December 16TH
Monday
Inventory your baking supplies and replenish anything needed. Don’t worry about sale prices—just do it. Of course, if your general store is stocked, you can skip this step.
Tuesday
Spend the day making freezer meals. When the parties, practices, and performances become overwhelming, grab a meal from the freezer and bake it while you wrap gifts or get dressed for the night’s activities. Prepare your holiday feast in advance. Bake your turkey or ham and reheat. Prepare appetizers and freeze them. Quiche, pigs in a blanket, sweet and sour meatballs—lots of things freeze well.
Wednesday
Prepare for surprise guests by wrapping up a few handmade ornaments or a small box or bag of treats. Place them in a basket, and you’ll be ready to grab one when you’re surprised. Also, consider a small emergency prep item you can have on hand to gift. You might purchase a package or two of glow sticks, headlamps, a few great-smelling soaps (the dollar store has some great ones), or cookies or a meal in a jar (perfect for a shelf, to use when an unexpected need arises).
Thursday
Last week, we prepared our homes for when we travel. Today, we are preparing for the drive and preserving our sanity. Here are a few suggestions for a fun road trip. Remember, it is important to share this time with your family and not have everyone looking at a device.
Make your own Crossword Puzzle: Ask questions about your destination in the puzzle or about your family—use your imagination. You could even use this as a review of schoolwork that might need to be made up if the kids will miss a day or two while on vacation. Crossword puzzles can be made for free at several websites—just search for crossword puzzle generators.
Books or Stories on Audio: Listen together through your car’s entertainment system or MP3 player. You may want to get suggestions for age-appropriate books from the school librarian or high school teachers.
Play "Who Am I?": Have each person in the car choose a famous person or someone you all know as a Mystery Person. They give you hints about the person's identity. The player who guesses correctly is the winner and chooses the next Mystery Person. This is a great opportunity to teach children more about their ancestors and other family members. It’s also a great way for them to learn more about mom and dad.
Appoint a Navigator: Make an older child feel important by appointing them as Navigator. They can calculate the mileage from home to each waypoint on your route, as well as to your destination. Give them a map, teach them how to read it, and how to measure distances. Granted, there is GPS in cars and on phones, but what good is an electronic map if children don’t learn to read and use the real thing? GPS may not be available during a disaster. Navigating is a way to use math skills and an opportunity to teach children to read signs, mileage markers, and match them with the towns and features on a map. They can also calculate your gas mileage after each fuel stop.
Remember Mad Libs? These are so funny and a great way to teach parts of speech. We took these along on bus trips with the high school band, and they were lots of fun. We have written our own, with titles like "Our Amazing Band Director."
Friday
We know how important preparation is in the event of an emergency, and we’ve been tackling those preps all year. However, spiritual preparation is also crucial during times of crisis. During a disaster—whether personal or widespread—being grounded spiritually will be vital as you face the future. December is a time when the world turns to expressing kindness and love and also celebrates their spiritual foundations, whether Christian or Jewish. Today, make a list of the things you will do to bring a spiritual feeling this season. You may read or act out the birth of Christ, read and discuss a passage of scripture, counsel and compile a list of people you can serve, attend religious services, attend a holiday concert, or watch an uplifting movie. There are so many things you can do. Don’t let the season pass by without adding to your spiritual vessel. Make a list so nothing gets overlooked.
Saturday
Today is the day to prepare food for your Christmas feast, dessert, breakfast for Christmas Day, and food to take to any gatherings you may be attending for the rest of the year. It’s not too early to make food for New Year’s Eve. Remember, we are working toward a self-reliant lifestyle, which means preparing for every occurrence—not just big emergencies.