Worst Winter in Years!

I'm not actually certain what the "official stats" show, but in my mind this has to be the worst winter weather we've had in years here in St. Louis.  Down in the river valley at the confluence of three great waters, the Mississippi, the Missouri, and the Illinois, we enjoy significantly milder weather than our very near neighbors.  But strangely this year the snow has fallen and had uncanny staying power.  I'm not complaining, I love the wintery weather.  The snowfall and hot chocolate.  Kids playing outside.  Icicles on the gutters.  Rabbits and squirrels frolicking.  (Of course, driving can be a trick.)  I am always amused at the rush for bread, milk, and eggs.  It's a long running gag in my circle of friends.  But in light of this blog that I write, it's great.  I really appreciate people thinking ahead to make sure they have what they need when they are snowed in.  The smart ones are avoiding a disastrous car accident or maybe just a disastrous meal.  Either way, today I say, "Kudos to you! And while you're there, maybe you'll pick up a few shelf stable and ready to eat items, just in case."

Here are a few extra items I like to have before the big storm rolls in:

Extra ice melt (salt or other chemical melts)
Extra windshield washer fluid
Two ice scrapers in each car
Extra gloves, hats, and blankets (or hoodies) in each car
Water and snacks in each car
Snow shovel and a bag of sand (if you're traveling, put it in the car)

Bread, milk, and eggs
Boxed cereal (sometimes I le the kids get their junk-y favorites)
Easy to cook favorites (mac and cheese, grilled cheese)
Soup (soup mix, soup ingredients, soup in a can, whatever) and crackers
Pasta and sauce
Hot chocolate

Toilet paper
Facial tissues
Ibuprofen and cold/cough medicine
Hand and body lotion

Flashlight and batteries
A good book
A new kids' activity
Heat and cooking source during a power outage

And here are a few things I do before the storm:

Fill car with gas
Check gas grill tanks for propane (Never use a gas grill indoors! Never!)
Pick up a few 5 day DVD rentals (Sometimes our internet goes down first.)
Put an extra blanket on each bed
Check weatherstripping on doors and windows
Charge all cordless devices (and power it off, if possible)
Start the chili (insert name of good soup here) in a slow cooker
Stay out of major traffic all day
Get everyone indoors and snuggle down before the weather hits