Hurricane Preparedness Time Again

It’s that time of year again — hurricane preparedness. Hurricane season begins June 1st, so it’s once again time to put together a supply kit.

A project for this coming weekend…

The National Hurricane Preparedness Week site suggests the following list in creating a disaster supply kit:

Water – at least 1 gallon daily per person for 3 to 7 days
Wow that’s a lot of water, when you consider we have 11 people in the family! How can this be part of a “kit”? If were to have to evacuate, how would we fit 33+ gallons of water in the back of the van? Any suggestions?

*Food – at least enough for 3 to 7 days
— non-perishable packaged or canned food / juices
— foods for infants or the elderly (N/A for us)
— snack foods
— non-electric can opener
— cooking tools / fuel
— paper plates / plastic utensils (we keep in the van for spur-of-the-moment picnics)

* This is why we need to put together a “camp kitchen”. I want to make one for re-enacting that contains such things as necessary spices, utensils, baggies, paper towels, trash bags, etc. The smaller items would be contained in a wooden patrol box made for this purpose, while the larger items, like our cast iron pans, would be in a Rubbermaid container. This would make these things very easy to grab as we are headed out the door in gas of a sudden evacuation.

Blankets / Pillows, etc. – (Again, we have all of our Civil War camping gear in the garage on racks, with the containers labeled. Extra bedding and pillows are there — easy to grab.)

Clothing – seasonal / rain gear/ sturdy shoes
(THIS could be the tricky one. Half the time we can’t even FIND a full pair of shoes for everyone when it is time to leave the house.)

First Aid Kit / Medicines / Prescription Drugs
(I have a basket that goes with my Civil War reenacting supplies which contains essential medicines and such. I need to make sure all are still accounted for, and we need to re-stock our first-aid kit. It has dwindled significantly.)

Special Items – for babies and the elderly – (N/A for us)

Toiletries / Hygiene items / Moisture wipes
(There SHOULD always be wet wipes in the van at all times anyway — I need to put together a toiletry kit.)

Flashlight / Batteries
(We have flashlights…but the batteries NEVER work. We need to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. Keeping extra batteries on hand doesn’t help. Been there, done that. The “extras” tend to sprout legs and walk away.)

Radio – Battery operated and NOAA weather radio
(Need to buy. We have a weather radio, but I don’t think it is cordless. Do they make solar charged ones? [See my issue with batteries, above]).

Telephones - Fully charged cell phone with extra battery and a traditional (not cordless) telephone set
(We have three cell phones…at least ONE should be charged. Extra cell phone batteries are a good idea. And we have a traditional telephone set, but it goes through an electric modem (VOIP), so that wouldn’t help much, would it?)

Cash (with some small bills) and Credit Cards – Banks and ATMs may not be available for extended periods
(THIS could pose a problem. We don’t HAVE credit cards…and I rarely have cash. How much cash should we have?)

Keys
(Always in my purse or on a lanyard hanging from my neck.)

Toys, Books and Games
(Not a problem. Note to self – put all of the SMALL games like Pass-the-Pig and Uno in a container that could easily be taken with us if need be.)

Important documents – in a waterproof container or watertight resealable plastic bag — insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc.
(Ever since Rob’s motorcycle accident, I have been nagging asking him to get all of this information together for me. I don’t have access to ANY of this stuff. I need this just in case, ya know? We should put all of this into one of those weather-proof, fire-proof safes.)

Tools – keep a set with you during the storm
(I *think* Rob keeps tools in the van at all times.)

Vehicle fuel tanks filled
(OUCH! We need to take out a mortgage for this these days.)

**Pet care items
— proper identification / immunization records / medications
— ample supply of food and water
— a carrier or cage
— muzzle and leash

** another one that could get interesting with two cats, a pretty large dog, a lizard, and a turtle.

Now to get to work on this.
Anything I missed?

Goals for 2008

We all have the best of intentions, don’t we? Remember my goals for 2007? Well, I didn’t quite succeed. I did better…but I didn’t succeed.

My health and weight goals for 2007, included getting down to my goal weight of 110. I almost got there; reaching a low of 113 (before gaining 14 of those pounds back).

The goals also included getting plenty of exercise; walking at least 15 miles per week, working out for at least four hours per week, and hooping for at least 2 hours per week. I had a very good start — until we moved in August. *sigh* The current neighborhood has no gym and the current house is lacking the private lanai that I needed to “hoop” inconspicuously. I hate to have the neighbors see me hooping. As for the walking, my only excuse is a lack of motivation. Exercise really IS the key though. Prior to moving, I was 113 lbs. The lack of exercise which resulted from the move has NOT been kind to me.

The good news is, I still weigh ten pounds less than I did last year at this time, so at least I ended up in the right direction.

Water? My goal was 70 oz. + per day. I haven’t even come close to this goal in months.

You can see my Bible reading goal for 2007 here. I have failed miserably.

I need help. I have great difficulty “just reading” the Bible. If there is no application, I zone out — end up just reading the words, with nothing registering. I suppose that is the ADHD in me…but I just can’t focus.

How do you do it? Please share. What devotional materials, if any, do you use? How do you maintain a focus or gain life application? When do you do it? The whole “getting up earlier” thing doesn’t work for me because I already physically wake up early — before 6am, but my mind remains in a fog. I can’t focus on anything in the wee hours. I don’t even start school with the children until after 10am; at which time my brain has received enough sunlight for it function properly.

And if I TRY to get up earlier, even in a brain fog, it never fails; the children decide to wake up even earlier too. This just leaves me frustrated. Not a good way for a non-morning person to start the day. So again, I really need help. Give me your ideas. What works for you? I need some suggestions and a plan so I don’t set myself up to fail again this year.

Also, what do YOU do for exercise — if you have no access to a gym?

And here is another situation that I need to address in 2008. I am a neat freak; the ultra-organizational type. I believe firmly in “a place for everything and everything in its place”. That is why the current condition of my home is driving me absolutely batty! I am SO stressed out! I have never fully recovered from this latest move — plus we have downsized from a 3200+ square foot house with nine good-sized closets and two pantries to a 2000 square foot house with seven not-so-good sized closets and one pantry. I can’t get everything into its place! Paper piles have begun to stack up everywhere…even being thrown into filing cabinets (unfiled) and drawers. Even my home organizational binder has gone awry. It’s an obsessive compulsive mother’s nightmare. So things I MUST tackle in 2008 (before we may have to move again in August) are –

Organizational Goals:

• The home organization binder
• My lesson plans
• Organizing every drawer in the house
• Organizing every cabinet in the house
• Organizing the filing cabinets
• Organizing every closet in the house
• Tackling the clothing and shoes — again!
• Making new clothes for all the little girls.

Hmmm…that’s one item for each month leading up to, and including, August. Maybe I should plan to tackle one item each month – and blog my progress.

Other goals (health and weight goals) remain the same:

• I plan to weigh 110 by this time next year. That is my”healthy weight”. That means a loss of 16 pounds.
• Water – 70 oz. + per day, starting today?
• Exercise? Yes! But I need to set a goal. I can’t do it without a plan. Your suggestions welcome and appreciated.

Bible:

• Bible reading/study? Ditto the exercise objective. Help appreciated.

In closing, without accountability, I am prone to failure. I have noticed this time and time again. Anyone care to be my accountability partner? Please?

The Prize Basket

 

This is for those of you following my posts on the topic of home management and children’s chores — a photo of the “prize basket”.

As mentioned in the children’s chores post, the prize basket contains all sorts of goodies for which points (earned for diligent work) can be traded. The most expensive thing in the basket cost me $5.00 — the cheapest, just pennies. Most items were a dollar or two.

Point values are marked on the items with Sharpie. You can clearly see one marked 50/100. This means that the “cost” for this item is 50 points for the oldest four “buddies” , or 100 for the youngest four (who do about half the work).

Managing the Home – Janne Style

My Chore System in Detail

I mentioned in this post that the keys to managing the household in a super-sized family is to have the entire family working as a team and to train the children to do their part as early as possible.

I know we all have a different system that works for us, even among different “large” families. And I know that some are still trying to find a system that works. It is my hope that through reading about my system, you can at the very least glean some ideas if you are one of the ones struggling. I have re-vamped our chore system several times over the years and have finally come up with something that works for us!

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My MemoryStor Universal Cart & Organizer!

What a find! I mentioned in my closet organization post that my new organizer was worthy of a blog post of its own, and now you will see why.

A couple of weeks ago we bought a new-to-us van. We, having purchased it over the internet, were fully expecting it to be as described (it was described as an XLT, such as our old van), but it wasn’t. It was the base model…with no extras; not even storage pockets in the doors! So we started out on a quest to buy some sort of console or organizer to keep our necessities and maps in — but we soon found that those organizers sold in the automotive departments are *well* out of our price range.

Thankfully, during a trip to Costco, we happened upon this!

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My Closet is Finished!

I managed to finish my closet on Thursday, but it was more work than I had expected, so the family closet still has not been tackled (we spent all day Friday at the beach — Rob’s day off). So…perhaps tomorrow I can blog a success story regarding that closet…but HERE is the “Mama’s closet” success story in photos.

Here is the left side of my closet, as you walk in the door. The lower rack holds my purses, beach bag, bicycle helmet, hydration pack, and spare hangers.

The top rack contains my robes and all of my current (summer) clothes. On the shelf you see baskets, containing medicines and hair accessories.

On the floor are my exercise/birth ball, sewing machine, and rolling tote/cart containing all of my sewing supplies — a tote SO WONDERFUL that I intend to write a new post specifically about it!

This picture is of the upper part of the left side of the closet. I am very, VERY blessed to currently have a closet with high ceilings so I am able to stack plastic totes on the higher shelves.

These are the 18 gallon Sterlite totes, stacked two high, containing Christmas and birthday gifts that I have bought throughout the year (and don’t want prying young eyes to see).

As you look around the closet to the right (photos below), you see the back and part of the right side of my closet. The lingerie chest is to the back, currently containing, besides some of my lingerie, workout clothes and Tumblina’s scrapbooking supplies.

Hanging above the lingerie chest are my sun visors. And hanging on the rack to the right are Audrey’s Civil War re-enacting clothes, my Civil re-enacting clothes, and my off-season (winter) clothes, church clothes, long dresses/jumpers, and jackets.

On the floor, in a Rubbermaid tote, you can catch a glimpse of my gift wrapping supplies and gift bags.

This photo (below) shows the top of the closet on the right-hand side. On these shelves are: the small teddy bear that the boys bought for me, several containers of sewing patterns (organized by type), musical instruments, more sewing pattern containers, a container of unfinished sewing projects, and “Papa Bear”, a teddy bear that I have had since the age of three.

The two 18-gallon Rubbermaid totes to the left are on a shelf above the lingerie chest and contain my old (as in dating back to high school) photographs, yearbooks, scrapbooks, etc (things that would be ruined if stored in the garage or attic).

I’m Going In!

If you know me, you no doubt know me as somewhat of a neat freak. I thrive on neatness and organization. But alas! I have one little area in my life that tends to suffer — the master bedroom closets. It seems that these are seen around here as the dumping grounds — a free-for-all, which the children enjoy using for anything and everything they don’t wish to put away.

I started on my closet a couple of days ago, and never quite was able to finish, due to getting slammed with a migraine — but at least I was able to wade through enough to find out what was taking up the majority of my closet space — Audrey’s porcelain dolls and all of the misc. re-enactment junk.

So today I shall finish tackling my closet, all of the re-enactment stuff, and (if I can find a rope to tie around my ankle with which someone can pull me back out) the “family” closet (formerly known as Rob’s closet).

If I survive to tell the story, you will be hearing from me later.

Toy Organization :)

Jill asked,

Where’s the mess of toys?! Is it just not back in the room? I would love to know what can be done with all the girls’ “stuff”!!!

Well, here they are!

Rob and the boys designed and built some PVC racks to fit the containers of toys we have. The photos above are the result. The rack in the top photo holds 6 18-gallon totes, and the rack in the bottom photo holds 12 10-gallon totes.

Now, if I could talk them into getting that garage organized!

I Generally Get it All Done — But Not Alone

Yesterday I mentioned that Sandi is having a contest (make sure you pay her a visit!), and I just wanted to try to encourage other moms by sharing my response to the theme of Sandi’s contest:

Honestly, in order for me to “get it all done”, two things come into play: training the children, and accountability. Neither one, obviously, happens overnight.

If I had to “get it all done” by myself, it would never BE all done. I am simply one little person, in a household of 11.

I begin training the children to do chores very young. As soon as they have their second birthday they are added to the chore lists, starting with simple things, like folding washcloths or feeding the cats. I also allow them to experiment in the kitchen at a very young age (with supervision at first, of course). Let them cook while they are interested. Don’t shoo children out of the kitchen. Yes, we have had our share of burned cookies and mystery casseroles that no one really finds palatable, but the creators of these mishaps have learned from their mistakes and can eventually cook a full-course meal by themselves.

It all pays off. I vividly remember Thanksgiving of 2005. I was in bed with a TERRIBLE migraine, and thinking Thanksgiving was ruined. In reality, to my surprise, my three oldest children had taken the initiative to prepare the entire Thanksgiving meal by themselves, even down to setting the table!

As far as accountability, the most important person to be accountable to (besides God) is oneself. I have a mom binder, appropriately named “Mama’s Little Attempt at Sanity”. In it I keep chore lists, “to do” lists, library book lists, a calendar, menus, shopping lists, lesson plans, etc. Everything in one place to keep me from getting frazzled. If I get off-track I know I need only look in my binder to see what needs to be done. I view it this way: if I worked outside the home, and my boss told me that these are the things which need to be done today, I’d make sure they got done. After all, my job would depend on it. How much more important is our job, as mothers, than any outside job would be? We know what needs to be done. Write it down and consider it to be as important as if it were from “the boss”.

And the most important at all – the key to maintaining motivation is REWARD! Everyone likes to be rewarded for a job well done. For the children and their chores, I award points and demerits for their jobs. At the end of the week they use their points to draw from “the prize basket”. For me, at the end of the day, when all is accomplished, I may reward myself with a couple hours of tv, or watch a movie. At the end of the week, I may reward myself by indulging in something delectable — something CHOCOLATE!

Okay, I guess this got a bit long, but I suppose to summarize, I don’t believe someone can “get it all done” alone. It needs to be a team effort with family, accountability is a great motivator, and rewards serve as a good incentive to keep up the good work!

The encouragement part in this would be:
Remember, it’s not going to happen overnight…but it will happen!

First Things First

First off, I want to wish any of my blog visitors a very HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope the year 2007 (Wow! Is it 2007 already?) is filled with many blessings.

I thought it best to wait until the new year to move my blog to its new location, so it could be a sort of new beginning for the new year. (I will not be moving my old posts, so all my archives can still be found at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Janne).

Now, onto the difficult topic — resolutions. I know, I know…but I really mean it this time! There are so many things that I *must* resolve to do in the new year. These things aren’t just going to magically happen. I have a mental list about 38 pages long of things I need to do, but I don’t want to overwhelm myself, thus suffering defeat before I ever get started, so let me just tackle a couple for now:

• I resolve to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
  This means diet and exercise. (Yes, I said those two dreaded dirty words in one sentence, I apologize.) This means I MUST start eating healthier. Period. No more pasta and pizza and ice cream bars. (I won’t discuss the amount of weight I have gained since Thanksgiving, when I started really letting my eating habits slide). And I need to exercise, regularly — meaning something more strenuous than getting up from my computer to go to the potty. (Hey, I can almost get away with blaming my hubby for this one. I had a really good exercise routine going on until he went and broke his leg!)
• I resolve to read the Bible more.
  “Any”, I am ashamed to say, is more than now. I could offer you lots of excuses, which would seem like really good, even justifiable excuses, but doing such would be an insult to God. The real truth, and He knows it, is I’ve gotten lazy. I have allowed other things to distract me away from Him and His Word.

So, those are my resolutions. I will be working on my goals next. Anyone want to share their resolutions and acquire an accountability partner? I know myself well enough to know that without accountability, I will fail before ever reaching my goals.