How To Prepare A Winter Home Safety Kit

How To Prepare A Winter Home Safety Kit? Winter is a time that almost everyone fears because of what generally happens…everything freezes! It is often what you do and how you prepare for the weather that determines the outcome.

How To Prepare A Winter Home Safety Kit

The preparation process can be comfortable or cumbersome depending on where you live, the impending weather, or the size of your home. However, the items you use to prepare are most times lying around the house, and a little is all you need to get to work.

How To Prepare A Winter Home Safety Kit

During a winter storm, you have to “expect the unexpected” as there is no telling what can happen. But, your organization is essential to making the perfect emergency winter kit.

Many people are up for creating only the “stay warm and survive” kit while others prepare for “an apocalypse.”. Whichever way, it is safer to make than to be sorry. When you set out to make an emergency kit, you may consider putting it into a few categories. These include:

Emergency Items

These emergency items vary, and depending on your needs, the size of the kit may differ. Before the brunt of the winter weather hits, you should consider putting these items together:

* Plastic Bag or Water-proof bags/container

The winter season can get wet from all the snow and potential rain that may fall. As such, securing your relevant documents and valuables from the excess moist is necessary.

* Medication

This is one of the essential items to have in your kit. A lot of people tend to forget it, when the need arises, they are left confused and pondering what to do. Also, you should secure your prescription in this kit, as well.

* Medical Items

These items include alcohol, bandage tape, hydrogen peroxide, skin sprays (for insects, etc.), and other essential things you will need for emergency aid.

* Extra Set of Car & House Keys

When an emergency hits, you have no time to run around to get to necessary tools you need but to grab your emergency kit and head out. The extra pair of keys will help you become mobile quickly.

* Flashlight & Extra Batteries

Natural light might not be available, and you need to get around, so having a flashlight will help you. You will also need some extra batteries as the power outage may be lengthy.

* Battery-powered or Crank Radio

There will be no electricity, so you need to have a media source that will keep you informed. A good hand-crank weather radio is what you need. If it has a solar charging option? Even better.

* Hand Tools

Many people will wonder what these are doing in an emergency kit, but as the winter season comes on and the snow crawls in, you will need to get out. This list includes items like a small pocket knife, scissors, pliers, hammer, and screwdriver. You may also need to add a shovel as you never know what can happen with the extra snow.

* Toiletries

These items include paper towels, napkins, and pampers (both adult and children sizes). You also need to add sanitizers, soap, mouthwash, and other deodorizing essentials. If you have to leave and stay out for a while, you have to keep fresh.

* Petty Cash

A little cash on hand is helpful if you have to run out fast.

How To Prepare A Winter Home Safety Kit

Food

Food is essential and needs to be a part of your preparation kit for the winter holidays. You never know when the weather strikes, you cannot go, and you get pretty hungry. You have to stock up on non-perishable food items like tin food, biscuits, and more.

However, it is not safe to store foods that go in the refrigerator as you never know if the power will go out at any time. Bear in mind, the meal does not only include adults but also kids, so adding a few formulas is necessary.

Water

Have enough water to last for a few weeks if possible to clean, cook, and drink. If needed, you can also store water for showering as the pipelines can get bad in the intense weather.

How To Prepare A Winter Home Safety Kit

Clothing

The time is cold, and the only way to feel at ease is to warm your body the way you know how to. You have to equip yourself with ideal clothing (preferably wool), socks, gloves, and headgear.

Sleeping Gear

You need somewhere to sleep, and sleeping bags and sponges are essential to have in times of emergency. You may have to move out, and a portable bed is necessary if you have kids. You will also need to stock up on a few warm blankets to wrap.

Alternative Heating

One of the main things the winter season calls for is heat, and the more you have, the better. There is the possibility of the power going out, and you may have to find alternative sources for warming your body.

Believe it or not, heat sources are a part of the emergency kit because the cold can cause health problems like frostbite and other issues. Your heat sources may include candles, match, wood and coal stoves, your outdoor grill, or a portable fuel-run indoor generator.

Sources of Communication

You may need to contact your friends and family to check if they are okay. Fully charge your cellphone ahead of time in case the power goes out. Also, add a car charger just in case the battery runs out.

Your car is a means of communicating with those near and far as you can travel across town (if possible). Full your tanks a few days in advance of any potential winter storms.

Your life is worth protecting, and the little you do can help you go a far way. Many people do not see it fit to put away all these items but rather scamper around when it is too late. Of course, we don’t expect all these items to be in the same location, but briefing the entire family on the easiest way to access them is essential.

The weather is on to us, and we wish you a safe one and do stay warm. We hope that How To Prepare A Winter Home Safety Kit helps you do just that.

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Emergency Tips For Staying Safe In An Earthquake

Emergency Tips For Staying Safe In An Earthquake? Mother nature knows how to give us the best and the worst, and how we deal with it determines the outcome.

Earthquake safety tips

Like most natural disasters, you can predict, an earthquake can come at any time and in whatever magnitude it chooses.

Emergency Tips For Staying Safe In An Earthquake

The only way to walk “free” from the ills of an earthquake is to prepare yourself for the possible effects that may occur. But the question has been asked countless times how to prepare for such a disaster. We have compiled a few tips to consider for the before, during, and after-effects of an earthquake. Read on…

Before An Earthquake:

The first step to preparing for an earthquake is to consider the three most important areas, your home, family, and community. Practicing the fundamental movements is vital, so one would know precisely how to respond, such as the drop, cover, and hold on moves. All the emergency contact numbers are also a must-have for all members.

Other factors to consider when planning for an earthquake are to create an emergency exit and assemble areas in your home and the community by extension. You need to do a proper tour of your home and detail the activities to do if it occurs while they are there. Also, an emergency kit with the following items should be in close reach at all times:

  • Non-perishable Foods + Water
  • Medication + Prescription
  • Fire Extinguishers
  • Flashlights
  • Petty Cash for emergency payments
  • Your car with adequate gas for travel
  • First-Aid Kit (Alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, bandage tape, dust masks, battery-operated radios, cotton, etc.)

I like the offerings from MediTac. They have free shipping for orders over $50, and their medical kits go beyond standard first aid. I think they are great for survival as they can help with everything from bleeding control to the survivalist.

Don’t just take my word for it – look into it yourself:

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You need to ensure your main electrical switches, gas, and main water lines disconnection methods are understood if it needs to be switched off by any member of the family.

Every home needs a family meeting to discuss the details of natural disasters such as these and ensure everyone is up to date on the basics. Do you live in a tsunami-prone area? Not sure? Then, you may need to find out.

Doing your research and contacting the relevant disaster-preparedness authorities in your area will also provide you with essential details on whether you live in an area where earthquakes occur frequently or not.

The safety of yourself, your family, and your home depends on how proactive you are. As you prepare your home and family for the onset of a potential earthquake, do not forget your pets. They may not understand what is happening, and they solely depend on you to protect them.

General Checklist For Preparing Your Homes:

  • Heavy objects should be placed on lower shelves.
  • Store breakables (glass, bottles, utensils, etc.) in closed lower areas of your cabinet.
  • Repair electrical and gas leakage issues.
  • Secure large appliances and furniture such as refrigerators, water heaters, washing & drying machines, etc. by strapping to walls or via floor bolting.
  • Ensure all flammable items and liquids are in areas that won’t allow them to spill in the case of heavy vibration.
  • Do not place heavy objects close to exit areas like doors, windows, or staircases.
  • Trim dangling trees from over your homes or driveway.
Emergency Tips For Staying Safe In An Earthquake

During An Earthquake: Emergency Tips For Staying Safe In An Earthquake

In the past few decades, reports have shown that most casualties of an earthquake occur as a result of what takes place during the event (fallen objects, moving, etc.). Either concussion from flying or falling objects or other vibrating-cause effects.

If you happen to be inside during an earthquake, experts recommend that you stay indoors and take cover from the potential falling or dangling objects. While, if you are outdoors, stay put and never try to venture inside until authorities say it is safe to do so.

During the earthquake, here are a few “DOs & DON’Ts” to consider:

While Indoors…

  • Drop (to the floor) and take cover under a desk or a table. This action will help to prevent direct objects from hitting you. Also, ensure you hold on firmly until the vibration stops.
  • Stay inside until all shaking has ceased. Objects may still be dangling, and with an aftershock, they may fall and hurt you.
  • Do not stand close to high-rise furniture like bookcases and shelves, nor should you stand close to windows and lighting fixtures.
  • If you are lying down, move swiftly to go under the bed, but if not possible, use a pillow to cover your head and face in case objects or glass may shatter and fly.
  • If you are a wheelchair user, roll to a safe location and lock the wheels. Then protect your head and neck from potential moving objects. If possible, it is safe to carry a small cushion while in a wheelchair, as you can use it to protect your head and face.
  • In the case of no covering being in close range, move as fast as possible to a doorway and brace yourself between the jambs until the shaking stops (even though it may not be an ideal place according to some experts, it still works).

While Outdoors…

  • Drop-in an open space that has no buildings, powerlines, trees, or where no loose objects can reach you easily.
  • If you are driving, safely park in a hazard-free zone and pull the handbrakes. Ensure there are no trees, powerlines, or buildings that can fall on your car. Also, it is essential to avoid parking along bridges or overpasses.
  • If you are in a stadium or theatre, stay put in your seat and protect your head and neck. Do not try to venture out as there can be dangling objects ready to fall.
Emergency Tips For Staying Safe In An Earthquake

After An Earthquake: Emergency Tips For Staying Safe In An Earthquake

As you stay in position until the shaking has stopped, be sure to watch your every step on your way to safety. Always keep your hand or pillow on your head to prevent being hit by dangling objects.

However, there are strong possibilities of aftershocks occurring even if it was a minor earthquake, and these too can still be dangerous. Wherever you were for safety, stay there for a few minutes and check if after vibrations are happening. If not, move swiftly (but with care!) to an open assembly area.

When you are out, contact an emergency portal (whichever way possible) and let them know of the impact on the area. They will dispatch teams to do a damage assessment. While you wait and recover, check for your friends and family to see if everyone is doing fine.

Amidst everything, experts recommend during the event, one SHOULD NOT PANIC as this can allow you to forget every preparation tips you planned. With our Emergency Tips For Staying Safe In An Earthquake, you should be all set!

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Alternative Heat Sources for Power Outages

Alternative Heat Sources for Power Outages? Winter is already here, and long before now, you made plans to get a heat-energy in case there was a power outage. However, you just realized the power is out, and you did not get an alternative to supplying your home with the much-needed heat for the winter storm?

What do you do? Not to worry, there are several emergency methods you can use to warm out without putting yourself at risk for frostbite or any other winter-related issues.

Emergency Heating Options For Winter Power Outages

We have compiled a few survival tips you can use to keep you and your family warm during this time.

Before The Power Goes Out

While you may still have power, here are a few ways to prepare yourself before the worst strikes:

Check on your generator

You may want to stock up on additional fuel for a few days to weeks as there is no sure way of telling how long your power may be out. You also need to check it is functioning effectively. However, if you do not have a generator, you may want to consider getting a dual-fuel generator (you can shop around for some affordable ones).

Invest in a propane heater

There is a wide variety of propane heaters you can choose from (such as propane-fueled buddy heaters), which are tested and proven safe for indoor use.

Alter your doors and windows

You want to prevent heat loss as well as preventing cold air from seeping in. You can purchase insulating shades or become creative with your heat sealers.

Stock Up on the basics

Ensure your family has enough warm blankets, comforters, and winter clothing to last for up to a few weeks.In addition to the noted tips above, you may also want to try a few of the following:

  • If the weather forecast notes an impending power outage, you may want to increase the temperature in your home so there will be enough heat to last. The warmer your home is at the beginning, the longer it will take to cool down. You can also add extra warmth to unused rooms in the house, so there will be a higher chance of thermal mass.
  • Fill your bathtub with hot water
  • Stock up on enough firewood and coal

During The Power Outage

You are indoors, and before long, you realize the power has been shut off. You need to move swiftly in doing the following:

Eliminate All Chances of Heat Loss

Now is not the time to be wasting much-needed heat as your body will need it. You can start by avoiding the opening and closing of exterior doors as cold air can allow the temperature to fall rapidly by up to 10 degrees. There is no way to get that wasted heat back!

If you need to go outside, try doing so through the garage, porch, or other areas where the cold air will not be able to enter the living space. Also, ensure you keep all interior doors closed.

Share Living Space

Have one separate room in the home where the family sleep. This room should be closed at all times and only opened when the family is entering. You can always use the living room as the central area where the family gathers for daily activities.

Seal Draft Areas

Your doors and windows may have draft areas above and below them, so sealing with a towel or draft blocker is necessary. This procedure will allow air from seeping in and clouding the trapped heat. You can either order custom-made or get creative. You can also close your blinds and curtains to help insulate your windows.

Move To The Basement

While the power is still on, you can consider putting extra heat in the basement and seal it. Once the heat inside is losing out, you can consider moving with the family to the basement.

There are alternative ways of getting heat in the home when there is a power outage. Aside from trapping heat that you saved, you can also create heat from:

Alternative Heat Sources for Power Outages

Wood or Coal Stoves

You can light your stove in a central area of the home and leave the internal doors open so the temperature can travel to other areas of the house. However, if you have limited wood, you can light the stove at specified intervals, then trap the heat. Don’t have a coal stove? No Worries, you can take your grills inside, and while adding some heat, you are making some sumptuous meals.

Alternative Heat Sources for Power Outages

Indoor Propane Heaters

Before purchasing these heaters, you need to research whether they are safe for indoor use as not all of them are. Once it is, you can power on once the stored heat is exhausted.

Open Flame

You need to use this option with caution and with a fire extinguisher in close range. You can use candles, lanterns, and other lamps but under strict supervision. Be careful of open flames like candles as they can eventually ignite other items close to them. Also, do not place it on a table (wood or plastic) but instead on a metal surface.

Thermos

Every home needs to have a thermos where they can store hot water for further use. You can use the water to make tea, porridge, or soup, which can serve as an excellent body-warming tactic.

Other Alternative Heat Sources for Power Outages

In addition to the previously highlighted forms of heat production, you can find different ways of staying warm. Ever heard of the “camping inside” trick? This method will see you setting up a tent in your home, and while it is creating a haven for warmth, it is a perfect distraction for the kids from the cold weather.

Also, it is best to have a set of winter clothing that will help to regulate the body’s temperature and keep you warm. These items of clothing include wool jackets, socks, gloves, and can be doubled if needs be.

Amidst the cold weather you might be experiencing, there is still some good to come out of it. You can use this time to keep your refrigerated foods fresh. Move the food items to an open area (porch or driveway) and let them build up some ice.

But in the end, there are so many ways to keep warm during a winter power outage, and how you deal with it depends on you. You can use these tips to help you go a far way. 

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How to Grow Your Emergency Fund According to Dave Ramsey

It may seem like a daunting task, to grow your emergency fund but Dave Ramsey’s methods take the confusion out of it all. There are a few different ways to add money to your emergency fund without stressing and making sure all other bills are paid.

How to Grow Your Emergency Fund According to Dave Ramsey

Simple ways to grow your emergency fund according to Dave Ramsey:

If there is even the smallest spot in the budget you can slim down. Cut out the gym memberships you may not be using now that the weather has changed. This will help you add a little extra money to your growing emergency fund.

Make simple cuts in your budget​

5 Painless Ways to Cut Household Expenses

When we talk about painless ways to cut household expenses, the first piece of advice that always gets thrown out is “stop drinking $5 coffees every day”. Well, if you’re anything like me, you were never drinking $5 coffees every day anyway! $5 is a lot of money and it adds up fast.

Cutting household expenses and adjusting to a new budget doesn’t have to be too uncomfortable. Let’s talk about easy ways to make some simple financial changes for long-term success.

Conduct an audit.

The first step in saving money is to figure out what’s coming in, what’s going out, and most importantly, where it’s all going. Print off your bank statements for the past 3 to 6 months. If you’ve already made some recent changes, 3 months of bank statements will do. If you really want to dig in and figure out where your money has been running off to, print the full 6 months.

Grab a few highlighters and go through your bank statements line by line. Set it up however you want, but for example, you can use pink for income, yellow for necessary expenses, and green for unnecessary expenses or items to cut out.

Next, go through all of the unnecessary expenses and figure out which ones will be the least painful to cut. Make a list of which expenses we will cut first, second, third, and so on.

You can do this in phases so it’s not a huge change all at once. If you have big leaks in your budget and are drowning in debt, you should take this process more seriously and cut expenses as much as possible right away.

e found a great book to help keep this all straight: Busy Family Bill Organizer.

Grow Your Emergency Fund: Patch the leaks.

Rather than quitting everything cold turkey and cutting out all of your expenses at once (which isn’t realistic in the long-term), make small changes to “patch the leaks”, so to speak. Any money that’s unaccounted for month to month is a leak. Any money that goes to fast food unnecessarily is a leak.

Some leaks you may not think about at first may include utilities, food, and entertainment expenses. This doesn’t mean you have to cut out entertainment completely, or that you have to switch to the off-brand for all of your food.

It just means you’re going to be aware of where every single penny of your income is going, so you can make sure it’s accounted for and being spent responsibly. Everyone should have an entertainment budget, and nobody should have to eat off-brand bread! 😉

Negotiate Utilities

Cable, internet, and cell phone bills can make up a large chunk of your monthly expenses if you’re not careful. If you use the internet for work, downgrading to a slower internet speed isn’t practical. However, you can easily cut the cable and get Netflix or Hulu if TV is a priority to you.

Call your cell phone company and negotiate a lower rate. Ask about military or veteran discounts, AARP discounts, etc. Any discount they may have, see if you can get it! Some companies even offer discounts for law enforcement, first responders, and teachers. If the discounts are there and you qualify, you might as well utilize them.

Grow Your Emergency Fund: Watch your food expenses.

Even if you aren’t eating fast food every day, grocery bills alone add up fast. Our grocery bill was drastically reduced once we started meal planning and using curbside pick-up services. Ordering your food online and picking it up outside the store may be one of the best money-saving inventions ever.

Using curbside pick-up means no more last-minute impulse purchases in the checkout line. It means no more Target runs that should have been $50 but were more like $200!

Reevaluate entertainment costs.

How much are you spending on entertainment each month? Whether it’s a Playstation subscription or video game or going to the movies or bowling, what’s your budget? If you don’t have one yet, now is the time to work on creating one.

Like I said earlier, entertainment is important. We don’t need to cut it off completely, but being aware of how much we are spending and making sure it relates to how much it enhances our life is a critical step to cutting household expenses.

One last thing to check, if you didn’t with your audit, is your recurring subscriptions via Paypal. Also check your Cash App, Zelle, or other payment methods you use. The idea is to track every single dollar that comes in and goes out. Once you start doing this one simple thing, the rest falls into place rather seamlessly!

Grow Your Emergency Fund: Sell something​

There can be a lot of stuff around your house that you no longer use. This is a great idea if you’re thinking of trying to downsize as well. Take an allotted amount of time to just check around your house, in the kids’ rooms, up in the attic; you’re sure to find something.

You can take some time to set up a few signs to do the marketing for you if you’re thinking of having a yard sale. Remember to make items your selling appealing to potential buyers; such as filling basketballs with air and simply cleaning the dust off any items.

This could be a great way to sell your things then you won’t have to list the items online to be sold. This would be the perfect time to sell things you no longer use or need to help pad your emergency fund.

Find additional income opportunities​

Maybe you’re only working part-time or maybe you’re already working full-time. Getting another job will solely help your emergency fund if you choose to let it. It can be anywhere from a part-time job to only a few extra hours a week.

You can find a one-time additional income opportunity if you look. You can be a babysitter, dog walker or sitter if you love dogs, or a freelance writer, or maybe a graphic designer. Anything that draws your attention or something you’re already good at.

The beauty of all your hard work is that all the extra money you’re making is going towards your emergency fund. You can choose to become your own boss by joining a direct sell company you’re interested in.

If you choose to direct sell a lot of companies allow you to build a team, which could earn you even more money for your fund.

Grow Your Emergency Fund: Get another job​

Getting another job is a great way to line the emergency fund as well as giving you something to do with your free time.

You can drive for companies like UberEats, or you can create your own streams of income online like hundreds of thousands of others do every day. No matter what your financial situation is, it can improve with planning and budgeting!

If you are wanting to grow your emergency fund then you’ll have to be willing to go the extra mile. Any of these ideas are a great way to get you where you’d like to be within your emergency fund.

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When Sun Prairie Exploded… #SunPrairieStrong

When Sun Prairie Exploded. It seems just like yesterday… It was a typical summer evening here, except Miss Sarah was away at camp. We were watching a movie on TV and not only heard a large noise, but the entire house shook.

Think of all your windows and doors rattling at the same time, almost sounding like someone threw a big fat old-fashioned phone book against them. Andy went outside and could see the cloud of smoke coming from downtown, we had no idea that Sun Prairie exploded.

When Sun Prairie Exploded

Being a Desert Storm Vet, my mind tends to go to the worst-case scenario when I hear a large bang. Add a giant cloud of black smoke? It makes me happy that I have a full pantry, bug-out bags, and a large first aid kit.

Was it a bomb? That kept going through my head as so many bomb attacks and shootings have been all over the news lately… we were to learn soon that there was no attack, just human error at fault.

Andy, working for the local NBC station, grabbed his phone and took off towards “the hot zone”. All members of his work staff have a special app where they can directly link feeds to the station and he knew he would be on site a lot faster than the news truck from the west side of Madison.

I was torn about him running into the unknown until the station confirmed over the phone that a building blew up.

The gas leak was reported at 6:21 pm – a sub contractor for Verizon was working on fiber optic cable and hit a gas main. People who saw it said it was like a geyser shooting up, followed soon by a horrible smell. People quickly evacuated the area.

Shortly after that, the explosion was triggered and an entire building was just gone, with fire two stories tall attacking the space and surrounding buildings.

Mr Rogers always said:

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

Mr Rogers

That is so true of this community. The helpers came out in droves. Even our local police media liaison, Lt. Konopacki,  choked up at a press conference when he mentioned how people weren’t coming up asking what happened, but asking what they could do to help.

Volunteers helped direct traffic, pulled residents out of the local nursing home so they could be moved to Dean Clinic, brought supplies to the temporary shelters for evacuees, knocked on doors to get people out of the danger zone, and so much more.

Seriously, the list goes on and on about how people pulled together to make sure everyone was safe as the fires raged on.

The ripple effect?

Businesses gone, businesses closed, people displaced, and one person dead.

Patrick DePula, who owns Salvatore’s, said he couldn’t wait to get back into his building for clean up. They lost their front windows, along with most main street businesses, and knew he had a mess to clean up as no power + hot weather + a few days with all that food still sitting out on tables and the kitchen was sure to equal a large mess.

salvatores pizza of Sun Prairie after the gas explosion

They are a small business that is loosing income every hour they are closed and still want to help out. From their facebook post:

Dear Sun Prairie,

It’s been a rough week and I’m emotionally spent. Our restaurant is now behind a security fence, and can only be accessed with police and fire escort. They call it the hot zone. I can’t even access the building to board up the windows.
Everything is as it was when we evacuated on Tuesday. There is food and drinks on every table. No power. I can’t help but be reminded of the city of Pompeii. Walking through the restaurant I couldn’t help but notice little vignettes of the time before the earth shook and an explosion took the life of a good man.

A pizza and pasta dishes on a table. Glasses of wine. A half finished kids Mac and cheese next to a wiki stix project. The air is now beginning to be redolent of rotten seafood and warm garlic. And it seems filled with ghosts. Ultimately I was able to get items that employees left behind during the evacuation.

We poured not only our lives into this place, but also all of our resources. Seeing it broken, battered and abandoned is heart breaking. This is one of our busiest times of the year and we have no income at the moment. I’m being called every day for food donations and fundraisers, and…I don’t even have a functioning kitchen. But we want to help in any way we can. It’s in our blood!

So Saturday our whole staff will be cooking for first responders, and families. All of us are pitching in. We’re still trying to round up food even though Wisconsin beef, pork and chicken along with 800 lbs of cheese are going to waste in our powerless coolers. The amount of food we will toss is staggering to me. But again, we’re safe. It just pains me to not be able to put all of that to good use in the community. But we’ve got commitments for 200 lbs of heritage pork and sausage among other items. We will provide food and the labor to cook it to feed the bravest of people on Saturday.

We run on fairly slim margins at Sal’s as we proudly use local ingredients and insist upon a labor intensive hand-made food model. We don’t have conveyor belt ovens and bake directly on a brick hearth, with fire. It takes constant attention and skill in order to get good results, but that is the only way we know how to do it. Because of this our expenses are much higher than similar restaurants. And that is more than ok.

Anyway…what I’m trying to say is that we’re used to giving when asked. Freely and usually without limit. But it’s hard for us right now…and honestly? that isn’t a good feeling. If you’ve got a fundraiser in mind, we’d love to do it. We’d like nothing more than to help. But give us a week or so to hopefully clean up our mess and sort things out. We’re missing way more than half of our income right now but our expenses remain the same if not more.

Payroll is coming up, Insurance hasn’t kicked in, and we are still reeling from our flood damage that closed us for lunch for two weeks in May. We thought that was a particularly terrible disaster while experiencing it but compared to this? A mere inconvenience. Compared to what some other sun prairie business owners and residents are going through, our current plight is also.

At this time, we need to take care of our team, and frankly, this is a pretty scary moment for us. We don’t yet know when we can open again. I haven’t slept since Monday night and didn’t see my kids until today. Our tenants remain displaced and the thought of that is weighing on me. Thank you, friends, for your support. It means a lot to have heard from many of you. Your words of encouragement are appreciated. Once we’re operating we want to do something big…to help as many people as we can. But at this moment We can’t even bus our frozen-in-time tables. And we can’t wait to be back to doing what we do best. #sunprairiestrong

Most sincerely,
Patrick, Nichole, John, Madeliene Jon and everyone else at Sal’s.

The blocked off area of damaged buildings after the explosion

He is one of the luckier ones downtown as more buildings caught fire and some families lost their homes…one person lost his life. He still has a building to go back to, unlike the owner of the Glass Nickel, who is talking about rebuilding.

When Sun Prairie Exploded, help came in droves

Multiple response agencies, including the Red Cross, have shelters setup at local schools and churches for those who were in the half mile radius of the blast and not allowed back into their homes yet. The gas company was afraid that the leak was going to travel through the sewer lines and the possibility of more explosions.

They are still working their way through the evacuation area and slowly, people are being allowed to go back home or go into their homes and get things that are needed. (Just another reason to have a bug out bag…)

While I know our little town has made the National News, I can’t help but be proud of our little community.

  • Girl Scouts were doing lemonade stands and a brat fry to add to the fund for the family of the local firefighter who passed away, the sole casualty of this event. Cory Barr was a Captain of the local department and went back into the building that blew up – we can only guess that he wanted to make sure everyone got out. The State Governor ordered the flags to be half-mast for him.
  • Duane Sprecher, the owner of the local Culver’s, put together a bunch of meals for the first responders and people at shelters.
  • From surrounding communities, different first responders like Fire Fighters, EMTs, and Police officers have been coming to town to ask if there was anything they could do to help.
  • A collection drive has been established to help the families that lost everything. (Thank you, Kase, from Cherry Pie)

The explosion on Tuesday left people with almost nothing. They came home from work or sports practice or marching band rehearsal to discover they owned nothing but what they’re wearing. There’s been a lot of local help for shelter and food, but they’re running out of next-step stuff awfully fast.

Sunshine Place and CARDS Closet are low on toiletries, toothbrushes/toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo/conditioner. They’re low on fresh socks and underwear of all sizes, from toddlers up to young adults. Girls’ shorts & t-shirts from size 5 to 10, gently used, would be welcome and useful immediately, so if you have outgrown clothes, we can put them to use.

There really is too much amazing information to share with you – my heart overflows for these amazing people.

How can YOU help?

  • Donate to the various people affected by this,  here is a link to all of the current fund requests for the families, injured firefighters,  and the fund for the Barr family – he left behind a wife and twin 3-year-old daughters. Donate Here
  • Contact the Sunshine Place to see what they need: Website HERE
  • Pray. It’s amazing how something as easy to do as praying can make a difference.
When Sun Prairie Exploded - Barr Family photo

Yes, I am crying as I write this – just thinking of all the incredible people who turned out, with flags, along the route that Cory’s body was brought back to the town’s funeral parlor.

His babies will never get hugged by them again, people’s pets that have died while their owners had to leave them behind for the evacuation, families that lost everything and so much more. It’s going to be another life milestone for us all: when Sun Prairie Exploded.

—Most Photos courtesy of Salvatore’s

Has something like this ever happened in YOUR town? How did they handle it?

Other articles you may find helpful if you like when Sun Prairie Exploded:

Different Ways to Use Witch Hazel

If you have wondered what people use witch hazel for, then keep reading! I have some different ways to use witch hazel when it comes to your lifestyle! This can be found by rubbing alcohol at most mass retailers or you can even buy it online, it is very affordable! So that makes it a really great multi-purpose product to have on hand! 

Ways to use Witch Hazel

I don’t know about you but I love things that are non-toxic and able to do multiple tasks. Witch Hazel is one of those gems – it can be used for oh so many things, is inexpensive, and keeps a long time for your storage.

What is Witch Hazel?

Witch-hazels or witch hazels (Hamamelis) are a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae, with three species in North America (H. ovalis,[1] H. virginiana, and H. vernalis), and one each in Japan (H. japonica) and China (H. mollis). The North American species are occasionally called winterbloom.[2][3]

Wikipedia

That is a lot of fancy speak to say it is a shrub. A shrub with very pretty and vibrant yellow flowers, but still – a shrub. The leaves and bark were used by Native Americans in herbalism / fold medicine.

Now the claims of everything it can do have been challenged by the FDA as it was starting to sound like a side-show medicine man act to the point that in 2017, one manufacturer of skincare products containing witch-hazel was warned for making unsubstantiated claims.

Don’t ingest Witch Hazel

There are many suggestions about how to use witch hazel as a method to reduce a sore throat. Um, don’t do that. Even Web MD says that if you take high doses by mouth, it may cause kidney or liver damage.

Add in the fact that high amounts of Witch Hazel are toxic as it is a known carcinogen? It is just a bad idea to put it IN your body. You should be more than fine with occasional uses on the outside of your body.

Witch Hazel Benefits

Let’s just take a peek at some of the things that witch hazel has been known to help.

Diaper Rash:

If you have a little one at home, you can use it to relieve diaper rash. Simply get a little on a soft cloth and pat it on your baby’s bottom.

It will help heal up the diaper rash! This is great to use all the time, or when you are out of cream and need a quick fix for your fussy baby! 

Let’s face it, who wants and itchy/sore tushy?

Razor Burn: 

I think we all have had razor burn one time or another. You can use it to relieve the burning sensation from the razor burn. Just apply with a soft cloth and it will subside the painful burn!

This will come in handy fore everything from arm pits to that more sensitive bikini zone.

Poison Ivy:

Leaves of three, let it be is only good when it is daylight and you can see it. Camping in a dark area like Peninsula State Park of Wisconsin might be a challenge if your flashlight bites it on your way to the outhouse and those flip-flops do a poor job of protecting your skin.

Once that pesky poison ivy attacks, use witch hazel to get rid of the itch! It has natural ingredients that help soothe that itch and doesn’t dry out your skin in the meantime. Just apply as needed on the troubled areas. 

Witch Hazel for Acne:

Ideally added to products for oily skin, witch hazel acts as an astringent, causing your tissues to contract to help shrink pores, while also soothing your skin and relieving inflammation.

It can be applied directly to your face after cleansing or steaming for maximum effectiveness.

Hemorrhoid Relief:

If you have hemorrhoids, you can put some witch hazel on some toilet paper and lightly dab it on your hemorrhoids. It does sting a little right at first for some people, but it goes away pretty quickly. This is a really great natural relief.

If you have never had this problem, you won’t understand why dogs drag their hineys across the carpet for relief.

Depuff Eyes:

Wake up with some bags under your eyes? Take equal parts of water and witch hazel, soap a cloth, and press it under your eyes for 10-15 minutes. This is great at de-puffing your eyes.

Stop Bleeding From Cuts: 

If you have a minor cut, you can use witch hazel to stop the bleeding. Dip a cotton swab in witch hazel and press it over the cut. It is a quick and sanitary way to stop the bleeding. If it is a pretty big cut it will not work, but works great for small nicks and cuts. 

As you can see, witch hazel can really come in handy for different situations! It is a great product to buy and have on hand for when you need it! Do you use witch hazel? If so, tell me your favorite way to use it! 

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