Prepping for our winters

September is prepping month.  We don't live near a bunch of stores and winter can be harsh. Snow and road closures do happen.  Homesteading you learn to be prepared. 

You have been prepping food all year long and usually that part is not an issue.  One thing we make sure we have is caffeine … instant coffee and lots of tea. An old fashion percolator is great to have plus I just love the sound of them .

A stash of toilet paper.. just sayin’.

Candles, Flashlights, Oil Lamps, Solar lights - If you are using candles do you have enough?  Do you have matches? Flashlights, do you have fresh batteries? Oil Lamps, do you have enough oil, fresh wicks and matches? We do use some solar lights. I keep them by the windows so they are always charging. I make candles in canning jars.. less likely to break with the heat. 

Animals – we always think of prepping in terms of our own needs but we have to make sure we have enough storage for our animals as well.  Do we have enough hay and feed? Do we have a way to keep their water fresh and from freezing?

We had a new baby goat that had to come in for a bit.

Our last blizzard we were raising turkey chicks and the power was lost. We had to bring them in and try to revive them plus have a warm place for them.

Phones – is your phone charged at all times.  Phone charger, is it ready to go?

Disposable dishes, paper plates, plastic forks and such.  You will be conserving water at this time.

IMPORTANT – portable can opener. The first year living out here we had to scramble and look for one in our camping gear. 

Washing up – I did make sure I had a lot of baby wipes and shower towels (they are like baby wipes just bigger).

Have things to do if power goes out – games, crocheting, quilting, reading … Americans are not good at spending time with themselves … in quiet… sometimes dark shorter days without our everyday noise.  Take one day a week to totally disconnect…practice.

A lot of people write about the things above but there is another important piece is you need to keep healthy.  Homesteading can be hard. It requires a lot of hard work. A lot of pushing, pulling, lifting.   When we first started this my husband is extremely fit and it is no issue for him. He grew up farming and is a carpenter.  Me?  I am a desk-jockey… sitting all day.  The first time I tried to lift a bale of hay it was comical but you learn… you better get healthy and strong. I now am walking an hour a day and working on the homestead.  In the winter there is a lot of snow pushing, making paths to animals and making sure they have what they need in the cold. They depend on us and we depend on them. 
This year we did get a tractor and that should make things a lot easier with chores, hauling hay, pushing snow, etc. 
There are goats trapped inside the barn with all that snow blocking it. We had to get to them to feed and take care of them. 

It's never to late to start preparing. 

peace, health and happiness