Savvy Power outage & snow tips

 

Ok – so the power is out and there is snow on your deck……  time to turn the house inside out!  Here are some tips to keep your house and your family afloat till things are back on track!

Food – Grab your cooler and through it out on the deck!  Your refrigerator & freezer will get warmer but your food can stay cold!  Milk, juices and spreads do great just placed in the snow! 

Cooking with no power - 

            BBQ – it’s great for more than just summer weather and you can put a pan in it and cook everything from meats to chocolate chip cookies! 

            Car power – For those of you who have car’s with an outlet or have a outlet adapter for your cigaret lighter: you can plug in a portable grill and tailgate it – put on some music and make the best of it! 

            Wood stoves – Need I say more – these things are the quintessential life saver when power goes out – so don’t be afraid to throw on a pot and make some tea or soup!!!

Don’t forget things like:

 ~ Letting your water drip to keep freeze from happening in the pipes

 ~Try to clear snow off your wood decks – it is uber hard on the wood and will age it

        fast

~ check snowy branches around entry ways, windows and driveways – try to get the heavy snow off so you don’t have blockages and breakage.

Places to go for the family:

            The Mall – is of course the first and most diverse place – food, shelter & heat

            Entertainment places:  Bowling alleys like Lucky strike, Work out gyms,  YMCA, the movie cinemas, and gaming stores usually are open if they have power. 

            Local Hotels – create a staycation by staying a night in town and enjoying in door pools, workout rooms and walks around the surrounding shopping areas.

Driving ~ The thing about driving in the snow is not the moving part.....its the stopping part.  Down inclines and hills:
Make sure to leave lot's of room between you and others so you can navigate through sliding and slipping.  Move slow and remember brakes are the enemy on snow and ice so avoid using them when possible.  
Up Hills:  The key to success with this is NEVER stop....  slow moving, power thru and steady eddy are the name of the game if you are going to make it up anything.  Look for fresh snow to grip when you can and salted areas.  Not a bad idea to keep some sand, salt and a shovel in your car just in case you get stuck - sometimes it only takes a couple inches of traction to get you going. 

Have a Generator?  Maximize your usage with things like pluggin in your hot water heater and taking bath's instead of showers......after bathing - leave the hot water in the tub and keep the door open - the heat it produces will continue for a couple hours atleast and take the edge off!  

Hope this helps and be safe!

A Savvy Start to your New Year

 

     Here we are at the beginning of a brand new year..... Full of hope, possibility and opportunity.  What do we do with it from here to make sure we can make the most of our year?  Here are some tips on how to get started AND keep the momentum going!

1.)   Write down the top 10 things you want from this year – make sure they are at least somewhat attainable!  ;)

2.)   Write down the steps you believe you need to take to get to those goals:  i.e. time invested, contact’s necessary, financial needs and personnel commitment

3.)   Set things in motion:  each week, make sure you are doing something to keep on track for where you want to be – follow up, follow thru and maintain.

4.)   Track your progress – there is nothing like being able to see even the slightest results to help keep you moving forward

5.)   Be prepared for failure.  When attempting anything, you will run into walls, loss of motivation or just downright hopelessness…. Remember this one thing – at any given moment thru your own actions, you can redirect or change your course if your not getting what you want….. You simply have to DO something and not wait for something to happen

6.)   Reward yourself – every self help, motivational book and speaker all say the same thing – make rewards for yourself along the road to your success!  You have earned them!

7.)   Reach out and bring in other’s to help – People love to help and be a part of things so look to those around you and don’t be afraid to approach them to bounce ideas off, pick their brain for idea’s or just get encouragement

8.)   Review and adjust.  Make sure you take time to check that you are where you wanted to be and not derailing of course.  Life will throw lot’s of things at you and some can be very tempting…. be sure that if you redirect, it feeds your original intention before jumping out there.

9.)   Finally, enjoy the fruit’s of your labor and share.  People need to see other’s succeed!  Feed the Hope of other’s around you by sharing in a positive uplifting manner, your success and encourage them on their own path!

Have a GREAT Start to this New Year!