Vital Records + Freebie

With the western states up in flames, it calls to question just how prepared and organized I am for a possible evacuation. What would I grab if I had 30 minutes before I need to leave? 10 minutes? mere moments? Would I have all the documents and important items that we'd need in case we couldn't go back?

It has sparked (sorry, pun not intended) the motivation I needed to put one of my planned projects into action. The Vital Record's Binder. A collection of the important documents and information we might possibly need. It takes so much less time to grab one binder than run around the house trying to remember in a hurry.

I have not completely finished collecting everything, but as I finish it I am excited to share it with you. That said, I have done some looking around for ideas and inspiration on this particular preparedness project. One of the best ones I've seen is here at (a favorite preparedness blog of mine) Prepared NOT Scared. There are also some great page ideas over at Your Own Home Store and All Things Simple. You can also check out my Pinterest board here for more links to ideas.

It can be a little daunting to take on a task that seems so important and vast as emergency preparedness, but if I take it one step at a time, it seems plausible... I am also a very visual person, aesthetics is key in getting me excited about something.

Step 1 for me then is to: start with some structure and the organization, and I had to make it cute. So here is my freebie for you! Its one of my first so I am very excited to share it!

Vital Records Cover and Tabs

Pictures and specifics to come. But for now, All you need to get started is:

• a binder. (At least 1.5". I am working on mine and am thinking 2" or even 3" will give me a little more available space to work with... depending on how much stuff you want to collect.)
• page protectors. (Costco has the best deal on these as you can get 250 sheets for about $12.)
• card-stock paper to print the tab dividers on. (or you can have it printed someplace like Kinkos or something... if you do, let me know if it works! I'd like to know)
• Tabs. (you can purchase a package of tabs that stick to your page protectors. They come in packages either clear or colorful. I used Martha Stewart's line from Staples. They are cuter... and easier to use!)

Step 1: Print off the divider pages and add them to your binder in the order that you choose. (I purposely made it so the order could be fairly flexible)

Step 2: Add tabs to divider pages

Step 3: Begin collecting the important documents that you know the location of. The individual pages have more specific guidelines and ideas that could be helpful as you start your collection. 

I compiled a list from a few different places to create my list of useful documents. Personally, I do not have all the sorts of documents that others might, so I tried to include those that anyone could have. Let me know if I'm missing any you might think of... I have thought of creating a blank one (so it can be filled in individually as you go). Let me know if you think that might be a good idea. 

Please, let me know if you use it, love it, or find any typos! (Especially as this is my first-ever freebie!) Leave me a comment! I LOVE comments. Good Luck!

Vital Records Section 1 + Printables

This week I am focusing on Section One of my Vital Records binder: the Address and Contact Section. It seems to me that this will be important to have any number I might need at my fingertips in case I don't have my phone for some reason. Plus, having these all in one place makes it super convenient when I need to quickly look something up... I think of it as a personal yellow pages.

Being the OCD that I am I like my pages to match. At least closely... I could not find anywhere that combined all the things into one place for me. So I have created my own pages and being as excited and generous as I am, I would like to share these with you as well. Yes, I AM a nerd.

First, I'd like to gather some of the most important numbers. Just remember I.C.E. (In Case of Emergency). These are the most important numbers. And so my section will look a lot like this:

Addresses Supply List:

·        I.C.E.- In Case of Emergency phone numbers* (print out on both sides of the page for a one-stop-shop for all my number needs!)

·        Contacts: Family & Friends* (a sort of directory for my family as well as my husband's family)

     Ward & Stake Directory (from lds.org)

·        Business Contacts* (I keep track of doctor's numbers, etc.)

      Business card sheet protector (for the business cards of businesses important to me...)

·        Christmas Card List* (It will be saved and I will be glad I don't have to start from scratch if I lose my computer.)

*printable template

Print out as many copies as you need. I used them to create a sort of address book. Hope you find these helpful. Please let me know if you like them (or if you don't... just please, be nice about it...)! 

I have some other organizing projects coming up! I can't wait to get them underway! Keep an eye out for some coupon-ing love! 

Vital Records + Freebie

With the western states up in flames, it calls to question just how prepared and organized I am for a possible evacuation. What would I grab if I had 30 minutes before I need to leave? 10 minutes? mere moments? Would I have all the documents and important items that we'd need in case we couldn't go back?

It has sparked (sorry, pun not intended) the motivation I needed to put one of my planned projects into action. The Vital Record's Binder. A collection of the important documents and information we might possibly need. It takes so much less time to grab one binder than run around the house trying to remember in a hurry.

I have not completely finished collecting everything, but as I finish it I am excited to share it with you. That said, I have done some looking around for ideas and inspiration on this particular preparedness project. One of the best ones I've seen is here at (a favorite preparedness blog of mine) Prepared NOT Scared. There are also some great page ideas over at Your Own Home Store and All Things Simple. You can also check out my Pinterest board here for more links to ideas.

It can be a little daunting to take on a task that seems so important and vast as emergency preparedness, but if I take it one step at a time, it seems plausible... I am also a very visual person, aesthetics is key in getting me excited about something.

Step 1 for me then is to: start with some structure and the organization, and I had to make it cute. So here is my freebie for you! Its one of my first so I am very excited to share it!

Vital Records Cover and Tabs

Pictures and specifics to come. But for now, All you need to get started is:

• a binder. (At least 1.5". I am working on mine and am thinking 2" or even 3" will give me a little more available space to work with... depending on how much stuff you want to collect.)
• page protectors. (Costco has the best deal on these as you can get 250 sheets for about $12.)
• card-stock paper to print the tab dividers on. (or you can have it printed someplace like Kinkos or something... if you do, let me know if it works! I'd like to know)
• Tabs. (you can purchase a package of tabs that stick to your page protectors. They come in packages either clear or colorful. I used Martha Stewart's line from Staples. They are cuter... and easier to use!)

Step 1: Print off the divider pages and add them to your binder in the order that you choose. (I purposely made it so the order could be fairly flexible)

Step 2: Add tabs to divider pages

Step 3: Begin collecting the important documents that you know the location of. The individual pages have more specific guidelines and ideas that could be helpful as you start your collection. 

I compiled a list from a few different places to create my list of useful documents. Personally, I do not have all the sorts of documents that others might, so I tried to include those that anyone could have. Let me know if I'm missing any you might think of... I have thought of creating a blank one (so it can be filled in individually as you go). Let me know if you think that might be a good idea. 

Please, let me know if you use it, love it, or find any typos! (Especially as this is my first-ever freebie!) Leave me a comment! I LOVE comments. Good Luck!

An Emergency

This morning was quite an adventure. I am so very glad I was able to have my dear friend Ica with me through such an experience. I spent this morning at the hospital. Why? you might ask... Well I shall tell you (and then you can get mad at me in the comments...)

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you were at a public event and something happened? What would you do in the mass chaos of an emergency? I found out today...

8:00 this morning found me discussing today's activities with Ica. Its her last week before she leaves me again for the summer and I am going to miss her. We had some fun stuff planned. :)

8:30 Ica is at my house, we are on our way to see an exciting game at the stadium. We needed to be there early for good seats! And boy what an exciting game it was too! the ball was moving so fast, you could hardly see it! *phew* it makes me tired just remembering it...

Not long into it (I don't recall exact time because I didn't have my phone with me...and I don't wear a watch...) a police officer came up to us and asked us if we had seen anything suspicious. They had received a report that there might be something dangerous at the stadium and that it was supposed to be around where we were...

Next came in the men in funny outfits... completely decked out in their head-to-toe gear, gas masks the whole shebang! I couldn't help but think of the CDA in Disney Pixar's Monster Inc.

They filed us out according to medical needs and put us through a detox trailer. Yes, I had to strip my clothes off, use a scrub brush and rinse off... they gave me a little towel to dry off with... it is a good thing I was wearing my swimsuit under my clothes this morning! *phew*

We were put onto a bus where we were taken to the hospital to be treated for any symptoms we might have. Boy what a fun experience that was! :) I was given one of those scandalous robes, put into a wheelchair and wheeled into the emergency room. It was like an episode of ER... I asked for my mom and they told me they would find her for me, but needed some information and wanted me to tell them what was wrong. I told them that it hurt to take deep breaths... and that my eyes burned a little... but that I really needed my mother...

A nice young intern brought in a warm blanket for me, as I was still shivering and told me to hold the oxygen mask to my face to calm my breathing so they could get me ready for a better examine... Turns out I'm fine... but I did decide that if it was a real emergency and not a drill, I would have died in a wheelchair...

Ok, so it wasn't a real emergency... there wasn't even a game... I tried to make it sound a lot more exciting than it actually was. But it was interestingly fun to play a victim! Although I do kinda wish I could have had a scenario that was unconscious... they got to ride on gurneys
and in the ambulances... next time... for sure...

Ica was 28 weeks pregnant with contractions and nausea... no she is not pregnant for real... but I did decided we need to work on that pregnant walk if she is ever going to need assistance again... no one seemed to believe her...

Me, I was a 28 year old female who has red eyes, and complains that it hurts when she takes a deep breath. She is a little disoriented and no one seems to know who she is or where she's from. She keeps asking for her Mom. Pretty exciting eh? it did get me into the red medical group behind the 16 yr old who was experiencing intense abdominal pain, and the 2 pregnant ladies...

But my eyes were opened today about how important it is to be prepared. The volunteers for this drill were the nursing students (hence why I got involved, as Ica is going to be a nurse...) But I have a better idea of what goes on and what I need to do if an emergency should ever occur. In short (or maybe not so short) it was a great learning experience for me and I hope to participate again.