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Riding Out The Storm – The Vital Things To Keep In Your Storm Or Tornado Shelter

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If you live in an area where storms or tornadoes are a regular threat, and have created a storm shelter within your home, then you may think you’ve got everything covered. However, you need to make sure you have everything you need in your shelter to keep yourself and your family safe and well, as well as to allow you the best chance of leaving the shelter safely and beginning to deal with the aftermath of extreme weather.

Here are a few things you definitely need to make sure you have inside your storm shelter in advance, so you can get in there with minimal fuss when a storm strikes:

A Battery Powered Phone Charger – Plus Batteries

It’s bad enough losing battery on your phone at the best of times, but when you are in the middle of an emergency it is even more of a concern. Battery powered chargers are available for almost all modern phone models, and if you keep one of these and a supply of the correct sized batteries in your tornado shelter, you’ll be able to keep your phone on even when power fails. Your phone will, while signal is available, let you keep in touch with family and friends to check they’re safe, as well as access the internet to get any updates on what is going on outside. It can also help you stave off boredom by giving you something to play with if you’re down there for a long time!

Food for Your Family and Pets

Keep basic foods that will keep you going in your shelter, because you may have to spend hours or even days in there and will need a source of nourishment. Choose things that keep for a long time so you don’t need to replace them, and make sure you have things like a can opener and some forks in your shelter too. While you’re not going to be eating like you’re at a sophisticated dinner party, not being to be able to get into your food is going to be a big problem. Keep some pet food on hand too if you have animals. Bottled water is of course another essential, and keep a bowl so you can also give some of this to your pets.

Documents

Unless you have everything stored online (not on the hard drive of any given device), keep copies of all of your insurance documents in your storm shelter. This will give you the things you may need to start the process of sorting out any storm damage issues after the storm has passed easily to hand, and means that you’ll still have copies of important documents even if your house is flooded or damaged really badly and your originals are destroyed. If you have your documents stored online (something many insurers now offer), you can access them via your phone. However, you may want to keep copies of other important things like your passport and birth certificate in your shelter just in case.

By ensuring you equip your shelter with the things you need and make sure you replace anything that gets used, you will always have a safe, well prepared shelter with the minimum amount of maintenance.

Attached Images:
  •  License: Creative Commons image source
  •  License: Creative Commons image source
  •  License: Creative Commons image source
  •  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://pixabay.com/en/document-open-folder-reading-97576/

Today’s guest post is courtesy Eidur Johanson. He is a handyman by profession and has worked on many storm damaged houses. He has learnt a few tricks of overcoming such disasters and has discussed them in this article.

How To Get Through The Most Difficult Times In Your Life

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No one ever said that life would be easy. In fact if you look around, you’ll tend to find that most people suggest quite the opposite. Life is tough, a constant struggle in many ways, and you often won’t know what’s just around the corner.

In a way this can actually be seen as a good thing. The trials that we go through in everyday life only serve to make us stronger, while the dark periods make the happy moments seem that much more special and amazing. If we never faced and adversity, we’d be weak and easily hurt and life and wouldn’t be the complex tapestry of emotions and moments that it is.

Still, waxing philosophical about how the strife in life is actually beautiful isn’t going to make it any easier on us when we’re facing those tough challenges. The secret is just to know how to deal with these times, so that you can weather the storm and wait it out until things get better.

Because they will.

Until then…

Talk to Friends:       Friends play a number of important roles in our lives, but among the most important is being there to help us through our more difficult times. Your friends will often be able to help you physically and practically with any challenges you may come across – whether that means helping you move house by offering their lifting skills, or whether it means driving you tow work in the morning if your car isn’t available.

At the same time though your friends are also there to listen if you are struggling with something less concrete. Friends make the best listeners, and if you just need an ear then being able to talk through your issues can often make them seem a lot smaller and more manageable.

Talk to Strangers:

Don’t talk to just any stranger – that will likely only scare them. What you can do though, is talk to particular strangers whose job it is to listen or who have volunteered to do so. This might mean calling the Samaritans, or seeing a therapist. Don’t be proud – having a non-judgemental ear to listen can make all the difference.

Talk to God:

          While a therapist will listen and help you to cope, they won’t necessarily be able to answer every problem and some issues will still need to go to a higher authority. If you are religious, then spending some time alone in a church to talk to God, or just praying quietly at home can help to strengthen your resolve.

Come Up With a Plan:

All these suggestions however involve ‘weathering the storm’. While these methods are all very useful and can help a great deal though, they’re not particularly proactive. Instead then, why not try taking matters into your own hands by coming up with a concrete plan that you can put into action. It doesn’t even matter if this plan doesn’t work in fact – just the fact that you have one will help you to feel more in control and a lot more capable as a result.

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Today’s featured writer, Andy Depp, works as a counselor for a Christian church in London. He’s a very religious person and prays to god every evening at his local church.

Rhino Deck: Making Your Outdoor Space Come Alive

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The right landscaping can add a beautiful look and a lush, tranquil feel to your deck space. It can also provide valuable functions like shade and privacy. What’s more, outdoor gardens can provide herbs, fruits and vegetables.

Figuring out what landscaping will work best for your deck space can be a challenge. Rhino Deck offers the following ideas and advice for turning a bare bones outdoor structure into a garden oasis.

First, consider the function your landscaping will serve. Do you want to provide shade? Privacy? Are you looking to cover up gaps or spaces? Or do you just want to accent your space with colorful foliage and flowers?

If you’re looking to provide shade, building or remodeling your deck space around or near an existing tree with a large canopy is one option. Adding tall trees around an existing deck is another. You can also consider installing lattice panels in the sunniest spots, and training vines to climb to create a living wall. Rhino Deck offers durable, beautiful composite lattice panels ideal for just such a purpose.

Vine-covered lattice structures are also excellent for providing privacy. You can also create privacy by artfully placing potted plants in the deck’s interior to cover spaces between rails. For some extra fun and function, choose fruiting vines like tomatoes or peppers, or bushy herbs like lavender or rosemary to create your own vegetable or herb garden. For lower or platform decks, tall shrubs or a combination of trees and shrubs of varying heights can be planted around the perimeter to act as a natural screen.

If you’re simply looking to enhance your deck view with a beautiful garden space, the options are really only limited by your budget, your space and your imagination. Linear gardens work really well around decks, but a free-form garden with sprawling native plants or lush and dense tropical warm-weather plants can look just as lovely, and give you the feeling of being in a secluded natural setting.

Once you’ve decided what function you want your landscaping to serve, you must figure out what types of plants you’ll need to accomplish your goals. To do so, first study the sunlight and rainwater patterns of your deck space. Plants that need drier roots will need to be planted away from deck edges where water collects. Plants that require partial shade will thrive in your deck’s shadier spots, but wilt in full sun.

After you’ve determined what types of plants will be most successful in your space, you can begin choosing specific plants that meet your color, size and style preferences. Then you can map out where each plant will be placed. All that follows is to prep the area, plant your garden and watch your yard come to life.

If you need help designing or implementing a deck landscaping plan, contact a landscape architect or a local nursery for a consultation. For help building or remodeling a deck that perfectly complements and integrates with your landscaping, visit the Rhino Deck website. Rhino Deck offers the best composite decking materials. The company also provides a list of qualified builders and installers in your area.

How To Dog-Proof Your Apartment

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Walt in crate

Are you starting to get puppy fever? If so, you’re not alone. Spring time is one of the most popular times of the year to adopt a pet! While it’s a very exciting time in a person’s life when you can finally take the step to caring for a dog, you have to make sure that you’re 100% prepared for this type of responsibility. After you’ve made the decision, here are 5 steps to follow in order to prepare your apartment for your new furry friend.

Get secure lids for trash cans

One of the biggest mistakes dog owners make after getting their first dog is not ensuring that they have quality garbage cans with secure lids. Dogs love to get into the trash, and if you have a swing garbage can or one without a lid at all, you’re pretty much setting yourself up for disaster. Look for the garbage cans with pop up lids or if your new dog is known for being mischievous, consider buying a lid that you can lock when you’re not home. This way you never have to worry whether or not your dog is going to dig through the garbage!

Buy gates

Gates and crates are essential when you adopt your first pet, but you don’t necessarily need to invest in both. When you first bring your new puppy home, it’s important to consider how often you’re going to be around and whether the environment is more apt for a crate or gates. If you have a full time job and you’re not home most of the day, a crate is probably your best bet. On the other hand, if you have the time to stay home with your dog and train them consistently, then you could probably just handle training with gates.

Tape down cords

One of the most notorious traits of puppies is chewing. Whether it’s on a baseboard, on your favorite pair of shoes or your electrical chords, they will find them on the ground and they will try to chew them. The good news is, you can easily prevent this by taping down chords throughout your house to ensure a puppy can’t get to them.

Move plants

Be aware that while plants help bring life to your living space, they aren’t necessarily good to have around puppies. Not only could the plants be dangerous for your pet to eat, but they could be easily knocked over and can create a mess that you will have to clean up later on. To play it safe, just move plants to higher areas that your pet would not be able to access!

Invest in towels – lots of them

When you think you have enough towels, buy more. If you’re not already aware of this, dogs tend to get pretty dirty, whether it’s from playing outside in the rain, jumping into ponds, or simply just walking through mud. Having ample towels around to clean off your dogs paws will definitely come in handy. Also a good thing to remember is that during potty training, you’re going to be cleaning up a lot of messes. Rather than spending all that extra money on paper towels, re-use towels and wash them between each accident. You won’t only be saving money but you’ll be saving the planet, too!

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Felicia Walkins is a freelance writer and dog lover. After moving into her first apartment with her pet, she has been dedicated to finding dog-friendly communities for others to live in. She looks forward to the Jackson Twenty One community and hopes her and her pup can live there in happiness!

Five Tips To Help Dog Separation Anxiety

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taro shiba:

From puppies to adult dogs, anxiety can be present regardless of age, size, breed and gender. Separation anxiety can happen for a variety of reasons, but luckily for us dog owners, there are a lot of solutions to helping your dog overcome this problem. In order to help a dog feel comfortable being left alone, follow these five tips.

Exercise

Before you leave the house and leave your furry friend behind, make sure he or she has had a good deal of exercise. Whether this means taking a long walk or a short run before leaving your pet at home, exercise will help your pet feel more relaxed when you walk out the door. This is because your pet will have less energy to focus on being left alone and will most likely fall asleep easier when you leave.

Avoid contact

As much as you want to tell your dog you love them as you’re leaving and pet them, making a big deal about your departure is only going to make it more difficult. By being casual when you’re leaving your pet behind, it’ll seem less serious and won’t make them think that the world is ending as you shut the door. When you return after your departure, it’s also important not to overreact when you see your pet again. Remaining calm will help the dog feel relaxed and will make them realize you leaving and returning isn’t that big of a deal.

Say goodbye early

It’s always a good idea to prepare for your departure a little early so that your pet has time to cope with the situation. Just like you should be avoiding eye contact, you also should be avoiding showing any sort of affection right before you leave. Whether you’re putting your dog in a crate or you are simply shutting the door behind you, don’t say goodbye and don’t act like you’re leaving forever.

Be calm

Never feel guilty about leaving your pet, ever. Instead, show your pet that everything is going to be okay by showing confidence and positive energy. Being calm and assertive can help ease any feelings of separation anxiety in dogs and will help you break this habit faster.

Start small and grow gradually

The first step to breaking this habit from your dog is to start small. This could mean doing little things like only leaving your dog alone for five minutes or using one tip at a time until you can handle all five. The most important thing is to do things gradually so that it’s not a shock when you pay less attention to your dog as you’re leaving the house. Eventually over time, you will see that both you as the owner and your pet will be less stressed and hopefully anxiety free!

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Jessica McNeal is a freelance writer and dog lover. Because she loves animals, she loves to make sure they’re safe from harm and are protected with pet ID tags. She buys her animals ID tags from Ketchum Mfg. Co. and is always satisfied with their products.

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