Stay Safe

I made these preventative bags up for both vehicles.

 I highly recommend this to everyone!

We can not be too careful these days!

Simple Apple Pie

Homemade Apple Pie

Visit my you tube channel for my written recipe

I hope you will try to make this apple pie. It is 

very easy and very good.

There is nothing better than a hot homemade apple pie!!!

ENJOY

                                                                                   

The Kitchen Sink

Tips in the kitchen

I want to mention a few tips for the clean up crew! HAHA You know who I'm talking about!

Yep, you and me

So like my Lysol tip (keep the old bottle and half the new one and fill both with water) just in case you did not see it, you get two for one and yes it still cleans well

Here are a few more:

Put a 1/4 cup of 20 mule team powder in bottom of dishwasher in addition to dishwasher soap

Run the hot water faucet til hot, so the dishwasher starts on hot right away

Put your sink sponges in the top rack of dishwasher for extra life

Between kitchen trash can cleaning, spray a little smell good in the bottom before the new trash bag is put in

Save a small soap pump dispenser and put dawn or your favorite hand cleaner in it for beside the sink

Dollar store has sink wire drain catchers, very nice to use,when needed put them in lower rack of dishwasher

Spray Pam on your pizza pan, easy clean up

Cast iron skillets, this is my method, cold rub with a paper towel Crisco on all of inside of skillet

put in oven at 350 for 1/2 hour to an hour, turn oven off til cool, wipe excess off with paper towel and you are ready to cook without food sticking

NOTE: you can do this on top of stove just of course watch the kiddos

Remember to clean vent cover at the bottom of  refrigerator, but do not stop there, while the cover is off get your vacuum out and use the long tube attachment to suck up dust past the cover, there is more under there than you would think, I think twice a year is good

Remember baby locks for cabinets

I feel pretty smart about this one, lol. I bought a set of miscellaneous baby locks from Walmart. So I was putting them everywhere and it came with a toilet lid lock. This was flat and fat and self sticking and clasped like a seat belt.  I bake a lot and was so worried about my youngest to the point I didn't want to cook.

Yep that's right I put one side on the side of my brand new stove and the other side on the oven door!

And yes I would do it again! It didn't hurt a thing!

Oh what a relief it was!!!

I also used one of these locks on a single door refrigerator (for the little ones) that we use by the back door for drinks in the summer

So if you upgrade your refrigerator try and find a convenient place by the (in and out door) for the summer traffic. This really is worth the extra electric. Less wear and tear on your home plus your main refrigerator food does not take a toll on the heat of open and close. The kids and hubbys also appreciate the luxury of not upsetting us! 

I hope some of these tips make it to your kitchen

See you soon

Enjoy

Onions

Onion harvest. 

This is my harvest of onions, and although not huge, it is about 10 lbs. I'll try again next year. :)

Homemade Salsa

Salsa

                          Make your own Salsa! Visit my you tube channel for the recipe!
                                       Thank You for visiting my sites.

Moms Meatloaf

Moms Homemade Meatloaf

                           
                        Please visit my you tube channel for recipe. Thank You for visiting my sites!

Glazed Ham

                                 

                                     Visit my you tube channel for recipe. Thank you for visiting.

Tamales

Homemade Tamales 

            Watch my You Tube channel for details. Please like and subscribe. Thank You for visiting my sites!

Electric in five minutes

Laundry soap

Homemade Laundry Detergent 

I hope you enjoy my video on how to make laundry soap! please visit my you tube channel for a detailed list of ingredients. Thank you for visiting my sites, please come back. Carla

well water without electricity

How to get water from a well without electric

              Visit my you tube channel for a list of materials, and don't forget to subscribe and like!

 Thank you for visiting my sites!  Please come back and visit, Carla.

Oinions

My onions

Potato box

Putting third run on and more dirt. Looking good!

Summer

Love summer

Garden

Second flower bed done!

Having fun

Diarrhea

Loose Stool?

If your child has loose stool, in our case the result of surgeries on intestines or colon,

There is a product called FIBER powder, you can mix it into juice or food and it will help firm up the 

bowels.The directions on the fiber are from 6 years and up. It is very safe and effective. now we still do not 

have a normal firm stool but we are getting there.

this powder runs around $12.00 to $15.00 dollars and it is a large container of 16 oz. This also is sold at Walmart.

Always check with your Doctor first.

Cure for Diaper Rash

The cure for EXTREME diaper rash

Parents, Care Takers and Children hurt no more!

The paste above was our cure and a few careful steps. This problem seems to be very widespread. I actually take Nolan back to the Doctor that preformed the surgery on his rectum.

There are at least two Doctors that preform this surgery that I am aware of there and I will tell them about my discovery, of no oil glands as a result of the cutting and repair on the rectum!

This is so other Children and Parents suffer no longer. I think that Doctors just see the big picture in these situations so if we can help an inform each other even a Doctor we are serving mankind as we should! I know our Doctor will be receptive of this knowledge because he ran numerous tests on Nolan for this problem. Tests were; re-flux, lactose, antibiotics, I cant even remember how many and they went on for years! He and I communicate very well and he has been with Nolan from birth and preformed most of his surgeries.

How to use:this method is utmost important or it will not work!
Use the smoothest wipes or wash rags to clean bottom, gently, do not rub. Completely dry bottom!!! this will not work if bottom is not dry! I pat dry then fan with the new diaper! then use a generous amount of paste on bottom. In a week or two the problem is no more!!! 
Note: some wipes seem like they have fibers in them and a lot of these are name brands, diapers as well! We like the dollars store brand.
Good luck and I hope I have helped.
These creams are at Walmart by the pharmacy and cost $10.00 to $15.00 dollars.
One is generic and the other one is not, but they are the same cream, we use generic.

Diaper Rash ?

 ECZEMA

DIAPER RASH

Does your child have severe diaper rash to the point of not wanting to sit down?

Did you know it could be eczema?  Yes that's right, simple to treat but hard to diagnose. So I'm here to
 help,
  my child has eczema! This causes raw skin, blisters, and so much pain for the children that they cringe and

cry and don't want to sit down and do not like to be touched to be cleaned! Nolan had a Paraprofessional at
school and she changed him and told me her daughter had had sores and rawness in the diaper area and

finally a doctor told her it was eczema. It took me a few months to get that it could be Nolan's problem. So I
took him to his Pediatrician  and said is this eczema? He said yes. That simple, years of horrible rawness and
sores. Being all this said the paraprofessionals daughter was "typical", her Mother had eczema and hence she
had it in the worst place. So I have decided that Nolan has it because of his rectum being cut and therefore

there are no oil glands to moisturize the skin when he expels the stool, therefore it is so strong it just burns the
skin, as it would any of us! 

Look at my cure for Eczema- Extreme Diaper Rash!

Humming Bird food

Never buy Humming bird food again !!!

Two cups water and one cup sugar, heat til sugar is dissolved...done! The humming birds love it.

Hirschprungs procedure

The procedure of Hirschsprung's disease  

The Doctors cut the colon that was dead (void of nerve cells) that was attached to the rectum. Then they reattached the colon that has nerve cells to the rectum. This remedies acute constipation, which is the problem. In our case, eight inches of dead intestine (colon). They reattach his colon to his rectum so that his colon is no longer void of nerve loss.

 However it takes a tremendous amount of time for Nolan (children) to learn to control their bowel muscles. But, It can be done! This is probably a little confusing if you have not experienced this. So let me say it this way, the colon that was reattached is no longer dead; however the rectum has been cut as well to accommodate the surgery, so now there is a different problem!

That is that, now the rectum is void of being able to contract when bowels need to expel. So there for we have the opposite problem, constant stool. Now Nolan has to do "mind over matter" to control his bowels, wow, this is a very daunting thought for a parent, knowing that there child already has severe mental challenges to overcome.

Potato box

Adding run on potato box

Put second run on potato box and added dirt...they are doing wonderful ...enjoy, hope some of you are doing this as well! Carla.

The Fun Stuff

Fun Stuff Coming...

I will be showing pictures and videos of "Raising Nolan" soon.


However I felt it very important to share our situation with the first part of our years with Nolan.


We feel that this has made us stronger and wiser.

Behavior of Down Syndrome

Misconceptions of Down Syndrome

 The Number One Misconception:

Down Syndrome people are "unteachable"

FALSE !

Remember:

Please help them!

 Do not think they are throw away children !

I can not express this enough !

The problem is that they are not given enough time to react !

They require a few more seconds or minutes to react to direction and chores !

Well worth the time and effort.

Remember they are not ignorant they are just slow in reacting!

Food passing through stomach

After food passes through the stomach

Nolan's Doctors had fixed his stomach so he could eat. Now he could not pass the food, (formula at the time), just little pieces of black tar looking stuff. So the Doctors decided that Nolan had Hirschprung's Disease which means his lower intestines attached to his rectum was void of nerves, (dead) not able to push his stool out.  Now this was the hardest surgery for me to endure, they informed me that they were going to go in and cut the lower eight inches of his intestines that attaches to his rectum! That would remove the dead part of his intestines and reattach the part that had nerve, (living cells) onto his rectum.

Now it wasn't that simple, unfortunately.

This procedure required Nolan to have a colostomy, that is a bag attached to his stomach to the upper part of his intestines that are good, above the bad that is being cut off, so that the stool goes into the bag. This is a very dangerous infection risk because the intestine is pulled out of the side of his stomach and put into a roll,if you will, and a sticky adhesive applies the bag to which his stool goes into. Now this is up to the Parents or care takers to keep clean. I have to tell you I thought I was prepared for Nolan to come out of surgery with his intestines routed out his stomach. 

Well they brought him to his room and I said I'm ready let me see it. I must tell you for the first time in my life I thought I was going to faint!

Medical Issues

A Common Medical Problem for Down Syndrome

Duodenal Atresia

Nolan had a Stomach surgery to fix his Duodenal atresia.

This is when the first part of the small intestines is either closed off or too narrow for food to pass 

through. In order for the incision to work the doctors put a feeding tube through his nose and down 

to his stomach. Now some feeding tubes go directly into the side of there stomach, fortunately that 

wasn't our case. After the incision is well enough for food to pass through the tube comes out and 

normal feeding begins.

Down Syndrome

We want to share our trial and errors of having a child with Down Syndrome



Raising Nolan

This is my take and opinion on certain issues of children with Disabilities.

My son had fifteen surgeries within three years of his life on earth.

This is just going to be case and point until I get more in depth later.

 Nolan was born at 3lbs and 11ozs. He was in NICU for five weeks but never had to be on oxygen, which was a miracle in and of its self.

Nolan was born with intestine problems and so began the surgeries.

It took a long week to week and a half for the test to come back to find out if he had Trisomy 13-18-21, two do not survive (typically) and 21 does. whoo hoo, Nolan was 21!

What that means is that he was born with an extra chromosome. This is what causes the almond eyes and the similarities in each other. In other words this is the reason Down Syndrome individuals resemble each other.

With that being said, the actions (in my opinion) of Down Syndrome are not the same and for this reason I am writing about the disability my son was born with.

This is my prelude to stating case and point of Me and My Families experiences with Nolan.

Nolan May 2014
7 YEARS OLD





No one has the right or permission to use or copy this content.

Potato box update

Will add a run of pre cut boards this weekend and some dirt to fill up to top of boards, stay tuned.

Canning...A big lesson learned !!!

As I said in my intro, I will share hard lessons learned with you as well as my current knowledge . So here is a big mistake I made. I canned 4 cases of different kinds of meat in water bath! Bad mistake folks, I had to dump all of it and now I am waiting to get a pressure canner! Please learn from my mistakes if you are just starting out canning! I'm not afraid of admiting my mistakes!!! Thank You for visiting me!!!

Potato box update

My Potato Box !

Our version of the online Potato boxes!

We doubled the size for a couple of reasons:

One because we were running late getting the potatoes in the ground and two, because we had a lot on our plate. Being that said if you use our method., we suggest you put a brace bar in the middle for later as this will hold a lot of dirt! We will do this as well before we start adding dirt. Our boxes measure 3 ft. x 4 ft. these are the boards end to end and the ones we saw online are 2x2 end to end.

1.  One end put together before we start the box. Make two of these the size you want your box. Most online boxes I saw were 2x2, we doubled ours and it is 3x4. Make enough cut of boards for two more sides.

2.  We put up two ends already made and made the frame on the bottom.

3.  The  two ends with frame on bottom.

4.  Getting all boards on.

5.   Now start removing all boards between top board and bottom board.

6.    Getting all boards off. Then store them until needed.

7.  This is our finished product. We used a rototiller on the ground where box will sit and put our potatoes in! Good luck, hope you follow us with your own potato box. We will update progress and see how well the boxes do!

     The Completed Potato Box !!

Tornado Quick Tips

Hello!

Well spring is upon us and as much as all of us are extremely excited about this time of year we need to take an unwanted break and do a run through and check list for TORNADOES! Not pleasant but necessary.

 

 

 

My Quick Tip List is:

1. Find your safe place

 

2. A set of important paper work

 

3. Blankets

 

4. Extra set of clothes per person

 

5. Water

 

6. Snacks

 

7. If you have little ones, diapers and wipes

 

8. Crayons and coloring book

 

9. Pencil and pen and paper for older ones to draw or write

 

10. Flashlights, extra batteries

 

11. Weather radio

 

12. Cash

 

13. Do not forget to look at our Quick Tip on Electric in under five minutes on this page and gather the supplies for it!

 

14. Be safe and take care! Remember sometimes we could be in our cellar or safe place for a while.

 

15. Please check on the elderly!

 

 

       A Prepper Quick Tip

Planting and Thinning Seedlings

 

How to Plant and Thin Your Seedlings

(before thinned)

(thinning)

(after thinned)

 

Hello everyone! I wanted to show you my seedling this spring. So here is my little collection and as most of us we are having a long winter. So, as you can see everything is in my house, it is still too cold for my green house. I also wanted to show how you thin seedlings, as they call it. Normally you do this at the garden when planting for the summer typically, however it is too cold like I mentioned so we are just going ahead and transplant the over populated seedlings and have more to plant! Now when you do this at the garden you would just separate and chose how many you want to keep and put a few in each spot and that will ensure one or two per spot takes hold. but I think I will have a large garden now, Thank You Old Man Winter! So, when you separate gently take the plants out of container and gently lay them out and ease them apart. Then start all over as if you had bought tiny plants! A QUICK TIP, is to water the seedlings with warm to hot water, this helps with germination!  It's so rewarding! Its like magic! So much for your money!





(table seedlings)

(plants on a table inside)



my table in west window also have a small uv light on the wall



We Hope You Enjoyed Our The Pictures of Our Progress and Our Quick Tip!

Please feel free to ask questions or comment on my way of seeding, hope you enjoy this and do it!

Are YOU Wired to Have a Survival Mindset?

 

They say that survival is 90% mental. Would you agree with that? Or are you one of those that believe your stockpiles and arsenals alone will ensure your survival? Sorry to burst your bubble friends, but gadgets and tools alone will not save you!

 

It All Begins With The Mind.

 

The mind truly is a beautiful and mysterious feature of you. It has the capacity to absorb, learn, analyze, reason and store literally millions of pieces of information. How wonderfully made it is! So how does this brain of yours contribute to your survival?

 

How it All Works
 

Within a moment of any event the brain instantly begins to analyze the situation. This is the body's natural ‘fight or flight’ instinct. Our nervous system responds in a way that it sounds an alarm. How our body reacts to this alarm depends on a few factors. The first of these factors is our own “biologically inherited aggressive tendencies”.  The second factor is our “prior conditioning and learning”. Last, it depends on our own “attention to all aspects of the situation that facilitate or inhibit aggression” (Berkowitz, 1993).

 

Sorting This Out
 

Let’s break this down a bit into a simpler explanation. The first part means that your reaction will depend on your own aggressive behaviors and characteristics. These are those that you inherited, not so much developed. The second is an important part, and one that is promising when it comes to your reaction in survival situations. It is all about the skills you have learned. If you have thoroughly practiced these skills, they have became ingrained in you. So much so that they are almost second nature. The third factor speaks of your own ability to analyze and react to the situation with aggressiveness, if the situation calls for it. Your mind sees the problem and reacts as needed.

 

The Specifics 
 

Okay, but how does all this actually tie into survival? Well, for that answer let’s take a look at the following diagram for answers:

 

 

 

As you can see there are two stages of thought. The first being driven by impulse and the other a higher-order cognitive intervention. When a disaster strikes the first emotion people will feel is one of impulse, to either run from the danger or confront it directly. After this initial impulse stage the person will begin to focus and plan their response.

 

Conditioning Vs. Instinct

 

We’ve all read about people that have done amazing acts of heroism in terrifying situations. These are accomplished generally through either prior conditioning or natural instinct. One example is of firemen who battle through infernos to rescue a person trapped inside. In this situation it is their conditioning and training that wins out over their natural instinct to run. Another example is of a parent, who alone lifts a vehicle off their child who is trapped beneath. Obviously this is accomplished out of pure instinct and not through conditioning or training. It is natural. It is primal.  

 

 

 

Check Out Our Blog For Part Two to This Discussion Titled: The Survival Persona

 

   Berkowitz, L. (1993) Aggression: Its causes, consequences, and control. New York: McGraw-Hill.

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Author Information:

 Sharon Pannell is a self proclaimed "Prepsteader", both prepper and homesteader. She authors the blog The Trailer Park Homesteader and co-authors the A Prepper Quick Tip blog where she teaches others about the importance of disaster preparedness and self-sufficiency. Sharon believes everyday the stuff can hit the fan, it is not one big epic event necessarily and it only takes one set back to create a hardship; so big or small prepare for it all ! Along with her blog, Sharon can also be found managing her other social media sites including her Facebook Page The Trailer Park Homesteader, TTPH Pinterest Page, TTPH Twitter Page. and co-admins the A Prepper Quick Tip Facebook Page.


 

The Survival Persona

What is it and Why is it Important?

 

A persona is “the aspect of someone’s character that is presented to or perceived by others”. It is the part of yourself you represent to the world. Everyone has their own persona that they show to others, however many of them are not genuine. 

 

 

Some people legitimately believe that when the stuff does hit the fan, they are going to transform into some super-human renegade who is a master marksman with ninja-like skills. Admit it, we’ve all seen these types of people. And what is also disturbing is that some of these same people have persuaded others to trust that they will! This can be a dangerous mistake and one that could ultimately costs the lives of those around them if they are unprepared.

 

The grim reality is that some of those people will not be as brave, brazen, or prepared as they boast to be. The average person who has not been through traumatic situations or seen military action, has no experience in combat or the taking of another human life. To be clear, that in itself is not a negative thing by any means. The point is in a desperate and dangerous world after a major shtf situation, much more is needed than a delusional persona.

 

So What Should One Do?

 

That’s an easy question to answer: learn, learn, learn! Knowledge is the number one prep, one can acquire. This knowledge not only includes a multitude of survival skills, but communication and social skills as well. Learning to communicate will help to lead and influence others. Notice it says lead, not control. In a shtf situation the stress levels will be at an all time high, and emotions will be even higher. A family will need a leader, a voice of reason and direction. Good social skills are also important to learn to interact with others comfortably and effectively. These will help to teach a person how to react nonviolently in conflict, and how to use and read nonverbal methods of communication. While it is true that instances of conflict will happen, it is also important to know when it is best to try diffusing a situation.

 

“When force is necessary, it must be applied boldly, decisively, and completely. But one must know the limitations of force; one must know when to blend force with a maneuver, the blow with an agreement.” Leon Trotsky

 

 

 

 

5 Tips of Good Communication:

 

1. The Ability to Actively Listen

2. Adapting to Differing Opinions (Open-mindedness)

3. Taking Responsibility For Your Own Message

4. Clearly & Concisely Conversing With Others

5. Willing to Collaborate and Ask For Clarification if Needed

 

 

5 Ways to Have Better Social Skills:

 

1. Maintain Eye Contact

2. Show Confidence (Body Language - Strong Posture)

3. Show Interest (Ask Questions)

4. Concentrate on the Task or Conversation

5. Echo (Summarize & Repeat if Needing Clarification to Address Concerns)

 

 

How Can You Use Both Sets of These Tips in a Shtf Situation?

 

Building Alliances

Bartering With Others

Group Leadership

Defense & Offense Scenario's

Problem Solving

 

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Author Information:

 Sharon Pannell is a self proclaimed "Prepsteader", both prepper and homesteader. She authors the blog The Trailer Park Homesteader and co-authors the A Prepper Quick Tip blog where she teaches others about the importance of disaster preparedness and self-sufficiency. Sharon believes everyday the stuff can hit the fan, it is not one big epic event necessarily and it only takes one set back to create a hardship; so big or small prepare for it all ! Along with her blog, Sharon can also be found managing her other social media sites including her Facebook Page The Trailer Park Homesteader, TTPH Pinterest Page, and TTPH Twitter Page.