Welcome to this week’s Survival Buzz with an update on my own preps and announcements from the Backdoor Survival blog.
This week was extremely busy as I have tried to tie up lose ends and make progress on the various projects I have going.  Now that I think about it, all weeks are extremely busy and my projects still are not done!
Anyway, gardening has been on my mind because if I plan on starting my own tomatoes, I need to get going. I did want to mention that if you stockpile seeds as I do (I belong to the Seeds of the Month Club), you should also get your hands on a few seed catalogs that feature heirloom seeds. That way, when the time comes and you need to use your precious seeds, you will have some guidance and growing recommendations to supplement both the commercial seed packets and those packets of seeds you have saved yourself for previous harvests.
Also related to gardening, I broke out my copy of the Gardening Notebook and am using it to get organized much the same way that the Preparedness Planner is helping me organize my food storage, essential oils, firearms, and ammo.
I packaged more wheat and rice in 6 gallon buckets. I used 2000 cc oxygen absorbers in each but skipped the Mylar bag insert. I know that a few of you have had problems with mice eating through plastic, but I have never had a problem with my own heavy duty buckets.
That about covers it for me this week. Now for some announcements.
BACKDOOR SURVIVAL MAIL BAG & READER TIPS
Here is a tip from longtime reader Russ:
Gaye, please pass on to your readers that using quality Airsoft replicas
of “real steel” guns is a viable training alternative to scarce / expensive ammunition.
Most pistols, especially Glock, 1911, and M9 styles, have airsoft counterparts. The least expensive ($15) are spring-operated, but even the CO2 & “green gas” versions are quite affordable (($60-150).
Whenever possible, I recommend the “blowback” models, which have operable slides that provide some recoil. These quietly shoot 6mm (.24 cal) plastic BBs that are surprisingly accurate. Several thousand BBs only run around $10, and Crossman CO2 cylinders are only 50 cents each when bought in 40-packs at big box stores.
Even our military and police commonly train with airsoft rifles and handguns! As an NRA Range Safety Officer, I use these quite extensively in my training classes at www.PistolProf.com and through our networking group, http://www.meetup.com/INW-PISTOLS/. Folks with questions can contact me at PistolProf@yahoo.com .
CURRENT GIVEAWAYS
The following article includes a giveaway for a copy of “Good Crazy” by Richard Earl Broome.
BDS Book Festival 7: Good Crazy by Richard Earl Broome
Free Food Friday: Win an Emergency Food Supply Kit from Survival Based
As a reminder, the deadline for all giveaway entries is 6:00 PM Pacific on Tuesdays. In addition, all winners are notified by email and have 48 hours to claim their prize or an alternate will be selected. Once selected, the names of winners are also displayed in the Rafflecopter on the original giveaway article. This usually happens on the Friday following the end of the giveaway.
UPDATE ON THE ESSENTIAL OIL BLOOD PRESSURE EXPERIMENT
My guess is that you are wondering about the blood pressure lowering experiment I started a couple of weeks back (see The Survival Buzz #150). The long and the short of it is that Mr. Shelly, aka the Survival Husband, snuck out and purchased some Robitussin cough syrup and used almost two bottles before telling me.  The bottle says “do not use if you have high blood pressureâ€. Well duh and yes, we had words.
Anyway, it has taken some time for the cough syrup to work its way out of his system. We plan to start up the essential oil blood pressure protocol next week. I just hate it when I have to start all over again.
SPECIAL DEALS & PROMOTIONS
This week I have a few deals and promotions for you.
Tropical Traditions, my favorite source for coconut oil, is offering free shipping through Monday. Use coupon code 15261 at checkout and you will receive FREE ground shipping on orders of $19.00 or more! Note that Hawaii and Alaska are included in this promotion.
I highly recommend the Tropical Traditions honey which is 50% off. I am not normally a honey lover but when a friend recommended their Organic Raw Honey, I was hooked. This is the best honey I have ever eaten and yes, I sometimes even spoon some out of the jar and eat it as is. It is that good!
CONFLICTED: The Survival Card Game: All 5 winners have all claimed their prize but for the rest of you, Survivalogics has set up a special 20% discount code that you can use between now and the end of the month. All you need to do is use the discount code BDS2015 at checkout. This is a great opportunity to get one or more of these thought provoking card decks at a bargain price.
The Ultimate DIY Bundle:Â If you are a crafter or do-it-yourselfer, you will want to check out the Ultimate DIY Bundle which will be available until Monday, January 26.
WEBSITE ANNOUNCEMENTS
I have been spending some time on website improvements. You can expect to see some improved menu options. As an example, the recent Propane for Preppers series is now listed under the Best of Backdoor Survival menu.
Something else I am doing is expanding the Survival Basics series so that it becomes easier to find those evergreen articles you love so much. It is slow going, but so worth it because I will then be able to gather them together in a downloadable PDF you can print out and keep.
And finally, I have gathered some fantastic new content from some of my writer friends.  These are colleagues that have expertise in areas where my own experience is lacking or less than stellar. I can’t remember whether I mentioned this last week but, in any event, expect some of this all new-material to roll out next month.
And finally, let’s talk giveaways. So far I have some incredible giveaways lined up every other Friday between now and April. Be sure to check in on Fridays to learn about the latest stuff up for grabs. And, if you have not already subscribed, consider subscribing now to email updates.
THE FINAL WORD
I would like to close with a word or two about the serious and even dark overtone of some of my recent articles. My intent was not to be depressing so I hope you have not read too much into them. On the other hand, I am feeling a tremendous amount of angst about the train wreck that is headed our way. I worry, and since I feel like a Mom to all of you, I question whether I am doing enough or even the right thing as I pick and chose the variety of topics to share here on the website.
I am also feeling more than a little bit of angst over the crass commercialism within the niche. Â Did I mention that last week too?
I am referring to certain other bloggers, websites, and sweatshop authors that are publishing stolen content on Amazon. For those of you that follow Backdoor Survival on Facebook, you will know that I am sharing fewer “free at the moment†eBooks and that those that I do share are personally previewed in advance. Quality not quantity, right?
Anyway, let us end on a positive note. Spring is around the corner as is the nice weather. Let us keep on prepping and keep on taking steps to ensure our safety and health going forward. So what did you do to prep this week?
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
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Bargain Bin: Below you will find links to the materials I used to make DIY Healing Lotion Bars. If you have not tried “lotion in a bar†you are in for a treat.
Freshware 6-Cavity Daisy Flower Silicone Mold and Baking Pan: I simply love my daisy mold! Made of silicone, it can be used for forming lotion bars, soaps, cakes, anything.   My lotion bars simply popped out cleanly leaving no mess. So inexpensive, too, that I also purchased the oval version. Up next? Hand crafted soap!
100% Pure Unrefined Raw Shea Butter: This is the Shea butter I used and am happy that it was not gritty. I don’t have experience with other brands so I don’t know if my success was due to technique or the Shea butter itself.
Coconut Oil: Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions is my preferred coconut oil. I love it so much I purchased a 5 gallon tub. Really, I did! I find it very silky to work with and love the taste when used in cooking. Note that no refrigeration is required and although it solid at room temperature, it melts at 76 degrees. The Nutiva brand from Amazon or Costco works well too.
Spark Naturals Essential Oils: These are what you need for the healing lotion bars: Lavender essential oil, Rosemary essential oil, and Peppermint essential oil. Enjoy a 10% discount on your Spark Naturals order with code BACKDOORSURVIVAL at checkout.
NOW Foods Essential Oils: I use essential oils from Spark Naturals. For healing purposes, I feel they are superior. On the other hand, NOW Foods has decent essential oils at a budget price plus they can be purchased at Amazon.com. Here are a few to get you started: NOW Foods Rosemary Oil
Stakich Pure BEESWAX Pellets: This is my second order of beeswax pellets (also called pastilles) from this company. They melt quickly and I am happy with them.
Deodorant Containers, New & Empty; Pack of 5
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Shop the Emergency Essentials Monthly Specials
The monthly specials at Emergency Essentials feature discounts of up to 35% off sometimes a bit more.
         
Every family should have at least one Tote-able Toilet. I have priced purchasing the bucket and toilet seat lid separately and found that it was more economical to pick up this kit. I have filled my portable potty with sanitation supplies plus, of course, plenty of TP.
I also recommend the Mobile Washer. This is hand operated washing machine. Like a plunger, it uses a technique of pushing and pulling the water through clothes to clean them well without wearing them out. It uses a minimum of water and less soap due to the agitation motion. Use in a bucket (5-gallon suggested), sink or tub. The best part is the price – only $14.95.
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Need something from Amazon (and who doesn’t)? I earn a small commission from purchases made when you begin your Amazon shopping experience here. You still get great Amazon service and the price is the same, no matter what.
Amazon has feature called Shop Amazon – Most Wished For Items. This is an easy tool for finding products that people are ‘wishing†for and in this way you know what the top products are. All you need to do is select the category from the left hand side of the screen.
The Amazon Top Most Wished For and Best Selling Outdoor Items
Emergency Preparedness Items from Amazon.com
Help support Backdoor Survival. Purchases earn a small commission and for that I thank you!
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Are You Interested in Essential Oils?
Spark Naturals Oil of the Month Club
$15.99 – Shipping is Free
Remember, on all other purchases, use code BACKDOORSURVIVAL for 10% off your order.
The Spark Naturals Oil of the Month Club is the best value out there – all oils are 15ml bottles – shipped out to you once a month (on the same date you ordered the product). The price is $15.99 a month and includes shipping and tax. This is a great way to collect oils at a discounted price. Be sure to use the code BACKDOORSURVIVAL at checkout.
The Survival Buzz # 153 by Gaye Levy first appeared on Backdoor Survival.
The Survival Buzz # 153
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