Winter is one of my most favorite times of the year! I guess it kind of depends on where you live since there are some places that rarely even see snow or even worse, never see snow! I've lived in East Central PA and Northeast PA all of my life so we typically have plenty of snow days each year. We live in a much more rural area now then we did previously so it did take a few storms for us to realize we needed to plan and stock just a bit more than we used to if we want to have a Cozy Winter!
If you have children or grandchildren then you already know how crucial it is to have an abundance of games, snacks, toys, books, tissues, toilet paper, diapers, first aid supplies, and a gazillion other items on hand. Even when you're not stuck indoors! I always like to keep a list of everything that's vital to being stuck indoors whether it's for the kids to be occupied or my own sanity.
Plan For Outages
Remember when we didn't have cell phones and WiFi? Actually, I miss those days! I think that's one of the reasons I really don't mind being stuck indoors during a storm. The kids even look forward to it too! Well, with the exception of thunder according to my youngest,,,
Even if you have a generator, it isn't too much fun if you lose power for too long. You don't want to have to throw away anything from your freezer or fridge and you will start getting cold soon enough if it's a winter storm. When you have a few hours or overnight without power, you can still make the best of it.
Slumber party in the living room! Hopefully, you have some batteries, flashlights, and lanterns to use and lots of pillows, comforters, sleeping bags, or just big, comfy blankets anything that can provide hours of warmth! Candles are a bonus in some cases but you certainly don't want to have any candles lit while you're asleep. (Or in a blizzard or any kind of storm with wind!) Not only will a sleepover in the living room help keep everyone warm, but kids are also usually more comfortable making a game out of it and doing something special. Use that time to read stories, eat snacks, play card games, (even board games if you have enough light!)
PS Don't forget you could also charge your cell phones in your vehicle so you can keep up to date with important information and updates!
The Essentials
Besides batteries, an ample supply of food and water, toys, games, first aid kits, any prescription medication, whatever it is you and your family need in the event you're stuck for a few days, the best advice I can give is to prepare!
Most weather gives some kind of warning these days. We may not be told exactly what or when but, we kind of get a warning or see an advisory pop up. I take those advisories and warnings seriously because you really never know.
One of my biggest fears is to be stuck inside without power and not have any clean dishes, laundry, bottles of water for brushing teeth, drinking, cleaning and not having enough food. I keep a list of specific things we would need over the course of a few days and always keep those things on hand. Most importantly, prescription medications, feminine products, cleaning wipes, etc. But, I also run around catching up on laundry, dishes, making sure all of the blankets are washed, dried and available and batteries, flashlights, and weather radios are closeby and in proper working condition! You wouldn't want to run out of clean underwear during a power outage, right?
Besides having a clean, spotless house with plenty of clean undies, make sure you also have something to occupy your time! Whether it's pen and paper, books, magazines, games, it's good to keep a box or a basket close that has all of your favorite goodies too. Your little ones will be having so much fun "camping out" and will be content with crayons and cookies but, depending on the severity of the storm, you may need something to keep yourself content. Make sure not to forget about the grown-ups!
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