Is Your Family Prepared For a Disaster?

First off I want to show off my 8 month old. Yesterday she turned 8 months old and I cannot believe how big she has gotten!! (Why couldn't pregnancy go by this fast!?!?) She is crawling like a maniac and is addicted to pulling herself up on anything she can (including mommy). Hopefully she will be learning to cruise soon!

With the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan and living in Southern California, I think now might finally be a good time to use this as a reminder that we too are vulnerable to mother nature and we need to be prepared. So I will post about how to be prepared and every mom especially with a baby should be prepared.

When it comes to being prepared for a natural disaster, I am sure some may think its a lot of work, but when it happens to you, you will have wished you were more prepared. You don't have to go all out with underground cellars and generators galore, but you can stick with the basics that will help you out tremendously in case of an emergency.

You should at least have these things: (and keep it together/know where they are!)

-flashlight (make sure the batteries are fresh)

-candles (with lighter/matches)

-bottles of filtered water

-keep your important papers in a safe but easily accessible place in case you need to grab them quickly

This website suggests a Go Bag with items necessary for being prepared. It also gives information on what to do in any disaster situation. At least read through because knowledge is power. Stay informed!

Another extremely helpful website is FEMA. They have articles that help you plan and prepare, recover and rebuild, apply for assistance, and you can look at disasters and maps. Make sure to "Like" FEMA on Facebook to get preparedness and disaster related info directly from FEMA. And if you didn't know, FEMA stands for "Federal Emergency Management Agency".

You've got time right now, go look now and get ready!! Southern California has a 94% probability of a 7.0 magnitude or greater earthquake in the next 30yrs. I will post back with my safety kit and what I've done to prepare.

COMING UP: Hubby's birthday (on St. Patrick's Day!), losing 10lbs, & I haven't forgotten about the stars!!!