So Much to Store... So Little Space

So I had intended to write this before I moved.  But moving is quite an undertaking in and of itself.  Moving across the country is a monstrosity we don't want to discuss further ;).  Clearly, I simply didn't get around to it.

Basically, I wanted to share, briefly, that a lot of space is not a requirement for creating a home store of food.  True, it may seem like it is.  And absolutely true, it is probably nicer and more convenient to have a dedicated space for all of one's home store.  But there are ways to store a lot in not so much space.  I know, because I did it.

Prior to moving, our apartment was under 1000 square feet.  When we first moved in, there were two of us.  We doubled our family size in the 3.25 years we lived there.  And we were running out of space.  But that didn't sway us from our goals in regards to having a home store and being prepared.  It just required that we be a little creative.

My first suggestion is a can rack of some sort.  I happen to have a very capable husband who likes to create and build.  So, for Christmas one year, he made me a can rack.  If you don't have the time or desire to make your own, you can buy one!  In fact, THRIVE Life sells them in a variety of sizes, and they are fantastic!  In time, once we have a home of our own (we are currently staying with family and all our stuff is in storage), I fully intend to get one of these for my #10 cans!  You can check them all out at my website:  www.thrivelife.com/thriveingnilla (follow that link, click on shop, and choose "food rotation systems" on the left-hand side). 

 So that's a picture of my can rack.  And you can see I used the top of it for other storage of food.  Plus a shelf in the top of my closet was full of open THRIVE. By the way, did I mention we kept all that in the closet in our bedroom?!?  Haha.  Like I said, not the most convenient, but it's where we had the space.  So it's what we did.

These are the buckets that hold our bulk basics.  Flour, sugar, oats, rice, macaroni, powdered milk, etc.  These were in the living/dining area under an overhang from the kitchen counter.  Visible, but out of the way.  One time, the property manager stopped by, and, seeing all these large buckets, thought we were painting.  Hahaha.  We told him it was food.

 This was a bin in our closet in the master bedroom that held unopened bulk items (things we bought at Costco, like oats, sugar, flour).  We always keep a back-up.

 This was an old cabinet that ended up in our possession.  I used it for open THRIVE -- mostly pantry cans.  It could be shut and was therefore not super visible. 

 This is what under the bed looked like.  This was under my side of the bed.  The next one was under my husband's side of the bed.  We even stocked up on baby formula!

 And this was the bottom shelf of some long (and in many ways otherwise useless) shelving in our bathroom.  About half of the shelf was behind a wall, so it wasn't easily accessible.  So I decided to keep our "rainy day" extra THRIVE Life cans there.  These were ones I wouldn't open immediately, but they were there for use if needed. 

So yeah, it was probably less than idea.  Well, it was.  But it worked.  I truly believe that, if you are committed to doing something that is important, you'll find a way to make it work.  And for us, having a home store is important.  I'm grateful we could find ways to store all our food.  But I'm definitely looking forward to having our very own house and having a space that is just for this purpose!

Happy THRIVEing!

February Home Store Challenge: Debriefed!

Today I went to the grocery store and bought groceries for the first time in about 6 weeks.  I bought a lot of lettuce.  LOL.

The truth is, I had been wanting to experience the whole "living off our home store" thing for quite some time now.  I wanted to see how practically we had prepared.  I wanted to know how well we were doing.  I wanted to know we could eat good food, not just sustainable food.  I'm a total foodie.  I am sure if I am in a situation where it's "starve or eat gruel" one day, I'll find a way to choke down the gruel.  But if I can avoid that choice, and instead have the choice of "eat yummy food!"...  Well, I'll pick the yummy food every. time.  So I had been wanting to know how well I could do this for my family.

Due to a couple of other circumstances (namely that my grocery budget was in the red, due to 1/4 of a cow we bought at the end of last year and the fact that I hadn't created a sufficient buffer in our grocery budget to cover said 1/4 of cow; and also the fact that we are likely moving out of state in the not-too-distant future and therefore had reason to work on consuming said 1/4 cow as well as other perishables in our house), I decided February would by my month of finding out the answer to those questions.  Some of you may have joined me on my journey in February, whether via Facebook or through this blog.  You have seen the meals I have prepared for my family throughout the month, using only what I already had in our home from mid-January.  It was an awesome experience, and I really enjoyed doing it.  I may do it again sometime in the future, just for practice.  Because I think we can always learn more.  But for now, this is what I've learned:

1.  Whole Egg Powder is a must in my household.  Either that or chickens.  Or preferably both.  I really believe in a variety of things, because you just never know what situation might present itself.  My husband also says he thinks we should have a rooster.  I'm really on the fence about that one.  I mean, I can totally see the logic in it; but (call me wimpy), the idea of eating fertilized eggs really grosses me out.  So we shall see...  I am, as my husband accuses me of being, a total city girl ;).

2.  I love fresh produce.  And, surprisingly enough, it's not even the fruits that I missed.  It was the vegetables!  Why?  Because I depend a lot on salads as a quick source of vegetables for my family!  My THRIVE Vegetables were AWESOME.  Seriously.  But THRIVE doesn't make freeze-dried lettuce.  This meant I had to learn how to make delicious vegetable dishes using my THRIVE veggies!  It was a great learning opportunity for me, and I came up with a written recipe (based on my friend Tina's recipe) for pea salad.  And I loved it.  I also developed a stir fry recipe not too long ago (before February began, though) that was super helpful for a delicious vegetable dish.  And I LOVED the vegetable soup I made with all my THRIVE.  Not only was it super-tasty, it was also super-easy to prep!  So I have filed those 3 things away for future knowledge of easy and delicious ways to use my THRIVE Vegetable home store ;).  And I also know I need to play around with recipe for vegetables using my THRIVE more!  But I also know my hope is that, if we ever do have to live off our home store for a couple months, I hope it's in the summer ;)!!!  Then I can grow my produce!  Hahaha. 

3.  In regards to my mention of the fruit above...  I totally didn't miss fresh fruits.  THRIVE Life fruits are awesome.  And technically fresher than at the grocery store, since they are picked ripe and flash-frozen within 2 to 4 hours of picking, then freeze dried (as opposed to being picked early, sprayed with chemicals, shipped, sprayed with more chemicals, and then being sold to you!).  Bananas are a huge staple in our house, and I was concerned it would be a real hardship without regular grocery-store bananas.  It really wasn't!  My kids were just as happy with the THRIVE Bananas.  And we also enjoyed THRIVE Raspberries, Blueberries, and Granny Smith Apples during the month of February.  PLUS the Snackies Fruit Crisps are also super-awesome and a great source of not only fruits, but vegetables!  Total win and must-have for our home store!

4.  Some of my THRIVE Life ingredients are so versatile!  They are definitely must-haves in my home store!  I mentioned the eggs above, but also the sour cream powder!  Twice I needed cream cheese or a soft cheese-like spread for a recipe, and twice I subbed THRIVE Sour Cream Powder!  It was awesome!  The lemonade powder is another great example of this (as would be the Lime Powder, which I didn't use in February, but which would be just as useful for things like salsas or key lime bars or limeade!

5.  Because I have been using THRIVE Life in my daily cooking for the last (almost) two years, this was not a difficult thing to do during the month of February.  It wasn't like I was all of a sudden changing my family's eating habits or ingredients.  I use a good mix of grocery-store items and THRIVE Life ingredients daily.  This meant I didn't have to feel stumped (or afraid) when trying to use the ingredients.  It also meant my family didn't turn their nose up at any of it (well, my girl didn't like the pea salad, but she ate it...).  This is a totally awesome reason for not only building your home store with THRIVE Life, but also using it in your daily life!  My hope is that none of us every has to rely on our home store exclusively.  But life happens.  Jobs get lost, people get hurt and can't work for a time, disasters do happen (consider Japan's earthquake and tsunami in 2011 and the emergency situation with their nuclear plant, which caused people to be advised to stay in their homes for days), and economies do fail (consider the plight in Venezuela that is going on right now).  It is comforting to know one is prepared for any of those events, should they happen, even if none of us ever wants to have to endure them.  I am prepared, not only with a home store of stuff, but also with the knowledge that helps me to use the stuff :).

I learned a lot.  And I wanted to share what I learned with you!  If you have questions, feel free to ask!  If you're interested in learning how you can build your own home store, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com or you can also follow me on Facebook at THRIVEing With Hila.

Happy THRIVEing!  And thanks for joining me on my learning adventure during my February Home Store Challenge :)!

Why I Prep

Preppers are a group who believe in being prepared for the unexpected.  I consider myself a prepper, even if I'm not the best at it.  I believe in being prepared.  I believe in being self-reliant as much as possible.  I believe in being able to help others when things are hard.

This is part of why I love THRIVE Life and my opportunity to be a consultant and share it with others. 

I think many people think it is silly to store a year's supply of food.  Silly to have a 72-hour kit.  Silly to expect something awful.  Perhaps we preppers seem like doomsday people.  I don't know.  I just know I feel peace knowing I am working to have food to feed my family.  That I am working to make sure we have potable water in an emergency. 

One night, while up in the middle of the night feeding a sweet baby, I came across this article from the New Yorker.  Perhaps you have seen it.  Yeah, I'll admit it is a scary article.  And it made me even more driven to prepare even more.  Since that article had so much interest (and scared a lot of people in the Pacific Northwest), there have been a couple other articles written.  You can read those here and here.  This is why I am a prepper.

The time is NOW to get prepared. I still have more prepping to do myself (for example, we don't have a tent...).  But I'm grateful for what I do have at this point to bring me peace of my mind concerning my family.  I'm grateful I have the opportunity to share THRIVE Life, a company with great-tasting, healthy, convenient food, which also happens to have a phenomenal shelf-life and will enable people to have THRIVEing lives in spite of difficult challenges which may come (in whatever form they may be in!).  And remember, as one of the articles states:  it is better to do something than nothing -- even if you can't do it all.  Start small.  But start!

Prepping for Baby!

As part of preparing for the arrival of our little bundle of joy, I knew I wanted to have several meals on-hand.  Over time, I decided I didn't just want dinner meals readily available, but also breakfast (since I have a hungry toddler to feed in the mornings :)). 

Once again, THRIVE Life has helped me!  And I can't say how much I love how versatile the product is.  It has helped me in so many ways with shaving time off meal prep, reducing waste, and offering my family healthier options (and easy ways to get veggies!).  And now it's helped me prepare for a baby!  So loving it!

So now I have dinners and breakfasts, all thanks to THRIVE Life! 

Here's what I now have on hand (in addition to several freezer meals that THRIVE also helped me with!):

Oatmeals (this is the basic recipe I followed, but changed up the fruit and some of the spices for some of them!)
Sausage Zuppa Toscana
Sloppy Joes (I haven't posted this as a jar meal specifically, yet, but plan to eventually.  The recipe is there, though, and I'll just add a can of tomato sauce since I don't have tomato powder on hand at the moment!)

I know it'll be so wonderful to have these on-hand when we have a newborn and sleep is hard to come by -- and time is a little crazy for a while :).  I love THRIVE, and I love my home store!

Would you love to do jar meals or learn more about them?  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!  We do jar meal classes periodically and are planning to do one in July for the sloppy joes!

Happy THRIVEing!

Preparing for a Pandemic

My intention is not to be an alarmist.  But here's the thing:  Ebola scares me. 

Perhaps this is because I read the book The Hot Zone many moons ago when I was in high school (and maybe I even read it twice...).  That book served to teach me that, sometimes, truth is much scarier than fiction ever could be.

And maybe it's because I've watched Hollywood give their take on pandemic situations with some of their movies (recent and less-recent) over the years. 

But I was less-than-thrilled when news of Ebola on another continent showed up in the news.  I'm even less thrilled now that there are confirmed cases in the United States. 

As with many things such as this, it got me thinking though:  How prepared is my family?  Could we hunker down for days, weeks, months, if we needed to?  Would we have what we needed to survive away from society?  And I keep coming back to the answer:  I'm not sure.  And maybe that's because I'll never feel completely ready.  I mean, who really wants to contemplate these things?  But it's so important to be prepared.  And now Ebola has given me one more reason to make sure we are.

So how can you be prepared?  Well, interestingly enough, ready.gov offers guidelines for helping people prepare for a pandemic situation.  They focused mainly on an influenza pandemic, and their guidelines include a 2-week supply of water and food.  You can check out more information here.  I am unsure if a 2-week supply would be sufficient for an Ebola pandemic.

The truth is:  I hope I never have to be prepared for an Ebola pandemic -- or any other one, quite frankly.  But as I read more and more in the news and do more and more research about being prepared, I am finding the reasons for being prepared are varied and plentiful.  And so, even if I never have to be prepared for Ebola...  I'd like to be. 

And you know what?  THRIVE Life can help you get your supply of food and water.  But I'm not intending this to be a "scare tactic" kind of thing.  Because you can prepare without THRIVE Life as well.  I honestly believe in being prepared -- and I honestly want those I care about to be prepared as well.  And that will look different for every one of us.  I want this blog to be a source of help, of information, and possibly even learning for those not familiar with the idea of preparing for the long-term in a variety of ways.  My family chooses to add variety to our home store of food with THRIVE Life, but that doesn't mean it's the right choice for everyone.  But becoming prepared is the right choice.  So please, if you take nothing else away from this blog, please know I want you and yours to be prepared.  Because, chances are if you're reading this, I know you -- and I care.  If you have any questions about how you can help your family prepare, please feel free to contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com.  I don't claim to be an expert, but I have been preparing with my family and researching preparedness for 3 1/2 years now, and I'd be more than happy to share my knowledge and experiences with anyone who would like help or guidance.

Food Rotation Systems: The Cupboard Cansolidator

I know I focus a lot on the foods available through THRIVE Life on this blog.  And that's because they are awesome on so many levels!

But THRIVE Life is so much more than their amazing food line!  In fact, the very first product introduced by the company (when they were known as Shelf Reliance) was the food rotation system!  You've seen these in the canned soup aisle in most grocery stores -- and you know you think they're cool :).

And, after all...  Don't you want a convenient, central place to store all the awesome foods in your home store?  With the food rotation systems, you have a great spot to store all your canned goods (both THRIVE Life foods as well as other canned goods) which not only stores it all for you, but also helps you rotate your food to make sure you use the oldest first!!!

I received this Cupboard Cansolidator yesterday from a friend!  Naturally I had to put it together :).  The picture above is put together according to the directions.  This Cansolidator is designed to fit right into your cabinet, automatically providing you with room to store all your canned goods in an organized and efficient way!  In the pictures below, the cansolidator is purposefully incomplete (because I lack enough pieces to construct it the wrong way ;)) with the intent to show you how the Cansolidators can be stacked to give you even more room!

If you're trying to get your kitchen organized, you definitely want to check out the Food Rotation System options available to you!  There's no better way to keep all your cans organized!

Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com to get yours today!

What to Store?: Vegetables

Part of being prepared in our family includes having a home store of long-lasting, great-tasting foods!  As I have mentioned in this blog before, we choose become prepared in this way because we follow the counsel of a living prophet; counsel we believe comes from the Lord.  We believe having a store of food can be beneficial for our family in many circumstances, including job loss, long-term inability to work, and possible disaster or emergency situations.  Or perhaps a home store may help this upcoming winter if there is a freak snow-storm where you live and you get stuck at home for a week or two!  The truth is, life is full of surprises.  For that reason, we believe in being prepared and following the counsel we've received.

And guess what!?!  Winter is coming!  So now's a good time to start stocking up just in case ;)!

So then the question becomes:  what do I store?

I'd like to take a moment to share something amazing about my mother-in-law, which she shared with me right before her THRIVE Party a couple weeks ago.  She has known times in the past in which her family used their food storage because my father-in-law was temporarily out of work.  Apparently they would sometimes be asked, "How do you eat with him not working?"  (The question was asking if their meals were different.)  The answer, because of her diligence in making sure they had a home store, was, "We eat the same as we did when he was working."  This is the benefit of a home store.  Because she had taken the time and put for the effort to build up her own family's home store -- with foods they ate on a regular basis -- they were able to continue eating as they always had (with the exception of some desserts).  I have to say, I really admire my mother-in-law for her wisdom and her diligence and determination to be prepared.  She is an example of the blessing a home store can be to a family facing financial difficulties, whatever those may be.

So again, the question is, what do I store?  And the answer is:  Store what you eat!  If you're family does not spend every day eating rice and beans, you probably want to store other alternatives.  I'm not saying rice and beans are not a good thing to have in storage!  They are a great thing to include in your storage -- and THRIVE Life can help you there!  But, though you can survive eating them every day, your family may not enjoy it so much.  And that's why I love THRIVE Life!  So much variety is available through THRIVE Life!  With THRIVE Life, if my family ever faces financial difficulties (or others that require the use of our food store), I don't just want to survive... I want to THRIVE!

Therefore, because my family doesn't only eat beans and rice day in and day out, I want to make sure I am storing other things.  One of the things my family eats (and which I feel are very important that we always continue eating) is vegetables!

Did you know that the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) recommends that adults have 2 to 4 servings of vegetables each day?

That's a lot of vegetables!  And THRIVE Life has an amazing selection of freeze-dried and dehydrated options for vegetables! 

One very helpful thing about THRIVE Life products is that they are labeled with the number of servings in each can.  This can help you determine how much of each THRIVE Vegetable you need for your family!

My family loves to eat the THRIVE Sweet Corn, THRIVE Green Peas, and the THRIVE Asparagus right out of the can as snacks!  (I even like to eat the THRIVE Cauliflower and the THRIVE Celery from the can too!)

Another amazing aspect to the THRIVE Life Vegetables is their long shelf-life!  Most of the vegetables will last 20 to 25 years unopened, and 1 year after they've been opened!  That's a phenomenal shelf-life!  Plus, there are no added preservatives to keep them lasting so long!  Imagine the peace of mind that comes knowing you have the vegetables you need to keep your family healthy for years to come!

In addition to tasting great and helping us know we have vegetables that will last a long time for our food store, theses vegetables save me a ton of time in my everyday cooking!  I am constantly using the THRIVE Celery in my soups, chicken salad, and other dishes.  Tonight I'll be making a chicken asparagus pasta!  The vegetables arrive at my door washed and chopped, leaving me the small task of scooping them out and adding them to the pan! 

If you'd like to try some THRIVE Vegetables and start building your vegetable home store, you can even start by ordering the Vegetable Variety Pack.  This pack offers THRIVE Life's best-selling, most popular vegetable items!  Truly a great, easy, and convenient way to start building your home store!

Do you have a favorite THRIVE Life vegetable?  Share yours in the comments!

And if you're interested in getting started with the Vegetable Variety Pack or any other THRIVE Life awesomeness, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com and we'll get you going!

The Q: Q&A

One of the many fabulous options offered by THRIVE Life is the Q.  Pictured above is my Q shipment for September!  (I am anxiously awaiting my October Q shipment -- it's wheeling it's way to me as I type!)

So, what exactly is the Q?

The Q is a convenient and easy way to get some of your groceries delivered right to your door every month! When you set up a Q through THRIVE Life, you set a budget of how much you want to spend on THRIVE yumminess each month.  You choose what items you want to have arriving at your doorstep and add them to your Q.  And then they arrive!  The idea is to reallocate some of your monthly grocery budget to ordering long-lasting, healthy, delicious, and convenient foods to start building your home store.  With the Q, you also have control over when your order processes each month (the date your credit card is charged).  You can even change it from month to month!  And though you can always order through me -- and always get the Q price when you do...  When you have a Q, you will get the Q price every time you log-in and place your own order on your Q!


What is a home store?

A home store is a supply of food in your home from which you can "shop."  It can be a time and money saver!  Here's how:  Have you ever found yourself in the middle of making a meal and find you are lacking one stinkin' ingredient?!?  I have.  And it is the most frustrating thing!  For me, it seems the ingredient I am most often without is sour cream.  Even when I plan my menu out for two weeks and I know I'm going to make a dish that calls for sour cream, I somehow frequently forget to put it on my grocery list.  So then it doesn't get purchased.  And then I find myself mid-meal-prep with no sour cream.  One day I called around to 2 friends who live nearby to see if they had any.  They didn't.  So I texted my mom at work to see if she did.  She did.  So I had to get my baby ready, and go to my mom's house for sour cream.  True, I could have gone to the store...  But since I could walk to my mom's, I saved gas.  And I saved myself on impulse buys.  But I still wasted a ton of time in the endeavor!  So guess what is coming to my house this month in my Q shipment?  THRIVE Sour Cream Powder!  I will never have to make an extra trip to the store -- or shop at Mom's -- now that I will have sour cream in my own home store!  I can just "shop" at home!!!

Is there a minimum required budget?

Only if you are a consultant, in which case the minimum budget to remain active as a consultant is $50 a month.  For non-consultants, there is no minimum budget.  You can set your budget at $20 a month or $200 a month, it's all up to you and what your family feels is best.  The most important thing to remember is that your budgeted amount does not include shipping.  Shipping is additional to your budget total.

Is there a contract or commitment for the Q?

Yes.  When you sign up for the Q, you commit to spending your chosen budget for 3 months.  For example, if you sign up for a Q in October at a budget of $60, you commit to ordering $60 in October (or whichever month you choose to begin, as you can post-date your first Q shipment), $60 in November, and $60 in December.  After the first 3 months, you can increase your budget, decrease your budget, pause your Q, or cancel your Q entirely.  It's all up to you!

When I am on the Q, are my shipments pre-determined, or do I get to choose what I want to have shipped to me each month?

It depends on your preference!  If you would like to allow THRIVE Life to select items for you based on some parameters you define, you can do that.  If you want to start out with one of their Smart Start Kits, you can do that. (These kits have the most popular items and will offer you a large variety for the first 3 months of your Q, giving you an opportunity to try several THRIVE Life products quickly so you can determine what your family likes best!)    Or, if you prefer, you can opt to always choose your items yourself.  This is what my family has chosen to do!  Then I decide each month what treasures will be arriving next :)!

Can I only purchase food items on the Q?

No!  THRIVE Life offers other awesome products, such as emergency essentials and food rotation systems -- and you can purchase them all on your Q, as well as the delicious, long-lasting foods!  (If you'll notice in the above picture, I ordered a 5-in-1 Emergency Whistle as part of my September Q!)

What is the Q Club?

The Q Club is similar to the Q, but better!  When you join the Q Club, you have access to new products when they first come out (meaning you can pre-order them before others can), you are able to purchase the Q-Pon item (the most deeply discounted item each month), and you receive rewards points!  Your rewards points can continue to accrue as long as you want them to, and then you can redeem them for free product at THRIVE Life!

How do I join the Q Club?

You can join the Q Club 3 different ways:

1. Become a consultant!  You are part of the Q Club free for life!
2. Set your Q budget at $100 or more and you're in the Q Club for free.  (If you choose to order the Smart Start Kits, these will automatically qualify you for the Q Club your first 3 months.)  Remember, the budget amount does not include shipping.  You must purchase at least $100 in product, NOT INCLUDING SHIPPING, to be in the Q Club at no additional charge.  If you choose to lower your budget to below $100 after the first 3 month commitment, you will retain the points you have earned, but you will not continue to earn rewards points unless you pay the Q Club membership fee.
3. If you do not wish to set your budget at or above $100 or become a consultant, but still want the benefits of the Q Club, you can pay $79.99 to join the Q-Club at any chosen budget.

I hope this little Q&A session about The Q has been helpful!  I know there is a lot of information to learn when one chooses to set up a Q, so I want to help as much as I can to make it easier to understand and use from the get-go!

I love my Q and look forward to filling it each month with the THRIVE Life goodies I want to try next -- or add to in my ever-expanding home store :)!

Would you like to set up a Q to help you build your home store?  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com and I'll help you get started!

72-Hour Kits: Toddler Kit

It's the very last day of September, but it's not too late to take advantage of the awesome National Preparedness Month Sales!  Contact me today at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com to place your order before the sale ends!!!

And now, for your Tuesday 72-Hour Kit information!!

So when my husband and I first set a goal to have our 72-Hour Kits ready, we didn't yet have our little munchkin.  But once she came along (and life settled down a bit ;)), I realized I needed to make sure we had a 72-Hour Kit made especially for her!  After all, her needs are different than ours!

She is now 16 months old, so she isn't a baby anymore (though she'll always be my baby), and so, over time, we've had to make changes to her 72-Hour Kit more frequently.  As of today, though, we have a Toddler Kit for her. 

What we have in our munchkin's Toddler Kit:

• 1 change of clothes (includes warm shirt, warm pants, socks) for cold weather
• 1 jacket
• 1 knitted cap
• 1 pair of mittens
• travel pack of toiletries (baby powder, shampoo, wash, diaper ointment, lotion)
• 5 pouches emergency water
• sippy cup
• 9 diapers
• 1 burp rag (she uses these to self-soothe while sucking her thumb, so we wouldn't want to be without one in an emergency situation)
• 6 boxes yogurt raisins (these are a favorite treat -- and I think if we are in a situation needing the kit, it would be nice for her to have a treat)
• 1 snack container of cheese crackers
• 5 squeeze-food pouches (I chose most that have a starch like rice or potato in it, plus one that has chicken, and one that has Elmo on the front -- she's a big fan).
• toothbrush
• wipes

As much as possible, I put things into gallon ziploc bags.

 

And then I stored everything in a large bag. 

Truthfully, until recently, I didn't have her kit at all ready.  I had a few odds and ends in it (like diapers, wipes, a bottle, and formula when she was smaller).  But it was not really ready for an emergency.  Posting these every week motivated me to get her kit 100% ready.  And that gives me great peace of mind.  I may add a couple toys and a book to the kit as well so we have something for her to be entertained.  But for the most part, this kit is done, and I feel better about it!

Hope this helps you prepare for any little ones you may have at home!  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com if you have any questions!

Happy THRIVEing! 

72-Hour Kits: Clothing

Happy Tuesday, fellow THRIVErs!!!  It's that time again...  Time to talk about 72-Hour Kits!!

I'm actually almost done with the categories of items my family has included in our kits :).  My final category?  CLOTHES!

Let's face it:  if we were in a situation in which we were living off our 72-Hour Kits, we'd probably start smelling pretty rough by day 3...  So it's kind of nice to have a change of clothes ;).  But that's not the only reason to have them.  Perhaps you live in Washington (as I do) and the odds of you getting rained on are pretty high...  Having dry clothes would definitely be beneficial.   Whatever the reason, clothing is an important addition to any 72-Hour Kit!

I didn't take a picture of all my clothing laid out.  But basically you'll want to be sure you have a few things as far as clothing goes:

• An extra pair of underwear (including a bra for ladies)
• 1 shirt
• 1 pair of pants
• 2 pairs of socks (I got this idea from Forrest Gump's Lieutenant Dan...  Protect your feet!)
• Sweater (in winter months)

You'll want to make sure you update your kit according to the weather, so you are sure to have the appropriate type of clothing to stay warm -- or keep cool.

Once again, I hope this information is helpful to someone out there!  I hope you've been able to see the value of a 72-Hour Kit and have learned how you can assemble your own kit easily at home!

As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com :)!

Want to know more about 72-Hour Kits?  Follow these links:

Why a 72-Hour Kit?
72-Hour Kits: Food & Water
72-Hour Kits: Hygiene Items
72-Hour Kits: Miscellaneous Items
72-Hour Kits: Survival Items

Water: An Important Component of Being Prepard

As I mentioned yesterday, I had  THRIVE Party Thursday night.  There were some great ladies there, and in the last couple days, I've been in contact with a couple of them who had some questions about preparing.

One of them asked if I had any advice about water storage, because her husband was very interested in that aspect of becoming prepared.  He had recalled attending a class in the past in which they spoke of things you can put into water to purify it.

So today I did some research to help her know what some of her options are!

My first piece of advice echoes what disaster-relief agencies such as FEMA advise:  You want to have at least 1 gallon of water per adult per day for at least 3 days.  I recently read in a FEMA handbook about preparing that a typical adult should drink about 1/2 gallon of water per day (it can be more for children or people who are ill).  But you would also want some water for other uses, such as brushing teeth, sponge-baths, and cooking.  That is why a full gallon is recommended for each day.  A 3-day water supply per person is a bare minimum, of course. 

I referenced how we handle our water storage in our home while I spoke of our 72-Hour Kits and having water included with them.  What we do is store our water in clean gallon jugs.  In order to make sure our water is rotated and stays fresh, We use this water for cooking (when we make soup or pasta or rice).  We then re-fill the jug when it is empty and it goes back into the rotation.  We currently have 7 gallons of water on-hand.  But this really isn't a long-term store of water.  This is actually very minimal for us -- and not quite sufficient since we have a toddler. 

That said, there are many ways to store larger amounts of water for the long-term storage.  Jugs are still an option.  However, having 50 gallon jugs sitting around and finding a place to put them (especially in our apartment) would be a challenge.  So what are my options?

One option is to have a very large water barrel, such as this one.  And if you want to have the whole kit to easily access that water, it's available here.  The large barrel will hold a large quantity of water to help you survive for a while until you could find another source of clean water again.

Another option is to have water filters.  This is probably the direction my family will go.  I like the idea of being able to get water from a stream and then filter it to make it potable.  This is one of the filters I am considering because it is rated to filter so much water.  I also like that it can remove 99% of viruses in addition to other bacteria and pollutants.

A third option is to have either drops to treat water such as these or tablets such as these.  The drops don't seem to purify as much as water filters or even the tablets, though.  So just a heads-up on that. 

I definitely plan to do more research to determine what will be the best option for our family.  And when I decide, I'll let you know!

Thanks for the question, Andrea!  I really appreciate the opportunity to research more and learn!

Do you have any questions or want to get prepared yourself?  Just contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!

72-Hour Kit: Miscellaneous Items

It's Tuesday again, so it's time to help you get prepared!  Especially because it's September, and that means it's National Preparedness Month!

Today I will talk about our "Miscellaneous Items" category in our 72-Hour Kits.  I found that many of the items we wanted to have in our kit either didn't fit into other categories, or the other gallon bags were too full.  That was mostly true in the case of the hygiene items.  So I let those items spill over into the "Miscellaneous Items" category.

Here is what we included in ours:

• Disinfecting wipes
• a comb
• extra pair of glasses (old prescription)
• contact case
• contact solution
• pen
• pencil (masking tape, duct tape, and electrical tape wrapped around the pencil)
• small notepad
• scriptures (Book of Mormon)
• pair of nitrile gloves
• a book for reading
• cash (whatever amount you feel is necessary -- but include change as well!)
• list of emergency contacts both in and out of state
• copies of important documents (birth certificate, driver's license, mortgage paperwork, marriage certificate)

Some of these items may seem superfluous.  Like a book for reading... I suppose it is likely that in an emergency situation, I won't care about reading.  But just in case...  It's nice to have the option.  Since I wear contacts, I decided to be prepared for any eventuality.  If I have my contacts in when we have to leave in an emergency, I probably will want to be able to take them out at some point if I cannot come home for 3 days or something.  Money is important.  And the change was suggested on some sites for use in a pay-phone, because often times in a crisis situation, cell phones become blocked or clogged with people trying to call others to let them know they are safe.  Of course, who knows if there even are any payphones anymore...  But just in case.  And then the emergency contact list is important as well.  You especially want to have an emergency contact out-of-state so that all of your family members can call that person and relay messages and that person can relay messages for the rest of you who may be in the state.  For example, my family is mainly in Washington, as is my husband's.  But my dad is in Alabama and my brother is in Utah.  In an emergency situation, we will all call my dad so that he knows who is accounted for, and he can pass that information on to anyone else who calls him from our state.  

It's true, I hope we never find ourselves in a situation that requires all of this preparation.  But I do feel peace knowing we have prepared so that we can hopefully get through whatever could come our way. 

THRIVE to the Rescue!: Whole Egg Powder

I have a great story to tell you about how THRIVE Whole Egg Powder came to the rescue for one of my friends (and customers) today.

She and I got together to write some "happy" notes to a few ladies at church.  About halfway through, my friend suggested we also bake some cookies.  Well, I think taking treats to ladies is always a good thing (I mean, who doesn't love a nice surprise treat every now and again?), so I totally agreed. 

But then, halfway through mixing everything, my friend realized she didn't actually have any eggs.  Her family doesn't eat many of them, so she often doesn't have any in her fridge.  She suggested she could walk to the corner store for eggs.  I suggested we check out her Smart Start: Chef's Selection boxes of THRIVE first, to see if THRIVE Whole Egg Powder was included.

And guess what:  she had THRIVE Whole Egg Powder in there!  So she opened up her can, added her powdered egg plus the required water, and voila!  Cookie-baking emergency thwarted! 

It was awesome.

This is the power of building a home store with THRIVE!  You have a long-term store of ingredients that you may run out of easily -- or even ingredients that you know you don't purchase often.  She now has a can of THRIVE Whole Egg Powder which will last her a year now that it's opened!

Her comment to me:  "I'm so glad you thought of checking in my THRIVE for that!  Now I can do a ton more baking and not worry about not having eggs!"

This saved her some money and time (a trip to the corner market)!  I love seeing others benefit from THRIVE as much as I have!!!

And THRIVE Whole Egg Powder was actually my very first THRIVE purchase...  Because I love the idea of having eggs in my long-term storage...  And because I wanted to be able to eat cookie dough guilt-free while pregnant :) :) :) (THRIVE Whole Egg Powder is not raw egg!)

Want to start building your home store with THRIVE?  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com and I'll help you get started!

72-Hour Kits: Survival Items

It's Tuesday, so you know what that means!!!  More about 72-Hour Kits and ideas to help you assemble your own!!  Especially this month, since it's National Preparedness Month!! 

Today I will tell you what we have in our 72-Hour Kits for survival items!

• an emergency candle (this will burn for 60 hours) 
• 3 other candles of varying sizes (for heating food, etc)
• a lighter 
• waterproof matches
• a 5-in-1 survival whistle (just got this with my September Q order, because it's on special this month!)
• extra batteries
• 2 rain ponchos
• 1 emergency lantern
• 1 emergency blanket
• hand-crank and battery-operated flashlight/radio/siren
• 2 packages hand warmers
• small first aid kit (bandaids, antiseptic wipes)
• pocket-knife
• Aleve
• iodide tablets (in case of a radiation leak -- we live near nuclear plants)

We pack all these items into a gallon size bag to try to keep them dry in case our whole kit gets wet somehow ;).

Many of these items are available through THRIVE Life.  You can even purchase a pre-assembled kit through THRIVE Life, if you don't want to have to figure out what you need and collect those items!

In case you missed it, I've also posted our Food and Water as well as Hygiene Items from our 72-Hour Kits!

If you'd like to place an order to help you start preparing, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!  I'll be happy to help you get started!

Happy THRIVEing!

Preparing With a Car Emergency Kit!

Though I have been trying to feature a post all about preparing with your 72-Hour Kit on Tuesdays, I was recently asked a question about a different kind of kit!  And I do love getting questions so I can answer them and help people with what they need right now!  So today I will discuss a Car Emergency Kit!

Let me offer a little bit of background as to why I got this question.  So my best friend lives in Alabama -- around the Birmingham area.  Though the winters get very cold there, snow and ice on the roads are not frequent occurrences.  And even when they do happen, it's usually a light dusting which melts before lunchtime.  And, usually, it happens overnight; so people are home safe in their beds, and many of the businesses and schools will just close in the morning.

Last winter was not a typical winter in Alabama...  There had been a forecast of snow on a specific day in the evening.  That being the case, many businesses were planning to close that night and possibly the following day.  But during the day, people went to work and school as usual. 

...And by 10 a.m. -- many hours before it was supposed to -- the snow was falling heavily.  People were trying to get home.  Interstates were backing up (when you don't know how to drive in snow, it's not an easy thing to do), accidents were happening.  Many people spent the night in their car, because they simply weren't moving.  Others were close enough to home to get out and walk.  For my best friend's daughter who'd gone to college that morning and didn't have a full tank of gas...  Well, she ran out of gas and ended up spending the night at a fire station.  Fortunately for her, she was able to get to a safe and warm place.  And she didn't mind hanging out with the cute fire fighters ;).  But for many others, the car was the best they could do to keep them out of the elements.  My best friend calls it Snowmaggedon.  And she wants to be prepared, in case it happens again -- for both herself and her daughter.  And she wanted to know what she should have in a car emergency kit.

THRIVE Life offers a pre-assembled car emergency kit.  But as with the 72-Hour Kit, you can also assemble your own and include what you think is most important.  The following list is what I personally feel is important in a car emergency kit.  Some of these things popped right into my head when she asked.  Some things she thought of.  Others come from the research I've done over the last couple of days.  (I've included links to items available through THRIVE Life.)

• Jumper cables
• work gloves
• walking shoes (if you usually wear flip flops or dress shoes in the car)
• flashlight and/or glow sticks and/or candles (2)
• water (preferably a gallon, but at least a few water bottles) and/or water filter
• food (we always have granola or trail mix bars in the car; I have a friend who includes THRIVE Express meals in her car kit, because they only require water and are packaged to last 5 years!)
• manual can opener (if your food requires one)
• basic first aid kit (band-aids, antiseptic cream, pain reliever)
• toilet paper
• blanket (preferably 2) and/or emergency blankets
• whistle
• garbage bag (you just never know how this can come in handy!)
• duct tape
• rope
• waterproof matches and/or lighter
• battery-operated or hand-crank radio
• cell phone charger if you have an extra
• hand warmers
• wipes and hand sanitizer
• feminine hygiene items (if you're female ;))
• knife or multi-tool
• pen/paper
• batteries
• sunscreen
• basic tool kit (screwdriver, pliers, wrench)

That seems like a pretty extensive list!!!   But many of the items are small.  I would recommend you get an opaque container and pack all these items inside.  A clear container could invite people to help themselves if the kit is visible through the windows, and they think you may have something they want...

You want to remember to rotate your food and water every 6 months or so.  Some medicines will also expire and need to be kept current.  For us, we are sure to rotate every 6 months because of General Conference, which is held every April and October.  That helps us remember to check all our kits.  So find a way to remind yourself every 6 months so you don't end up with out-dated food in your kit!

And one last tip:  It's a pretty good idea to always try to have at least 1/2 a tank of gas in your car at all times.  I'll be honest:  this is something I need to work on!

I hope this was helpful!  Remember, you want to make sure your kit meets your needs.  You may need to add more or less based on your family size, etc.  It's sometimes hard to know how to prepare prior to an emergency situation...  But any preparation is good, so don't be discouraged!  Because as someone once said:  "When it's time to act, the time to prepare has passed."  The time to prepare is NOW!

If I can help you in any way, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com.

Happy THRIVEing! 

National Preparedness Month!!!

Happy September Fellow THRIVErs!!!

Did you know September is National Preparedness Month?!?  What a great time to start getting prepared!  And to help you, THRIVE Life has super-awesome items on sale this month!  Follow this link to see all the items on sale!

Several of their Food Rotation Systems are on sale!  These are awesome shelving units which will help you rotate your canned goods!!  They help you have the storage necessary to have a good home store of canned goods (whether those be store-bought or THRIVE cans!).  And they help you use the oldest items first!  In this way, these nifty systems can help you reduce waste and save money, because you no longer need to throw away expired canned goods that got shoved to the back!!

There are many other emergency essentials available for sale as well -- from water filtration systems to emergency whistles!  You don't want to miss this opportunity to get better prepared for whatever may come!

And that's not all!  This month, it's time to "Rise and THRIVE!" with some delicious THRIVE breakfast items on sale!  Getting back in the school-year routine can be tough!  But THRIVE is helping you whip up tasty, quick, and healthy breakfasts for your family before they head off to school!  Dont' miss out on this month's Q-Pon item:  10 Grain Pancake Mix (it's already in my Q ;))!!  And check back at A THRIVEing Nilla each week to see how I'm using that 10 grain Pancake Mix in my everyday cooking this month as I begin a new "series" on this blog:  Cooking with the Q-Pon!

Let's celebrate National Preparedness Month by getting prepared!!!  If you're not on the Q, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com and I'll place your order and get you the Q price on these great items :)!

Happy THRIVEing!

72-Hour Kit: Hygiene Items

I don't know about you, but I am pretty sure I take for granted the ease I enjoy in being able to keep clean and do my daily "hygiene" routine.  So much so that I often don't even consciously think about everything I'm using to do so.  My hygiene items are always just there.  And, by this point, everything is just second-nature.  Generally speaking, there is usually only one event that makes me even consider all the hygiene items I use on a daily basis:  packing!  For a trip for my 72-Hour Kit, in this case :).

So I figured I'd share the hygiene items we decided are important for our 72-Hour Kit.  (The picture is of mine, so it has a few items my husband wouldn't need...  But that's where it's important to make sure you are packing what you need, if you choose to assemble and build your kit yourself!)

In my hygiene kit, I have the following items:

travel size shampoo and conditioner
1 bar soap
1 small hand sanitizer
floss
1 travel size toothpaste
1 toothbrush
9 sanitary napkins
1 roll toilet paper
1 travel size deoderant
1 hand towel
1 washcloth
1 small package tissues
1 hair scrunchie (wrapped around soap box)

Again, we pack everything in a ziploc back.  And I double bag the toilet paper -- because if I need toilet paper in an emergency, I don't want it soggy!

Granted, many of these items may seem superfluous in an emergency.  But I really like my hygiene.  I am a daily showerer, so I at least like the idea of having all the supplies I would need. 

As I've mentioned before, THRIVE Life has pre-assembled kits that make it easy to obtain your 72-Hour Kit for any emergency!   And, as with all of the delicious THRIVE Life Foods, you can get the most discounted price when ordering through me, so contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com if you want to place an order for your pre-assembled kit!

72-Hour Kit: Food and Water

As promised, I will start doing a 72-Hour Kit high-light!  Today we will focus on Food and Water in your kit!

Water:

Water is probably the most important part of a 72-Hour Kit.  Though highly uncomfortable and definitely not preferable, most of us can go several days without food.  Water, though, is another thing entirely.  We need water.  It is, therefore, vital that water be a part of 72-Hour Kit.  The recommended amount of water is a gallon of water per person per day; though that isn't really feasible for grab and go.  (That amount is definitely what you'll want for a home-store, though -- for 3 days.)   Here is how our family accomplishes this:

We purchased gallon jugs of apple juice and water, drank the contents, and washed the bottle (when it was apple juice).  We actually choose to filter our water, so all of our jugs are filled with filtered water.  One of the more difficult things is making sure you rotate your water storage.  What I have done is label the top of each jug (we actually have 7 -- the 7th is always on our counter-top in the kitchen).  I use this water for our cooking when whatever we are cooking will absorb the water (like pasta and rice), since we prefer the filtered water.  Then I re-fill the jug with filtered water when it's empty and get the next number.  So our water stays relatively fresh.  We keep these stored next to our 72-Hour kits (except the one in use) and hope that we will be able to at least each grab one gallon in the event of an emergency situation.

...But if not...  Well, that's where THRIVE Life has come in for us!  Those packets you see in front are full of water.  We each have a few of those in our packs.  They are light-weight and easy to fit inside the kit (as opposed to a gallon jug, right...?) and two of them a day will keep you alive, even if it's not the ideal. Also convenient:  these pouches are good for 5 years! 

THRIVE Life also offers water filtration devices.  In fact, I plan to include one of these in our kits soon.  I like the idea of being able to make non-potable water potable :).

Food:

So, while the food isn't as vitally important (generally) as the water, let's not kid ourselves...  We all know that we'd do better in an emergency if we had the nutrients and calories we need each day.  (For infants and young children, food is a much higher priority.  We actually have a whole separate kit for our toddler, and I will post that later.) 

One thing that is important with the food in a 72-Hour Kit is that you make sure it is rotated.  You don't want to find yourself needing your pack and then learn that all the food has spoiled!  We go through our kits twice a year (during General Conference) in April and October and eat all the food and replace it.  This has helped us keep fresh foods in our kit.  And it has also given us the chance to learn what works for us.

Making sure you have foods that store a long time is one area where THRIVE Life fruit pouches would be super helpful!  They have a long shelf-life with no added preservatives.  They are 100% real fruit.  And they are super-light-weight (just over 1 ounce)!  I haven't added any to our kits yet (because it honestly only just occurred to me), but I will be very soon!

Another thing THRIVE Life offers to make life simpler are calorie bars (available in different calorie amounts).  These are also light-weight and have what your body needs.  They are small, and easy to shove into a kit.  And they are also inexpensive.  So if you're more like my husband and you don't care a lot about what you're eating -- but rather how many calories you're getting...  These are a great option!  But my husband married me ;).  And I'm a total foodie.  Maybe I wouldn't care in a situation that deemed necessary the use of my 72-Hour Kit.  However, since I'm planning it now, and packing it now, I decided I wanted at least some variety in my foods during an emergency!  Ergo, our current food contents looks like this:

We have:
1 package beef jerky
1 squeeze tube jelly
1 small container peanut butter
2 packs Ritz crackers
3 trail mix bars
1 can chunk chicken breast
1 can v8

We package as much as we can into a gallon ziploc bag, to keep things together and also to keep things from getting wet in the event our kit falls into the water.

I should also mention that we opted for items we can eat without utensils.  That was a personal preference.

As I mentioned before, my husband and I decided to "build" our own 72-Hour Kits.  But if that isn't how you want to spend your time -- yet you still want to have one, THRIVE Life has a variety of pre-assembled kits which would benefit you in an emergency situation!

As always, feel free to contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com with questions or to place an order.  If any of the emergency essentials you saw in this post appeal to you, remember you always get the Q price (the cheapest price) when ordering through me!  And if you send me your email, I'll keep you up-to-date on specials at THRIVE Life :).

I hope these tips and information can help you begin becoming prepared in whatever way is best for you and yours!  Happy THRIVEing!

72-Hour Kits -- Why?

I love when people ask me questions regarding preparedness.  It gives me an opportunity to pause and think things through -- an opportunity to fully understand the benefits of being prepared and why I do it.  I am also able to talk with my husband about those questions and get his perspectives and thoughts -- which I really appreciate.  He helps me see things I hadn't seen before, and so I feel like I learn so much.  So I love questions about preparedness.  Feel free to ask me any you may have at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!  I will do my best to answer -- and research when I don't know the answer!

The question I got a couple days ago was this:

Why have a 72-hour kit?  What life event would require you to grab your kit and leave your home?  And where would you go?

I want to preface all of this by saying that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  We are commonly known as Mormons.  We believe we have a Prophet on the Earth today, just as in ancient times (like Moses and Noah of the Old Testament).  We believe the Prophet is called of God, and that God reveals to His chosen Prophet those things we on this Earth need to know.  We also believe in the prophecies in Book of Revelation.  We believe that there are troubled times ahead.  One of the things the Prophet has told us to do is to be prepared:  with savings, with a storage of food, with a 72-hour kit, with the ability to garden.  These things help my family be self-reliant and help us be prepared for whatever rainy days may lie ahead (whether those be natural disasters or loss of a job).  That is why my family chooses to be prepared and strives to become so in these areas.

In doing some research, I also found that there is a government agency which encourages people to be prepared in a variety of ways (and for a variety of reasons) including having a 72-hour kit.

So, as I mentioned before, these questions led me to ponder things.  Because I haven't been in a situation where I needed my 72-hour kit (and for that, I'm grateful), I didn't have a personal example to share.  However, I do remember significant events in my lifetime which I believe left people in a situation where they would have benefited from a 72-hour kit.  For example, Hurricane Katrina -- the massive Hurricane that destroyed New Orleans in 2005.  And the subsequent flooding that really created problems.  I can remember videos of people being rescued from roof-tops.  I think a 72-hour kit would have been helpful for people stuck like that:  they would have had water and food and some sanitary supplies to help them for 3 days.  Another scenario I imagined was an earthquake here where I live (again, this was just me imagining).  Perhaps our home was not stable and we couldn't go back in it due to lack of safety...  Having 3 days of supplies of things we need, particularly for the toddler, would be helpful until we could arrange more permanent plans.

But then, as I was talking with my husband, he pointed out some other scenarios.  Scenarios that really hit home for me.  One example he spoke of was, again, Hurricane Katrina.  But from a different perspective.  The people of New Orleans were told to evacuate when it was clear the hurricane would impact that city greatly.  Having the 72-hour kits would make it easy to grab the stuff you need to survive for 3 days and leave.  True, with a hurricane, you sometimes have a little more time to do some packing if you want -- and maybe it's not so urgent that your only option is the 72-hour kit.  However, there are circumstances where that could conceivably be the case.  The fact is, not far from where I live, there are signs for a Tsunami Escape Route.  We are not on the coast of Washington, so we probably wouldn't be impacted by a tsunami...  But people not far from us could be.  If there was ever an earthquake in the middle of the ocean, sizable enough to create a tsunami, people along the coast would be told to evacuate inland.  And they wouldn't have a ton of time to pack.  In fact, the potential for very little preparation time is real in this scenario.  I remember the descriptions of the tsunami that hit Indonesia around 2004A 72-hour kit would be very important in such a situation.  You'd be able to take what you need with very little time to prepare -- and leave. 

And you'd go wherever you were told to evacuate to.  Usually there are routes indicating where people should go in these types of events.  But it never hurts to have a plan in advance :).

So how can you have your own 72-hour kit?  Well, you can build one yourself (which is what our family has done) -- and I will post over the next several weeks about what we have chosen to include in ours.  Or, if building your own kit isn't really your thing, but you still want the peace of mind of having one, you can check out THRIVE Life's pre-assembled kits like this one.

I hope this helps answer any questions you may have about why a 72-hour kit could be important and useful for you and your family.  Again, I love questions about preparing, so feel free to contact me if you have any!  And if you're interested in learning more about how THRIVE can help you become better prepared, let me know that too!  I'm happy to help however I can!

72-Hour Kits: Food and Water
72-Hour Kits: Hygiene Items
72-Hour Kits: Survival Items 
72-Hour Kits: Miscellaneous Items
72-Hour Kits: Clothing 
72-Hour Kits:  Toddler Kit

How Can I Get the Most Out of My First THRIVE Experience?

The other day, I was asked this question: What products would I recommend to someone who was planning on trying THRIVE. What a great question! I gave an answer (which I will include here), but as I've pondered it more, I've also thought of other tips to help someone who is wanting to try THRIVE for the first time and wants to get the most out of their experience.

First off, I think it depends on what you plan to use the THRIVE for. What is your plan for using it? Is it something you want to just store for a while unopened to start building your home store -- your emergency food supply? Or is it something you want to open right away and try out?

For example, one of my customers shared that, at least initially, she wants to focus on getting products she can't get as easily elsewhere for her long-term storage. She doesn't like the taste of canned chicken, so she wants to get some of the THRIVE chicken. She wants a store of proteins that will last a long time. That is what is important to her initially, so that is where she is starting.

On the other hand, if you are looking for something tasty and healthy to snack on right away, there are a number of delicious things to try. My recommendation for this category is asparagus (we LOVE the asparagus! Including my toddler!), the green peas, the corn, and the pineapple chunks -- just to name a few . These are delicious and healthy and EASY for snacking. I love that. And I love that we are getting more veggies than before through the THRIVE.

But maybe you're looking for something to make your life easier? Make meal-prepping faster and more convenient. In this case, I would definitely recommend the Seasoned Chicken Strips (holy cow, have I raved about these enough!?!) or something like celery or onion -- things commonly called for in recipes which, by having your THRIVE, you don't have to chop to use in meals, because they come already ready-to-use!
And the other recommendation I have is this: make a list of items you know you throw out on a regular basis because they have spoiled before you got around to using them (for me, this is cilantro, green onions, mushrooms, bell pepper). Find out if THRIVE offers those items. You may want to consider purchasing those first, thereby helping you reduce waste and not "throw away money"!

I will post a link on the left under "Things You Want to Know!" for the THRIVE shopping list. Use it if it's helpful to you. Just a little way to organize your thoughts and maybe help you determine what might benefit your family most as you begin THRIVEing!

Hope this was helpful! And as always, feel free to contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or orders .