New THRIVE food products, 5 day Sale plus a Giveaway!

Giveaway is now closed.  You can view the winners here.

Wow, isn't that title a mouthful!?  I've got some good stuff for you!

Shelf Reliance has grown so much in the past year that they have had to build and move to a much larger warehouse.  I've been to this building and it is incredible!  It is not just a warehouse.  It has beautiful offices, conference rooms and even a gourmet kitchen for cooking demonstrations.  In order to celebrate the opening of this new building, Shelf Reliance has announced some new products as well as a 5 day sale.

I wanted to get in on the celebration, so I am offering $100 in free Thrive food to one lucky winner AND an additional $50 in free Thrive food to two more winners!  Keep reading for details about all these fun celebrations:

New Here?  Read this real quick:

(otherwise, just skip on down)

If this is your first time visiting my website, welcome!  The main focus and purpose of Your Own Home Store is to help and support you as you strive to be self reliant.  One way (among many) to be more self reliant is to store a supply of food in your home in case you can't get food from the grocery store for any reason.

The BIG reasons:
Did you know that most grocery stores only have a 3 day supply of food?  If you were unlucky enough to be in the middle of a natural disaster, you may find the shelves empty for some time.  Or, what about inflation and economic troubles?  Food is costing more and more.  Having a supply in your home can allow you to ride out those waves.

The other reasons:
I hope that none of you ever faces either of the above scenarios.  But, even if you don't, you can still benefit from storing food in your home.  I store many things that many not surprise you: flour, sugar, wheat, rice, pasta.  But I also store many things that may surprise you: produce, eggs, milk, meat (yes, real meat), ice cream, cheese, butter, yogurt.  All these items store for 5-25 years and all taste just like fresh (except the ice cream, but it is really fun).
I never have to run to the store on a stressful evening in the middle of making dinner b/c I'm out of eggs or forgot the celery.  I also don't have to brown my beef or shred my chicken or chop my vegetables: I just add water.  And did I mention that everything tastes like fresh?  Shelf Reliance Thrive food really is that amazing!

New Products:

Shelf Reliance has announced the addition of 10 new products to their Thrive food line.

Under-Bed Food Rotation System:
I squealed I was so happy when I saw this.  I have so many customers who've requested it.  For those of you in apartments or small homes, this is incredible.    

Gluten Free Line:
Four of the new products are gluten free grains: Amaranth, Quinoa, Millet, and Rice Flour.  These products will make it easier for those with a gluten intolerance to store grains they can eat.

Drink Line:
Each long-lasting drink is vitamin fortified and contains natural flavors and sweeteners. Storing drink mixes is a good idea b/c in an emergency, you may have to drink chemically treated water and need to cover the taste.  The six new drinks are: Mango Passion, Melon Berry Burst, Fruit Punch Performance, Orange Bliss, Orchard Apple, and Simply Peach.

Sale:

From September 1st - September 5th, all Shelf Reliance Thrive Food products will be discounted an additional 5% below their current sale prices.  This means many products will be 25% off!  If you'd like, you can shop online through my shelf reliance consultant store.

Giveaway:

This giveaway is now closed.  You can view the winners here.
I wanted to add my own special touch to this celebration, so I've decided to host a giveaway.  I will give $100 (retail price, not sale price) in free Thrive food to one lucky winner and $50 in free Thrive food to two more winners!  Each person can only win once, but you can enter the giveaway up to five times.

Mandatory Entry:
Visit my Shelf Reliance consultant website and browse around, then come back and tell me (leave me a comment) which Thrive food products you would like to win.  Please leave your email address in the comment as well so I have a way to contact you.  It will not be used for any other purpose.

Optional additional entries: If you already do / have done any of the following, simply leave me an additional comment telling me that.

1. Like Your Own Home Store on facebook.  Leave an additional comment telling me that you did so.
2. Add a Your Own Home Store button to your website or blog.  Leave an additional comment telling me that you did so (a personal family blog is fine) with a link to your blog.
3. Subscribe to Your Own Home Store in a reader or  by Email.  Leave an additional comment telling me that you did so.  
4. Post about this giveaway on your own blog, on facebook, or on twitter.  Leave an additional comment with a link to your post (click on the timestamp on your facebook or twitter post to get the link)

The giveaway will be open until 11:59 pm on Sunday, September 4th.  I will announce the winner by 8:00 am PST on Monday September 5th which will give you a full day to take advantage of the sale even if you don't win the giveaway!

I am an independent consultant for Shelf Reliance; a company with a mission to empower others to become self reliant, prosperous and charitable.  You can learn more about Shelf Reliance, buying their products, earning free products, or selling their products on my Shelf Reliance website.  
 

Shelf Reliance 5 day Sale

Shelf Reliance has grown so much in the past year that they have had to build and move to a much larger warehouse.  I've been to this building and it is incredible!  It is not just a warehouse.  It has beautiful offices, conference rooms and even a gourmet kitchen for cooking demonstrations.  In order to celebrate the opening of this new building, Shelf Reliance has announced a 5 day sale.

From September 1st - September 5th, all Shelf Reliance Thrive Food and Food Rotation System products will be discounted an additional 5% below their current sale prices.  This means many Thrive food products will be 25% off and some food rotation systems will be over 50% off!  If you'd like, you can shop online through my shelf reliance consultant store.

If you'd like to know which products will be increasing in price the most after the sale, you can view this list.

*Please note: All prices on spreadsheet are Q-Club prices.  You will get these automatically if you are on the Q.  If you are not on the Q, you will still get a significant discount online, but if you want the Q-Club price, you will need to call me directly.  My number is 760-814-9833.

The Food Rotation Systems have never been priced this low.  I've listed the price below for the two most popular systems, but they are all the food rotation systems are on sale (there are 50+ configurations).

Food Rotation Systems:
Harvest 72" : $256.67 (Retail: $459.99, Regular Sale Price: $270.29)
Cansolidator Pantry: $20.82 (Retail: $44.99; Regular Sale Price: $21.92)
You will need to add items to your cart to see the applicable discount



I am an independent consultant for Shelf Reliance; a company with a mission to empower others to become self reliant, prosperous and charitable.  You can learn more about Shelf Reliance, buying their products, earning free products, or selling their products on my Shelf Reliance website.  
 

My life as a Shelf Reliance Consultant

Are you considering becoming a Shelf Reliance consultant?  Do you wonder if you would be able to fit it into your life and be successful in this business?  You can read more about becoming a Shelf Reliance Consultant if you'd like to learn about it.

Recently, I have had many people ask me questions like the following:

• How do you "do it all?"
• How do you fit this into your life?
• When do you find the time?

Funny, it seems I'm not the only one getting these questions.  My Shelf Reliance trainer (also a stay at home mom with 4 kids) answered similar questions on her blog a few days ago. I'd encourage you to go check out her answer as well.

First, I want to make it clear that I don't do everything.  If you want to succeed at this business, you can.  I am certain of that.  But, you will have to sacrifice at times.  You will have to say "no" to some things so you can put time into your business.  You will not be successful unless you treat this as a real job and "go to work" every day.

However, this opportunity offers so much flexibility that I am convinced anyone with a little determination, passion and dedication can fit it into their life and create a successful business.

Below is my daily schedule.  Over the past few months, I've slowly switched most of my resources (time and money) from in home tasting demonstrations to this blog.  I don't do much for this business outside my home now. 

Please note, there is never a day when I stick to this schedule completely as something always comes up: a customer with a need, a consultant with questions, a sick child or a sleepless night etc.  Also, this is just Mon-Fri.  Saturdays are completely different and consist of mostly family stuff, yard work and deep cleaning.  I check and respond to email, but do not write blog posts or do any serious work as a Shelf Reliance consultant until the kids are in bed.  I do not do anything for my business on Sunday.

• 6:00 am: Up; feed Hanna; personal scripture study; get dressed (most days...haha)
• 6:45 am: Get kids dressed
• 7:00 am: Breakfast (usually cereal although I do try to make something else at least 2-3 times a week) & family scripture study
• 7:30 am: Bkfst cleanup; cleanup whatever was left messy from night before
• 7:45 am: "Morning jobs:" Kids make beds.  I do one "major" cleaning job (clean appliances or clean bathrooms etc...depends on the day).  Dinner pre-prep (chop veggies or make a sauce, just anything I can do ahead of time to make the crazy dinner hour easier)
• 9:00 am: Hanna's nap.  Three other kids watch 1 hr TV.  I try really hard not to turn my computer on until 9:00 am every morning.  I check and respond to email, update facebook, read and comment on other blogs that I follow and start a blog post.  On a good day, I actually finish the post, but often, I just get it started.
• 10:00 am: Snack for kids. Start getting ready to go out.
• 10:30 am:  Feed Hanna. Leave.  Mondays = Library, Tuesdays = Gym, Wednesdays = Gym, Thursdays = Grocery shopping, Fridays = Park
• 12:30 pm: Lunch.  Get girls down for naps
• 1:00 pm: Girls sleeping. Boys in quiet room time (occasionally consists of a Disney movie).  I work for 2 hours.  Check and respond to email. Finish blog post.  Prep for trainings.  Send training emails or work on training website. Work on blog upgrades, advertising, relationships with other bloggers.  I also often get lost on Pinterest  (-:
• 3:00 pm: Reading time, outside play time, go for a walk, "preschool" time (work on writing, coloring, fun projects etc).  My goal is to keep the computer off during this time, but I don't always do it.  So, occasionally, I am also responding to emails as they come in during this time.  Occasionally, we will go to the gym during this time.
• 4:30 pm:  Snack for kids. Clean up playroom, clean kitchen from lunch. Clean off table. Vacuum.  Finish up morning cleaning job if needed (especially if it was laundry...I hate laundry).   Finish dinner.
• 5:30 pm: Eat dinner.  Family time for 20-60 minutes depending on how happy the kids are.  Cory will occasionally take them to the park or out back to play baseball or soccer.  Family night (an LDS religious practice) on Mondays.
• 6:00 pm: Hanna in bed
• 6:30 or 7:00 pm: Samantha in bed
• 7:30 pm: Boys personal quiet reading time.  Lights out for them at 8:30 pm.  Time alone with Cory until about 8:00 pm most nights.
• My evenings:  Evening work time usually starts around 8:00 pm for me except on the nights I do team trainings.  
• On Monday and Saturday, I check and respond to email, update facebook, read and comment on blogs I follow, make recipes, try to improve my photography skills (they are currently awful!) and work on my blog and all that goes into that (and it is A LOT) until about 11:00 pm.  
• On Tuesdays, I do team training from 6:30-8:00 pm while Cory puts the kids in bed.  Once the training is done, I spend some time with Cory and then work on my blog until 11:00 pm or so.  
• On Wednesdays, I do team training from 7:00-8:00 pm  while Cory puts the kids in bed.  Once the training is done, I spend some time with Cory and then plan our week's menu and my grocery shopping plan.  
• On Thursdays, I try to do something completely unrelated to Shelf Reliance: Scrapbooking, writing in my kids journals, reading, etc.  Depending on how busy things are with the business, this isn't always possible.
• On Fridays, I have a date night with my husband.  Sometimes our date night is working on Shelf Reliance stuff together....haha

Micah and Noah (my almost 4 yr old twins) actually just started a mother-taught preschool yesterday.  So, every Tuesday and Thursday they will be gone from 8:30-11:00.  And every 9 weeks, I will be teaching 10 kids from 8:30-11:00 am on Tuesday and Thursday.  I'm sure that will change things up a bit.


Again, no day actually ends up exactly as listed above, but that is my goal and for now, I feel comfortable with how being a Shelf Reliance Consultant fits into my life.  It is my outlet.  I really enjoy this business.

The best part about the above schedule is that it is also full of lots of the following:

• "Mom, I just made my name!"
• "Mom, I'm thirsty."
• "Mom, watch me!"
• "Mom, can I help you wash the doors?"
• "Mom, I'm done going potty!"
• "Mom, is it my turn to help with dinner?"
• "Mom, will you read me a story?"
• "Mom, how do giraffes bend their necks?"
• "Mom, why did God make sidewalks?"
• "Mom, I just gave you a smudgeroo!"
• "Mom, can I have a kiss?"
• "Mom, I love you THIS MUCH and THIS HIGH!"

I absolutely love being home with my children.  I love that I am a part of almost every minute of their lives.  I love that they get to watch me do something I enjoy.  I love that they get to watch me work hard for our family.  I love that they are learning to work with me.  I love when they imitate me (even when they "check their email and mess up the computer).  I love their smiles, kisses, hugs, even their tears.  I love that they adore me (at least for now).

I have always wanted to do two things: (1) Be a Mom - a good mom, and (2) own my own successful business.  For a long time, those two ideas seemed almost incompatible, but this opportunity to be a Shelf Reliance consultant has allowed me both.

If you have questions about how it might fit into your life, please let me know.  I would love to help you get started and support you in any way I can.  I have been very surprised, very pleasantly surprised, with how well this business has done financially for our family.  While it has taken hard work and hasn't happened over night, we are starting to hope that some of our financial dreams may come true.  Things like owning a home, or quickly paying off our student loans (we had 3 kids while in law school) are looking possible.  Being a Shelf Reliance consultant is truly helping our family to be more self reliant and even prosperous.


You can read more about becoming a Shelf Reliance Consultant if you'd like to learn about it.

I am an independent consultant for Shelf Reliance; a company with a mission to empower others to become self reliant, prosperous and charitable.  You can learn more about Shelf Reliance, buying their products, earning free products, or selling their products on my Shelf Reliance website.  

 

Disaster and Emergency: How to store documents & what to store

When faced with preparing for a disaster or emergency, many people forget about their important family documents.

Photo Credit: Jessica Mullen

Yet, properly recording and storing certain documents is essential if you are to be truly prepared.  Doing so will help you prove the value of things you've lost; allowing you to recover payment from your insurance company.  These documents will also make it much easier for you to get back on track if you're forced to relocate or lose your home.

Challenge: Go right now and find all the things on the following list:

Insurance Policies:

• Home / Renter's
• Car
• Health 
• Life
• Flood

 Certificates / ID:

• Birth Certificates (or proof of citizenship)
• Marriage Certificate
• Divorce Certificate
• Death Certificates
• Copy of Diplomas
• Passports
• Copy of Drivers License or other ID
• Social Security Cards

Backups (on a CD or small, portable hard drive):

• Family Pictures
• Computer Hard Drive
• Financial Records (Quicken etc)
• Essential Online Business Information / Tools

Property Documents:

• Apartment or condo leases
• Home or other property deeds / titles (mortgage, car etc.)
• Estate documents
• High Value Receipts
• Inventory of possessions and their value (could be a photo or video inventory)

 Financial

• Tax Returns
• Loan Documents (Car, Education, Business, etc)
• Credit Card Agreements
• Investment Accounts Information
• Copies of Recent Bills (Water, Power etc)
• Government financial assistance award letters
• Employment contracts or other legal documents

 Other:

• Account / Password Lists
• List of important phone numbers
• Medical records, x-rays, benefits documents, etc.
• Duplicate prescription(s) from doctor
• Pet's Medical Records
• Copies of important keys
• Will
• Advance Directive

Photo Credit: The U.S. Army

How long did it take you to find copies of all of the above?  I'm guessing that unless you already had everything gathered in one place, you didn't even take the challenge to go gather it all.  Am I right?  It would just take too much time!  I feel relatively prepared and have most of the above items in one spot where they would be easy to grab quickly.

But I had to ask myself again: Would I be ready if I had to evacuate with just 30 minutes notice?  10 minutes?  2 minutes?  Are my documents stored correctly?  Sure, they are all in one spot and easy to grab, but what if I simply don't have the time or am unable to grab them?


How to Store Documents:

• The documents in your home should be stored in a water proof, fire proof box / safe.  Use something that locks and keep a copy of the key in 2-3 places that only you know of (some in your home, others not) to avoid theft.
• Consider storing a copy of all your documents in a similar box / safe at a friend or relative's home: someone who lives hundreds of miles from you.  It is unlikely they will be in a disaster or emergency at the same time you are.
• Consider scanning and storing your documents online so you would have access to them anywhere in the world.  I've heard positive things / read good reviews for CloudSafe, but recommend you do thorough research before investing in this option.  It would be a simple way to not have to worry about grabbing all your documents in the event of an emergency, but you want to be certain that your documents are secure.

How I will Improve:
I could be better prepared.  Here are a few things I'm going to change soon:

• Create an advance directive
• Store all irreplaceable documents in a water proof, fire proof box with a lock.  Keep keys to the lock in 2-3 places that only Cory and I know about.
• Store copies of all the above documents at my parents in case we can't access ours
• Backup our family pictures, hard drive and business tools (like this blog) more regularly.
• Make an extra copy of all our important keys

What will you do?

I am an independent consultant for Shelf Reliance; a company with a mission to empower others to become self reliant, prosperous and charitable.  You can learn more about Shelf Reliance, buying their products, earning free products, or selling their products on my Shelf Reliance website.
 

Favorite THRIVE food products: My review

Interested in which Thrive food products are the best?  Here is my personal Thrive foods review:

I've gotten this question (or something similar to it) almost daily for the past 2 weeks.   I posted an answer a few months ago, but seeing as how I've been getting so many questions about this, I thought it would be worth re-posting here.  Even those familiar with food storage are often unfamiliar with Thrive foods.  It has taken me months to use them enough to come up with this list of my favorites.  I hope you find it helpful, and I would love feedback on what your favorites are!  Just leave a comment.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seyyed_mostafa_zamani/

Great Deals Ahead!
Before I get to my list, just a head's up really quick: there will be a great sale 5 day sale coming up soon with some new products!  I will be sending out insider information about it tomorrow morning.  If you want to be in the know before the prices change, join my mailing list:

You will get 1-3 updates a month about specials, price increases and new products:

Okay, on to my favorite products:

Fruits:

Freeze Dried Banana Slices

These are my kid's absolute favorite fruit.  They really like all the fruits, but bananas are the most requested.  They are much sweeter and more flavorful than the banana chips. 

Freeze Dried Peaches

As far as the fruits go, these are my personal favorite.  I've always loved peaches and I can eat these cup fulls at a time.

Vegetables:

Freeze Dried Onions

I use these almost daily in soups, casseroles, sauces etc.  I haven't bought (or thrown out) an onion since I started using them.  They also save time since I no longer have to chop/dice my onions.  The freeze dried version are far more flavorful than the dried onions I've used before.

Freeze Dried Celery

Same reason as the onions!

Tomato Powder

I use a lot of tomato paste, sauce, and juice.  Using the tomato powder costs less than purchasing these items at the grocery store and it avoids waste.  I only mix exactly what I need to use instead of throwing out half a can of unused paste or sauce.

Grains:

Hard White Winter Wheat

I have a wheat grinder, so I grind my own 100 wheat flour from this wheat and use it in almost all my baking.  It adds heath and fiber to our family's diet w/o affecting the taste of our baked goods (as opposed to red wheat)

Dairy:

Monterey Jack Cheese

Cheese is my favorite food group, so I could really list all the cheeses here, but Monterey Jack is probably the one I use the most: in sauces, soups, enchiladas, flautas etc.

Instant Milk
I use this every single week.  We go through about 8 gallons of milk a week around here.  I can't fit more than six in my fridge.  So, at the end of each week, I just mix up a couple gallons of Thrive instant milk and no one knows the difference.  It is that good!


Meat / Beans:

Chicken Dices

Who wouldn't like pre-cooked, pre-chopped/shredded chicken?  This saves me enormous amounts of time when making soups, salads, or enchiladas etc.

Egg Powder

I have replaced all eggs that I use in baking with THRIVE egg powder with NO difference in the results.  These eggs cost just over $1 a dozen, so I am saving myself some money!

Desserts

Brownies

Confession:  Brownie batter (not brownies) is my weakness.  I love brownie batter.  But before THRIVE brownies, I always had to make an entire batch just to get a few tablespoons of batter.  Then I would cook up the brownies, but they would go uneaten.  Now?  I just spoon out a few tablespoons of batter, add some water and enjoy!  No laughing allowed!

How about you?  What are favorites have you discovered since you started using Shelf Reliance's Thrive food?  What about other food storage favorities?

Not sure you have any favorites yet and want a place to start?  Try this fun worksheet.

Preparing for a Hurricane

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

I've been in one hurricane.  I was about 3 or 4 years old living in Houston, TX and it is one of my first memories.  Most of my memories center around the emotions that I felt in our household.  I remember feeling anxious, stressed....I remember worrying about my Mom b/c she seemed different (scared I'm sure).  I do remember a bit about the actual preparation: I remember filling the bathtub with water.  I remember empty store shelves. I remember moving a mattress somewhere: maybe the center of the house, or maybe a closet with no outside walls...I'm not sure...

Hurricane Irene poses the largest threat to the U.S. Northeast since Hurricane Gloria in 1985. More than 65 million people from North Carolina to Maine, or about one in five Americans, may be in the way of the hurricane.  I feel for those anxiously awaiting hurricane Irene.  I pray that all will be well for you.

Here are  few tips for preparing for a hurricane.   Hopefully you've already researched and done many of these things.  I know many store shelves are already empty.

If not, I hope this will help motivate you to do what you can now.   From President Obama:

“I cannot stress this highly enough: If you are in the projected path of this hurricane you have to take precautions now,” Obama said. “Don’t wait. Don’t delay.”
“All indications point to this being a historic hurricane,” Obama said. “All of us have to take this storm seriously,” he said. “If you’re in the way of this hurricane you should be preparing now.”

If you do not live in hurricane Irene's path, I urge you to still consider situations that could arise where you are and start now to prepare for them.

Water
Have a 3 day supply of water.  If you do not have it and cannot buy it from the store, fill your tub, fill bowls in your home.  Fill your sinks.

Food
Have a 3 day supply of food.  Pull all foods you can eat w/o water or fuel into the same place in your home.  Put them in a easy to locate / move bag or bin.  Freeze a few gallons of water (in milk jugs or juice bottles) in your freezer (especially good if you have a deep freezer).  If the power goes out, move all the food you can to your freezer with the ice jugs.  This will allow you to use the food you have in there for a longer period of time.

Meds
Make sure you have at least a 1 week supply of any necessary prescription medicines and that you can easily access them.  Keep them on your person in a plastic bag if possible.

Power
Pull out all your candles and flashlights along with batteries you may need.  Make sure everyone in your home has access to one.  Try to have at least 3 sets of batteries for each flashlight.  This should give you about 1 week's worth of light at night if needed.  If you can avoid using your candles that is best in case of gas leaks.  If you can, store propane for your grill or camp stove.  Charcoal will also allow you to grill or cook in a dutch oven.

Important Documents
Put all important documents (insurance policies, passports, house deed, birth certificates etc) somewhere they will be safe and dry (a ziploc bag will work fine).  You should also include credit cards and extra cash (in small bills).  You may also consider taking pictures of your home in it's current condition and including them (or just your camera or card) in the bag so that if you have to make an insurance claim you will have what you need.

Outside
Secure and move things like kid's toys, bicycles, patio furniture, stacks of wood inside if needed (or in a garage if you have one).  Cut any branches off trees that may snap, break, and do damage to your home.  If possible, consider boarding up your windows.

Family Plan
Make sure your children know how to call 911.  Determine escape routes from your home and places to meet.  Often, in an emergency situation, you will not be able to communicate with those in the area, but you will be able to contact those outside of the area.  Choose someone who lives away from the area that your family will all call once they are safe and okay.  Then, that person can relay information to you about who she has / has not heard from.  Make sure you know the best information sources for your area. Internet and television may be out of service.  If you have an NOAA weather radio,(which everyone should have just for situations like this) get it out.  If not, find out if any of your nearby neighbors have one.


Travel
Make sure your vehicle is filled with gas.


First Aid
Pull out any and all first aid kits you have in your home and put them somewhere they are easily accessible.  If you have a first aid booklet, get it out too.  If not, print this one before the storm hits.

Where to go
If you are asked to evacuate, do so immediately.  However, it is unlikey that you will be asked to evacuate unless you live in a low-lying area.  So, you must be as safe as possible in your own home. Look around your home and find the various types of hazards that could affect you during the storm.  Where is your home most vulnerable to storm surge, flooding, wind, flying objects?  Then, decide on the safest room (or area) in your home and move your family and supplies there before the storm hit.

What Not to Do:
Read this article for a great list of things you should not be doing during a hurricane.



I am an independent consultant for Shelf Reliance; a company with a mission to empower others to become self reliant, prosperous and charitable.  You can learn more about Shelf Reliance, buying their products, earning free products, or selling their products on my Shelf Reliance website.  
 

Sale: Popular Food Rotation Systems

As an independent Shelf Reliance consultant, I am authorized to offer the LOWEST AVAILABLE PRICES* on these popular Shelf Reliance food rotation systems:
(see bottom of post for more details on how I can offer these prices)

*Just click on the picture to begin the purchasing process
*You will need to add products to your cart to see the discount.

*All product is packaged and shipped directly from Shelf Reliance.  You can read their shipping and return policy here.

Just $270.29!  (Add to cart for discount)

Harvest 72" food rotation system 
41% off!  Save $190
Retail Price: $459.99
Sale Price: $270.29
This is a free standing food rotation system and can rotate up to 460 regular cans or 112 #10 (gallon) cans.  You can also add wheels, a top shelf, front shelf, or side shelves at a 35% discount if you'd like.


  

Just $21.92!  (Add to cart for discount)

Cansolidator Pantry
52% off!  Save $23
Retail Price: $44.99
Sale Price: $21.92
This unit can rotate up to 40 cans and sits on an existing shelf in your kitchen cabinet.  Buy multiples and stack or combine them to create a system just perfect for YOUR pantry!

Just $75.99 (add to cart for discount)

Under Bed Rotation System

25% off!  Save $24
Retail Price: $99.99
Sale Price: $75.99
This is a free standing food rotation system that fits under your bed.  You can fit 4 of these under a Queen bed and each unit can rotate up to 115 regular cans or 28 #10 cans.

Just $19.88!  (add to cart for discount)

Cansolidator Cupboard

44% off!  Save $15
Retail Price: $34.99
Sale Price: $19.88
This unit can rotate up to 20 cans and sits on an existing shelf in your kitchen cabinet.  Buy multiples and stack or combine them to create a system just perfect for YOUR pantry!

Just $280.49 (add to cart for discount)

Ready Rack
38% off!  Save $169.50
Retail Price: $449.99
Sale Price: $280.49
Ready Racks combine the first-in-first-out can rotation rows with pull-out drawers, providing flexibility to store emergency preparedness supplies, bulky food items, and food storage cans in one organized, convenient space. Each Ready Rack also comes with four hooks so you can hang your 72-hour kit backpacks  right on your system. It will hold up to 119 soup size cans and up to 28 #10 cans.




Not what you are looking for?
Shelf Reliance offers over 40 variations of their free standing food rotation systems.  They come as small as 2+ ft high and 1 1/2 ft deep & wide all they way up to 6 ft tall, and 2-3 ft wide and deep.  If you look, you will find something that will work for the storage space you've got.


How can I offer such discounts?
Shelf Reliance sells most of their products through authorized independent consultants (such as me) and their contract with these consultants guarantees that you get the lowest possible price by purchasing through one of us .  As such, you will not find a lower price anywhere.  No Shelf Reliance coupon code can be applied to the prices you get from an independent consultant.  And any coupon code applied to retail prices or corporate sale prices will still cost you more than purchasing through an independent consultant. 


My Promise To You:
As an independent consultant it is also my goal to do all I can to support my customers in addition to providing the lowest price.  I am readily available to answer any questions you may have about your order, Shelf Reliance products or Shelf Reliance in general.  Simply call or email me.  I promise to get your questions answered in a friendly, timely, and efficient manner.

Misty Marsh

Authorized Independent Shelf Reliance Consultant

Email: misty@yourownhomestore.com.  

Phone: 760-814-9833

Virginia Earthquake: Motivated or Complacent?

I am so very glad that there was minimal damage as a result of yesterday's earthquake.  I am so very glad no one lost their life or was seriously injured.  Such situations can be so very difficult.

But, I ask, will that motivate us to be better prepared, or lull us into complacency b/c "nothing happened?" 

I'm afraid that the latter is true.  An article I found talks about how many are simply making a mockery of it on social media networks like facebook and twitter:

Minimal damage and, for many, imperceptible shaking were the sources of many a Facebook and Twitter joke.

 People are posting pictures of the "damage" such as this:

Photo Credit: The Christian Science Monitor

And while, I got a giggle out of the above picture, I hope this "small" earthquake doesn't lull us into complacency about being prepared for one that might not be so laughable.

A few thoughts:

(1)  The state hasn’t suffered a quake of this size since 1897.
Natural disasters can happen anywhere, anytime.

(2)  Our communication structure is fragile.  
Even from this small of a quake, phone and internet services were interrupted for a time.   What would you do if you couldn't communicate with the "outside world" for a few days?

(3) People had no idea what to do.
Most in the area had never experienced and earthquake.  Friends in the area told me they were walked over to a 6 ft glass window to "see what was going on."  Do you know how to prepare for and react to the type of natural disaster most likely to occur in your area?

I had a few people comment to me that, "had it been any worse," they wouldn't have had anything for dinner b/c they were planning on shopping for their dinner that night.  How many of us are in that situation?  Are you reliant on others for your water, food, communication?  Could you survive w/o relying on anyone else for at least 3 days?

Please, let this experience motivate you to be better prepared.  Preparedness is important. 

What will you do today to better prepare yourself and your family to be completely self reliant should the need occur?

I am an independent consultant for Shelf Reliance; a company with a mission to empower others to become self reliant, prosperous and charitable.  You can learn more about Shelf Reliance, buying their products, earning free products, or selling their products on my Shelf Reliance website.  

Home Made Ice Cream in 10 minutes from Food Storage

What you would say it I told you there is a way to make delicious, home made ice cream in just 10 minutes?

And if I said it only costs about $0.55 / cup?

And if I said it could be made from food storage?

And if I said you could make just as much as you wanted to eat right then?

Can you tell I'm a bit excited about this?

I have lots of fond memories from my childhood that surround home made ice cream and just ice cream in general.  I think it is a favorite treat for my parents and everyone of my siblings.  I often crave it, but don't have any in the fridge (b/c I try not to buy it or I know I will eat the entire carton in a matter of days).

Well, after reading about homemade ice cream in a bag, and homemade ice cream with Thrive instant milk, I decided to combine the two ideas.  Boy am I ever glad I did!  This was quick, easy, fun for my kids and so very delicious!  Plus, since it is made with non-fat milk it is fat free!  My only tip is to be sure you use the THRIVE instant milk as it is hands down the best instant milk I've ever tasted.  It really does taste just like fresh.
 

10 minute Home Made Ice Cream

1 cup water
5 T. Thrive Instant Milk
3 T. Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 gallon sized bag
1 quart sized bag
Ice
1 cup salt


Mix water, milk, sugar and vanilla in quart sized bag.  Seal well.  

Fill Gallon sized bag half way full with ice and sprinkle salt over it.  Place quart sized bag inside gallon bag.  Shake and turn bag (do a little dance if you want...we did!) for 5-7 minutes.  
Open gallon sized bag and remove quart sized bag.  
Quickly rinse it off with cold water.  
Open and serve yourself some ice cream!  
Enjoy!



This post is party of  Cooking with my Food Storage's Friday Link Party.  Thanks Heather!

I am an independent consultant for Shelf Reliance; a company with a mission to empower others to become self reliant, prosperous and charitable.  You can learn more about Shelf Reliance, buying their products, earning free products, or selling their products on my Shelf Reliance website.  

National Charity Spotlight: Feeding America

Have you ever tried to find a national charity with a focus on helping the needy here in America?  Have you ever wondered what more you could do for those a little closer to home?  Your neighbors even?  If so, you may want to learn more about Feeding America.  

There are many charities and organizations that work to help, assist, teach and uplift people in other countries.  I believe this to be incredible and often support such.  Shelf Reliance's charity, Thriving Nations is one such organization.  As I work to find worthy causes that we can support, I'm certain that many of them will fall into this category.

I would also like to find and highlight national charities with a more local focus. So, in honor of September being "Hunger Action Month," I'd like to tell you a bit about Feeding America.  Their mission is to:

 Feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.

Chances are they have a local food bank near you, and this month they are all working to provide simple way that you can help feed hungry Americans.  Put your zip code in here and you can find out some information about the hungry in your area.  Here is what I found about my area (San Diego county):
   
     *Food Insecurity Rate: 14.8%
     *Number of people that are hungry: 441,730
     *Contact information for a local food bank and ways to get involved locally.


Here are a few small snippets from the Feeding America website:

Hunger exists everywhere in America. It does not matter if you live in a urban, suburban or rural setting - hunger has no boundaries. 

Feeding America is the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. We are ranked as one of Worth magazine’s best charities and have been identified as one of the Top 10 Most Efficient Charities by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, with 98 percent of all product and financial donations received by Feeding America going toward helping Americans struggling with hunger.

Our mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.

As I browsed through their website, I found a story about a family; a regular, normal family, in my area who has benefited from Feeding America's services.  I thought I'd share it:



There are real people all around us who are in need.  This is especially so in today's economy.  The program / service that Feeding America offers that touched me the most was child hunger.  I can't imagine the pain a parent must face as they struggle to feed their children.  Feeding American says this:

Although the United States is the wealthiest nation in the world, millions of children in our nation are food insecure, meaning they are either currently hungry or nearing hunger. Children who are undernourished are at greater risk for serious health, social, and educational problems. Today, many public food-assistance programs and private organizations strive to meet the nutritional needs of vulnerable children, but more needs to be done to fight child hunger. 

How to Help:
     (1)  One really simple way is to share this video on facebook.  They are trying to reach 1 million people by September 30th. 
     (2) If you are interested, you can also learn more about Feeding America and how to get involved with their cause.  Anyone can help.  They accept monetary donations, fundraising help, volunteers, or food donations.

Need help yourself?
  Find out what Feeding America can do to assist you.

I am an independent consultant for Shelf Reliance; a company with a mission to empower others to become self reliant, prosperous and charitable.  As such, the goal of my personal website is the same. 

 

Top 5 Food Storage Recipes

Photo Credit: Why Just Eat?

Here are my picks for the top 5 food storage recipes this week from blogger land (in no particular order):



     *Macaroon Brownies from Why Just Eat

     *Mushroom Spinach Quiche from Thriving Moms

Photo Credit: Thriving Texas Mama

     *Poptarts! from Everyday Food Storage (seriously, how awesome is that?!)

     *Granola from Shelf Reliance Sisters

     *Thrive Milkshakes from Thriving Texas Mama


I am an independent consultant for Shelf Reliance; a company with a mission to empower others to become self reliant, prosperous and charitable.  You can learn more about Shelf Reliance, buying their products, earning free products, or selling their products on my Shelf Reliance website. 

Photo Credit: ThrivingMoms

Food Waste Video

I know that I have pulled something out of the fridge and looked at the "best by" or "sell by" dates and wondered exactly what those meant.  If it was past one of those dates, I wondered if I should toss the food or keep it. I'm guessing many of you have wondered the same thing.

My trainer with Shelf Reliance is incredible.  I couldn't have asked for anyone better.  Her training and support is a huge part of my success with this business opportunity.  

On her Shelf Reliance blog, she recently featured a great video all about food expiration dates.  This isn't talking about long term food storage, but I thought it was very useful and informative nonetheless.

Photo Credit: ReneS

I don't like wasting food / money by throwing food out, but I also don't want to make my family sick by feeding them something that has gone bad.  This is especially true of dairy & meat: things like milk, eggs, yogurt, sour cream, poultry, ground beef etc.

I found this short video very useful so I thought I'd share it with you (just click on the link to watch it):

Expired Food, Wasted Money from MSN Money

Another Solution
Another solution to these problems is to store (and use) freeze dried foods and powdered dairy.  For example, freeze dried ground beef, chicken, or sausage all have a shelf life of 25 years unopened and 1 year opened.  Plus they are easy and quick to use in recipes as they require no cooking, browning, or shredding.  Thrive Instant Milk has a shelf life of 25 years unopened and 2 years opened.  It tastes just like fresh and you can make only what you need right when you need it.  Powdered eggs have a 5 year shelf life unopened.  Amazing!  236 eggs that are good for 5 years!  Use them in baking with no difference in taste.

Avoid Waste

Photo Credit: eatwell.in

One of the reasons I store these foods is because they help me to curb my waste.  I don't have to worry about quite as many "sell by" or "best by" dates.  I don't throw away as much food or waste as much money.

How about you?  For those of you (especially consultants) who are using Thrive food storage regularly, have you noticed a difference in the amount of food you waste?  Leave a comment, I'd love to hear your experiences!

I am an independent consultant for Shelf Reliance; a company with a mission to empower others to become self reliant, prosperous and charitable.  You can learn more about Shelf Reliance, buying their products, earning free products, or selling their products on my Shelf Reliance website.  
 

What if you can't use your stored water?

In addition to stored water, you should have some means of filtering / cleaning water.  Your stored water may become contaminated, or you may have to leave your home and not be able to take much of your stored water with you.

We have a water filtration bottle in each of our 72 hr kits.  It simply isn't possible to carry a three day supply of water.  You must have another option b/c you simply can't survive without water.  We carry about a 1 day supply of water and have these water bottles for the other two days.  I felt this was an excellent option for these 3 day kits.  They are easy to carry and easy to use.


These water filtration bottles from Shelf Reliance cost just $19.99 and can each filter up to 30 gallons of water.  They Use innovative technology that:

      *Removes 99.9% Giardia Lamblia and Cryptosporidium cysts and
      *Inhibits the growth of bacteria

The filtration matrix is comprised of inert, synthetic polymers, molecular sieves and microspheres that have been specifically configured to trap and retain these organisms while inhibiting the growth of bacteria (a bit technical for me, but I'm sure there are many of you who understood all that!)

Put simply, the result is safe water that is instantly available for drinking without prior disinfection, all in an easy-to-use, lightweight Nalgene bottle. Compared to other filtration bottles I've used, this filter is easier to squeeze with a faster flow rate.

Here are a few pictures of some water that I just filtered.  I started with clean, safe tap water, added some dirt and then filtered it in the bottle into a clear glass.  What do you think?  I'd drink it!

I also just order this Katadyn Combi Microfilter.  We will likely get a 2nd of these within a few months.  I chose this filter for a few reasons:
      (1) It works as a siphon/pump and a filter meaning I can use it to pump / filter water directly from any source.  I can filter water from a contaminated 55 gallon water barrel, a lake, river or stream, or hidden sources of water in our home like the reservoir tank of our toilet or water heater.  There is no need to remove some of the contaminated water to a different container before you filter it.
      (2)  I can attach it to any faucet and filter that water.  I would still be able to use our tap water even if public water had been contaminated.  We can also use in and RV or on a boat when camping.
      (3)  It will filter 13,000 gallons of water.  Even at 4 gallons per person per day (4xs the recommendation), this should last our family 1 1/2 years! 


What about you?  What water filtration/purification options do you use?


I am an independent consultant for Shelf Reliance; a company with a mission to empower others to become self reliant, prosperous and charitable.  You can learn more about Shelf Reliance, buying their products, earning free products, or selling their products on my Shelf Reliance website.