How I Use Thrive

I will be posting several more examples of how I use Thrive in my every day cooking (soups, casseroles, stir fries, fruit smoothies, snacks, baking), but here is a short 2 1/2 minute video to get us started. 

This is how I make Taco Soup! So quick, easy and absolutely delicious!

Are You Prepared? Here's 10 Helpful Hints!

It's National Preparedness Month!

Are You Prepared?

Trying to be prepared can seem overwhelming!!! But it's really not that hard if you follow a few simple steps. Remember that "A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." (Lao-Tzu) Here are those first steps to take and some helpful hints for your preparedness journey! 

 
1. WATER!! - Water storage is the first step, and it's quite easy to do and can be done on a budget or with basically no budget! Read this article about Water Storage.

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2. 72 Hour Kit - Everyone should have a 72 Hour Kit, even if it's a really simple one. Read this article for some ideas on 72 Hour Kits.

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3. 3 Month Supply of Groceries - The counsel is to have a 3 month supply of groceries that you are accustomed to eating day to day. Here's some great advice on how to build your supply inexpensively and easily. 3 Month Supply

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4. The "Overwhelming" Year Supply - This is the part that people think they just can't do...that it's too much to ever obtain. Bu I can promise that it's possible! Take one step...even if it's a baby step, and you will eventually get there! Read this article on What Should I Store?

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5. Don't Wait Until It's Too Late - It's so much better to "prepare and prevent than to repair and repent!" Please make sure you prepare yourself so you don't go through what happened to me! Read "My Food Storage Story - The Experience That Woke Me Up"

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6. Walton Feed Order - There are many ways to obtain food storage, and here is a fabulous one! This is a food storage co-op that is done twice a year and has deliveries all over the east coast, Texas, Utah, Idaho (and wherever else a group forms.) Walton Feed gives us a discount off their prices and we get a good deal on truck shipping. Please contact me at macoombs5@comporium.net if you want more information. Check out out our Walton Feed Group Order Facebook page. 

7. Thrive Life Foods - I LOVE this company! They have the best freeze dried fruits, vegetables, meats and cheese, and other food storage items. But they are so good that you don't have to just save them for emergencies! You can use them in your everyday recipes! Thrive has fabulous resources that teach you how to use your food storage in your every day cooking, which saves you money and time, AND it's healthy and delicious! Gets shipped right to your door! Click here to learn more about Thrive Life! Or feel free to contact me. I'd be happy to have you join one of my Facebook classes or answer any questions you have! 

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8. Learn How To Cook With It! 

Here's a way to prepare some Meals in a Jar! You will love this! Just click that link and scroll through the 4 blog posts that are there with different recipes! 

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9. Need Gluten Free? - Walton Feed and Thrive both offer excellent Gluten free products.

Walton Feed's Gluten Free Products
These can be added to the trucking orders we do with Walton Feed twice a year, or contact me for a discount on a UPS order.

Thrive has a lot of naturally gluten free products, because most of them contain just one ingredient. Thrive Life

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10. Want to Taste Something Amazing? - This is such a yummy way to introduce food storage to your family. Add a little whole wheat flour, use powdered eggs and powdered milk when making these and your family will LOVE food storage! Cinnamon Roll Tutorial

Please contact me and I will be happy to help answer any question you have. 

You can reach me best by email, or feel free to text for quick questions. 

Thanks! 
Melissa Coombs
macoombs5@comporium.net
803-818-1569 

Be Prepared with a 72 Hr Kit!

Make a 72-Hour Kit!

I have talked with people who do not have a 72 Hr Kit because they think they will be too expensive to get, they don't know what to put in one, and so they do nothing about it. Even if you don't have a big budget, you can put together a 72 hr kit that would be useful for you in case of an emergency. Here are some ideas:

Pillow Case Kit
I know a lady who desperately wanted to make 72-hour kits for her family, but she did not have extra money to do it. She came up with a plan that inspired me and so many others! She found an old pillow case for each person in the family. In each one, she put in a few water bottles, a few packs of crackers, a few granola bars, a pair of socks and a change of underwear, and some soap and shampoo samples she had gotten from someone who travels and stays in hotels a lot. In hers and her husband's, she put in a few dollars of change, a mini first aid kit she put together (bandaids, ointment, pain killer, etc.), a flashlight, some feminine hygiene products, some baby wipes, and a few odds and ends she had around the house that she thought might be useful. In the kids' packs, she had them add some paper and pencils or crayons, a small game or deck of cards, or a little toy (whatever was special or comforting to that child.) Then she tied the bags closed with a small piece of rope or cord, and put them on a shelf in her front closet. She had almost all of these items already in her house somewhere. She just had to put them together! 

These definitely were not fancy kits. But in an emergency, they would have provided some food and water, a little hygiene, and comfort! I can think of people who were in Hurricane Katrina who would have been so thankful to have a pillow case kit like this as they sat in the big Superdome for 3 days waiting for government relief to come. So start somewhere, and just make a little kit with what you have at home already! You'll be happy you did if you ever need it!

Car Kit
When I was first trying to get prepared, I started with a small car kit. I figured that I was always where my car was for the most part, so that was a good place for me to keep a small emergency kit. I put in some food and water, a flashlight, a few emergency blankets (the foil kind), some money, a first aid kit, and a blanket. I also added diapers and wipes and formula when I had little children. You would be amazed at how many times I ended up using things out of that kit! Many times it was for other people! 

My husband travels a lot, and I made sure there was a really nice kit in his car. He did not want to keep that backpack in his trunk because it took up so much room, but he kept it in there because I asked him to "just in case". He ended up using it on several occasions, and was really thankful for that kit! Especially the time that he lost his wallet and was 3 hours away from home at a meeting! I had put enough money in there that he could get a tank of gas and make it back home safely! He was happy for that kit!!!

Office and School Kit
It is really smart to have a simple kit that you keep at the office, or that your kids keep at college with them. Just having the basics in an emergency can make all the difference!

Do It Your Way!
Make a kit that makes sense for you and your family members! 72-hour kits can come in all shapes or sizes! I've seen people put them in milk jugs, small plastic shoe box containers, small boxes, backpacks, rolling luggage, coolers or ice chests, big plastic storage containers, and even 55 gallon trash cans with lids. There's lots to choose from! Pick what works best for you!

I know a tiny little older lady who has her 72-hour kit in a 55 gallon plastic trash can! I tease her that she could dump it out and sleep in it if she needed to! Ha ha! I'm not sure how she would transport that huge kit if she had to leave her home, but she at least had good supplies gathered in case of an emergency!

Pre-Made Kits
There are some great pre-made kits out there, but the ones I used to recommend are no loner available. I'll have to look around again for some good ones. Just Google them and see what you find. If nothing else, they give you some good ideas of what you could put in your kit!

Make Your Own
There are lots of lists out there of what you should or could put in a 72-hour kit. Every person's kit will be different, but here are some ideas:

I always think of:
Food
Water
Light
Warmth (Blanket)
Cooking Method
Shelter
Clothes
Hygiene 
Money
First Aid
Tools/Equipment (Knife, Shovel, Rope, Duct Tape)
Important Papers 
Family Contact Info
Comfort Items (Games, Paper and Pencils, Toys, etc.)

Find something in each of those categories to put in your kit, and you would have a fabulous emergency kit if you needed it! Remember it's better to have something than nothing! Have fun making them! 

12 Reasons to Love Thrive!

Thrive is most popular for superior quality freeze dried fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses! I LOVE THIS COMPANY!!

Here are 12 Reasons to Love Thrive:

1. The food tastes DELICIOUS and is HEALTHY!

2. No MSG, Non-GMO, No Artificial Colors, Flavors or Dyes
3. Thrive has almost 150 certified gluten free products

4. Thrive ships your order (your groceries!) right to your door! So convenient! 

5. SAFE Enamel Coating inside can and out

6. Save MONEY with longer lasting food. Don't waste/throw away so much produce!

7. Save TIME in the kitchen! Food is ready to use! Less trips to the store!

8. Can snack on it right out of the can, and easy to incorporate into your every day cooking!

9. THRIVE works hard to have the highest quality products available! Food you can trust! 

10. When you HOST a class – you get FREE and half off products!

11. When you become a CONSULTANT – you can earn commission, and free and half off products! It's a great way to build your pantry and food storage.
12. You will have peace of mind when your pantry/home storage is filled with Thrive!

Go to this website to see all of the products: mythrivefavorites.thrivelife.com

Click here to learn the benefits of being a consultant, even if you just order for yourself: Benefits of Being a Consultant There are no sales or party quotas! Just from your own orders you will earn commission, free products and half off products. It's even better if you share it with a few family and friends! You can earn a good income sharing Thrive! It's so worth it! 

Check out the AMAZING recipe site they have: Thrive Recipes
Learn how to use your food storage in your every day cooking! It will save you time and money and keep you from throwing away so much food! And it's DELICIOUS!

Please contact me if you have any questions. I'm happy to help you get more prepared and self reliant. 

Thanks! Melissa :)

Melissa Coombs
Thrive Life Independent Consultant
803-818-1569
foodstorage@comporium.net
mythrivefavorites.thrivelife.com