Emergency Preparedness - Hitting Home

I have written about emergency preparedness before, always as a dispassionate observer. Although I have an emergency kit and the ability to shelter in place, I didn't seriously plan for evacuation. Although I can't compare my situation with those in Colorado who have lost their homes to wildfires, I have gained some insight into the reality of dealing with having to leave your home.

The electricity went out in my neighborhood last week, after a powerful storm. For the first 24 hours, I thought it would be a short-term outage, ignoring the news reports of destruction. Then I got the news that we could be without power for at least a week.

My sister, who lives a few miles away and hadn't been impacted, offered her home as a temporary refuge. Her family was going on vacation and the house would otherwise have been empty, so it benefitted both of us. I packed the contents of my (very full) refrigerator and freezer and toted it all to her house.

Initially, I left the cat at my house, but multiple trips to feed her were becoming impractical. Since my brother-in-law is allergic, the cat has been exiled to the basement. Don't feel too bad for her; the basement is a finished playroom and she has plenty of space to run around.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

• Food in a full refrigerator will stay cold for up to 4 hours if you don’t open the door.  After that, it’s best to throw out perishables.  Food in a full freezer will stay frozen for up to 48 hours if you don’t open the door.  If your refrigerator or freezer isn’t full, the food will spoil more quickly.

• If you have pets, you need to consider where they will live if you have to leave your home. In addition, create an emergency kit for your pets so you can take it with you if you have to leave quickly.

• Even if you diligently back up your computer, there is a very good reason to use the “cloud.” Not being able to access my business files was a tremendous challenge. This week, I’m signing up for Dropbox.

• Eating junk food and watching too much HGTV is not going to make the power come back on, but it sure feels good as a stress reducer.

Do you have an emergency plan? Are you prepared to evacuate? What will you do with your pets?  Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by MarcieTM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value

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And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Emergency Preparedness - Hitting Home

I have written about emergency preparedness before, always as a dispassionate observer. Although I have an emergency kit and the ability to shelter in place, I didn't seriously plan for evacuation. Although I can't compare my situation with those in Colorado who have lost their homes to wildfires, I have gained some insight into the reality of dealing with having to leave your home.

The electricity went out in my neighborhood last week, after a powerful storm. For the first 24 hours, I thought it would be a short-term outage, ignoring the news reports of destruction. Then I got the news that we could be without power for at least a week.

My sister, who lives a few miles away and hadn't been impacted, offered her home as a temporary refuge. Her family was going on vacation and the house would otherwise have been empty, so it benefitted both of us. I packed the contents of my (very full) refrigerator and freezer and toted it all to her house.

Initially, I left the cat at my house, but multiple trips to feed her were becoming impractical. Since my brother-in-law is allergic, the cat has been exiled to the basement. Don't feel too bad for her; the basement is a finished playroom and she has plenty of space to run around.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

• Food in a full refrigerator will stay cold for up to 4 hours if you don’t open the door.  After that, it’s best to throw out perishables.  Food in a full freezer will stay frozen for up to 48 hours if you don’t open the door.  If your refrigerator or freezer isn’t full, the food will spoil more quickly.

• If you have pets, you need to consider where they will live if you have to leave your home. In addition, create an emergency kit for your pets so you can take it with you if you have to leave quickly.

• Even if you diligently back up your computer, there is a very good reason to use the “cloud.” Not being able to access my business files was a tremendous challenge. This week, I’m signing up for Dropbox.

• Eating junk food and watching too much HGTV is not going to make the power come back on, but it sure feels good as a stress reducer.

Do you have an emergency plan? Are you prepared to evacuate? What will you do with your pets?  Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by MarcieTM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value

Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

Although yesterday was Earth Day, it’s still being commemorated by people who celebrate Earth Month. In that spirit, there is something else you can do to help the planet while you reduce clutter in your home. While you're sorting and purging, you might come across expired medications.

I recently read a blog post that said you don’t have to dispose medication by its expiration date. Being the skeptic that I am, I followed the link that was posted to back up the claim. Although the source is legitimate, I have trouble believing the claim. If you have questions about how long you can safely keep medication before disposing it safely, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

To enable the safe disposal of unused or expired medication, The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) created National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The next scheduled event is this Saturday, April 28.   From 10 am to 2 pm you can take medicines to approved locations, which you can find on the DEA Web site

While the best way to dispose of any unused drug, over-the-counter or prescription, is to return it to your pharmacy for safe disposal, most people don’t have that option. The worst thing you can do is flush medicine, because it harms the environment.

Do you know of local or national groups that make it easier to dispose of medications safely?  Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by MarcieTM:  Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter and facebook And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

Although yesterday was Earth Day, it’s still being commemorated by people who celebrate Earth Month. In that spirit, there is something else you can do to help the planet while you reduce clutter in your home. While you're sorting and purging, you might come across expired medications.

I recently read a blog post that said you don’t have to dispose medication by its expiration date. Being the skeptic that I am, I followed the link that was posted to back up the claim. Although the source is legitimate, I have trouble believing the claim. If you have questions about how long you can safely keep medication before disposing it safely, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

To enable the safe disposal of unused or expired medication, The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) created National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The next scheduled event is this Saturday, April 28.   From 10 am to 2 pm you can take medicines to approved locations, which you can find on the DEA Web site

While the best way to dispose of any unused drug, over-the-counter or prescription, is to return it to your pharmacy for safe disposal, most people don’t have that option. The worst thing you can do is flush medicine, because it harms the environment.

Do you know of local or national groups that make it easier to dispose of medications safely?  Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by MarcieTM:  Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter and facebook And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Get Ready Day

As National Preparedness Month winds down, The American Public Health Association wants to remind you about Get Ready Day, the third Tuesday of September.  The aim of the campaign is to help you prepare for emergencies, including infectious disease, natural disasters and other catastrophic events.

They have free emergency preparedness fact sheets, in English and Spanish, which you can download here and keep with your emergency kit.

If you don’t have an emergency kit yet, now is a good time to create one.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money getting ready.  Check the fact sheet for preparing on a budget.  preparing on a budget.

Once you have a kit, you need to review it regularly.  To help you remember, their slogan is “Set your clocks, check your stocks.”  Put a reminder on your calendar to change your smoke detector batteries and update or replenish your provisions when daylight saving time ends in November.

You can learn more about the APHA and Get Ready Day here.

Organized by MarcieTM: Saving you time and money by helping you let go of what you don't need and find room for what you value.

Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Get Ready Day

As National Preparedness Month winds down, The American Public Health Association wants to remind you about Get Ready Day, the third Tuesday of September.  The aim of the campaign is to help you prepare for emergencies, including infectious disease, natural disasters and other catastrophic events.

They have free emergency preparedness fact sheets, in English and Spanish, which you can download here and keep with your emergency kit.

If you don’t have an emergency kit yet, now is a good time to create one.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money getting ready.  Check the fact sheet for preparing on a budget.  preparing on a budget.

Once you have a kit, you need to review it regularly.  To help you remember, their slogan is “Set your clocks, check your stocks.”  Put a reminder on your calendar to change your smoke detector batteries and update or replenish your provisions when daylight saving time ends in November.

You can learn more about the APHA and Get Ready Day here.

Organized by MarcieTM: Saving you time and money by helping you let go of what you don't need and find room for what you value.

Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Yard Sale Danger

It’s yard sale season. Whether you are buying or selling, be aware that toys and other children’s products that are popular yard-sale staples may have been subject to recalls. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reminds resellers not to sell recalled products. If you have concerns about buying or selling items that could be dangerous, check the CPSC’s website www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html  

You can search by product type, category, description or company. While the government isn’t looking to shut down neighborhood sales, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re not passing on something that could cause a hazard.

Organized by MarcieTM: Saving you time and money by helping you let go of what you don't need and find room for what you value

Follow me on twitter  and facebook

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Yard Sale Danger

It’s yard sale season. Whether you are buying or selling, be aware that toys and other children’s products that are popular yard-sale staples may have been subject to recalls. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reminds resellers not to sell recalled products. If you have concerns about buying or selling items that could be dangerous, check the CPSC’s website www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html  

You can search by product type, category, description or company. While the government isn’t looking to shut down neighborhood sales, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re not passing on something that could cause a hazard.

Organized by MarcieTM: Saving you time and money by helping you let go of what you don't need and find room for what you value

Follow me on twitter  and facebook

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!