Welcome to this week’s Survival Buzz as life returns to normal after all of the Black Friday brouhaha yesterday.

I woke up to over 100 so-called deals on my inbox Friday morning and as tempted as I was to let my fingers to the shopping, I did show some restraint and stuck to my monthly prepping budget.  It did help that I had a few unused gift cards in my desk drawer so I was able to take advantage of some of the free shipping offers being featured this weekend.

Anyhow, it is the last Buzz of the month which means my pal Daisy Luther is going to fill in for me.  Today she writes about traveling with the proper mindset, even if that means stepping outside your comfort zone.

Holiday Traveling with the Survival Mindset RFID Blocking Stylish ... Buy New $19.95 (as of 09:35 UTC - Details)

I used to love traveling. Before 9/11. Before terror attacks became a serious cause for worry. Before it cost so much. Before I had a farm to take care of.

Now, it all seems so much more complicated.

There’s a complex set of rules that I have to follow before getting on a plane. And even if I follow those rules, I still have to either submit to a pat down or a body scan. I have to find a reliable person to look after my farm. I have to spend a fraction of the national debt to make the trip because flights have gotten more expensive while offering fewer services. Heck, I learned this week that they don’t even serve those bags of 6 peanuts anymore. Miamica CLR TSA Compli... Buy New $13.00 (as of 05:20 UTC - Details) But, sometimes, when family is far away and time is short, you bite the bullet and go anyway. You leave the comforts of home, spend a ton of carefully budgeted money, and you go, because some things are more important.

Last week, we packed our TSA-approved bags and headed to the South for a family wedding and the Thanksgiving holiday. It was too far to make driving feasible, as I would have had to hire someone to stay at my house for a few weeks instead of a few days. And as much as I enjoy staying close to home and having my supplies close at hand, it was well worth it, because family and happiness should always be a priority.

When you live a preparedness lifestyle, it can be so easy to say “no” to being outside of your comfort zone. This, my friends, is the reason that people outside of our lifestyle all think we’re crazy. There is a fine line between UltraFire 7w 300lm Min... Buy New $6.49 (as of 07:15 UTC - Details) embracing life while being prepared, and hiding away on your well-stocked property.

Being a prepper doesn’t mean that you have to become a recluse or refuse to go more than walking distance from your retreat. This year, when getting ready for the holidays, spend some time considering whether you have balance in your preparedness lifestyle. Love your family, experience new things, and take comfort in the fact that, as a prepper, you will be much better equipped to handle what life throws at you, no matter where you are.

Your mindset can’t be disallowed by the TSA and weighs nothing in your luggage. Be prepared, but also be willing to go on an adventure, savor a new experience, and spend time with the ones you love, no matter where they might be.

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving and that you have a joyful season planned for the coming month.

Until next month,Daisy

Current Backdoor Survival Giveaways

This week I was a bit late in getting last week’s winners posted so if you have not done so already, check your emails folks.  Also, due to the holiday, there were no giveaways this week.  But no worries, I have some good ones coming up next week.

One other thing that needs to be said.  The “giveaway question” is designed to make you think and if you leave a comment, you earn five entries.  Going forward, if you make no attempt to answer the question, you will be disqualified from earning those five entries.

Think about it.  Many times the wisdom coming from other readers is far more interesting than anything I could write.  In a way, you might even consider the comments an informal forum – one without all of the spam, abuse, and extra work.

That said, an acceptable comment is “I am new so I don’t know, but you have given me something to think about”.  I think you get the drift so that is all I will say about that.

Read the Whole Article

The Best of Gaye Levy

$post_author: WP_User Object
(
    [data] => stdClass Object
        (
            [ID] => 3151
            [user_login] => gaye-levy
            [user_pass] => 05d9baf9c25b75edcd566b2dbc21b434
            [user_nicename] => gaye-levy
            [user_email] => [email protected]
            [user_url] => 
            [user_registered] => 2012-11-02 09:11:13
            [user_activation_key] => 
            [user_status] => 0
            [display_name] => Gaye Levy
            [type] => wpuser
        )

    [ID] => 3151
    [caps] => Array
        (
            [contributor] => 1
        )

    [cap_key] => wp_capabilities
    [roles] => Array
        (
            [0] => contributor
        )

    [allcaps] => Array
        (
            [edit_posts] => 1
            [read] => 1
            [level_1] => 1
            [level_0] => 1
            [delete_posts] => 1
            [email_single_user] => 1
            [contributor] => 1
        )

    [filter] => 
    [site_id:WP_User:private] => 1
)

get_the_author_meta: 

$bio: 

$bios: Array
(
)