The Sunday Survival Buzz #139

Welcome to this week’s Sunday Survival Buzz with an update on my own preps and announcements from the Backdoor Survival blog.

Something I did not mention earlier this month was that the night before I left for vacation, the hard drive on my laptop failed.  Talk about a frantic mess and talk about a need to roll with the punches. In the old days, before I was a crazy prepper lady, I would have sat down to have a temper tantrum then cried.

Alas, I still had my old laptop and a backup of my data plus a backup of the backup.  After a quick call to Dell for warranty support, I spent a few hours getting things back up and running.  Okay, perhaps more than a few hours.

The lesson, of course, is that being prepared can encompass many aspects of life. That includes having a solid plan of action on the back burner, ready to go, when things don’t go as planned or an unexpected disruption to your digital life occurs.  Having preps to support your digital life is something we think about in terms of an EMP or going off-grid, but how many of you have a backup plan for a total computer or hard drive failure?

Here is another scenario.

Many of us have Kindles or other electronic readers as well as solar or crank charging devices.  If the power goes down, no worries.  But do you have a backup if the device itself fails?  This should give you something to think about and reason enough to hang on to old, out of date gizmos that can be brought back to life if the need arises.

I know I am preaching the choir but that said, it would be a darn shame to lose all of your electronic documents, survival and prepping eBooks, and photos because of a technology glitch.

CURRENT GIVEAWAYS

I have just one giveaway for you this week.  Joe Nobody is a prolific writer and is hugely popular with the survival and prepper types.  In his interview, he reveals a surprising bit of personal information.  No hints; you have to go read it and, of course, enter the giveaway.

Summer/Fall 2014 Book Festival: Joe Nobody & Bishop’s Song + Giveaway

PLUS THE WINNERS

If you have entered any giveaways this month, be sure to check your email throughout the week.  All winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to claim their prize  or an alternate will be selected.

EVERYDAY ROOTS!

One of the joys of a vacation is having an opportunity to catch up on reading.  This time around, I did not get as much reading done as I would have liked but that’s okay because being out and about was equally relaxing and enjoyable.

One of the books I did get to read, cover to cover, was Everyday Roots by Claire Goodall. She has written a fantastic 300+ page book with over 215 home remedies, DIY articles and more.  You can bet that trying some of the solutions and projects in her book is going to keep me busy for awhile.

I am so glad I purchased this book;  I honestly feel that you will love this book as much as I do.

ESSENTIAL OILS: TIP OF THE WEEK

Heartburn is something that happens to all of us from time to time.  Many find relief from Peppermint essential oil but it does not work for everyone.  Personally, I prefer Spearmint or the Spark Naturals “Digest” blend for heartburn, tummy aches, and just plain over-eating.

To use, mix a couple of drops into a carrier such as coconut oil or almond oil and rub onto the chest or stomach area. Sometimes,  because I always I have it available, I mix a few drops into my healing salve.  That works too!

Remember, you can use the code BACKDOORSURVIVAL for an additional 10% off your entire order from Spark Naturals.

THE FINAL WORD

Coming up this week is a wrap up of the Backdoor Survival Summer/Fall Book Festival.  I hope to close things up with three additional author interviews and giveaways before setting the stage for the Winter Book Festival in November.  And then?  Heck, the holiday season will be here.  Where does the time go?

So what about you – what did you do to prep this week?

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye

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Bargain Bin: The article I wrote on DIY cleaning turned out to be hugely popular all around the web. In cased you missed it, here is a link to the article Prepper Checklist: DIY Cleaning Supplies and to some of the products that I use to make my own cleaners.

Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloth, (Pack of 36): No list of DIY cleaning supplies would be complete without these wonderful microfiber cloths. They will last you for years and will allow you to replace paper towels forever. Truly. I color code using blue for glass and windows and the other colors for everything else. I love these.

Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Liquid Cleanser: I know that Dr. Bronner’s Magic Castile soaps have a cult-like following but I prefer the Sal Suds. I call my DIY cleaner “Sudsy Sal”.

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps Pure-Castile Soap: Of all of the Dr. Bronner’s castile soaps, peppermint is my favorite.   I use it to make “Peppermint Magic”, an all purposed cleaner.

Soft ‘n Style 8 oz. Spray Bottles: I happen to like these smaller bottles and you can not beat the price for a set of 3. Likewise for these Pump Dispensers.

NOW Solutions Vegetable Glycerin: You will need this for your Dirt Cheap Soft Soap. I paid almost as much for only 4 ounces locally. This is a great price and 16 ounces will last forever.

Peppermint Essential Oil: I favor peppermint and tea tree (Melaleuca) essential oil in my cleaning supplies. But there are many types of essential oils to choose from. Take your pick. One thing you will find is that a little goes a long way.  The nice thing about essential oils from Spark Naturals  is that they are also excellent for therapeutic and healing use and well as for use in DIY cleaning supplies.  Just remember to use the code BACKDOORSURVIVAL at checkout to get 10% off your order.

Budget Essential Oils:  For the budget minded – and especially for use in cleaning supplies – consider NOW Foods Essential Oils.

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Shop the Emergency Essentials Monthly Specials

I love my Mobile Washer. This is hand operated washing machine. Like a plunger, it uses a technique of pushing and pulling the water through clothes to clean them well without wearing them out. It uses a minimum of water and less soap due to the agitation motion. Use in a bucket (5-gallon suggested), sink or tub. The best part is the price – only $14.95.

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Need something from Amazon (and who doesn’t)? I earn a small commission from purchases made when you begin your Amazon shopping experience here. You still get great Amazon service and the price is the same, no matter what.

Amazon has feature called Shop Amazon – Most Wished For Items. This is an easy tool for finding products that people are ‘wishing” for and in this way you know what the top products are.  All you need to do is select the category from the left hand side of the screen.

The Amazon Top Most Wished For and Best Selling Outdoor Items
Emergency Preparedness Items from Amazon.com

Help support Backdoor Survival. Purchases earn a small commission and for that I thank you!

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Are You Interested in Essential Oils?

Curious About Essential Oils?

This recent article has turned out to be one my most popular articles so far in 2014. If you are curious about essential oils, this will be a good start. A Big Fat List of Essential Oils for Preppers.