Heating Homes with Solar Air Collectors (DIY) - Exposing The Truth

Heating Homes with Solar Air Collectors (DIY) - Exposing The Truth

I am going to show this to hubby when he gets home!! Great way to save some money. 

Modern Homeschooling: From amazing travel and adventure to early entrance to university, has homeschooling finally evolved enough for you to take it seriously?

Modern Homeschooling: From amazing travel and adventure to early entrance to university, has homeschooling finally evolved enough for you to take it seriously? was a free kindle book when I wrote this post.

 It’s time to take another look at homeschooling. Homeschooling today allows for children to not only reach levels that their traditionally schooled counterparts are reaching, but to exceed them, all while enjoying more family time and a lifestyle enriched with opportunities that previous generations could only dream about. The new face of homeschooling offers travel, sports, and the ability to take your passions to the next level. If you think homeschooling means pouring over books at the kitchen table you are in for a surprise! From traditional curriculum to online schooling to early university to unschooling, homeschooling has something for everyone. Would you like to travel the world? Interested in allowing your children the opportunity to truly explore their potential in a non-school related activity? Do your children have exceptional needs that you can better accommodate at home? Do you think they would thrive if they could be accelerated and maybe even move onto higher learning at a younger age? Are you interested in more quality family time? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you will benefit from reading this book.

When we found ourselves in a situation where homeschooling seemed to be the best option for our kids, we discovered that there was so much information out there and so many opinions and experiences that it was very overwhelming and nearly impossible to process it all. That is why I have decided to write this series of ebooks – my hope is to provide a comprehensive but succinct account of what is out there, and how to get started. I have begun by looking at the pros and cons of homeschooling, then a dedicated chapter on socialization – the single largest concern for parents considering homeschooling and definitely what non-homeschoolers will tell you is wrong with homeschooling! This book finishes off with a broad description of each of the types of homeschooling. My hope is that by the end of this book you will have a better understanding of what homeschooling really looks like, and what it can (and can’t) do for your family.

I don't think that homeschooling is for everyone, but if you would like more family time, if you have a desire to travel or to take on some kind of non-school activity that requires an intense commitment, or if there is something preventing your child from being in a traditional school setting, the benefits of homeschooling can truly be immeasurable. Homeschooling has grown exponentially in the past decade and as it continues to grow in popularity and scope, many new and exciting opportunities are opening up for homeschoolers. From the already abundant curricula available to the amazing ways that technology is changing homeschooling to the changing face of socialization, the modern homeschooler is a truly new breed of educator.

Today's homeschooled child is not limited by his or her homeschool education - on the contrary, many homeschooled children are propelled by it. Propelled into an accelerated academic career, into a competitive level of sport or advanced relationship with the arts. Technology is giving today's homeschooler an advantage that has been unparalleled in the past. Homeschooling today allows for children to not only reach levels that their traditionally schooled counterparts are reaching, but to exceed them, all while enjoying more family time and a lifestyle enriched with opportunities that previous generations could only dream about.

My personal experience with homeschooling was a complete surprise to me. I thought homeschooling was a dreary existence fraught with an incomplete social experience and a groundhog day type of never changing lifestyle. My eyes have been opened to homeschooling as an exciting adventure filled with opportunity and a way to truly give my children the best that life has to offer.

The Importance of Purifying Water

A lot of us spend lots of time and money making sure our food storage is ready and available in case of an emergency, but how about our accessability to clean, drinkable water? If a disaster occurred tomorrow and you were without power to your house, how would you supply yourself with clean water? Never assume that in an emergency situation, clean water will be easy to find because it usually is not. Without electricity you will not have any water pressure because the municipal pumps will not be functioning so it is crucial that you learn to be self reliant. The fact of the matter is that water is more important than even food when it comes to survival. The human body can only survive for 3 days without water. So what are the easiest and most popular ways to treat unsanitary water, so that you don’t have to store hundreds of gallons of clean water In your home?

The first and most common way is to simply boil the water. Unsterilized water contains many forms of bacteria and parasites which, if ingested, can potentially lead to serious illnesses or death. For this reason it is necessary to first make sure that you kill all of the harmful pathogens in the water before drinking. Simply bring the water to a boil (212°F / 100°C) and let it boil for a full minute. The time it takes to bring the water to boiling and then cooling down afterwards is more than enough time to insure that all the harmful bacteria is destroyed.

The second most popular way to clean unsanitary water is to add a small amount of bleach to the water. The chlorine in the bleach will disinfect the water and make it safe to drink. To start, take the water and make sure it is clear of dirt and sediment by straining it through a filter or cloth. Then take regular liquid bleach, containing NO soaps or dyes, and add 8 drops (1/8^th US teaspoon) per one gallon of water. Mix it thoroughly and then let it sit for 30 minutes. After that, smell the water. If the water has a faint smell of chlorine, it is OK to drink. If it does not have a chlorine smell, start the process over.

As we all know, emergency preparedness is a constant journey. Take it one step at a time when you get overwhelmed, and never give up. Click on this link for a social media site with more ideas for being prepared.

Author Bio- Dirk Puckett is an author and emergency preparedness educator who resides in Springville, Utah. For more water purification tips, click the link.

Food Drying: How to Safely Dry and Store Food (Food Preservation)

Food Drying: How to Safely Dry and Store Food (Food Preservation) was a free Kindle book when this post was written.

This book contains all the information you need to learn to safely dry and store food.

Food dehydration is a food preservation technique that can be used by farmers, gardeners, hunters and fisherman to extend the harvest and to put away food for long-term storage. Dried food is great for health food enthusiasts, vegetarians, people on a raw food diet and anyone else looking to add tasty and healthy foods to their diet.

All three of the safe home drying methods are included in this book. Electric dehydration, solar dehydration and oven dehydration are all covered in detail.

This handy guide explains how to dry the following foods:

• Fruit.
• Fruit leathers.
• Vegetables.
• Meat.
• Fish.
• Herbs and spices.

40 fruits and vegetables are covered, including the following:

• Artichokes.
• Asparagus.
• Beets.
• Broccoli.
• Cabbage.
• Carrots.
• Cauliflower.
• Celery.
• Peppers.
• Corn.
• Green beans.
• Mushrooms.
• Onions.
• Peas.
• Potatoes.
• Tomatoes.
• Apples.
• Apricots.
• Bananas.
• Berries.
• Cherries.
• Citrus fruit.
• Figs.
• Grapes.
• Kiwi.
• Melons.
• Papaya.
• Peaches and nectarines.
• and more . . .

In addition to individual fruits, fruit leathers are also covered in detail, including the following 10 easy and all-natural fruit leather recipes:

• Applesauce.
• Apple ginger.
• Banana berry.
• Coconut banana pineapple.
• Grape.
• Green apple.
• Peach raspberry.
• Strawberry.
• Strawberry banana.
• Tropical sunrise.

Buy Food Drying: How to Safely Dry and Store Foods and learn how to dehydrate food today.

Have You Made Your Evacuation List?

Have you ever thought about what would happen if you were in an emergency and you had 5 minutes to evacuate? Because of recent fires, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, people have found themselves in that exact situation. If you are prepared for such a situation, you will have what you need, and won’t lose precious items in the disaster. Here are some tips to consider when making your evacuation list.

1. Parts of the House- One way to start the process is to think about all the different areas in your house, and the items you will need from that area. Organizing your list this way will also help you save time if you actually end up in an emergency. Instead of running all over the house, you can start upstairs and work your way down. Remember to include every room. For example, here is a list for an upstairs level.

Upstairs

Closet- Coat, External hard drive, safe

Bedroom- 72 hour kits, keys, wallet, phone, phone charger, glasses

2. Amount of time- Your evacuation list will be different if you have an hour than if you have 5 minutes. So write a list for 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and 1 hour. If you end up in that situation, you can start off gathering the 5 minute list and work your way up getting all the things on the lists up to the amount of time that you need to leave.
3. Prioritize- When you are making your 5 minute list, you will have to prioritize strictly based off of survival. Start thinking of the things that you need to survive and work your way down from there. For example, in the 5 minute list you might have your 72 hour kit, in the 15 minute list you might have your glasses or contacts, in the 30 minute list you might include a cooler with snacks or a tent, and in the hour list you might grab your family pictures, clothes, or an air mattress.
4. Consider your options- Think about what you will do or where you will go once you have evacuated. Consider your resources. For example, you might have a relative in a neighboring state, a cabin that is removed from the situation, or a shelter nearby where they house people during emergencies.
5. Practice and Post- Once you have put together your list of essentials and know the plan, it is important to let your family know what it is. Practice with your family only having 5 minutes to evacuate so that you know that your list is doable. It is also helpful to have your lists posted around the house so that you everyone knows what is needed if you suddenly need to evacuate.

If you get stumped, think about the things your family uses on a daily basis, or what is the most important to you. You can also look up examples for lists online. Click here to find out more about supplies for emergency situations.

Author Bio- Dirk Puckett is an emergency preparedness expert from Sheridan, Wyoming who loves spreading the word about how important it is to be prepared for anything. To learn more about evacuation tips, click the link.