Ortho Home Defense

This stuff seriously works! When we got up for breakfast Sunday morning, I noticed that there was a whole bunch of black stuff all over the floor. A closer look showed me that they were ants...dead ones! About a month and a half ago I sprayed the perimeter of my kitchen with Ortho Home Defense. The ants last year were pretty bad since it was the first summer that our house was on this lot. I did not want a repeat. So, somehow we had an ant infestation while we were gone, but the ants lost! Oh darn! I was so happy to see that my treatment was working that I had to share my success...and the picture.

Food Storage - June 29th-July 5th - Week 1

I am actually posting this a week late, even though it says June 29th. Busy, busy, busy! I hope it is possible for everyone to work backward a little, but if not, press forward with the current week!


July

"We can store food as we have been commanded even if we have limited space and budget."

Week 1

Jams or jellies. Make a batch of freezer jam or try making some cooked variety.


There you have it! I actually did this conference weekend. I made some strawberry jam using the unsweetened frozen strawberries from Costco. It actually turned out pretty good. Now I know I can make jam any time of year just by using frozen fruit.

Vacation - HOME!

We made it! We went on vacation this last week to Utah, which explains the lack of posts. I am going to back date everything according to things that happened, so please keep reading downward.

As for arriving home, we got home at 1:15 am Sunday morning. I must say, I'm relieved. It was hard to leave Sarah and Joseph's house a day early, but it was lovely driving in the cool of the night. We left the car nearly full packed and just went to bed, and we were all asleep by 1:35. Chase did much better on the way home than he did on the way down, but it was exhausting making sure he was completely happy. We had to stop twice on the way home, one of which for gas and to let Chase stretch his legs and choose a bag of gummy bears to entertain him in the car, and the other purely so Chase wouldn't go ballistic on us again. The 2nd stop was at a rest stop about an hour from Boise. I think we were there for about 15-20 minutes while he ran around outside. He was finally ready to get back in the car once Eric showed him the PDA. Oh the things we do so that we can stay sane!

Vacation - Our Last Day

Well, we are leaving the Scott's house today to go visit my sister and her family before we head back home tonight. We are so grateful for Sarah and Joseph and their hospitality while we were in Utah. It has been so fun visiting with them since it had been nearly two years. We are sad to leave, but hopefully we'll be able to visit again, or have them come up to Idaho. Thank you Sarah and Joseph! We'll miss you!

Now, off to Eagle Mountain to visit family, celebrate my niece Shawna's 12th birthday, then homeward bound!

Vacation - Salsa gone horribly wrong!

So, last night Sarah and I were getting a craving for Chevy's chips and salsa. They do not have Chevy's in Utah or in Idaho, so you can imagine how much we wanted it. We had Eric do a quick search for the recipe online to see if anyone 'happened' to post it. We found several that were very similar, so we figured we'd try it.

During naps today after Temple Square, I ran to Walmart for the ingredients. I decided to half the recipe in case it didn't turn out. It's a good thing I did! After spending about 1/2 hour making the salsa (most of which was grilling 3 tomatoes and 5 small jalepenos), and while it sat in fridge for a couple of hours while we headed to dinner, and bringing home chips from the restaurant...I decided to give it a try even though I was far from hungry.

Wow! I have never had such a hot salsa in my life....and it was NASTY! It LOOKED like Chevy's salsa, but tasted nothing like it. One of the ingredients was Mesquite Liquid Smoke. It called for this knowing that hardly anyone was able to actually grill the jalapenos and tomatoes on a hickory grill. All I could taste was this nasty seasoning, and 5 jalapenos is without a doubt way too many! I tried to swallow it, but I just couldn't. I spit it out in the sink. I didn't even have the heart to have Eric and Joseph try it, it was so bad. But, I did manage to tell Sarah that it was horrible...and she just had to try it. LOL I am really surprised she did, actually. All she did was put one tiny drop on her tongue and she was instantly searching for a piece of bread from the heat. Since it was so bad, we decided to poor it down the sink. I even went so far as to ask Sarah if I should drop some Tums down there with it.

Moral of the story...drive 10 hours to Sacramento and bring back enough salsa to last a very long time!

Vacation - The Mayan!

Tonight we went to The Mayan for dinner with Sarah and Joseph. What a fabulous restaurant! I wish I had gotten a picture of the front of it, but all I got was a psuedo picture while taking a picture of posing children. This restaurant is designed with the South American jungles in mind, and reminded us of the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland. They have even redecorated it to celebrate the new Indian Jones movie. They have actors that do little skits every 15 minutes on this huge wall that looks like the inside of a mountain. At the base of this wall is a pool, deep enough for divers to dive into, but not very big around. These divers do flips, twists, turns, everything! It was absolutely amazing. The food was okay, not as good as I anticipated for such a lavishly decorated restaurant, but the atmosphere was incredible. I would recommend everyone to go eat at this restaurant if they are ever in the Salt Lake Valley.

Vacation - Temple Square

Today we had a very eventful day. We began our morning with a trip to Temple Square in Salt Lake with Sarah, Alice and Rachel. It had been nearly 20 years since I had been there, and probably about as long for Eric. We thought it would be a good way to teach our kids a little about the pioneers and what they went through to get this Temple up and running. Hailey's favorite part was seeing all of the brides! Since it was a Friday, there were lots of weddings. My favorite part was taking to kids into the North Visitor's Center and showing them all of the pictures of Christ and the replica of Jerusalem that they have on display. It has audio running with naration of the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus, and has little lights that show where the events took place. Very fascinating. Then we went the ramp to see the Christus. It was very touching. I hope the kids felt the sweet Spirit that was in that room. I know I did.

We also went across the street to the conference center. We only had a couple of minutes, so we just took a quick peak inside. It was enormous! It looks large on tv, but seeing it in person really put it all into perspective. I'm so glad we were able to see in, even for a couple of minutes, since it will probably be a few years before we bring the kids to a conference session. I wish we had enough time, and the kids had enough patience, to visit more of the church sites in Salt Lake, but 2 hours was certainly enough for them. It was then time for lunch and a nap!

Vacation - The Restful Day

Today was a restful day. After being at Lagoon the entire day Wednesday, we needed a day to recover. Chase especially. He apprantly had a really hard time the first several hours we were gone, and continued his crying escapades, with off and on napping between. Baby Rachel, who is actually slightly older than Chase, even attempted to give him one of her pacifiers to calm him down since he didn't have one anymore. This is the one that finally worked for him. Too funny!


After Chase's nap, Eric and I took him to Walmart for some groceries so I could make an apple pie. This was not necessarily a good choice since he screamed in the car on the way there and home. Gee wiz! He did cheer up while helping me make the pie, though. Hailey and Rion went to the library with Sarah and Alice, so they were able to get out of the house too.

Eric took Rion to see Iron Man for the 7:35 pm showing. They thought it was a great movie. Rion's favorite part was when one of the bad guys tried shooting the "Iron Man" in the head, only to have the bullet bounce back and hit him. He thought that was pretty funny. If you haven't seen the movie yet, here is the preview.

Vacation - Lagoon

Oh what a fun day! Over the passed several years, we have experienced Paramount's Great America, and Six Flags Marine World, and even Disneyland. With the exception of Disneyland, we never had enough fun at the parks to actually last the entire day. Lagoon was a completely different story! We arrived at 11:00 when the park opened, and stayed until just before 10:00 when the park closed. We did not bring Chase with us since we knew it would be difficult to handle him. Maybe next year for him.

We were fortunate for Hailey to be a tall one! She is only 5 years old, but she was tall enough to ride many of the rollercoaster rides, though just barely. So, to start off, we took her on the white rollercoaster. I think she was a bit in shock. She looked like she was having fun, until we asked her about it later. I think the big drops scared her, but by the end of the day she had ridden the white coaster a total of three times and the Wild Mouse three times, as well as The Bat twice. I think she got the hang of it, though she still didn't want to ride the Collossus, since it went upside down twice.

Rion was in heaven! He was so adventurous, trying all of the rollercoasters, and so many of the rides that Hailey couldn't or wouldn't go on, even the Collossus. He can't decide what his favorite ride was, but he had a blast! Around 6:00, though, he was tired and ready to go home. Eric and I didn't want to give in so soon, so we had Subway for dinner, then rode the Sky Ride back to the other side of the park. By that time, he had more energy.

As for Eric and I, we had more fun at an amusement park (Disneyland excluded) then we ever have since we got married. Since it was a weekday, we rode over 30 rides! Once we tabulate who rode what and how many each, I'll add that, but it was a very full day! The things we liked best about Lagoon compared to other parks:

1) Shade, shade and more shade! I grew up going to Lagoon, but since it has been about 16 years, the trees have gotten huge! There were trees everywhere we went, as well as park benches. There was no lack of places to sit and shade to cover you. While riding the Sky Ride, it was difficult to see what was where in the park because the trees were so tall, and it looked like they had to cut a pathway out of the trees in order to keep that ride functioning. While on it, there were trees beneath, trees beside, trees taller than the ride, trees everywhere! No sunburns for us!

2) Fresh Air! I know what you are thinking...isn't there fresh air at all parks since they are outside? The answer is no, because people tend to smoke everywhere. At Lagoon, they have set up specific smoking areas. They kind of look like bus stops. I know those that smoke probably don't like this, but for those of us that don't smoke, this was very enjoyable!

3) Family oriented. Beyond the fact that most parks are meant for fun, this park actually lets you bring in coolers...with food, water, etc! They have several large covered picnic areas and shady lawns all to the back of the park for you to bring in your own stuff. The last time we went to any park in California, it was like pulling teeth to convice the gate employees that the sippy cup you have for your toddler really needs to come in because they can't drink from anything else.

All in all, it was a fabulous day. We did miss Chase, but it was a relief that Sarah offered to watch him for us. Thank you Sarah!

Vacation - The Dreadful Drive

It has been a while since our family has actually had a "family" vacation. The last vacation we had was two years ago when we came to Boise to look for a house. Not much fun as family vacations are concerned. This year, we decided that since the adult's houseboat trip was cancelled, we would take the kids to Lagoon and see Sarah and Joseph in Sandy, and try to see my grandpa and my sisters Jo and Kelly while we were there. Nice plan, and we were totally excited...until...the drive.

The morning started off hectic. Rion had his orthodontist appointment, which went fairly well considering they actually used the term "seriously crowded". Nice medical terminology, isn't it? We basically decided that since his mouth is so small we would need to remove all 4 of his first molars which are baby teeth, as well as the permanents that are waiting to come in. This will hopefully give room for the other permanent teeth that haven't come in yet to do so and straighten out a little bit. We'll even put some space maintaining retainers in until he is about 12, at which time he'll get his braces. At least that's a financial relieve for the time being.

Anyways, following the appointment, we went back home, packed the car, and left...with a screaming Chase in the back seat! He didn't want to get in his car seat at all! Once we hit Costco 1/2 hour later, he was still going. I took him out of the car and we walked around to try to calm him down, we purchased some almonds, and then attempted the car once again. He obliged since he had a yummy snack and since Hailey and Rion were watching Looney Tunes (thanks to my mom for letting us borrow the DVD player). Whew, step one down, but not without some frazzled nerves.

We managed to make it all the way just before Tremonton before Chase started up again, roughly 3.5-4 hours later, but boy did he scream! He was done being in the car. We took an off ramp that ultimately would take us nowhere, so we just pulled over and let him throw rocks for a few minutes. Then, once again, back in the car! We realized that as long as he WANTS to get in his car seat, then we are fine. If he DOESN'T want to get in, then we have a war on our hands. This time we only made it to Ogden before he started screaming again. It was only about one hour. We were only about another hour from Sarah and Joseph's, so we didn't want to stop again. So, he cried, and cried, and screamed, and cried. You get the idea. He is not a traveler. Needless to say we are having second thoughts about driving down to Sacramento the end of August. That is about a 10 hour drive.

So, we made it to Sandy, UT to Sarah and Joseph's house in about 5 1/2 hours. We were so glad to be there and get out of the car! We mostly just relaxed the whole rest of the day.

Food Storage - June 22nd-28th - Week 4

Wow, week 4 already? Where has June gone? In any case, happy summer everyone! I know summer officially began yesterday, but I'm wishing it today. This week's list isn't food, but it is important to have a stock of these items.


Week 4

White Sales! Buy a thermal blanket, some new pillows or new sheets. Buy a new sleeping bag or a tent.


Hmmm, new sheets. Yes, that would be a FABULOUS idea, considering my foot found a whole in my sheets near the bottom of the bed last night. Gee wiz! I've never seen sheets wear out like that. Then again, they were a cheap set from Walmart about 2 years ago. New pillows sound great too, since mine are all flat. I did finally read the label on one of the pillows, though. Did you know it is recommended to throw your pillows in the dryer once or twice a year on high to re-fluff them? I did not know that until recently.

Bye Bye Pacifier

We did it! We have finally separated Chase from his pacifier. Of course, this was completely unintentional. Our plan was to go cold turkey on July 8th, the day after his 2nd birthday. However, one week ago yesterday he managed to lose his pacifier in the middle of the night. Now, this wasn't just having it drop underneath the bed. I'm talking lose to the point that I cannot find it AT ALL. I've looked in and under his bed, as well as my own, and even in the sheets. I wonder if he got hungry during the night? For once, this is a time where I am actually not praying for help to find the missing object.

So, anyway, the pacifier is gone. He has done WAY better than I anticipated, considering it was one of 3 things he was unable to live without. (The other two being his sippy cup and his blanket.) I'm so proud of him! He has been sick the last three days, and I'm sure the pacifier would have been useful, but he has managed to sleep all night long three nights in a row. Yay for Chase! This will make one less thing that we will not have to worry about losing when we go on vacation next week.

Chip Dipping Recipes

I was going to post these around Memorial Day, but didn't get around to it. Since the 4th of July is coming, now's a great time to get ready for chip dipping fun!

Black Bean Corn Salsa

1 can black beans (drained)
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 sm purple onion, minced
1 cubed avocado
cilantro, chopped
fresh lime juice
chili powder
salt

Combine black beans, corn, and onion in a bowl. Gently stir in avocado. Add a small handful of chopped cilantro, then add fresh lime juice, chili powder, and a dash of salt to taste.

If you really want to make things interesting, get some Que Bueno Nacho Cheese Sauce from Costco. Pour the hot melted cheese sauce over chips and top with the black bean corn salsa. Very scrumptious!


Guacamole

8-10 avocados, mashed
1-2 Tbsp sour cream
1-2 Tbsp grated parmesan
1/2 squeezed lemon or lime
1/4 cup salsa
cilantro - a handful, finely chopped
1-2 cloves chopped garlic
salt

Combine all in a bowl and mix well. Add salt to taste. Adjust the ingredients to your liking.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Since I was asked about more 'cake' recipes, I thought I would post this one that Shannon gave me. I sent it to Sarah earlier and thought that everyone might want a go at it. It is so good!

1 box Devil's Food chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1 (21 oz.) can cherry fruit pie filling
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips until well blended (with mixer if you don't want large cherry pieces). Pour into 9x13 inch greased and floured pan, or into jelly roll pan depending on the thickness you are looking for. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees or until cake springs back when lightly touched. (jelly roll pan may not need so long to cook.) Cool, then frost with favorite cream frosting or whipped cream.

Missed it!

You never have a camera around when you need one. Chase has not been feeling well today. He has had a fever of a little of 100 all day. Tonight it is just the two of us home until around 9:00, so I gave him a bath early. He was sitting on my bed while I was checking work email, and sure enough, he started falling asleep while sitting up. I so wanted to record that! It would have been a cute video, but alas. I do hope he feels better soon since we leave for vacation on Tuesday!

Busted Again!

The Culprit

The Weapon

The Crime

Thank goodness for wet wipes!

Happy Father's Day!

As we celebrate the men in our lives today, I'd like to share with you my kids' responses to a questionnaire they did in Primary today about their Dad.

Rion's answers (complete with Rion's way of spelling):

My dad's name: Eric
Dad's favorite movie: Lost
Things Dad and I like to do together: Water skee
Dad's hobbies: computer
Dad's job is: Docter (I would assume he thought this since Eric works at the Rehab Hospital)
When Dad was a kid he liked to: play
Dad is really good at: fixing computers


Hailey's answers (her teacher wrote these):

My dad's name: Eric Ryan Warren (his middle name is actually Brian)
Dad's favorite color: black
Dad's favorite movie: Night at the Museum
Dad's favorite scripture: Nephi 17
Things Dad and I like to do together: Play together
Dad's hobbies: work on the computer (they sure know him, don't they?)
Dad's job is: Nurse (too funny!)
When Dad was a kid he liked to: Play with Mom & Dad
Dad is really good at: playing basketball (huh?)
Dad's favorite food: steak


They gave the questionnaire to Eric with a chocolate coin taped to it. It was pretty cute. When Eric was reading through them, we couldn't really make out what Rion wrote for Eric's job, so we asked him. He said, "Doctor," in which I replied, "Daddy's not a doctor." Hailey spoke up here and said, "He's a nurse!" It was so funny. I don't think they really understand that Eric truly does work on computers all day.

I am very grateful to have such a wonderful husband of almost 11 years, and to be able to express that to him today. He is such a good Dad, and I'm so glad we could raise some of Heavenly Father's choice spirits together. One of the things that I like most about Eric is that he makes me laugh. There are days when he gets home from work that this is especially needed.

So, to Eric and all of the other Dad's in my life...Happy Father's Day!

Food Storage - June 15th-21st - Week 3

It's sunday already? My how time flies!


Week 3

Condiments: mustard, ketchup, relishes, mayo, Worcestershire, pickles, olives, soy sauce, salad dressings.


This one can add up quickly $$ wise. Make sure to search for those handy coupons. If you like generic brands, they can help save on money as well. Just remember to only spend what you are able to spend and nothing more.

Honesty

Tonight we experienced honesty at it's greatest! Eric took the boat out for a "guys night out". While he was packing everything up to come home, he place his wallet, his cell phone, and MY IPod on the bumper of the truck. He then forgot to gather them when leaving. When he arrived at home and saw that his cell phone was still on the bumper, and none of the other items, he immediately started the back tracking to find them. He found the IPod...all smashed on the road, but not his wallet.

Meanwhile, I was getting dinner ready and talking to my brother on my cell phone. The house phone rang, and wouldn't you know it, it was a guy by the name of Aaron who had found Eric's wallet in the road. Eric's driver's license still has my parent's address from when we lived with them, so he said that "it was the dickens trying to track down the right Eric Warren." I gave him Eric's cell phone number so that Eric could have the good news. Hailey and I were so happy after the call that we promptly knelt down and thanked Heavenly Father for watching out for us. Oh the blessings we received tonight...and such a wonderful teaching moment for Hailey! It's just too bad my IPod lost its life. Ah well.

Garden Update

Four weeks after the seeds were planted, and this is what I've got! Although, the tomatoes weren't seeds when they went in, but they sure have taken off considering it's only been in the 60's for the last 3 weeks.

And, I even have my first tomato! Amazing!

Mother Hailey

This was a flashback! How many of us mothers did this as a little girl?

Shake it Baby!

The Christopherson's dropped by tonight with some Family Home Evening goodies. Unfortunately, the kids were already asleep, but that didn't stop us from conversing for a while. After a few minutes the Black's miandered down the street for a little chat as well. It was a party! ...and with parties comes dancing. This is little Jocelyn shakin' her booty!

Food Storage - June 8th-14th - Week 2

Here we are...another Sunday come and gone! My goodness the days go fast! Here is the list for this week.


Week 2

Freeze-a-cheese! Grate and bag a whole 5 lbs. Use in casseroles and soups. Also buy parmesan.


I love parmesan! Not the stuff that comes as a powder in the bottles, but the nice fancy shredded stuff that comes in a bag. We use is on cooked rotini noodles with a little bit of butter, salt and pepper, as well as on top of casseroles, lasagna, spagetti, etc. If you use shredded cheese a lot, you may want to consider grating 10 lbs if you can afford it. If not, just make sure you restock your frozen cheese supply before you run out.

Big 9 Year Old

I can't believe we made it! Orion turns 9 today. My how time flies! A little bit about Orion, since it is his birthday...

Orion Lucas Warren was born on June 8, 1999 at 8:24 pm, 6 lbs 13 oz, 20 1/4 inches long. He was born breech, no - not by C-Section, and had some complications because of it. His heart rate dropped to about 34 beats a minute, which was way down from his usual 140-150, and then his lungs collapsed. What a trial! But, being the strong determined kid he is, he recovered quickly and was out of NICU within 9 days. Now that this explains the hospital shot of him...I can continue. :)

Sorry for the weird light in some of these pictures. I had to take a picture of hard copy pictures. And, unfortunately, I do not have any photos readily available between the age of 2 and 3 1/2, at which point we purchased our first digital camera the day Hailey was born. I know the photos are in a box somewhere. I need to find them so I can digitize the photos. Anyway, Rion, as we call him, is a very energetic boy who loves "fun" attention. He is always so happy to meet new people and make them feel welcome by saying "Hey Dude" when a new kid is introduced in class. I think he is well known for his friendliness at school because every time we go to a school function, we hear "Hey Orion" everywhere in the hallway.

Rion loves sports, especially baseball, basketball, and anything that has to do with swimming or going out on the boat. In school, he loves to read, do math, and especially loves PE and recess. What kid doesn't like recess? His favorite food is pizza, he doesn't like chocolate pudding or olives. Rion likes to do service by helping families who are moving and by going to the church orchard and pick the fruit for the cannery. He has a simple testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, which in my opionion is the best thing to have! He loves the Scouting program and even likes to spend time with Hailey and Chase - most of the time. Now that Rion is getting older, it's fun start to do more grown up things with him, though he still wishes he was small enough to play on the toddler toys. He'll always be a kid at heart!

Hero Hailey

Hailey was a true hero today! Here's what happened...

I sent Rion to get the mail, which happens to be in one of those big box units that hold several mailboxes and is located over by the park the next street over. When he got back, he neglected to close the latch at the top of the door. This is the only way to keep Chase in the house. The next thing we know, Chase is screaming. After asking what was going on, Hailey tells us that she looked out the window and Chase was across the street, walking down the pathway that leads to park, with keys in hand. Rather than wasting time to get us to go get him, she ran outside and picked him up and brought him home. That is why he was crying. He wanted to go get the mail.

She was so brave and really kept her head about her! I was so proud of her today. For the next hour or so after, I kept thinking about all of the things that could have happened to Chase. Not a fun thing to do! I think there is always more panic on my part after the fact when my mind starts to think of other scenarios. I am so grateful for Hailey and her quick thinking tonight!

Newsflash!

Chase, I don't think a "Sit-n-Spin" works that way.

Tractors

I have learned over the years that boys love tractors, garbage trucks, and any other big truck that passes by. Living in a new subdivision with lots of construction, you can imagine how excited Chase gets on a daily basis. This is the scene that I found in Hailey's room today.

If it were me, I'd be looking at the beautfiul sky!

Scout Achievements

Tonight was Pack Meeting. Not only was it Pack Meeting, but it was the last Pack Meeting before Rion's 9th birthday, so it was his last meeting as a Wolf. He worked very hard this last year to earn his Bobcat within the first month or so of being a cub scout, and tonight he received the last bead he needed to earn his Wolf badge, as well as his gold arrowhead and 3 silver arrowheads. To receive the arrowheads, he had to complete 10 extra achievements per arrowhead. That's 40 extra achievements! Good for you, Rion! And, an extra thanks to his fabulous leaders, Tory, Dianna, and Melissa for helping him along the way!

Here are some photos from the ceremony.

Now on to being a Bear Scout!

Rainbows

This was just so cool that I had to attempt to take a picture. Eric and I were on our way home from having dinner with some co-workers of mine (very exciting, by the way, since I have no co-workers in Idaho right now), and it was quite the downpour on our way. But, once we entered our subdivision, the clouds just kind of dispersed and this was the result. The rainbow was so much brighter near the entrance to the subdivision than it was from the 2nd story of our house, but at least it is still visible. How beautiful is this, though, to have dark, rainy clouds, then a rainbow, then clear blue sky?

First Day of Summer Vacation

What better way to start off the summer vacation than with Otter Pops and a train?

In line front to back we have Hailey (of course), Shianne Labbee, Saige Labbe, and Chase bringing up the rear. I lost count how many times they fell off the flower border, but they were sure having fun trying not to fall in the wet grass.

Food Storage - June 1st-7th - Week 1

Happy June everyone! I don't know about some of you , but I am so ready for some warmer weather. :)


June
“But if any man provide not for his own, and especially for his own house, he hath denied the faith.”

Week 1

Safety Week! Matches, flashlight, and dated batteries. Don’t forget child-proof home devices.


If you can afford a really good flashlight, they are certainly worth their price. If not, the less expensive ones will work in time of need. Test them every so often to make sure they are still functioning.