Emergency Food Storage Must Have and Preparedness

Preparing and storing survival food has always been one of the activities that every survival guide tells everyone. For one, it will let people know the importance of storing food for emergency reasons, and two, it will help them prepare for the worst.

Starting an emergency food storage entails an ample amount of time in planning in order to make it completely useful. If you have decided to start your own emergency food storage, here are some of the important things you must consider:

• Consider and purchase food that does not require refrigeration
• Your emergency food choices should require a little electricity or fuel to cook
• Your emergency food must have a long shelf life
• The food you have selected must provide an ample amount of nutrition and must contain a little salt

Starting an emergency food storage entails a number food pantry rules, which are the following:

Caloric Intake is an Essential Factor in Survival Mode

Consuming food that are high in calories is important in any disaster situations or survival modes. Caloric food will ultimately prevent you from malnutrition, plus, you will maintain your body at optimum health. For this reason, stock up on food that provides you with fats.

Purchase Multifunctional Food Items

Purchasing food items that can ultimately give you more than one purpose will greatly help you with your finances. Additionally, it will also help you to save space in your emergency food storage pantry. Oats, pasta, rice, wheat, and beans are some of the food that can serve you a variety of uses without losing a hefty amount of space and money.

Store High Energy Food Snacks That Helps Boost Energy Levels

Consuming food snacks that are high in carbohydrates and protein will certainly boost your energy. High energy food snacks such as nuts, peanut butter, crackers, granola bars, and trailed mix are some of the food that you can consider. Additionally, these foods will also help your body to keep your energy levels and spirits elevated in any emergency scenario.

Protein is Important

Protein is a vital factor in one’s daily diet and overall health. This is why protein intake cannot be omitted, most especially on survival circumstances. Aside from the fact that canned meat is a great source of protein, it can also help you to maintain your energy level. Tuna, ham, chicken, and spam are also some of the examples of food that are high in protein.

Never, Ever Forget the Basics

What most people forget the basic food necessities that one must have in disaster and survival cases such as cooking oil, flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and vinegar. Make sure that these staples will not be overlooked in order to be successful in completing your emergency food storage.

Other Food Selections Must-Haves in Your Emergency Food Storage

There are a number of food choices that you can purchase when starting an emergency food storage. Check out this list of food varieties that you must have in survival mode:

1.  Canned fruits, vegetables, meats, and soups
2. Dried legumes (beans, lentils, or peas)
3.  Crackers
4. Nuts
5. Pasta sauce
6.  Peanut butter
7. Pasta
8. White or whole wheat flour
9. Seasonings such as vanilla, salt, pepper, paprika, cinnamon, pepper, and taco seasoning
10. Sugar
11. Bouillon cubes or granules (chicken, vegetable, or beef)
12. Kitchen staples (baking soda, baking powder, yeast, vinegar)
13. Honey
14. Unsweetened cocoa powder
15. Jell-O or pudding mixes
16. Whole grains (barley, bulgur, cornmeal, couscous, oats, quinoa, rice, and wheat berries)
17. Non-fat dried milk
18. Plant-based oil (corn oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil, or olive oil)
19. Cereals
20. Seeds for eating and sprouting
21. Popcorn
22. Instant potato flakes
23. Packaged meals (macaroni and cheese, hamburger helper, and Ramen noodles)
24. Purified drinking water
25. Fruit juices, teas, coffee, and drink mixes

Key Takeaway

Keep in mind these survival tips and rest assured that you will survive in any unpredicted disaster situations.

About the Author:

Esther Diaz

A 22-year-old graduate of graphic design, DIY enthusiast, make-up lover and has a love-hate relationship with desserts. I dream to be soon one of the known bloggers.

Read more...

Laundry 101: Tips In Doing Proper Laundry Washing

Washing the clothes flawlessly is a life skill that most people ignore. Instead of loading up the washing machine outright, you should do separate the dirty clothes by colour and texture, select the appropriate wash cycle, and know how much detergent to add; these are the primary rules that people ignore when washing their laundry. With a little hard work, dedication, and constant practice, you’ll be the master washer! Also, having your own condominium character can help because most of them have a complete laundry machine system in the building, which would make your life a whole lot easier. Here’s how to begin!

Separate the laundry

Colour and fabric type for each cloth differ which means they mustn’t be washed together! Separate the laundry per its type and here’s how;

-       Segregate light & dark shades

This is probably the biggest mistake one can make when washing the clothes is mixing all the shades in the wash cycle. Clothes, especially new ones, tend to release dye colour during the process of washing that is collected by the light-shaded fabrics. Consequently, you’ll ruin the entire pile of laundry,  so don’t ever mix bright and dark shades in hot water as well as with white pair.

-       Separate by texture or fabric

Much like the segregation of the shades and colours, the laundry must be separated per its fabric material and quality. For instance, when you wash denim jeans or other heavier fabrics, you’ll need more washing time as compared to the lighter and medium materials.

-       Always read the wash care label

Clothes aren’t something that you can just throw into the washing machine and just let it rip. Always remember that some clothes can only be dry-cleaned while others that are made of special materials such as wool requires special hand-wash techniques and they can only be washed using detergents and soaps. Also, when washing clothes that have special components like zippers, you should zip-up the clothes and turn them inside out before running the wash cycle.

-       Set it right

With constant progression, almost all the washing machines that we are available today have settings based on temperature of the water that is used. Hot water is preferred for light-shaded clothes and items that are extremely dirty. Conversely, cold water is used for darker clothes; especially new ones to prevent excessive colour reduction. Also, an important note to remember is that cotton items must be treated only with cold water or else they would shrink!

There are settings based on the load size such as small, medium and large. If the dirty laundry fills up one-third of the machine, select small whereas medium for half-full and large for three-quartered full machine respectively! Don’t stuff the machine as you need extra room for water whereas loading it up to the top would present ineffective results.

Determine laundry bleach, detergent & softener

After separating the clothes, put detergent, turn ON the machine and then put the clothes; this is the correct way of doing it instead of putting the pile of clothes before anything else. Then, fill one-third of the machine with water; add some bleach (only if you need it), add detergent, and dissolve the entire thing. Add the clothes in the last and you’ll see the miraculous difference that this way can do.

-       To bleach or not to bleach

If your white clothes are extremely dirty and you need to make them look brand new, you should add some bleach to the laundry but, do note that not all bleaches are for clothes. You should carefully read the product label to be extra safe!

Chlorine bleach give best results on white clothes made of cotton and linen. Don’t ever use this bleach on coloured fabrics or else the color would deteriorate, the material will start to deteriorate, and the overall quality of the clothes would be ruined. The alternative for chlorine bleach is  all-fabric bleach because it is tailored for chlorine-sensitive and coloured clothes.

Conclusion

When using a washing machine to wash your clothes, be sure to follow the appropriate steps as mentioned above, and you’ll be taking care of your clothes!

Read more...

EU Residency: 6 most fascinating European towns for a living

While the entire Europe is worth exploring, certain towns have an almost inexpressible charm drawing tourists from all over the world. Besides being attractive, these cities have a distinct feel that’ll inspire you for EU residency.

1.   Esslingen, Germany

image:en.wikipedia.org

Esslingen, in the southwest of Germany is a perfect combination of serenity and liveliness. The town has secured a strong position being a major trading centre, courtesy of the two bridges over Neckar River; a significant interchange for medieval traders.

The Old Town is a perfect picture of timber-framed buildings that dates back to 13^th and 16^th century backed by picturesque canals and market place. Its Germany’s most impressive Christmas bazaar as more or less 200 tradesmen here celebrate the event wearing colourful costumes and sell genuine crafts from the Middle-Ages! With European residency, Esslingen is the first choice for a living.

2.   Lucca, Italy

Despite some of the most extraordinary churches, minarets and precious artwork, Lucca in Italy is another remarkable city famous for an easy-going and fun-filled charisma. The etched and decorated marble of the San Michele in Foro’s Façade is simply incredible and so are the beautiful arts and decors inside the cathedral. Climbing the Guinigi Tower would give you a bird’s eye view of all the surrounding.

A garden with trees on top of the conventional tower which is more like a shaded walkway sits right on the walls barricading the town. Yellow shaded buildings are neatly visible from here that were originally carved from the walls of a Roman Arena that once stood here.

3.   Marvão, Portugal

Marvão is the most historic and best preserved town of Portugal, Spain known for keeping a watchful eye of the country’s border. The entire village is jutted on top of a slope with closed walls and a single entryway. Origins of the castle dates back to the Moorish rule that oversee the church, the low streets and whitewashed houses.

4.   Stein am Rhein, Switzerland

The main street of Stein am Rhein with a combination of colourful murals and neat timbered buildings represents a stage for Hansel and Gretel’s performance. Despite the surreal feel, the town is a reality and offers the best living features on your EU residency. The Hohenklingen Castle; constructed in the 1225 has been transformed into a local history museum is worth visiting and a total eye candy.

5.   Ålesund, Norway

The historic fire that consumed Ålesund in 1904 is unforgettable but this port town of Norway came over the tragedy with its architectural movement and artwork backed by a strong economy. Nestled majestically at the foot of the island, Ålesund offers the best scene and a friendly environment unlike anything. The waterside restaurants is where you can enjoy the best seafood and there’s plenty more to explore when there.

6.   Winchester, England

image:en.wikipedia.org

Once a capital of England from the time of Anglo-Saxon till 13^th century and the rule of Alfred the Great, the history of Winchester is amazing in a unique way! The Winchester Cathedral is also a final resting place of Alfred the Great as well as a site where William the Conqueror had his coronation. Winchester is a great place to learn about England’s history and for a living with EU residency.

Conclusion

The above towns across the EU are among the best places to live and learn all about the country so make the most of it.

Read more...

Fun DIY Projects You Can Do with Your Kids

Kids are a bundle of energy. No matter how rambunctious they can get, there’s nothing more than watching them have fun and being happy about it.

There are a lot of ways you can bond with your kids, from playing catch with them in the backyard or playing make-believe with them. But what better way to bond with them than doing DIY projects. They’re a fun and creative way to explore your child’s intuitiveness and creativity. From having fun with DIY slime to making hand puppets, here are other projects that are just as fun to do with your kids:

1.   DIY Slime

Playing with slime nowadays is extremely addicting to kids and adults alike. The feeling of smooshing a moldable of object that’s mess-free is nothing short of a satisfying. What’s also fun is that making it is just as easy as playing with it. What you’ll need are the following:

·         Glue

·         Water

·         Borax

·         A bowl

·         Food coloring (OPTIONAL)

Once you have your ingredients with you, all you have is add the glue in the bowl then add water to mix. If you want to add color to your slime, just add a few drops of your food coloring and then mix. Afterwards, pour in your Borax and the mixture will begin to form a slime-like consistency. Once that happens, just mix it then dig in with your hands and knead it until it no longer sticks on the bowl that much. And there you have it! Slime for you and your kids to smash and squish around.

2.   DIY Play-Doh

This one is a childhood relic. As kids yourselves, you had fun playing around with this moldable miracle. Now that you have your own kids and the various sets that Play-Doh can come in different prices, you now have the ability to craft this for your child’s enjoyment. For this, you’ll need the following:

·         Water

·         Vegetable oil

·         Salt

·         Food coloring

·         Saucepan

Add 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, ½ cup of salt, and drops of food coloring in the pan and heat until warm. Once warm enough, let it cool then add the flour. Knead the dough until it’s smooth enough.

3.   Sock Puppets

If Play-Doh was a childhood relic, here’s another one. With this, you and your child can fuel each other’s imaginations and let them run wild. Just grab an old pair of socks, some glitter, a pair of googly eyes and some yarn for hair then just go crazy on what you can create!

4.   Decorative Flower Vase

Here’s another easy one. If you want your flowers to stand out even more, do this with your kids. Just take a plain-looking vase, some sequins or coins, glue and other decorative items. Then just have fun sticking a bunch of stuff on the vase and let your creativity flourish.

So there you have it! Not only will you enjoy with your kids with these projects, but you’ll be unlocking their hidden potentials as well.

About the Author:

Laurel Santos may be a 24 year old adult but at her core she is just a little girl full of wonder. She lives in the city and works as a freelance photographer in the Philippines. She manages a small pet shop inside her village. She has a big heart for animals, especially stray dogs. She is an avid traveller because she believes that life is not lived within the borders of your own home.  Despite her busy schedule she always finds time to do one thing that she is very passionate about and that is writing.

Read more...