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After not having enough T-paper and dog food (with two hugh dogs) during the blizzard in Indianapolis in the late seventies and having to walk 10 blocks to get some to hold us over, I swore that would never happen again so I always have a good supply of both. Then, after we first moved down here to the boonies on top of a high hill and experiencing many power outages while living in a mobile, I decided what I would do and get to be prepared when we got our house built. The first thing I did was research woodburning stoves until I found one that didn't take up all the room in the world yet would provide all the heat we could want, light and plus I'd be able to cook on it. Bought it a little over a year before the house was done and stored it. Then we bought a generator which the one dog tore all of the wiring out of before it could ever be used much. Lesson learned. The next generator we bought is encased. I also started stocking my pantry, overstocking it as DH always complains. I don't think there is such a thing as overstocking it. Also put in a good supply of flashlights, batteries and candles. Since we were on a well, everytime they predicted a good storm or tornado or the wind just got up high, I'd fill the bathtubs and washer plus have drinking water on hand. About two months or so ago we went on county water. Just in time. No more problems with flushing. We heard this storm was coming in and got extra gas for the generator. I'd just bought a 40 lb. bag of dogfood and had my normal back ups of everything else. Didn't need to go to the grocery at all. The ice storm hit but power didn't go out until about 1:30 a.m. so the generator, already set up and filled, was fired up and we already had the woodstove going strong. We watched some weather reports on television for a little while, then on to bed where our CPAP machines worked great off the generator. When we lose power, we also lose our land line, so we make sure our cell phones are always well charged and we can always contact relatives to make sure they are well and let them know we're okay. We do have our backpacking stoves and some battery operated Coleman lanterns as well. When we got up, the house was pretty much as warm as we always keep it. The young man from the place down the road came over to make sure we were okay. He said no one could get up the steep hill that we live on or down it. I heated water on the woodstove for hot drinks and we had cereal and fruit. Later I started dinner on the woodstove, smoked sausage, onions, carrots and potatoes, and the power came back on. This was around 4:30 p.m. Finished cooking on the kitchen stove and its just like nothing out of the ordinary never happened. When we first found out this storm was coming, DH went out to the 5th wheel, put the slide in and started up the furnace. We figured we'd just move into it if the power went out. He'd just had the two big propane tanks filled so we'd be able to stay warm and cook in there. However, he didn't like the way the furnace sounded so decided to turn it off and stick it out in the house. I'd say the first thing we were going to do once we can get out of here was take the 5th wheel to have the furnace checked, but I know better. We were supposed to leave here for a warmer climate shortly after Christmas and kept getting delayed. When we can get it out of here, we're getting in that RV and heading south or southwest. We can get that furnace checked wherever we wind up and our ceramic heater or two will work until then. Something else everyone should think of is sleeping bags. Even with heat and blankets, my DH has been putting his Marmot -20 sleeping bag over the bed. He chills so easily and can't easily warm up. I, however, do not have that problem. Anyway, sleeping bags could be life savers for some and kids love them.

EO's will evaporate quickly anyway, no matter what you do, as they are all volatile. They don't last. It helps if you wrap each bar in plastic to help seal it until it is sold. Its the only way the EO scent will last. It will still evaporate if left in the air for long but at least it will smell when you sell/give it to someone until they unwrap it. Fragrance oils are not organic, but they are made to last a long time, and they do, but you have to use a lot. I make large batches with about 1200g of fat and I use about 15ml of fragrance oil per batch. It smells overpowering right at first, but that fades quickly as it ages. This year I am going organic. I am making my own organic colour and switching to EO's, but like I said above, I will have to seal each bar individually in plastic to keep the scent but its a lot of trouble.

Wow grateful for all these ideas! To be honest, I think I'm going for quick and cheap. Not worth making the drawers full extension we have more pressing issues at the new house, plus the kitchen is functional but UGLY. I don't want to put too much money into it other than possibly replace the sink faucet and maybe paint the walls. So I think I'm going to try the pool noodle solution!!! Since many drawers aren't full extension it's not a big loss of storage (unless we start accumulating more things, but I don't think we will at this point). Plus I can do the pool noodle job myself, I don't want to ask DH to deal with the drawer hardware and I don't want to do it myself because the long-term plan is to re-do the space (like maybe in 5-8 years).