If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

With all the mess going on in Chile and Haiti, this guest post couldn’t come at a better time!  Are you prepared?  ~Kelli

Even though you may be pretty sure that natural disasters like flood, earthquake, tornado, or hurricane may never happen in your area, it is very important to prepare your home and organize it in case of an unfortunate disaster. Here are the seven quick-fixes you can implement to protect your family and your home if the natural disaster strikes.

1. Create an emergency tool kit that includes all the essential supplies such as toilet paper, soap, diapers, personal hygiene products, and hardware products like a wrench, pliers, scissors, matches, and knifes.
2. Get a portable waterproof and fireproof container to put your important documents like deeds, wills, insurance policies, other miscellaneous financial documents, passport, and some extra cash.
3. Make sure your homeowner’s insurance is up-to-date and that it covers all the costs of replacing or repairing your home’s damages.
4. If you live in an earthquake prone area, strap any fuel tanks or gas tanks to the wall to avoid dangerous leaks. Identify your electrical master breaker switch, gas shut off valves, and water valves to turn off the supply in case of transmission damage.
5. Prepare your home for fire by getting an appropriate type of extinguisher for your home. There are three types of fire extinguishers – Class A, Class B, & Class C. The Class A fire extinguisher makes a great choice for rooms that have a lot of wood and other easy-to-burn items. Class B fire extinguisher is idea for rooms that have high concentration of flammable liquids, whereas Class C is mainly used for electrical short circuited fires. Class B-C fire extinguisher is ideal for kitchen, and Class A is generally used for bedrooms.
6. If you live in a flood-zone, keep sand bags handy. For storm prone areas, replace your old door with a special hurricane-rated door. Also consider weather-stripping your doors to prevent the water from damaging the structure of your home.
7. If you live in an area that experiences frequent wildfires, make sure there are no trees or dry bushes in the vicinity of your home. Keep them at least 40 feet away. Also, replace your wooden roofs with roofs made from fire-resistant material.

It is wise to adopt the old adage of “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail” when it comes to preparing your home for natural disasters. Implement the above mentioned steps and save yourself from a lot of hassle in case of an unfortunate event.

About the Author:
Amy enjoys exploring topics of home organization, home and yard decoration. She is a tabletop fountain artist as well as a full-time business student. Amy invites you to browse beautiful collection of solar fountains for patio and garden enthusiasts.

As a mom blogger who does reviews and giveaways, I have found one of the best ways to get some “new blood” on my blog is to have an event.  If you have been a reader for a while, then you might remember my Back 2 School Blog Bash, my Spooktacular Soiree, my Holiday Gift Guides, or my New Year’s Resolutions Event.

My views, readers, and subscribers increased 10-fold during each event. 

What type of event can you do to help out your blog?

• Giveaway Event
• Gift Guides
• How Tos
• Blog Hop
• Interviews

Why Do An Event?

• Links In
• More Traffic
• Long time of specific posts are loved by Google
• They are fun!

Note:  blog events can be VERY time consuming.  My very first one just about killed me.  (I had 30 days of giveaways and over 40 companies involved!) LOL!  I suggest starting with a week-long event and after getting better at it, expanding to a longer event.  Also, be sure your event has to do with your blog.

Have fun and let me know how it goes!  Oh, by the way, I am planning a NEW event for April.  I will be expanding on the Blogging Basics Series to include your entire Home Office!  As usual, I will have guest posters, reviews, and giveaways all geared towards the home office theme.  Excited?  Me too!

P.S. Today is my Anniversary!  I have been married to my wonderful husband for 11 years!

Please welcome Carly to 3 Boys and a Dog as she shares a yummy sounding cookie recipe.  I have not made it yet, but man it sounds GREAT! ~Kelli

As someone with a serious baking addiction, I know how dangerous it can be to whip up desserts all day long and have to stare at them until other people come along. Often, portions of the dessert end up mysteriously disappearing throughout the day until the evening, when the homecoming troop complains about the picked-over offerings.

That’s why I like cookies—they’re easy to make, and they can be shut away and put out of sight so that I can focus on other things and go retrieve one when I really want a special treat. These cookies are a quick, delicious dessert that’s made with whole grains, but you’d never know it. The oats add texture to the finished treats, which are surprisingly light, and the wheat flour is virtually undetectable. The cookies are modified from a recipe available at Cooking Light," where they won first place in the magazine’s “Desserts” contest category.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 T. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 c. rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 T. unsalted butter (3/4 stick)
• 3/4 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/2 c. dried cherries
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 oz. very dark chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 c. chocolate chips
• 1/4 c. turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix the flours with the oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir briefly with a whisk.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. When it’s melted, take it off the heat and stir in the brown sugar. Add the sugar and butter to the oat mixture, and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until well combined.

Stir in the egg and vanilla, and then fold in the dried cherries, dried cranberries, and the chocolate pieces. Chill the dough in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the dough from the freezer, scatter a work surface with a light coating of flour, and coat your hands with flour. Break the dough into two pieces, and roll each piece into a log between 10 to 12 inches long.

Dip a sharp knife into water, and cut each log into 15 slices. Roll each slice into a small ball, and place the balls on two parchment-paper-lined baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, and cool them until they are firm enough to move onto racks.

When the cookies are cool, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler over low heat. Dip a corner of each cookie into the melted chocolate chips, and return the cookie to its baking sheet of parchment paper to cool and solidify. If the warm chocolate begins to harden in the saucepan, return it to heat for a few moments. After you have dipped all the cookies in the melted chocolate, sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the chocolate portions.

Refrigerate the cookies for 20 minutes or until they are firm.

This post was contributed by Carly Schuna, who writes about Halloween costumes over at StarCostumes.com.

I try to steer clear of my southern speech on my blog… after all, I want people to understand what I am saying.  But, since this post is a bit about me being just a small-town, country girl, I figured I better stick bits of my language in.

 

I am going out of town again.   First, I leave at the crack-of-dawn on Thursday morning for Los Angeles!  I will be attending the International Exchange Coordinator’s Regional Meeting for EF Foundation.

Then, comes the best part (and the reason I am so nervous)… I will be flying straight from LA and arriving in Chicago Sunday night to attend the International Home and Housewares Show all day Monday!

I am so nervous about representing my blog (and bloggers in general) at this HUGE trade show.  Also, I have NEVER done a thing on my own.  Remember when I was talking about Blissdom, I said I was doing it on my own?  Ok, it wasn’t 100% on my own.  This is!  This small-town girl is terrified of going to the BIG CITY of Chicago!

I want to thank Hoover for inviting me to attend and paying for my transportation and accommodations!  BTW, don’t you want their SteamVac SpinScrub Pet?  Yeah, me too!

Wish me luck, I am super excited about this awesome opportunity!  I can’t wait to come home and tell all of you about the awesome new products that are showcased at the Show!

I am going to keep this short and sweet since I have so many people to contact.  LOL!

1.  #27 – Vickie Couturier

      I follow you on twitter @vickiecouturier
      vlbelk(at)hotmail.com

2.  #2 -  Colleen

      My favorite childhood cartoon was My Little Pony

      inman@mobap.edu

3.  #49 - Kristina

      I loved Smurfs, but who doesn’t love those little blue creatures

4.  #20 -  shannon flora

      tweeted
      http://twitter.com/shannon717717/status/9680651556

      thanks.,shannon
      shannpf1977@yahoo.com

5.  #43 – karen M

      Follower you on twitter

6.  #32 – Terri S.

      follower via google friends
      vinter at warwick dot net

7.  #1 – The Crazy Mom

      I liked Casper the friendly ghost!

8.  #36 -  Marj M.

      Your button is posted on my sidebar:
      http://driftalongattumbleweedacres.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much, all winners have been notified.  Also, don’t forget to check out my current contests!