Hasbro Connect 4 Game

Jenga Classic Game

Yahtzee Game

5 Second Rule

Catch Phrase Game

HedBanz Game – Edition may vary

Melissa & Doug Suspend Family Game 31 pcs

Hasbro Pie Face Game

Qwixx – A Fast Family Dice Game

Trouble Game

Hasbro Scrabble Crossword Game

Ideal Hot Potato Electronic Musical Passing Game

Deluxe Bingo Set

Yeti in My Spaghetti

The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game

Speak Out Game with 10 Mouthpieces

Jelly Belly 4th Edition Beanboozled Jelly Beans Spinner Gift Box, 3.5 oz

Monopoly Deal Card Game

SKIP BO Card Game

Pictionary Card Game

Spoons Case

Charades for Kids

Pop the Pig Game

Lets Go Fishin

Perfection Game

Classic Operation Game

Googly Eyes Game

Hungry Hungry Hippos

Pressman Toys Shark Bite Game 2-4 Players

Simon Micro Series Game

Hasbro Games Toilet Trouble

Dont Break the Ice Game

Candy Land The World of Sweets Game

Stinky Pig

Twister Game

Alphabet Bingo Board Game

Educational Insights Pancake Pile-Up! Relay Game

5 Second Rule Junior

Do you schedule regular game nights with your family? What are your favorite games to play?