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The Survival Savvy Family by Julie Sczerbinski : A Book Review

As those of you who have been reading Mom with a PREP for a long time, my goal is not to get you in combat gear and build a bunker in your home. Far from it. The point is to be ready enough for life’s little emergencies so that you can be prepared for the big ones.

My great friend, Julie Sczerbinski from HomeReadyHome.com has a brand new book out geared to helping you PREPare for what life throws at you – and you don’t need to become a doomsday prepper! This isn’t about being panicked, but being READY!

The Survival Savvy Family: How to be your best during the absolute worst.

I found a book that can help you out and you don’t have to wear camo or buy Spam to do it!

Inside you’ll find hints and tips on how to PREPare for life’s minor and major emergencies:

  • Medical Readiness
  • Financial Readiness
  • Power Outtages
  • Be Ready to Stay or Go
  • Natural Disaster Savvy
  • House Fires
  • Home Invasions
  • Personal Safety
  • Kid Readiness
  • Making a Family Emergency Plan & Kit

And the great thing is that in every single chapter, she gives you a Family Plan of Action. Either in the form of checklists to follow or actual forms to fill out and go, she provides you with direction where to go and what to do next.

What I love about this book!

I love the chapter on Natural Disasters. Not only does Julie go through what to do to PREP for a particular common natural disaster, she details what to do after, and how to PREPare your kids.

I love that she involves the kids in the planning. Not only on how to PREPare to make sure your kids are safe, but how to involve them in the planning! GET YOUR KIDS INVOLVED!

I love that you can read through this entire book and not feel panicked. It’s hard. It’s hard to find that balance for being PREPared for all the disasters, big and small, that may happen to your family without getting into panic mode. Many sites and books leave you with the feeling that it all is going to be awful and can leave you with a feeling of doom and gloom, and often, “why bother trying since we’re all going to die”. That’s not how you come away from this book.

I love that the book is laced with ideas for modern suburban families. From vacationing to natural disaster planning for working parents to school bullying, it goes far beyond typical “survival planning” books and makes it more about being PREPared for everyday family life, which then best enables you to handle the big disasters.

I love how Julie makes becoming PREPared for your family in easy to digest chunks that doesn’t feel like a government handout nor do they feel like you’ve just gone through a military tech training class. Julie makes it okay if you’re not a homesteading kind of family who grow their own food and raise their own protein, especially if that’s not the lifestyle you can or want to live. There’s no judgement here!

Two  of my favorite tips was something I’d never even thought of – and it’s something you should be doing as well!

Do you have a Social Media Will?

For most people, the idea of a Social Media Will seems outlandish. Why would anyone care about getting into your social media accounts if you are incompacitated or die? Well, they might, and here’s why:

  • They might want to announce to family and friends the circumstances of your passing. (Being able to post as an administrator of the account instead of just posting it on your wall will make it to where your friends and followers will see it better)
  • They might want to contact businesses you’re dealing with online to take care of issues that they might not find in email.
  • If you conduct a business online, they may need to be able to deal with  your social media accounts.

This extends not only to your social media, but to all of your accounts online that may require action in the event you cannot do it yourself. Think about all the ways you sign up online for subscriptions to web services, blogs you may have created, etc. Having someone legally able to deal with things in your absence is imporant. And while you may assume your spouse or child can just take care of things for you, it’s not always the case, and you need to take steps to make sure someone can access your online presence in case of a personal disaster.

How to Handle Your Emotions During a Shelter-in-Place Situation

Have you thought about the ways you and your family handle stressful situations? I know I tend to get a little panicky and find it hard to stay focused on my task for the 100’s of other things rushing through my head that need to get done. I tend to go into a drill sargeant mode and bark orders. I’m not trying to be rude or mean, but just know there are things that need to get done and we need to move that direction.

My husband, on the other hand, is very calm, collected, and is able to make us all feel okay. While I work hard on controlling how I react and sound, we actually really do compliment each other in that he’s great for being the rock and I’m the one with the action-plan. I help move us through what needs to be done, while he keeps us grounded and directs the family in what things are needed at the moment.

But if you haven’t thought through how you are in an emergency, or how you’ll handle the ways others might react, you might find yourself unPREPared when the situation arises.

For those of you who are already serious into PREParedness, but have friends and family who scoff but have an interest, his is the book for them.

PREParendess Quick Tip: If there is a fire in your location, don’t rush out an interior door. First check to make sure the door isn’t hot before leaving (to make sure there isn’t fire in the immediate area outside of that door). The tip? Check with with the back of your hand, NOT your palm. If it’s hot and you burn your palm, you may make your hand unusable to pick things up without pain, which makes you not as ready to handle what may come next.

Don’t have a Kindle?

That’s okay – with Amazon’s app, you can still read it on the cloud, on your e-device, through a .pdf, or on your computer.

Check out other Chick-Lit books I’ve reviewed.

Are you ready for a softer, kindler, gentler side to prepper fiction? Check this great list of prepper fiction by women!
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Katy Willis is a writer, lifelong homesteader, and master herbalist, master gardener, and canine nutritionist. Katy is a preparedness expert and modern homesteader practicing everyday preparedness, sustainability, and a holistic lifestyle.

She knows how important it is to be prepared for whatever life throws at you, because you just never know what's coming. And preparedness helps you give your family the best chance to thrive in any situation.

Katy is passionate about living naturally, growing food, keeping livestock, foraging, and making and using herbal remedies. Katy is an experienced herbalist and a member of the CMA (Complementary Medical Association).

Her preparedness skills go beyond just being "ready", she's ready to survive the initial disaster, and thrive afterward, too. She grows 100% organic food on roughly 15 acres and raises goats, chickens, and ducks. She also lovingly tends her orchard, where she grows many different fruit trees. And, because she likes to know exactly what she's feeding her family, she's a seasoned from-scratch cook and gluten-free baker.

Katy teaches foraging and environmental education classes, too, including self-sufficient living, modern homesteading, seed saving, and organic vegetable gardening.

Katy helps others learn forgotten skills, including basic survival skills and self-reliance.

She's been published on sites such as MSN, Angi, Home Advisor, Family Handyman, Wealth of Geeks, Readers Digest, and more.

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