Don't Lose Sight of the Forest For the Trees

My philosophy when it comes to prepping is really to "Keep Calm and Prep On." In fact, I even went online and created this cute little poster to always remind myself of this:

But lately I'm finding it to be more and more difficult to adhere to this philosophy. Now, I don't prep for a singular event, I prep because it makes sense and because it's the responsible thing to do, and because (as a working mom of two) it saves my behind on a monthly basis when my lovely children have gone through the gallon of milk faster than I thought they would and I have to go to my powdered milk to keep them from having a melt down at lunch :). So when I prep with that mentality, it keeps me from slipping into "the sky is falling" mentality that so many "preppers" seem to have (and almost desire.)

However, the news these days is making it very difficult for me to stay calm and focused. There are so many variables with the very active hurricane season, gas prices on the rise, the drought and its effect on food prices, the increase of civil unrest with the shootings in Colorado and now New York City, and  the myriad other problems in our world today. So, what can I do to keep from feeling antsy and panicky? I'm going to plan, and I'm going to "Keep Calm and Prep On". I'm not going to go crazy, but I am going to make sure that I'm doing at least one thing a day to keep prepped, even if that one thing is just making sure that I'm staying on top of laundry and dishes so that if a hurricane does head this way I don't have to worry about a sink full of dishes or a lack of clothing because the power went out and I can't wash them.

So I'm going to make that commitment today- One prep a day may help keep the panic away. Today's prep? Well, I was going over everything in my head, and one thing that I feel a lot of people overlook is household items and clothing when it comes to preps. We're all focused on the typical "beans, bullets, and band-aids" that we lose sight of the other things we require to live comfortably. And now is the time to look at those things because the summer season is ending, which means that stores are starting to clearance the items for that season as they make room for the fall collections.

I'm going to do some looking around today and look for summer clothes and linens that are on sale. Don't forget, especially if you have kids, that you are going to need to keep bigger clothes in your preps. So look for those things that will never go out of style (sweatpants and sweatshirts, socks, tee-shirts and shorts) that you can find for great prices at the end of the season to buy a size or two bigger for next year. Store them away, and know that you'll have something for the future and that it cost you MUCH less than you will pay when they come back into season in the stores next year.

I'm trying not to lose sight of the bigger picture by getting caught up in the details of prepping. I'm committed to keeping the bigger picture in mind, keeping my family safe and happy, and living responsibly, not living in fear and panic.

So? Tell me what you think. How do you stay calm? Do you try to do one thing a day to prep? Or do you prep in bigger spurts? I'd love to know.

Happy Prepping-

The Prepared Mom