<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Be Prepared Blog</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/</link><description>From the "Go Bag" or hunkering down, escape plans and sheltering in place or just an evening with no electricity, we have what you need to know about emergency preparedness.</description><language>en-us</language><pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:04:03 +0000</pubDate><lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:04:03 +0000</lastBuildDate><ttl>60</ttl><item><title>Be Prepared Blog on Hiatus</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/be-prepared-blog-on-hiatus</link><pubDate>Wed, 21 Feb 2007 02:37:33 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/be-prepared-blog-on-hiatus</guid><description><![CDATA[The Be Prepared Blog is on hiatus.  Please feel free to read the archives here or visit our Food Blog and Frugal Living Blog for similar articles.]]></description></item><item><title>Financial Preparedness Advice from Money Bloggers</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/financial-preparedness-advice-from-money-bloggers</link><pubDate>Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:50:13 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/financial-preparedness-advice-from-money-bloggers</guid><description><![CDATA[One important part of preparing for the future is having your finances in order.  The money blog here at families.com is a great resource for learning to budget your money, save, invest, and get out of debt.]]></description></item><item><title>When a Stay-at-Home Mom Must Go to Work</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/when-a-stay-at-home-mom-must-go-to-work</link><pubDate>Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:46:22 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/when-a-stay-at-home-mom-must-go-to-work</guid><description><![CDATA[If you are a mother (or father) who stays home with the children, you may not consider how important it might be to have a plan for having to provide for the family in the event of an emergency.]]></description></item><item><title>Preparing to Be Out of Work</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/preparing-to-be-out-of-work</link><pubDate>Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:34:24 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/preparing-to-be-out-of-work</guid><description><![CDATA[None of us wants to admit that there might be a time when there is a sudden loss of income.  A job loss or disability can be devastating.  However, if you prepare before something like this happens, you will have a sense of security even at this uncertain time.  

Get disability insurance.]]></description></item><item><title>Savings: One of the Most Versatile Preparedness Tools</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/savings-one-of-the-most-versatile-preparedness-tools</link><pubDate>Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:30:57 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/savings-one-of-the-most-versatile-preparedness-tools</guid><description><![CDATA[With all of our daily, weekly, and monthly expenses, it can be really hard to set any money aside for a rainy day.  But, it can be possible even if you do not think so.  And, the money you save is one of the most useful things you can have in the event of an emergency.  

Budget your money.]]></description></item><item><title>Week in Review: Canned Foods and Babies</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/week-in-review-canned-foods-and-babies</link><pubDate>Sat, 17 Feb 2007 19:42:47 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/week-in-review-canned-foods-and-babies</guid><description><![CDATA[This week we have learned about storing canned foods and preparing for baby's needs during an emergency.  Here is a brief synopsis of each article in case you missed any of them.]]></description></item><item><title>Make Your Own Baby Foods in an Emergency</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/make-your-own-baby-foods-in-an-emergency</link><pubDate>Fri, 16 Feb 2007 21:54:25 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/make-your-own-baby-foods-in-an-emergency</guid><description><![CDATA[Here are a couple of recipes for making whole-grain baby cereals at home with your stored foods.  These are great options for emergencies, but also for good times as well.]]></description></item><item><title>Special Considerations for Storing Baby Foods</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/special-considerations-for-storing-baby-foods</link><pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2007 20:12:37 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/special-considerations-for-storing-baby-foods</guid><description><![CDATA[If you have a baby in the house, it is important to consider what baby will need in an emergency.  As with many stored foods, the nutritive value of canned foods slightly decreases over time.  For most people this is not a big problem, but for infants those vitamins and nutrients are more crucial.]]></description></item><item><title>Making Baby Foods from Stored Foods</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/making-baby-foods-from-stored-foods</link><pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2007 19:18:01 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/making-baby-foods-from-stored-foods</guid><description><![CDATA[It is important to remember baby's needs when planning for emergencies.  There are a couple of different approaches you may choose to take in order to provide for baby when it is most critical.]]></description></item><item><title>A Surprising Story of 100-Year-Old Meat</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/a-surprising-story-of-100-year-old-meat</link><pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2007 01:32:24 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/a-surprising-story-of-100-year-old-meat</guid><description><![CDATA[Still not sure you want to store canned foods for years on your shelves for emergency preparedness?  Would you guess that a can of meat could last more than 100 years?  Perhaps this story will convince you of the long shelf life of canned foods.]]></description></item><item><title>Advance Planning Before Mom Has Surgery: While At The Hospital</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/advance-planning-before-mom-has-surgery-while-at-the-hospital</link><pubDate>Wed, 14 Feb 2007 23:33:33 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/advance-planning-before-mom-has-surgery-while-at-the-hospital</guid><description><![CDATA[In my last guest Blog I wrote about the fact that on Monday I will be having surgery and some of the things I have done to prepare my home and family.]]></description></item><item><title>Canned Food Storage Safety</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/canned-food-storage-safety</link><pubDate>Wed, 14 Feb 2007 21:29:53 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/canned-food-storage-safety</guid><description><![CDATA[Some canned foods can last almost indefinitely if they are stored in the right conditions and are not dented or bulging.  Make sure to exercise discretion when using old canned foods.]]></description></item><item><title>Advance Planning Before Mom Has Surgery: Home and Family</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/advance-planning-before-mom-has-surgery-home-and-family</link><pubDate>Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:46:35 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/advance-planning-before-mom-has-surgery-home-and-family</guid><description><![CDATA[This Monday, I will be having surgery, and my estimated recovery time is the standard 6-weeks. While I'll be able to do many things after the surgery I know I won't be doing everything I usually do. The idea of catching up after recovery is more frightening to me then the surgery itself.]]></description></item><item><title>How Long will Your Canned Foods Last?</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/how-long-will-your-canned-foods-last</link><pubDate>Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:27:08 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/how-long-will-your-canned-foods-last</guid><description><![CDATA[How do you determine how long a can of food will last?  Actually, it's kind of hard to guess, but here are a few guidelines when trying to determine the shelf life of your canned foods:

Home-canned foods 
Most sources say that home-canned foods will store safely for at least one year.]]></description></item><item><title>What Do the Dates on Your Canned Foods Mean?</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/what-do-the-dates-on-your-canned-foods-mean</link><pubDate>Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:26:47 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/what-do-the-dates-on-your-canned-foods-mean</guid><description><![CDATA[Are you unsure about how long a can of tuna will last?  What do the stamps printed on the cans mean?  Can the stamped dates tell you how long an item will store?]]></description></item><item><title>Saving Time By Saving Documents</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/saving-time-by-saving-documents</link><pubDate>Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:37:16 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/saving-time-by-saving-documents</guid><description><![CDATA[For those of you who are married and have had children, remember registering at the various stores for certain gifts and such? Recall how frustrating it could be trying to figure out what you wanted, the quantity, and the color of that item?]]></description></item><item><title>Preparing for Technology Issues: Online Billing</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/preparing-for-technology-issues-online-billing</link><pubDate>Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:58:15 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/preparing-for-technology-issues-online-billing</guid><description><![CDATA[Computers are almost a necessity these days. Everyone has one. There are many of us who use this technology to our advantage, especially when it comes to bill paying. I'm guilty of it. Paying bills and checking balances online is only a click away.]]></description></item><item><title>Pantry Meals: Vegetarian Chili</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/pantry-meals-vegetarian-chili</link><pubDate>Thu, 08 Feb 2007 22:50:57 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/pantry-meals-vegetarian-chili</guid><description><![CDATA[Pantry meals are meals that can be put together using only nonperishable food items.  Having a few of these meals on hand means you will always have an easy homemade meal ready to be prepared, without having to go to the grocery store or buy take-out.]]></description></item><item><title>A Prepared Pantry: My Kitchen Staples</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/a-prepared-pantry-my-kitchen-staples</link><pubDate>Thu, 08 Feb 2007 01:25:02 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/a-prepared-pantry-my-kitchen-staples</guid><description><![CDATA[A prepared pantry is a beautiful thing.  Keep staple items in your fridge at all times and you will never have to fret about having an empty fridge or pantry.  You will also save lots of money by buying items only when they are on sale.  Below is my personal list of staple items in my kitchen.]]></description></item><item><title>Prepare Your Pantry</title><link>http://preparedness.families.com/blog/prepare-your-pantry</link><pubDate>Wed, 07 Feb 2007 22:22:03 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://preparedness.families.com/blog/prepare-your-pantry</guid><description><![CDATA[I use to think that with my frugal ways it just didn't make sense to keep my pantry stocked.  Instead, I would try only to purchase the items that I really needed for the next week or two of meals.  However (and as many others have discovered), I was mistaken.]]></description></item></channel></rss>