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Thursday, March 30, 2023

FUNTASTIC FRIDAY LINK PARTY 430 AND EASTER CRAFTS



 

Hello and thanks for joining us at Funtastic Friday! Are you having Spring weather in your area? Today in N. Nevada we seem to be but not yesterday!  Here are a few photos of our backyard yesterday:





However, the worst blizzard I was ever in was on May 1st, so Mother Nature has no timeframe lol. 

Hope your weather is delightful!

Thursday, March 23, 2023

FUNTASTIC FRIDAY LINK PARTY 429 AND LOTS OF SPRING IDEAS


Happy "almost-end-of-March" lol. Mother Nature is getting her licks in here in Nevada--just this morning we have had sunshine, hail, rain and some light snow. How is the weather in your area?

With EASTER around the corner, I (of course) had to make another DIY Easter wreath and you can find that HERE.



Saturday, March 18, 2023

EASTER 2023 DIY WREATH





Happy almost Spring! Just a few days away but I know that doesn't mean the weather will be "Spring-like".

I made another Easter wreath, as I am inclined to do this time of the year. I like to take out handmade wreaths to place on our infant son's headstone several times a year. It gives me comfort as a mom....

🐇 🐇🐇


Cute carrots!

🐇 🐇 🐇


Cute fluffy bunny tail!

🐇 🐇 🐇


You can find the tutorial for the wreath-making process HERE.
I found my supplies at Dollar Tree but check your own craft stash and local Dollar Tree or craft supply store and make your own!

Thanks for stopping by!


Thursday, March 16, 2023

FUNTASTIC FRIDAY LINK PARTY 428 AND SPRINGTIME IDEAS


Welcome Friends. It's almost here. It's almost Spring, so show us how you Spring!


New blog post today: FOOD STORAGE PART 1
We need to be prepared, no matter our circumstances!


Our Features from last week's party:




Please follow us on Social Media!
Donna & Staci Two Chicks and A Mom
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Michele @ CoastalBohemian
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Here are a few of last weeks most memorable blog posts.

MOST VIEWED

Spring Thrifted Table Setting by Thrifting Wonderland 


Michele's Pick



Donna's Pick
Lime Poke Cake by Organized Island 

Heidi's Pick

Homemade Playdough by Simple Joys

Angela's Pick

Vanilla Wafer and  M& M Spring Treats by Family and the Lake House

A BIG congratulations to the Featured bloggers!



It's time to PARTY!
FUNTASTIC FRIDAY LINK PARTY RULES:
1. Post up to 4 links.
2. Family-friendly posts only.
3. Old posts are also welcome.
4. Comment on at least one post at the party.
5. Follow the hosts on as many platforms as you can.
We are your online friends. Let's interact, comment, and enjoy one another while supporting each other.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter




FOOD STORAGE PART 1--GETTING BACK TO BASICS 101



Hi and welcome to another Back to Basics 101 article. Today I will address Food Storage basics and how we can best prepare in these turbulent times we live in.

Raising seven children, we didn't always have a lot of extra income; I was also a SAHM for many years. My husband did have a great job with benefits (UPS) that allowed me to be home with the kids, which is what we had discussed prior to marriage. I know that isn't what everyone is able to do or even wants to do, but it is what worked for us. Side note: after our youngest was in school fulltime, I was accepted to nursing school and worked and earned three college degrees over the past 15 years. That's another post, though, lol.

FOOD STORAGE 101: WHERE TO BEGIN?

Photo Credit:

Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you that you have to can your own meat, vegetables, or fruits. I did some canning "back in the day" but I actually prefer to take advantage of sale prices to beef up my food storage. I also frequently freeze produce, such as peaches, berries, or made homemade jam.

WHY FOOD STORAGE?

In this day and age, you daily hear or read talk of transportation delays (trains, trucking), staffing shortages leading to production delays, layoffs, sickness, etc. If you are prepared with the items that you as an individual or as a parent caring for a family will be in need of, you can rest easier. Even in a family emergency (main bread winner is injured or ill and unable to work, layoffs, natural disaster, or even inclement weather such as blizzards (blocking trucks from delivering to the stores), you can take comfort in knowing that you can care for your loved ones.

Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I learned about food storage years ago when I joined the Church as a teenager. While I haven't always been perfect regarding having a year's worth of food storage, we have always tried to have extra food, water, and health products on-hand.

I know many people who always strive to have extra food and necessities on-hand as it sure can't hurt!




Let's get some tips going!

    * START OUT SMALL. You don't have to buy a year's worth of staples (canned goods, flour, seasonings, etc.) all at once (unless you want to and can afford it). A simple way to    begin could be buying a few extra cans of vegetables weekly, till you have approx.              three months' worth of surplus. 

    * BUY ITEMS THAT YOUR FAMILY WILL EAT.  In an extreme emergency or        dire circumstances, one will eat what is on-hand. However, it's best to store foods that have a longer shelf-life and that your family will actually eat.  Kids love green beans or tomato soup? Make sure to buy plenty of those. Husband loves peach cobbler?  Buy extra cans of peaches. Make sure that you store a variety of nutritious foods for a balanced diet and foods that will store well. Being a lover of chocolate, I do have it on good authority that chocolate chips store well in a cool, dry basement!
 


* We raise a small flock of backyard chickens so have eggs on-hand!

HAVE STAPLES ON HAND. Have flour, sugar, honey, rice, wheat (need a wheat grinder if you buy this), pasta, oats, and seasonings (iodized salt, etc.) on hand.  We buy local honey from various beekeepers in our area. I have found the local honey has a sweeter flavor than store-bought and, if you have seasonal allergies, some believe that local honey can help alleviate some of the symptoms. I looked but found no peer-reviewed evidence of such but here is an informative article.  Staples will last over many years, as long as they are kept in the proper environment (cool and dry) and stored properly.  Many people use five-gallon buckets to store items such as flour and sugar; these buckets can prevent pests and rodents from accessing your food and also keep the items dry.  Often you can order these buckets online or find at local stores--make sure you buy "food grade" buckets and lids (lids are sold separately sometimes).

MEDICATIONS.  Don't forget to have basic OTC meds, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, antibiotic creams, bandages, rubbing alcohol, gauze pads, feminine hygiene products, etc. If you are on a prescription medication, make sure you keep your refills current and speak to a pharmacist or provider on possibly getting an extra month's refill to have on-hand. 

WHERE TO STORE? You don't have to have an entire room for your food storage.  Many ideas for storing include closets, under beds, spare cabinets, basements, etc. Just be sure that the area is dry, not too hot or cold, and protected from pests and insects.  Even people with smaller homes and apartments can find space to store extra food items.  It might be a good time to declutter and then open up space for food storage!

DON'T FORGET YOUR PETS/ANIMALS! Keep extra canned or dry foods for your dogs, cats, birds, fish, etc.; they're part of the family, too! We have four hens (you can read my post about raising BACKYARD CHICKENS) so need to have extra layer pellets and treats on hand for them. Yes, table scraps are good for many animals but they all have their own specific nutrition needs. 

These are very basic ideas to begin a food storage for yourself or your family. I will go further into depth in the next article so make sure you watch for that! 



Thanks for stopping by!



Thursday, March 9, 2023

FUNTASTIC FRIDAY LINK PARTY 427 AND ST .PATTY'S DAY


Hello and Happy almost-St.-Patty's-Day! Time for me to buy some corned beef.  Our youngest daughter, Ali, loves that dish so I do make sure I make enough for she and her husband, Tanner. I am also about 25% Irish so there is that. Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day, Irish or otherwise?


Please follow us on Social Media!
Donna & Staci Two Chicks and A Mom
Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | BL|
Michele @ CoastalBohemian
|Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter|Hometalk|
| Linkedin |BL |

Favorites from last week:

MOST VIEWED


Michele's Pick

South House Design EASY SHAMROCK MERINGUE COOKIES

Donna's Pick


Heidi's Pick
A BIG congratulations to the Featured bloggers!



It's time to PARTY!
FUNTASTIC FRIDAY LINK PARTY RULES:
1. Post up to 4 links.
2. Family-friendly posts only.
3. Old posts are also welcome.
4. Comment on at least one post at the party.
5. Follow the hosts on as many platforms as you can.
We are your online friends. Let's interact, comment, and enjoy one another while supporting each other.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter