It was a cold and snowy night...

 Night has fallen, and it's cold outside.  The lights flicker and then go out.  

Well certainly they will be back on quickly. But what if, what if they didn't come back on in an hour, two hours, four hours, 24 hours, or even a few days.  Then what.

Thankfully this is not a normal happening.  But upon an occasion it can happen.  The above photo shows what normally causes power outages in each area.  We live in Region 9 and it says equipment problems but there have been times that storms have knocked the power out. 

It's good to have a plan, just in case, the power did go out for a period of time. How would you stay warm if it's winter?  Not everyone can have a wood stove where they live, but you could have a small tent and put that up in your living room and sleep in there.  The smaller area stays warmer with just body heat.

This doesn't have to be an expensive tent just one you can snuggle into and be warmer.

Don't have a tent.  A Blanket Fort will do much the same thing.

The goal is to have a smaller area to heat with your body temperature.  So, bring the kids in and all snuggle up together.  A flashlight or some battery-operated mini lights grab the kindle and have a movie night all cozy.

Open flame or candles are NOT safe for tents or blanket forts.

Now you have slept the night cozy and warm all bundled up in your tent/fort.  It's breakfast and the power is still out...  Yikes you're hungry, the kids are hungry, what are you going to make for breakfast?

If you have a camp stove you can take it outside and cook some hot cereal, heat some water for cocoa, perk some coffee. 

The Butane Stoves can be used indoors - follow all the manufactures directions.

Now that you've had your morning coffee, the kids are fed and happy.  (There isn't school because the power is out there too.)  Make sure you and the kids dress in layers. Even hats inside if your house is cold.  That will help everyone stay warmer.

My dad always said, "If your feet are cold put a hat on. You can lose up to 50% of your body heat through your head."  He was a smart man!

What will the kiddos do all day?  It's time to pull out the board games, favorite books, or if it isn't too cold outside, they could go out and play. 

Lunch is coming. Use the camp or butane stove to heat some canned soup, pull some crackers out of the pantry and open a can of fruit and again bellies are full and warm.  When its cold having warm meals help warm from the inside.  

Hopefully by now the power is back on, the furnace is blowing warm air throughout the whole house and the kids are watching their favorite program. 

But what if... It's always good to have a plan.  What can you make that's easy for dinner? Something that doesn't require a lot of work and dishes but is pleasing to everyone. 

One pot meals are nice. 

The Sweet Little Bird: Super Simple Pasta Dinner

This is one of our favorites. Other ideas are Macaroni and Cheese (just do it in the pot and skip the baking), canned chili, canned stew, the Progresso soups are nice because they are so thick and filling.  I know there are many of these type recipes. Just keep it simple.  

Some people have a well and if their power goes out so does their water.  It's good to have some water stored if that is the case where you live.  

The point is having a plan.  Play the "What If" game.  

What if the power goes out for a day or two?  

What if the water doesn't work for a day or two?  

What if we are snowed in and can't get to the grocery store for a day or two?

What if one of us gets the sniffles and can't go out for a day or two? 

Do I have fuel for the camp stove? Do I have a case of water in the garage? Do I have a few days of groceries in the pantry? Do I have some cold medicine in the cabinet? Etc..

The what if game isn't meant to scare anyone but to just prepare, just in case.  HERE is information from ready.gov regarding what to do in a power outage.

~ a little bird