My garden has shifted into an array of crimson, orange and yellow which surely indicates that the Fall season has arrived and our bees are still pulling in pollen from late blooms as they prepare for winter. During my corporate communications career, I actively promoted a B.C. winter driving safety campaign known as, Shift into Winter which is still going strong today. I would actually start winter planning in July to secure radio & newspaper ads, book sponsorships with local hockey teams, and run a massive social media campaign. Nobody wanted to hear Niki say, “Winter is coming”, even when the fall season kicked in but we needed time to plan and prepare and I was proud of what we accomplished and established year over year.
During the summer, particularly in August this year, we experienced some major thunderstorms which impacted power outages, road closures, etc. It also meant a few sleepless nights in this household to help our very frightened dog stay calm. The weather is becoming more and more unpredictable so it is best for us to be prepared for storm season this fall and winter, whatever that might look like. During consultations with new clients, I make it a point to ask where first aid kits, flashlights, portable back up power, and emergency go bags are stored, and in most cases, they haven’t given it much thought. I get it, life is busy but you’ll thank yourself later during a power outage for having systems in place and at the ready.
Here are some essential household tips to prepare for winter including some product / service suggestions. Disclaimer: I don’t recommend, refer, or endorse any product or service I haven’t personally hired, purchased, or used first, and I’m not being paid to do so.
- Snow Tires – the Shift into Winter campaign is a wealth of winter driving safety information, visit www.shiftintowinter.ca for more information to share with family and friends or. Yeah, yeah, it hardly snows on the Sunshine Coast in recent years…still proper winter tires give you better traction and will help you stay safe on wet, snowy, or icy roads. Book your vehicle for a pre-winter check up and install winter tires.
- Portable Back up Power – after experiencing a major power outage shortly after we moved to the Sunshine Coast that just about wiped out several hundred dollars worth of food stored in our freezer including dogfood, we needed a better storm ready solution. At the time, I started sourcing some portable back up power that could be safely used in the house. I discovered EcoFlow, a company that makes portable power stations, solar generators, solar panels, power banks, and home energy systems. It’s best known for battery-powered backup and off-grid power products. We have since used our EcoFlow power station during a storm to plug in two freezers and a smaller secondary station for the toaster and coffee maker. Mobile phones and laptops can also be plugged in if needed. It was a significant investment at the time but today EcoFlow offers a wider range of products and there is also more market choice to meet every budget.
- First Aid Kit – my husband loves to cook and every once in a while, he knicks a finger and we’re running for a finger cot, one of many stocked in our first aid kit. Your local dollar store is a fantastic resource for affordable first aid kit supplies. Even just the basics and then you can invest in the larger ticket items elsewhere.
- Emergency Kit – I purchased our vehicle emergency kits from Costco and sourced additional items from Canadian owned, 72 Hours, a one stop shop for emergency kits, first aid kits, emergency water, survival food, PPE, and outdoor supplies. 72 Hours is a wealth of information to help you be prepared for an emergency situation ~ sign up for their newsletter to track sale items ~ www.72hours.ca. To build your own emergency kit, here’s a few online resources to get started:
Government of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/emergencies/preparedness/get-prepared/emergency-kits/get-kit.html
Canadian Red Cross: https://www.redcross.ca/how-we-help/emergencies-and-disasters-in-canada/emergency-preparedness/get-an-emergency-kit - Go Bag – A go bag is a packed emergency bag you can grab quickly if you need to leave home fast. It usually has essentials for 24–72 hours: water, snacks, medications, flashlight, phone charger, important documents, clothes, cash, and basic hygiene items. One of the best tools we have in our kit is a rechargeable flashlight. I asked for one for my birthday a few years ago and we have since acquired a second one. Very handy.
- Stock up Staples – shop the grocery sales where and when you can stock up your pantry staples such as rice, pasta, flour, sugar, salt, cooking oil, canned beans, canned tomatoes, oats, broth, and spices. This will help you pull together a quick and easy meal in a pinch if you can’t get to the store. I use the Flipp App to shop all of the grocery flyers in one place ~ it is a real time saver! Plus you can set up a watch list to ping you when those items go on sale.
On my fall To Do list thus far is to take down my beloved twirl-dry clothesline for the season and I need to pull out our Go Bags and Vehicle Emergency Kits to see what needs to be replaced or tweaked. Honestly, I really need to figure out how to use the wind up radio I purchased! LOL
Every decluttering project uncovers new items ready to be repurposed around the household…even maybe for a new Emergency Go Bag. There’s always stuff that gets found that was purchased then tucked away and forgotten about! It is pure joy to help people declutter so they can live lighter with less stuff. To learn more about Tick off the List Home Services, please visit my FAQ and for a free 30 minute consultation, email niki@tickoffthelist.ca.