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Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family for Everyday Disasters and Worst-Case Scenarios
by Lisa Bedford 
Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family for Everyday Disasters and Worst-Case Scenarios articulately yet clearly makes the case that every mom has it in her DNA to take care of her family in preparation for whatever may come.
From the book cover: “Deep inside every mom is a Survival Mom whose passion for her family drives her to make the best of the present and prepare for the future. So tap into your Mama Grizzly instincts and channel your worries into action. Whether you’re a full-fledged “prepper” or just getting started, with real-life stories and customizable forms and checklists along with Lisa’s ‘you can do it’ attitude, Survival Mom replaces paranoia and panic with the peace of knowing YOU have the power to keep your loved ones safe and secure.”
Chapter One sets the tone for the entire book, “Prepare More, Panic Less.” This is the message that comes through loud and clear. It matters not what the motivation is for our family preparations (whether natural disaster, job layoff, illness or something bigger), Lisa Bedford takes us step by step from awareness to action, starting with her own story in the introduction entitled “From Suburban Mom to Survival Mom.”
Let’s face it, the media is grabbing ahold of this “prepping” movement and is bringing it into the forefront and making it mainstream. People who never thought about storing food, water or extra blankets are now taking cues from tornado and hurricane survivors and packing 72 hour kits. With the reality shows such as “Doomsday Preppers” (no matter what your opinion of it, the show is topping the ratings and people are becoming aware of the need to prepare) and its copycats “Doomsday Bunkers” and those to follow, there are some Doom-and-Gloomers out there who are preaching panic and preying on those who are panicking.
Lisa Bedford’s message says not so fast! On page 15 she recites “The #1 Rule of Preparedness… Do your best where you are with what you have.”
Via the Survival Mom book, Lisa helps us evaluate where we are individually and as a family, where we want to be prepared-wise and gives us resources to get there. She addresses almost every conceivable situation, including stories from real-life survivors and what they experienced, organized, well-researched, invaluable information, layers of preparedness, checklists and assessments, resources and things to consider – all panic-free.
Some highlights of the Survival Mom for me are the basics and baby-steps (a good place to re-evaluate and re-assess) and then building upon the basics, as far as one desires to go, depending upon each individual family’s situation and desires.
At the end of each section, Lisa provides “The Prepared Family” checklist and “Family Preparedness Plan” with the information presented in a real life, usable plan of action.
I especially appreciated the simple instruction on how to “survivalize” family recipes. This is one area where many moms can feel overwhelmed and Lisa breaks it down to show how with just a few adjustments, familiar family recipes can be the basis of a family food storage. Included are family recipes that have been “survivalized.”
On page 72 Lisa asks “Can a Whole Foods Mom Make Peace with Food Storage?” She addresses this question by providing options and choices, summing it up nicely (in words similar to the way I answer this question) on Page 73 with “Each Survival Mom has to determine what is most important when she buys food intended for food storage.”
“There is no one-size-fits-all plan when it comes to food storage. Each of us has to do what’s best for our family, within the constraints of budget, time, food sensitivities and allergies, location and space. It’s all about doing your best wherever you are and with what you have.”
From water to sanitation, food to organization and decluttering, from home security to survival finances, gardening, growing, preserving to living without electricity, from just starting out to seasoned “preppers” this book is one to have. Survival Mom was birthed and penned by a real-life wife and mom to other moms (but men can definitely identify) laid out in terms, reasoning and actions that we moms understand and relate to.
Survival Mom is packed with tips, charts, checklists, recipes, resources, new skill information including, but not limited to:
- Specialized emergency kits designed for special needs children, babies, grandparents and pets
- Top ten food items to store in your pantry
- Five items to include in your child’s backpack
- Twelve things to take with you if you need to go to an emergency shelter
- Ten essential tools for emergency preparedness
- Eighteen things to carry in your purse at all times
- Twelve tips you need if you are forced to stay in your car for an extended period
Whether using this as a hands-on manual or as a tool to identify weak spots or ones we’ve inadvertently overlooked or under-prepared, I highly recommend Lisa Bedford’s Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family for everyday Disasters and Worst-Case Scenarios, for EVERY family.
Visit the Survival Mom website
Read about the book and take the Survival Mom quiz
Search inside the book on Amazon
Buy the book as Kindle e-book version
The Survival Mom, Lisa Bedford guests on my radio show, Get Real – Get Prepared.
Listen in live or afterwards
I am an independent reviewer. I did not receive payment for my review, nor was there any expectation of a positive review. I did receive a copy of the book to complete my review.
About Vickilynn Parnes
