Tag: National Preparedness Month

take a breath and prepare

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Take a breath.

Take a breath to recover AND also to prepare.

September is National Preparedness Month, www.Ready.gov.

Daily, it seems, I encourage others (and remind myself) to take a breath. To recover from an upset, to make space for peace, or perhaps to ground or center ourselves. Maybe to simply take a moment to relax.

Just last evening, I walked a class of students through square breathing during a Stress Management class at the local community college. Deep breaths won’t eliminate our stressors, of course, but they can certainly help us manage better whatever the day may send our way.

Fun fact, in addition to professional organizing and coaching, I am also a professional liturgical musician as a cantor and a flutist.

A recent Sunday, I was reminded that, in addition to taking a breath to recover from an exhale, we also take a breath to prepare for what is coming.

In music, phrasing is important. A misplaced breath can cut short a note, make a sentence awkward or leave a whole phrase weak and unsupported. In liturgical music, the songs are often sloooooowwwww and the phrasing is looooonnnnnggggg. So the trick becomes finding opportunities to take extra breaths unnoticed to prepare for those long notes.

WE tend to be more impressed when someone can hold those big crescendos at the end of a song for a splashy and impressive finish. But I tend to listen for and appreciate the long and sustained and supported phrasing throughout the song.

Another fun fact, I sing at 8 am Mass. I need to warm up first thing in the morning to hit the high notes that early, sure, but the more important thing at 7 am is actually warming up my deep breathing and lung expansion to support and sustain my phrasing. That is less natural for me than hitting the high notes.

So, let’s bring this into organizing. We organize to clean up or recover from day-to-day life. But I would challenge us all to also look at what simple steps we can take this week and month to prepare for day-to-day life.

Using my own analogy, for example, I knew days ago that today was going to be a day with LONG PHRASING, so I did what I could to “take a breath to prepare” with planning my clothes and meals ahead of time and taking care of some work a day early. I am also making sure to provide a steady and firm breath (use of energy and focus) but NOT too strong so as to spend all the breath or energy or focus all at once.

So, take a breath with me and think about what we can do to better prepare for our days.

Being Organized is Good For Your Health!

I didn’t want to scare any readers with a dramatic headline, but the opposite is true, too – clutter and disorganization can be bad for our health!

This week, in preparation for upcoming health and wellness events, I’ve been seeking statistics on the correlation between health and wellness and clutter and disorganization. And, let me tell you, they are all connected.

I have been asked many times before – Which comes first? Health problems that lead to disorganization and clutter? Or clutter and disorganization that lead to health problems? And truthfully, I don’t know the answer. OR, the answer is “It depends”, which isn’t helpful.

More important than the answer to “Which came first?” is to recognize they are related! And clearing clutter and getting more organized can help us to feel better in lots of ways, too!

Most of my articles are how-to articles, but this week, I also want to remind us all of the “Why?” as in “Why do we organize and clear clutter?”

So, first the bad news (the good is coming, I promise!): Disorganization and Clutter in our physical spaces can be dangerous to our health and well-being. Consider:

  • Did you know? Household clutter can harbor bugs, rodents, moisture, mold and dust. Being around these environmental hazards can make us all feel poorly, but especially if we have allergies or breathing issues.
  • Did you know? Clutter can make it dangerous to move around our homes and workspaces. Hazards might include narrowed pathways, teetering piles of stuff and items left on the floor for us to trip over.
  • Did you know? There is a physical weight to clutter. Overpacked purses, briefcases, backpacks and luggage take a toll on our shoulders, necks and backs.
  • Imagine a cluttered car. Now imagine having to stomp on the breaks in that car to avoid an accident. Anything in a car that is not strapped down becomes a projectile in extreme braking or the event of an accident.
  • There are physiological and psychological effects of clutter and disorganization, too. Clutter and Disorganization can exacerbate the symptoms of health challenges such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, to name just a few.

Fear not, though, because there is good news, too! Getting a handle on your clutter and disorganization can help improve your health and over well-being in MANY ways! Imagine with me:

  • Clear countertops and healthy food on hand in your kitchen helping you eat the way you feel you should for good health. A study from Cornell University found that the more cluttered a person’s kitchen counter is, the less likely they are to make healthy food choices.
  • Individuals living in clean homes are generally healthier than their counterparts living in clutter, according to research conducted at Indiana University.
  • Moving easily around your home if you can clear clutter and reduce risk of tripping or falling.
  • Being greeted by comfortable and inviting spaces in your home, which reduces stress and improves mood and immunity. According to The Anxiety and Depression Association of America, depression can cause clutter, and clutter can cause people to feel tired and more depressed!
  • Getting a better night’s sleep in an un-cluttered and peaceful bedroom. The National Sleep Foundation states that people who make their beds daily are more likely to sleep well every night, and 71 percent of us sleep better in a clean, fresh-smelling bedroom.
  • Feeling better when you can consistently take your prescription medications when you can find them when you need them, get them refilled on time and remember to take them because your routines support this habit.

So, as we decide to spend time on organizing and clearing clutter this week, let’s remember all the benefits that can we can reap!

Routines Now To Avoid Emergencies Later!

Looking back at the last week or two, what are some of the hiccups in your day that really set you back? Small annoyances or big problems that slowed you down, made you cranky, threw off your schedule and your flow? 

Now, look again, and ask “Could this have been avoided?”   Some challenges can not be avoided, but many CAN BE avoided with some forward planning and good routines.

Last week, a friend / client mentioned that she liked last week’s article because there was NOT a call to action. 🙂  That made me laugh.  But this week, friends, is all about action.

Imagine how having routines that work for you can actually help you avoid emergencies.  It is possible.  When our needs are taken care of, we are more ready for whatever life brings us.

I am not here to tell you to do what I’ve done (ever!).  I’m sharing my routines as examples of how we choose to handle routine tasks to avoid inconveniences later.  These have been created over time in response to challenges.  So, Where Do You Stumble? and Imagine where routines could help you stumble less! 

Examples of routines to avoid personal inconveniences!

  • Know your re-stocking and re-order levels for regularly used products.
    • Weekly, I re-stock toilet paper and tissues and re-fill the hand-soaps at all the sinks in the house. 
    • Later this week, I will place my monthly order (first of the month) for my eco-friendly cleaning supplies that get delivered to my house. 
    • Same goes for grocery items which we now mostly have delivered.  We add items to the grocery orders when they are low, BEFORE we actually run out of stuff.
  • Handle regular maintenance tasks regularly.
  • Set up a schedule for bill-paying and personal business items.
    • Years ago, a client mentioned paying ALOT in late fees every month on his bills.  I asked him when he set time aside to pay bills and was met with a blank stare. We won’t look at budgeting and bill paying today, but I will say that scheduling time to regularly take care of personal business means we miss fewer deadlines, pay fewer late fees, spend less time on the phone with customer service, etc.
  • What other tasks can you make routine, to save you time later?
    • I fill up my gas tank once a week on a planned errand run (or when we travel, of course), so I don’t have to make unplanned stops.  Because as much as I used to tell myself I would remember in the morning to leave early and stop for gas on my way to work, I would forget.  

And what about, routines to avoid emergencies professionally? 

  • You know your work!  I will not assume to tell you how to do your job, but we can ask the same questions professionally that we ask personally:  Where do I stumble?  And How can I avoid the stumbles in the future? 
  • For example, Mondays and Tuesdays I am writing my article and newsletter, like today.  But Thursdays host a block of recurring tasks for my business. 
  • On Thursday mornings, I: do my bookkeeping and pay my bills; check in around upcoming presentations, confirming details and sending invoices; check in on my website comments and social media, etc.   All of these tasks keep me ahead of challenges and course corrections I need to make to keep things running smoothly.

On the other side of routines, I love the flexibility that comes when an emergency actually does arise.  Let’s say I or a family member gets sick, or I am called away out of town on short notice.  Perhaps my routine tasks don’t happen for a few days or even a week.  Guess what?  No biggee.  When we regularly take care of things, emergencies or blips in our schedules don’t throw us off too much.  

Your action items this week is to ask yourself:  Where Do I Stumble? Where could routines help me to stumble less!  Now, get busy crafting those routines to help you avoid emergencies tomorrow!

The Second Best Thing You Can Do With Your Stuff Is To Put It Away.

THE SECOND BEST THING YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR STUFF IS TO PUT IT AWAY. The best thing to do with your stuff is to use it, of course. And if you never use it, the third best thing to do would be to purge it / donate it / sell it, etc.

The Power of Away.

I spend time with clients putting things away. If they are new clients, perhaps we are establishing an “Away” or home for their stuff.

We are naming a dresser drawer the sock drawer. We are naming a shelf the coffee mug shelf. We are naming a cabinet the office supply cabinet. We are naming a closet My Clothes Closet. And that is where those items live.

If they are existing clients, perhaps we just need to maintain the organizing we completed before. Stuff migrates out with use, and that’s ok.

We are SUPPOSED to use our stuff. Otherwise, why do we have it?

We know, though, that when we use our stuff, it doesn’t (ever!) automatically put itself away and let’s face it, we can get distracted or forgetful and then our space is filled up with stuff. And it looks messy and we feel overwhelmed and out of control. I spent an appointment last week just putting summer things away. Simple really. Stuff needs a home, and stuff needs to be put away in its home if you ever hope to find it again.

Notice how I have not called the stuff we used and need to put away Clutter? Your stuff that you used and now needs to be put away is probably not clutter. Clutter is unused, unneeded or unloved. Your stuff that has been used is not clutter. They’re your belongings and you need to take care of them.

Establishing an “Away” for an item means that item is important. It means you plan to use it again some time in the future. That item is not clutter because you need it or use it or love it. And you put it away because… YOU WANT TO FIND IT AGAIN.

And there, right there, is the Power of Away. Being able to find your stuff again when you need it.

Your space looks better when your stuff is Away.

Your space is safer, with fewer things to trip over, when things are AWAY.

Your items last longer and stay in better condition when they are put AWAY.

Small pieces stay put, stuff doesn’t get dusty or dirty or sun-faded. Delicate items are protected. Sets are kept with sets. Shoes, socks and mittens stay with their mates.

AWAY doesn’t take long. Once you establish a home for your stuff, putting stuff away gets a lot easier. Doing it regularly means the piles don’t spread or get tall. Cleaning off your surfaces once a day or a couple times a week, and just putting clothes and books and papers and things way goes a long way to maintaining order.

As we talk about National Preparedness Month in September, the best way to prepare for any possibility is to set yourself up to act and react quickly and confidently. To find your stuff when you need it, should the need arise and a wildfire or hurricane comes or maybe you’re just called out of town and need to pack a quick bag. And putting your stuff AWAY so you can find it again is one of the best ways to prepare for ANYTHING life may toss your way.

Commit this week to just putting stuff away. A few extra moments when you finish using something, or a couple times a week to catch up. Small bits of time really add up when your stuff is maintained and your space is clear!

Plan Ahead: Find Your Personal Vital Records NOW, Before You Need Them.

It has been a crazy 6 months.

Pandemic? Sure.

But there’s more. A friend in West Hollywood shares early morning FB posts every time there is an earthquake. Many of us know folks affected by the wild fires – even our sky here in Illinois is gray with their smoke this week! And those are just the things we know about right now!

Talking to a friend today here in Chicago, she was thinking about what that would actually look like – having only a few moments, if any, to prepare to evacuate. What would we take?

That packing list would vary from person to person or situation to situation. But there are a few items that should be on that list, no matter what. Let’s talk about your Personal Vital Records.

This is one of those tough topics and some of you may feel a little uncomfortable – I’ll apologize in advance! But since I’ve been talking about National Preparedness Month, I need to spend a little time talking about our Personal Vital Records (PVR). If we are working on Being Prepared, we need to think about them and more importantly, be able to put our hands on them when we need them.

So, what are our Personal Vital Records? Wikipedia says:

Vital records are records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses (or marriage certificates), and death certificates. In some jurisdictions, vital records may also include records of civil unions or domestic partnerships.

I would include additional items like social security cards, Baptismal certificates, copies of your Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, Finance, etc., your mortgage papers, titles to your cars, etc. Your pile of PVR is probably not big, but it is precious and important.

Very often, in terms of preparedness, we don’t know exactly what we are preparing for, but we know that some papers are really important to be able to produce in case of accident or illness or insurance, etc. And while replacing PVRs is not impossible, it can be a long and complicated process, so let’s just collect and protect them now while there isn’t an emergency, shall we?

Be Prepared by collecting and protecting your Personal Vital Records. Here’s how:

  • Establish a home for your PVR, even temporarily. If you have them tucked in various places (dresser drawers, jewelry boxes, desk drawers, file cabinets – any of these sound familiar?), collect them into one central location.
  • Label that location, and tell at least one other person know where the records are!
  • Invest in a portable fire-proof safe. Portable so you can take it with you if you need to leave in a hurry. Fire-proof because, well, yes, Fire. And a safe because it can be that one central location and can also protect your items. We received a safe and a fire extinguisher from a friend as a wedding gift. Brilliant! Safes are not very expensive and are an excellent investment.
  • And, again, as you establish a place or a safe to hold your PVR, make sure at least one other person (maybe even one outside of your home) knows where the safe and keys (separate) are.
  • As you go through your day to day life, if you run across one of these PVRs, be sure to put it in its’ established home. For example, maybe you pulled a birth certificate out recently to copy and hand in to school for your student’s enrollment – pull it out of the random school papers on the counter and tuck it into your newly established Personal Vital Records folder or safe.

Take this simple step this week, and add to Personal Vital Records as you find them. When the time comes that you DO need to put your hands on one of them, you’ll be grateful you took the step!

We all need a Plan B. Because life throws you curve balls (and snow balls, asteroids, hurricanes and a pandemic).

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Please, take a few deep breaths with me before you read this. I started writing this last week out of frustration, and while I’ve softened my language and my heart A LOT with edits, it still feels harsh. Probably because this is a tough time and topic. So, breathe with me and know I’m writing this from a place of love!

To say we always need a Plan B is an understatement. We need a plan C and D and E and more, until we run out of letters. And this need to plan existed long before our current situation, and will continue long after. I’m just using it as a shining example of why we need to plan.

Why do we need a Plan, and then a Plan B? To care for and protect those people and things that are important to us. And the only predictable thing that we can say about life is that life is unpredictable.

I chatted with a friend at Mass on Sunday. She is an educator and administrator and she mentioned that she flew past Plan B for this school year weeks ago and now is onto Plan P at this point. She also mentioned the very real possibility of moving into double letters soon. I feel you, sister.

A friend is a Marine Biologist, which means she always lives near an ocean. She has become proficient – well, amazing, really – at prepping for hurricanes. Supplies, generator, battened hatches, reading materials, non-perishable food, water. Some things just stay prepared, especially this time of year, and some steps are activated as soon as the weather reports start coming in. She’s got this.

And You Can, Too. So, let’s make a plan.

“A plan for what, Coll?” you say? A plan to care for what is important to you. If you have people or work or things (tangible and intangible) that matter, you need a Plan B to protect and care for them. And for yourself.

Look at the people and things and plans that are most important to you.

Imagine scenarios, and recognize what those scenarios all have in common.

Check your notes. Look back at the last 6 months and identify where life has fallen apart or had avoidable unnecessary stress.

Your favorite outfit or uniform? Identify it and a back-up.

You need a route to your regular destinations, and a few alternatives if the way is blocked (I live on the south side of Chicago – TRAINS anyone?!). Perhaps you download the app for public transportation, too, in case of car trouble.

Weak wi-fi? Call your provider and boost it now, for working and learning from home.

Uncomfortable work-and-learn-from-home spaces? Tweak them now.

I will be talking about prepping for cold and flu season next week because I want my comfort measures and OTC medicine in my house BEFORE one of us starts feeling poorly.

In this uncertain time, you need your Plan A and then Plans B, C, D to Infinity for child care and back-up schooling situations and flexible expectations. I know it is hard and I know this uncertainty feels uncomfortable and inconvenient, but unfortunately adulting (and parenting) often are.

Do you know what is on my list for later today? “Check out (insert University name here)’s current policy” – as in TODAY because things can change – for handling COVID on campus and what actions my son and I will need to take should someone at his school test positive.

Because… plans need to evolve, too. I’ve read somewhere that over 90% of flight plans are not completed exactly as filed. There’s the rub, right? That we can look at our current situation and plan for today and for contingencies, and then our situation changes again and we have to make a new plan – Ugh! But, yes. We have to do it again. We can rail against the injustice, or we can remember that we know how to plan because we have done it before and we can get to work.

So, my friends, it is time to get to work. Soften the blows of uncertainty later by planning now.

“In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” – General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

A Place To Put My Hiking Gear

These last few weeks, I’ve written or shared articles about Being Prepared for National Preparedness Month.

Being Prepared isn’t just about preparing for crises and emergencies, though.
Being Prepared can be about being ready for anything that life throws your way, the Good in addition to the emergencies!

I’m going to re-cap this article before you read the rest, with these tips for Preparing For The Good Stuff:

  1. Recognize what is important to you.
  2. Proactively clear obstacles that stand in the way of being able to do what is important to you.
  3. Dedicate resources to what is important to you.
  4. Maintain your Prepared for the Good Stuff status with regular attention.

For example:  I recently purchased a hiking back pack.

Did you know?  I love to hike.  Nature nurtures and delights me. From big vacations to stolen moments as I travel through my day-to-day, I find reasons to stop and be out in nature.

I like to be prepared, so I have a small pile of hiking stuff I take with me when I hike, and I keep it at the ready in a small pouch.  What is my “hiking stuff”?  Bug spray, signal whistle and compass, small portable first aid kit, hat, bandanas (for keeping mosquitoes out of my ears, I hate that!), etc.  And I would toss that small pouch, a water bottle and a protein bar in my big backpack when I was going for a hike.

Or, I would do that if I wasn’t already using the big pack pack for something else, like when we were already traveling and the big back pack was my luggage. Or, sometimes the big back pack was just, well, too big for a day hike, and if you hike, you know you want to travel light. And where do I keep my pouch of hiking stuff between hikes?

I recently decided that to truly honor my love of hiking, I needed to dedicate some resources to making my hiking hobby work better for me.   Life is never about the stuff, but I can still be really happy with a new purchase that will make my life better.  (Shown here is the Kavu Paxton Pack I purchased, after a little bit of research.)

The new hiking pack solved the challenges I had with my hiking stuff before now.  Most importantly, I find the already packed hiking backpack motivating and it makes me happy, so Win-Win.  When there is absolutely no obstacle to an early morning hike other than filling my reusable water bottle and heading out the door, I am much more likely to actually head out that door!

I haven’t always considered myself an athlete, but knowing I’m prepared to hit the trails makes me feel like an athlete in this game called life, and I find that motivating, as well.

So, to Be Prepared for the Good in life:

  1. Recognize what is important to you.
  2. Proactively clear obstacles that stand in the way of being able to do what is important to you.
  3. Dedicate resources to what is important to you.
  4. Maintain your Prepared for the Good Stuff status with regular attention.

Happy Hiking! (Or whatever you choose!)

So, What’s In Your Wallet?

My husband has been on a mission lately, reviewing all his Little Spaces around the house.  You know, those Little Spaces?  His launch pad (basket) by the back door, his briefcase, different drawers of his desk, his wallet, etc.  Last week he shred a couple dozen files from his file cabinet, and this week he reviewed and pared down the contents of his wallet.

As he spread his wallet’s contents on the kitchen counter, I told him that he is the inspiration for this week’s article!

So, what’s in your wallet?  From an organized and prepared point of view, we should carry exactly what we need and not much else.


How to:  First, take everything out of your wallet, and lay it out on a flat space!

Sort what you have:

  • ID, credit cards, insurance cards, of course.  But also…
  • gift cards, rewards cards;
  • appointment reminders, business cards; and
  • receipts and random minutiae.

Purge what can go:

  • Review expiration dates, and shred any old ID or credit cards.  (Auto insurance cards from  12 or 18 months ago?  Yes, those can go.)  And if you purge an old card, make sure you have the most up-to-date version if it is something you need to carry.
  • Add appointments into your calendar and toss / recycle the card (Dentist appointment reminder card from last summer?  Yep, that can go, too!).
  • Take a little time and enter business card contact info into your phone, and toss / recycle those, too.
  • File or shred old receipts.
  • Are you trying to track or curb spending?  Consider leaving a credit card or two at home

Once you know what you’re keeping:

  • Check the balances on any mystery gift cards in your wallet, or call or go on-line and combine your balances if you have duplicates.  I carry a tiny sharpie in my wallet to make note of gift card balances on the card as I use them up.
  • Any account cards, gift cards or loyalty reward cards you can move to your smart phone and stop carrying around with you entirely?  Go for it!
  • Take the cards that you are going to carry in your wallet and lay them flat on your printer glass and make a copy.  Then, flip all the cards over, and make a copy of those sides, too.  Keep these 2 sheets in a safe but convenient place in case you lose your wallet and need to file a report or make phone calls / go on-line to cancel your cards.
  • Pare down what you carry!  Make sure that your wallet is streamlined and that you can easily find what you need when you’re looking for it.

Looking Ahead:

  • Live lighter and more organized with a cleaned-out wallet!
  • Make a habit of snapping a picture of a business card instead of accepting it, or entering  an appointment in your calendar right as you make it and eliminate the need for those extra bits of papers floating around.
  • Make a habit of reviewing your wallet every few months, to keep it pared down and efficient!

Taking National Preparedness Month to Work!

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Did you know?  September is National Preparedness Month!  The 4 steps, from www.Ready.gov, are:npm logo

  1. Be informed – Learn what protective measures to take before, during and after an emergency (from Ready.gov);
  2. Make a Plan – Prepare, plan and stay informed during an emergency (from ready.gov);
  3. Build a Kit – Build a Kit for disasters to be prepared (from ready.gov); and
  4. Get Involved – Find Opportunities to Support Community Preparedness.

We should have positive and useful conversations in our homes, families, workplaces and community to prepare for emergencies BEFORE the emergency actually occurs. In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need to plan for emergencies, but as wonderful as our world is, it is not Ideal.  And so, emergencies and disasters may happen.  But family and community members of every age benefit from having and knowing the plan to activate in the face of an emergency.

I have written about NPM in the past, click here for information:  National Preparedness Month: Get your Kit

This September, I want to talk about preparedness in the workplace.   We spend up to 60 hours a week (or more) at our work place, or more than ½ of our waking hours.  It makes sense to have a plan for emergencies at work.

I work from home, or in other people’s homes.  We have preparedness plans for home, but I have one for my travel and organizing time, too.  Examples of my preparedness plan for my “workplace” are habits like:

  1. Keeping my cell phone fully charged;
  2. Carrying an extra charging cord, first aid kit and non-perishable snacks in my car;
  3. Keeping my car keys and phone on me at all times; and
  4. Keeping my gas tank always above a quarter of a tank.

There are lots of options for office workers, too.  A client who works in a high-rise building in downtown Chicago has an emergency kit in his desk, supplied by his company and building management.  I researched other kits on-line, and they may contain items such as:

  • a bottle of water and non-perishable snack (management comes around and refreshes these every year);
  • a foil emergency blanket;
  • a signal whistle and crank flash light; and
  • a small first aid kit, face mask and a pair of latex gloves.
  • My downtown client’s kit is in a small soft sided cooler bag, and other kits I have seen are in string backpacks or fanny packs.

If you don’t have a kit provided by your employer, please consider creating your own kit or a kit for a loved one, and keeping it close at hand for emergencies.  You can include any of the items mentioned above, and add others based on your own situation, for example, one kit that I researched included a poncho.  You can also buy pre-assembled workplace preparedness kits on-line or at most office supply chain stores.

Let me encourage you and your family, workplace and community to get involved and get prepared.  Focus on Preparedness now so you can focus better on everything else later!

National Preparedness Month: Get Your Kit

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National Preparedness Month is a national campaign encouraging individuals, families and communities to prepare for natural and national disasters.  Established in 2003, National Preparedness Month grew out of our shared national experiences with the tragedy of 9/11/2001 and other large-scale natural disasters. 

     I am especially appreciative of the NPM campaign because it gives me language to use with my kids, so we can speak about preparedness without instilling fear or dread.  My older sons were very young when the tragedy of 9/11 occurred, the youngest not yet born.   They talked about 9/11 in school this year, but it is difficult to strike the right tone of respect, justice, forgiveness, strength, caution and courage.

     Using the steps suggested at Ready.gov, Our family is able to get and stay prepared for what life may throw our way, be calm and confident in that, and move on.  The three parts of the National Preparedness Month Kit are Get a Kit, Make A Plan, and Be Prepared.   Here we will talk about your Kit:

Create or purchase a Preparedness Kit, including a First Aid Kit (see below):

  1. Click here for Standard contents: (and keep the list hand for inventorying and re-stocking items).
  2. We purchased our Preparedness Kit from Costco a couple of years ago, so this month I just need to check and see that all the contents are stocked, and that the expiration dates are still a year away. 
  3. If you want to purchase a Kit, or just want more ideas or visuals on what to put in yours, Google search “Emergency Kit”.  I got a bunch of hits, including the one I bought from Costco.
  4. Make it your own:  Include items specific to your family, like pet foods or formula and baby supplies.
  5. Instead of packing all the camping stuff they recommend on the Ready.gov website, we store our Emergency Kit with our camping supplies in a convenient basement closet. 

My kids (actually my cub scouts next week) and I are putting together  A First Aid Kit.

  1. Click here for a list of Standard Contents (and keep the list hand for inventorying and re-stocking items).
  2. Make it your own:  use a standard list of contents, but also include items specific to your family, like infant or children’s strength pain relievers, inhalers, safety pins (we use a lot of safety pins), extra band-aids (we go through a lot of band aids), or diabetic supplies.
  3. For my Cub Scouts, we will put together a simple first aid kit they can take hiking or traveling.  We will brainstorm the contents and they can add stuff when they get home, but at our meeting I will supply individually packaged antibacterial wipes, tissues, band-aids, dental picks (my youngest always seems to need those), gauze and tape, q-tips, tweezers, ointment, checklists and clear, waterproof baggies (zip lock), and whatever else I dream up.  Perhaps a deck of cards, or a list of family phone numbers.
  4. We have first aid kits in multiple places: in the house, in my van, with our hiking / camping supplies, and a small one in my purse.  If you have kits already, too, use National Preparedness Month as your yearly reminder to check the level of your supplies, and the expiration dates on your perishable items like pain relievers and ointments. 

    For more information:

 Take some time this month to prepare yourself and your family for what life may throw your way.  Then be calm and competent and move on!