HomeCrazzyHome

I have debated this one for days. I do NOT want to incite anxiety or panic. But at the same time, I see so much misinformation out that about #prepping and about the #coronavirus threat itself. I almost feel as if this blog is a public service and educational responsibility.

So, a bit about me…

I am Tara. I am an American who has lived in the UK for almost fourteen years. I hold a BS in Health Education and a master’s in management with an emphasis in the environment. We #homeeducate my #autistic daughter.  This blog has been going for almost a decade, and been through various changes, but these days is primarily about #sustainble living.

And I am a #prepper. I have been all of my life.

I was raised primarily by my great-grandmother, a woman who brought her family through the Great Depression and who raised two teenagers and several grandchildren as a single working mother after her husband’s early death. We lived in a ‘mill village,’ a community of homes built by the textile mill for its workers. By the time I came along most were retired and many widowed.

It was from these women, the real Steel Magnolias, that I learned to be prepared for whatever life throws at you…long before the word #prepper was even thought up. Thrift or not letting anything go to waste was just a lifestyle, how things were done. It is that mindset and those experiences that have formed who I am as a #homemaker, an #environmentalist, and a #prepper.

And it is those experiences and reasons that I want to share with you. If it seems opportunistic or alarmist, I apologize that is NOT my intent. My intent is more along the lines of knowledge sharing and public service announcements.

So, in Day 1 of this Special Edition of our @HomeCrazzyHome blog, I want to dispel some of the myths around #prepping.

#Prepping is NOT something that only ‘Crazzy’ people do.

Although we wave our Crazzy flag with pride here, that is not because of prepping. Preparedness is something that each and every one of us should take seriously. Every day, not just in emergencies such as the #coronavirus. Which leads me to the next point…

#Prepping is NOT about panic, or fear, or hysteria.

Prepping is, in fact, the complete opposite. It is about thinking ahead and realistically preparing for eventualities that could happen. Prepping applies to everything from losing your job to common local disasters such as tornados, hurricanes, and earthquakes, to bigger global issues such as financial and political instability and yes, pandemics.

That means that it is rarely #preppers who are out their #panicbuying. They already have their stocks. Admittedly, I got caught this time a bit short. But even then, preppers are focused in their buying – no toilet paper/loo roll for us. Which means…

#Preppers are NOT selfish or thinking only of themselves.

Most preppers realize as my Nanny and her friends did that in a time of crisis we are always stronger together. Yes, admittedly, most tend to think in terms of their family and friends, but small groups do work best according to psychological studies. They are better able to assess and adapt to change and to meet the needs of the whole group.

And personally, we choose to extend that to those in need and donate to our local #foodbanks. Because we were in a position to do so. I encourage all of you to do the same, even a couple of cans or a bag of dried pasta can make a difference if we all did it.

#Prepping does NOT require huge pantries, panic rooms, or bug out plans.

Yes, I am lucky enough to have a pantry now. But even when I lived in a tiny London flat or a small town in Texas, I always kept a bit extra…just in case.

Storage is not as hard as you think. Most of us have loads of unused or underutilized space. For instance, what is under your beds? Yes, some people store out of season clothes there, but you might be shocked at how many only have dust bunnies under their beds. Floors and shelves in closets too.

Once those are filled, then you get creative. That end or coffee table in your living room can be replaced with boxes of food covered in a brightly covered cloth. Or even stacked canned goods with a repurposed piece of plywood or glass, and call it modern art.

#Prepping does NOT have to be expensive.

In fact, it should not be. It is #panicbuying that it is expensive and problematic. The absolute best prepping is done months and years in advance by setting aside a small amount of money for extra food during your regular shops.

While I am blessed now to be able to top up my stocks and donate to others during a crisis, I have used this method for years as a family on a budget and even a single working mother. Just five or ten dollars/pounds per month spent on cheap, long-lasting, and favorite non-perishable items make a big difference in the long run.

So, the next time you hear that word…#Prepper, I hope your gut reaction won’t be one of fear or anger. We are not bad people. Most of us don’t own guns. Most of us aren’t planning to abandon our homes and friends and run off to woods at the first sign of trouble. And most of us don’t believe that we are living in The Walking Dead. (Though honestly, we joke about the zombie apocalypse in our @HomeCrazzyHome.)

And most of us, myself included, are not opportunistic or alarmist. Like I said, to me, this is about sharing information, knowledge, and support that I feel I have been privileged to acquire over my five decades on this planet.

So, what will I be covering over the coming days, and maybe weeks? Brief, daily blogs that offer practical advice and links to things you may need like…

• Recipes for nutritious meals you can make from things in your cupboard that will stretch your supplies.
• Ideas for things you can do with the kids if they are out of school.
• Sustainable alternatives for things you may run low on…like that toilet paper/loo roll.
• Ideas for how not to go insane, fill your days, and get your social fix.
• And of course, how not to get caught with your knickers down next time (and there is always a next time, some big and most small.

Yes, I plan for this special edition to end. I hope to even return to my #DIY #sustainable #wedding series, even though one of the #preparations that Alan and I made was to go to the registrar’s office and get married already. We still plan that public one and a reception. Fingers crossed for May as we planned. And beyond that…and even as part of this special edition, #sustainable living remains the focus of our @HomeCrazzyHome.

Because #globalwarming, mass extinction, and the environment are the biggest long term threats that we all face. Much bigger than #Covid19 and perhaps more dire.

So please join me…and share this blog far and wide. It is all CC BY-NC-SA (non-commercial) but pretty please attribute it properly.

And please remember #PrepareNotFear.