Water storage- How much water do I need?

      Every year, My church organizes a "Provident Living Expo". It's an event meant to help families in my area prepare for emergencies. Three years ago, I was asked to put together a booth on water storage.
     At the time, there were several wildfires sweeping through the area, cutting off freeway travel and burning down homes. To top it off, the state was also in a severe drought. In fact it was so bad that Governor Rick Perry organized a statewide fast to pray for rain. I'll admit, people were a little more concerned about water storage then.
     I put together a pamphlet covering all the basics on water storage and passed it out at my booth. I guess I did an okay job because I've been asked to run the same booth for three years in a row. As the expo just came to a close this year, I thought "Hey! This would be a great blog series." So, if you're looking for where to begin when it comes to water storage, you're in the right place. And don't worry--- I'll keep it simple! First up...

How much water do I need?
The red cross recommends that you store 2 weeks worth of water for your family.

You'll need 1 gallon of water per day, per person.
So, to figure out how much you need, here is a handy dandy family worksheet! Print it out, and stick it somewhere to remind you to get it done!

One gallon per person will be enough for drinking and food preparation.  

If you want water for personal hygiene purposes or pets, you'll need to add additional storage. (You can cut down on water needs by storing baby wipes. That way you can give yourself sponge baths instead of having to store large amounts of water.)

One of the most important things about water storage is, if supplies run low, never ration water.  Drink the amount you need today, and try to find more for tomorrow.  Minimize the amount of water your body needs by reducing activity and staying cool.

I hope this motivates you to get started in your emergency preparedness. Just take it one step at a time, and before you know it, you'll be ready for whatever may come!

Sportsmanship for 3 year olds...

     Lately it seems like my life has revolved around Candy Land, Go Fish, and Connect Four. Little L has a little competitive streak that makes me laugh, unless I win, which means I'll be dealing with a meltdown. For a while, I thought it would be easier to let him win consistently. Tantrum avoided + game enjoyed = success. This was an okay idea until he started to play games when his friends came over. The instant he realized he didn't win, he lost it. That's when I realized that I  had been missing out on teaching opportunities by always letting him be the winner. Not to mention he had an inflated sense of how good he was. I decided it was time to stop being so easy on him.

    I don't mean that I'm going to crush him every time we play. (I know that sounds pretty confident on my part, but face it, Mommy vs. 3 year old... It's pretty obvious who's going to win.) So, here are some strategies I've discovered to help me continue to have fun with my toddler, while giving him the opportunity to be a better sportsman.

Here are some ideas:

1. Give your child a head start. Everyone will have more fun if you are trying your hardest to win. If you are racing, let them start closer to the finish line. If you are playing Go Fish, give them a target amount of matches, and give yourself a higher target. Get creative!

2. Celebrate winning, without making other players feel inferior. I hate winning against sore losers. It totally detracts from my victory. Success story: Picture this; me and 2 three year olds battling it out on Candy Land. L's friend was totally dominating the game and his face grew more and more desperate, full of hope that he would pull some last minute maneuver and take the victory. I was more worked up than him, wondering how I could avoid the inevitable meltdown at the end of the game and not downplay the victory for his friend. The inevitable victory happened and, before L could react I shouted "You made it! Hurray! Now everyone run to the castle! We have to make it to his party!" The friend was excited that the party was in honor of him, and L felt like he got to participate in the rewards of the victory. Which ultimately, isn't that why we all play games? To enjoy ourselves?

3. Show children how to recognize their strong points, even if they lose. Children soak in compliments like a paper towel. If you continually compliment them on achievements during the games, it's easy to reiterate them at the end of the game, and take the focus away from the loss, and focus more on the accomplishments. "I can't believe you tricked my queen like that! That was so clever!" or even "Wow, you are getting so much better at this!"

4. Model good behavior. Offer continuous praise throughout the game to other players. Show that you can have fun without having to be the best.

5. Role Play it up! A little bit of acting can go a long way and be an effective way to prove a point. If you have an older child or adult playing with you, you can show them Exhibit A: vs. Exhibit B. Ask them which friend they would like to play with, the sore loser or the congratulatory friend.

Felt Food Tutorial: Pizza Crust

Have you ever noticed how much kids love to bite play food? Occasionally, I'll see a little girl politely pretend to nibble, but my boys are a whole other story. Often their vivacious gnawing leaves me wondering why they can't be so enthusiastic over dinner?
We've tried plastic food, but it only takes a few minutes before it is peppered in permanent teethmarks. For some reason, my kids don't find the food as appealing after that... I was frustrated with this when I discovered FELT FOOD! What a great idea! It's easy to wash, keeps it shape, and most importantly it's incredibly cheap to make! I have thoroughly enjoyed making felt food, so I thought I would include tutorials for some of my favorite pieces.

Pizza Crust Tutorial

Step 1: Cut out two circle shapes out of felt. One eight inch in diameter, and one 6 1/2 inch in diameter.

Step 2: Cut each of your circles into quarters.

Step 3: Set aside your 8 inch circle quarters, this will be the bottom of your pizza crust. Using your 6 1/2 inch circle as a guide, cut a 2 inch strip of felt. These two pieces will be the top of your pizza.

By now you should have an assortment of pieces that look like this.

 Step 4: Sew the rounded edge of the large triangular shape to the rounded outside edge of the crust. 

(I used dark colored thread so you could see what I was doing, but I suggest using a matching thread that you won't be able to see so easily. Or, if you like the crafty look of the hand stitching, I would suggest using an embroidery floss.)

I used a blanket stitch, because it allows for better shaping.

Here is another view of what it will look like.

 Step 5: Attach the small triangular shape to the crust. This time, the seam will be on the underside of the felt. This will give it the right shape once you put everything together.

 Step 6: Cut out a piece of felt that is just a bit smaller than the base piece and insert it into the crust. This will give it a little bit of density, and make it more firm.
(I used blue for contrast, but only for tutorial purposes. Try to use a similar color for your filling, because anything this dark will show through and make your felt look tinged wrong.)

 Step 7: Cut out gradient pieces of felt for the crust. About 3 should do.

 Step 8: Fold down the top of the crust and fit snugly onto the filling.

 Step 9: Begin hemming along the thin part of the crust, working from the crust and going in towards the point. This will prevent it from bubbling up.

 Step 10: Once you have made it to the point, continue up the other side until you get to the crust again.

 Step 11: Next, do a basic stitch to hold down the center of the pizza crust to keep things from shifting.

 

Here is a view of what it will look like on the bottom.

Once you get to the end, here is a little trick: take your needle, and thread it into the middle of your fabric...

Poke out the point about an inch into the fabric, and pull it all the way through.

You will have a tail of thread coming randomly out of your crust.

Now snip the thread and it will disappear into the center of your crust. That way, you don't have any tail ends poking outside of your piece of pizza!

Step 12: Cut two shapes to fit the ends of your crust.

Step 13: Blanket stitch around the ends and tuck the threads in, using the little trick I showed you.

And here it is! Your finished product!

Brazilian Beans and Rice

My husband and I love Brazilian food. This simple Brazilian staple is one of our family favorites. My husband lived in Sao Paulo while serving as a missionary for our church, and ate this almost every day for two whole years! This beans and rice meal is flavorful and EXTREMELY filling! A little bit goes a long way when dishing up, so make sure to go easy on the portions! 

We make this meal almost weekly in our home, for a number of reasons. 
1: It is SO easy! 
2: It is extremely healthy. We can testify to it's weight loss powers!
3: It is cheap, cheap, cheap! 

In fact, I did the math. To feed 2 adults, here's a basic breakdown:
$ 0.30 Beans 
$ 0.66 Rice 
$ 0.75 Onion 
$ 0.10 Garlic

Total: $01.81!

That's it!


Rice Recipe
1 T. Olive oil
1/4 C. Sweet onion, chopped
1 C. Rice (I use a brown Basmati rice, but you can use whatever you prefer.)
1/4 tsp. Salt 
2 C. Water 

In a large pan, saute onion in oil until translucent. Add rice to the pan and toast until the grains of rice turn white. *Tip: If the rice turns brown, you have fried it too long. Add salt and water, then bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 30 minutes for white rice, and 45 minutes for brown rice.

Beans Recipe
1 tsp. Olive oil
1 Clove garlic, minced 
2 C. Pinto beans, pre-cooked and rinsed
1 C. Water
Dash Pepper
1/4 tsp. Salt

Saute garlic in oil, then add beans, water and spices. With the back of a spoon or ladle, begin to smash some of the beans into a paste and stir into the water. *Tip: I typically smash 1/3 of the beans and leave the other 2/3 whole. As the beans continue to cook, they with thicken and have a nice thick consistency. 

To serve, layer rice first, then cover with beans. Top off with 4 oz. of meat or fish. Brazilians don't eat a lot of meat, it is only there for a bit of flavor. My husband and I usually split a small chicken breast, or filet of fish. It looks small, but believe me, it's enough! You can also serve it with a side of herbed bread or steamed vegetables.

Well, there you have it! I hope you enjoy!