Life at a "Swell's" pace

How cute is this? I first saw this idea on a blog post from about 5 years ago when I was blog-hopping one night before bed. I thought it was the most adorable idea for river stones ever and being that we live so close to the South Santiam River I thought, what a great project to do with Skylar this summer.

We headed out to the banks of the Santiam River and started our hunt for the perfect "feet" stones.

Rafters coming down the river.

We headed down a little trail to find the perfect stones.

Even got our feet wet a little during the search.

Soon we found some perfect ones.

And started collecting a lot!

We even played with some fish while we were there.

Do you see the little fish?

We through some rocks in the water and skipped a few flat ones.

Then gathered up our basket of rock finds and headed back home.

We couldn't wait to get back home to start our project.....

We laid all of our rocks out and placed them in the order we wanted for our little pebble feet display.

We stained the board we were using with some Old English Wood Stain so the rocks would stand out more on the wood.

Then hot glued them to the wooden board all down the front of it.

Then put it on display.....

I secured the board against the wall with a simple hook bracket so that it wouldn't fall forward.

We just love it!

Photo Credit

I even had the idea that they would look great cemented into a sidewalk or the edge of a fire pit! The possibilities are really endless and so fun!

Eco-Tip: When it comes to throwing out old furniture think of ways to re-purpose it first. If a table leg can be used as a pedestal for a lamp or a chair cushion used in a dog's house give it a go. It's better to reduce, reuse, recycle, and re-purpose when you can. For more tips visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

We've all heard the statement about Dooms Day, better known by some as the Zombie Apocalypse, and how we should all prepare for the worse day on the planet. Many took that as a warning and began stocking up on what they need for what they "plan" on happening to our planet. Well, the Zombie Apocalypse ~~may happen sooner than you think~~ probably won't ever happen, but being prepared for other disasters like earthquakes, tornadoes, and even hurricanes in some parts of our very own country, isn't foolish at all. Having a smart, outlined plan for you and your family is a great start to being prepared for anything.

Having a plan and practicing it out is the best way to keep you and your family save. Stocking up a food pantry is a great start to this plan. Having an alternate food source is what a lot of people fail to prepare for when the worst strikes down on you. Here are a few tips I have picked up for myself that may help you too.

Preparing for the worst doesn't have to involve a major, stressful ordeal and can be done in about 5 shopping trips, honestly. Grabbing what you would normally grab to fill your kitchen pantry is about all it takes to prepare a small, ready to eat meal cabinet for about 3 weeks.

But venturing out of that norm of foods, such as canned goods, and dipping into the ready-to-eat dry goods is a simple task as well. Most places, like Sam's Club, Costco, or even Walmart carry foods in bulk for items like dried bananas or soup mix. Grabbing one or two of these cans every shopping trip can really add to your stock pantry over time.

These freeze dried goods last about 25-30 years unopened and about 1-2 years once they have had the seal cracked on them. We purchased these two to add to our already growing stock of food preparation. We tried out the soup mix and then restocked with a fresh can. The soup was not a gourmet meal by any meals, but it would be great when food is short and the family is hungry.

Spices are another thing you can stock up on just to be prepared. Even if something taste really bad and doesn't agree with your taste buds, spices really come in handy in making it taste a bit better.

There are also other alternatives to the dried foods approach or to just add to your stock. These ready-to-eat meals from Go Picnic are a nice approach and I take these on plane rides back to Arkansas with us. They are a great, go to meal, and everything in the box comes from an organic or natural source, which is a definite plus to us! These meals last about 1 year unopened and only about 3 days once the seal is cracked, but rotating your stock is important, so if you use them a lot then these would be a great item to stock up on for sure.

Stocking up on foods is a great way to be prepared, but don't forget about other necessities when disaster strikes. Preparing a quick box of all things you will need would be a great start. Here's a list of things you may/might need.

1. 5-gallon bucket. Make sure it comes with a good sealing lid to keep everything in is a great start.

2. A good LED flashlight. Go all out with this purchase because you want a good reliable one that will withstand drops or bangs.

3. Batteries! Can't forget the batteries. Prepare for about 10 batteries per item that uses them and keep them stocked on hand. Mind the dates on the package and rotate your stock as needed.

4. A crank/solar Radio and possibly a flashlight. When all else fails, you can still hear warnings and have light with just a crank. This is a great item to have in your storm safety kit too.

5. Candles are always a great addition. They provide heat, light, and in a pinch a cooking space.

6. First Aid Kit. This should be in EVERY kit, even one in your car or boat.

7. Blankets and a jacket for each family member. This is a plus as well! It's all about being prepared for the worst and if it's a thunderstorm where you are without power for days, or riding our a tornado, jackets and blankets will keep you warm and being warm is one less thing to worry about.

8. Rain gear or rain tarps. If you are in the middle of a horrible crisis and can't leave your current location, the rain is the last thing you want hitting your head or your family.

9. Weapons. In the middle of chaos there's going to be a lot of people running around. Ones that haven't prepared for this such event are going to take whatever they can to keep their family alive. You don't want to be unprepared to defend your family. If you are against guns or don't own a gun, there are several other items that can be used as a weapon, such as a bow, golf club, kitchen knife, or even a Louisville Slugger. Remember, this is all about surviving the worst and keeping yourself and your family alive during a crisis.

10. Games. May seem silly with all the talk of protection, but if you are sheltered up for hours or even days you are going to get bored. Waiting on emergency personal for days is going to seem like forever in the middle of a crisis. Kids especially are going to get bored and want to walk around, or go outside and if they can't they are going to get upset. Board games and other games will help take their mind off the current dilemma.

These tips are by no means the definite rule on what should be in your emergency kit or what will be the necessities,. Revamp this list to suit your families needs and go with what supplies you think YOU will need. Dry foods are a great way to have food on hand regardless of emergency situations or not and should be rotated accordingly to avoid stale or out of date foods. If you would like to learn more on what you can do to stay prepared for a "Dooms Day"-type situation please visit Dooms Day Prep and learn all you can about keeping yourself safe.

Eco Tip: When changing out a light bulb be sure to look for the Energy Star Seal to guarantee you are getting the best light bulb for your money that will last. The more you do small changes within our own home the better off we can help the planet and keep our money in our pockets where it belongs. To learn more tips visit The Earth and Me Go Green.