Look What's New!

Stocking up

2012-01-19T19:22:00.000-08:00

Have you ever gotten pails from the grocery store to pack your own bags of rice, flour, beans, and pasta? Then you know how frustrating it can be to get lids for them. Have you ordered bulk grains and had trouble getting the lid off and on? These gamma lids seal beautifully, are easy on the hands, and quickly protect your investment with just a twist!

I have tried several food storage calculators from different sites. My favorite is from http://beprepared.com/ . Of all the ones I have tried, theirs is the only Food Storage Analyzer that lets you type in common grocery store items and even add nutrition info right from your own pantry! You can use it to determine how much you need order from Emergency Essentials. Even if you are using warehouse clubs, you should visit this site because it will let you know where your diet falls short of ideal, multiple choices to fill that gap, and how many days your current supply will last.

Have you been trying to talk with loved ones about prepping? Most people know the grocery stores run out of food in about three days, but they might not know when THEY can expect to run out of supplies. The Food Storage Analyzer at beprepared.com can help you to help them. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Couple of Quick Reminders

2012-01-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

Just now we were watching the news about fuel prices driving up food costs at restaurants. Portion sizes are also being cut. Does anyone think it will just be limited to restaurants? Probably not. That's when I got the email about the Roll Call and Giveaways at American Preppers Network. You can join or answer up right here:

http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=606&t=17742

Today I was out bartering all day. It seems a lot of folks are fed up with flea marketing and also feeling very generous. I have met so many people exchanging household wish lists. I would never suggest you show anyone your master inventory but you might make two short lists for trading: Have and Want . Don't forget how fast kids grow and upsize their clothes. I hope some of you will kindly hit follow and check back for more pictures.
Margaret and Angela, at Prepper Lite.

Fast Food Places

2012-01-15T16:51:00.000-08:00

Have you thought of your warehouse club as a fast food place? An online store as a fast food place? A little planning now makes it possible to have meals in no time!

I have been out of town a lot and am turning Prepper Lite over to the family chef, Margaret. She cooked with regular groceries for one road trip. It was challenging to say the least.

On our most recent trip, we spend a considerable amount of time at Taco Casa because it was across the street from our hotel room, and we had a lot of business to do. They sold us several calendars and then refused to redeem the coupons in them! The meat was very greasy and fattening. It was then that I longed for this: http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_FS%20C450_A_name_E_Mexican%20Food%20Combo Why, oh why did I leave this lightweight meal kit at home?

If you like refried beans but not lard or sodium, they got you covered. The taco tvp and super sweet corn can be used to make tacos, salads, burritos, and more! It would have been cheaper and more nutritious if I had brought my Combo kit with me. Figure in how long you wait in the drive thru, and you will save time on top of money. Most motels have a microwave or coffee pot. That is ALL you need to have a week's worth of fantastic Mexican meals for a fraction of the cost. I have made corn bread in a microwave by crushing the super sweet corn and adding it to pancake mix. The food is that easy. Of course, if you'd rather have Italian, stir fry, or even premade meals, they are all ready for you at Emergency Essentials.
Our late New Year's Resolution is: no more restaurants!

We Get what we Subsidize

2009-08-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

Once my daughter earned a D in Chemistry. It was her first grade ever not to be an A.
At that point I agreed to pay $10 for every letter grade of improvement if she would re-take chemistry. I also offered $20 for every A on her final exams. Her final grade in Chemistry was 94 and her cumulative high school average was 98.
Are you surprised? I was not.

This is why, when I drove more often, I sold clearance merchandise at flea markets. It worked very well. We took nice things and sold them for fair prices. 50% of the goods were donated to local charities, mostly Christian, and 10% of the cash went to needy people directly. We accept referrals mainlly from the police, neighborhood crime watch, and people's employers. never had a single employer mind if we dropped by with groceries or new clothing for people at the end of their shift or break time.
This meant more productivity, no missed work, and we could count on the person to be okay after one visit.

After a while we enjoyed the spending mopney and learned ways to make more of it. That led to a 25% cash donation rate but only a 25% goods donation rate. We got to select more of the recipients ourselves, and we probably lacked discernment about who was honest with us and who was not. . .but there are worse things.

We never raised enough money to pay the 501 c3 fees but we licensed briefly with the city of Charlotte. We were inundated with requests, but as we could not collect any donations, we ran into the math problem of 0 +0 = 0.

We still recycle scrap metal, barter with neighbors, share recession style skills, such as knitting and baking bread at home, which are not cheaper, by the way. If you think Charlotte could use another food pantry and free clothing closet, and you want to participate, please email right away . Despite our current slump, We are looking for two people to go with us, shopping for toys and clothing on clearance and see what damage we can do to the recession, if only for day or two. P.S. We will buy American if we can. . . .

Pro Life-What is enough?

2009-08-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

The role of women in our society is complicated whether you are liberal or conservative. Race is discussed on the news and blogs constantly, but what about women? We expect so much from ourselves and other women that we hardly even think about whether it is reasonable or not.

Case in point: to me, personally, one of the most beautiful things you may ever see is a young mother truly commit to her unborn baby. I had the honor of witnessing this as a young lady saw her pregnancy finally confirmed by ultrasound, as the Dr said "I think you are a little further than 10 or 12 weeks, dear. You are already in the third trimester."

With that news, she began to cry out "I want it, I want it, I want it! Is this really true?" She did not hesitate to take on all the responsibilities this would entail for the rest of her life.

Many men ask this lady for dates every day. Even when she tells them she is pregnant, they persist for her phone number. She does not give it to them. Beggars continue demanding money from her. One woman actually hit her in the stomach when she refused to give them any money. On the bus, when people are standing, I have to prod someone gently to move even their bag to let her sit down. She has had her bus passes stolen from her, money stolen from her, and not one baby gift has come from any of her so called friends. Where are all the pro-lifers? The ones who love single moms so much? Oh, that's right, unwed moms are not as good. And that's not all. . . .

At eight months, her doctor told her to lose 20 pounds before the next visit. Medicaid has not come in, and she is not on the WIC pregnancy nutrition program, because they will not see her until the medicaid is in force. A nurse asked her why she was not working. Delivery is imminent!

I finally took her for a "keepsake" ultrasound myself. There we learned just how much busy clinics can overlook. Joesphine can already open and close her eyes, and scratch her chin, and her head is lodged deeply in mom's left hip! The baby is due in about a month. Babies are carried 37-40 weeks and after week 35 it is really a long day, every day, as most moms would certainly testify.

So, we expect this young woman to be 9 months pregnant, to satisfy the whims of every man who finds her attractive, to support people who are not trying to work, and go without prenatal care or extra social support, and now, that we have color photos of this beautiful, smiling baby lying *across* mom's tummy in a transverse position, we have the nerve to ask her, "Have you tried to turn it yet?" That is the question posed to her over and over, as she desparately searches for a Dr who will perform her cesarean and bill medicaid after the fact, which is legal where we live.

Where is the recognition of God's miracle of Life in this young woman's body? Where is the thankfulness that the baby is okay, and that the mom has been saving up for the baby for a long time? Since the age of 17 she has been buying baby things and donating them to other new moms, thinking she would never get to join the club of moms.

All this girl has ever wanted is a child to love, and care for, so does it really matter which method of delivery separates her from her mother so that the bonding can begin?

Have you tried turning it, indeed!

Massive Weight Loss-Unexpected Issues

2009-08-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of emotions people go through while losing weight, starting an exercise plan, or making those lasting healthy diet changes. Some of them never make it into print, but they still must be dealt with in order to make any progress.

This is coming from someone who has gone from about 400 pounds to 250, and needs to lose a little more before my skin tucks start. I have worn leg braces, been immobile, been on prescription steroids, and generally have had a hard time adjusting to approaching a normal size. I no longer have to go to specialty shops, but I am not having the feelings of pride, success, excitement, or confidence that others expect me to have.

I am having: anxiety over the last pounds, blistering, falls every day, resenting the sudden approval of others, as if they still think they are better than I am, and now I am "almost good enough"; and having a lot of nightmares about things that happened to me when I was a smaller size. Nightmares include forced calisthenics while pregnant, jobbing on fractured ankles, fear of clothes shopping, embarrassment when larger clothes start falling off me. My ulcerative colitis has acted up, as if it has a will of its own to sabatoge my efforts to get out of the house. I would much rather stay in the house, and a bleeding stomach makes a handy excuse. It's not as if I ate offending foods, or drank alcohol--the symptoms are actually just psycho somatic effects of losing weight and having to deal with the new me and other people. It is much harder to keep people at a distance when the weight starts coming down.

How many times has an obese person who slides off the diet or exercise plan been asked, "Are you sure you really, REALLY, want to lose the weight? Maybe you don't want to lose it at all."

Well, I am here to tell you what is is like when a person really does not want to lose the weight. The anxiety attacks, internal conflict, and unwanted attention can have the exact opposite effect on one's confidence than what I see on commercials and read about in all the latest magazines. So if you, or someone you are helping with a weight problem starts to move backward, help them talk to you or a mental health professional about their self image. Sometimes losing the weight isn't enough.

Thank you for reading.

health and lifestyle quiz. How long will you live?

2009-03-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

This is not bad, since I had several bouts with cancer and won. The main area to pay attention to is weight. they consider it a significant life shortener. when you answer the questions you will also know what to change if you don't like the answer.

When Will You Die? Take the Free Quiz.

IQs are dropping, mine included!

2009-03-07T07:37:00.001-08:00

I scored a lowly 135. not quite Albert Einstein, but not Forrest Gump either!
This is a fairly accurate test just skip the ads and skip some more ads, it will take you about 20 minutes to skip all those ads but you get the results for free and people pay big money to find out their scores. Mine has dropped since i was 18, but I still did okay according to the charts. click here .

Take a Free IQ Test.

Free stuff every day.

2009-03-01T15:09:00.000-08:00

Want free samples in your mail every day?

freebies
Go here. it's FREE to use and I hope you find the site as useful as I have.

Here's an easier way

2009-02-17T10:29:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that people have been camping outside for three DAYS prior to the Charlotte, NC opening of the IKEA store? They are sleeping there because some samples, coupons, and even store goods are being given away.

Well, I have a better way. Just today I ordered a FREE windex outdoor home cleaning tool. After it arrives I will have to give an honest opinion of it on a common survey site. I get bonuses like this all the time. I won't tell you where I am getting all these freebies, but the Survey Doctor will! They even pay you to sign up for all the best survey and testing opportunities, if you follow the rules. Get free stuff and get paid like I did. Don't eat sleep, and wait in a huge crowd for days to get samples. Have it all coming right to your door and get something new every day.

Go to this site right now~Free Survey Help for Survey-takers

News, Tips, and Goals

2008-12-15T11:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you to those who have sent clothing, and coupons. We have received a single cash donation which falls short of our licensing requirements, but the funds remain in the paypal account they were sent to. Coupons and clothing get donated, and it is our way of helping folks stretch their dollars. We have a lot of home making skills but not equal millionaire status.

We have provided a few hot meals and bus fare in continuing with our way of life. (informal outreach) We are happy the election was over and that so many people registered to vote when Margaret came around with the forms. If you come to our home office you need to be A-a friend or B-over 18 if you need *really* something or C-have a parent with you. No unsupervised children allowed at our house. I think almost any good neighbor would help another person out in a true emergency, and we like our privacy just as much as anyone else. The main purpose of the home office is writing, and it is not a public charity. If anyone wants to change that we have not heard about it.

Angela and Margaret did a cleanup project in our neighborhood, donating clothes to Goodwill, removing some trash, and preventing a special crew from having to come out from the City of Charlotte to remove the move-out debris. That's what a good beaver would do!

We get asked a lot about licensing--as yet our activities do not even require it, as we supply the cash and elbow grease for 99% of it. We just like to leave the campsite a little better than we found it, being the beavers that we are.

It was fun offering gift cards to working folks, especially the medically uninsured or under-insured. We know how hard it is to deal with medical issues and take care of your other responsibilities too. The thing is, we needed support from our community or there is really nothing that we can do, with just the two of us and no magic wands have fallen into our lap. We are an average small family, nothing more.

Advice for the economic climate-

Enjoy the low gas prices but carpool or ride the bus if it's practical for you. We still save a lot of money this way.

Recycling your cans only once a month will save you trips and increase your pay per pound.

You can do a lot with gift cards and rebates this year but be careful about stores that may be going out of business. We work with mypoints.com and leverage.com to get the best benefit for everything we buy, and can show you how to "Leverage" your frequent flyer miles and gift cards.

We can show you comparison prices for rental centers vs. laundry drop-off and we think you'll be surprised!!

Triple coupons and free items come in the newspapers a lot this time of year.

Remember, we were almost all immigrants once but being legal is the way to go, and speaking English was required of all of us, even Cherokees and beavers.

We love kids so we remind you that when it is hard to find jobs, it is not the best time to add new kits to our dens. Beavers only have the number of kits that there is food for.

If you want to know how to make your own bread, it is easier and cheaper than it looks, so ask!

Beavers help the environment and share what they don't need any more with others, before throwing it away. So let's try and do that. .. .

Are you interested in a gadget demonstration? A good excuse to buy kitchen gadgets is how much electricity you can save and that means money, too. and we can show you how to use gift cards to get the BEST deals.

Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannakah, Kwanzaa, or Eid, Diwali, or Solstice.

Archived Summary for Summer/Fall 2008

2008-09-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Each month we update you on our curent focus. Complete records are open to review in our office at all times.
July 2008-As you know last month we purchased groceries for 3 families and gave away clothes for just 25 cents.
August 2008-This month we held a board of director's meeting, obtained our license from the county to seek donations.
We gave away 12 Bi-lo cards for $20 each! We also provided gas, pocket change, and donated over $1100 worth of new outlet clothing to local charities in Charlotte and Mathews.We have a limit of 3 visits, so that we can help more people.
Donations received: food, gas, and $2 cash. We do need your help to do more for others. We cannot operate with our pocket change very long.
September 2008-We have donated $150 in fresh breakfast cereal to Matthews Christian Help Center which we purchased at Bi-Lo.We donated $600 in new outlet clothing to the Assistance League of Charlotte.We donated $550 in new fall and Christmas gifts to Macedonia Baptist Church.We provided a night of shelter with meals and clothing free of charge to a homeless female, who declined offers of a shower and 8 week sober living referrals. We regret that we are not able to touch the lives of everyone in the way we would like, but we are still here, for you, North Carolina.We would like to thank Dixie Lawn Care of Gastonia and Jack in the Box on Brookshire Freeway for their support. An anonymous donor provided us with dishes for our own use.
In dealing with the local offices of charitable agencies, we have discovered it can be frustrating for both parties. The economic climate and larger families these days is putting people in crisis. We have begun accepting more client intake at our home office. We purchased groceries and new work boots for one family, provided luggage to a lady who needed to leave her home, and gave away school clothes free of charge.

Almost a genie. . . .

2008-09-10T04:49:00.000-07:00

Go to www.weaverbeavers.net and get your own personal genie. People who have a valid ID and a job, or disability, can ask for everything from cell phone minutes, to food, to new shoes, and get it. . . delivered to you as if you have your own personal shopper!

What started as a summer hobby has taken on a life of its own. Angela and Margaret were just at the local flea market with a few new with tag clothes, handmade crafts, and some clearance they had overbought on. The market was fun, and good exercise, so they went back the following week. They started buying things just to take to the market, applied for a business license, and kept going to different markets on weekends. At the end of the first month there were a few nice things left, that were seasonal in nature, and they thought "Why not donate this?"

A non profit was born! Now every morning is spent combing the nooks and cranies of failing retailers, overstocked thrift stores, and yard sales for new/newish items that could be of use to someone else. They no longer go to the flea market, instead distributing what they find to the less fortunate. . .

And this may be a very ordinary story. Angela served in the military and has a strong sense of community, Margaret is like her shadow. . .a young girl with a little modeling experience who spent a couple years working as a chef before she lost her job. . . This charity that grants 3 wishes might not be so remarkable. . .
except that Margaret is only 20 years old and has a noticeable movement disorder. She has Parkinson's disease, for which she has no medical treatment, and does not qualify for medicaid. She falls often, and recently had her elbow completely reset with pins inside. The same day she broke her arm (multiples) she was out wearing a sling and donating cases of cereal to a local Christian organization that feeds local families. Despite her troubles, she considers herself more fortunate than most people, because she is such a planner. To learn more about these women, and what they do, please visit www.weaverbeavers.net. You can get help or give help.