If you’d told me ten years ago I’d be writing a book about prepping while my youngest smeared peanut butter on the dog, I would’ve laughed you right out of my kitchen. Back then, I thought “preparedness” meant having snacks in the glove box and remembering to pay the power bill on time. I married a man who owns exactly one flashlight and has never willingly packed an extra pair of socks. And yet, here I am, living east of the Cascades in Oregon with two kids, a black lab named Jasper who thinks he's people, and a garage that’s one part Costco overflow and one part survival depot.

Now don’t go picturing us in camo with gas masks lined up by the door. I grew up with a dad who can build a water filter out of a sock and a soda bottle, but he also makes the best peach cobbler you’ve ever tasted. My dad, Kyle, is the reason I got into all this. He’s been preaching preparedness since before Y2K, and now he runs a newsletter called The Preparedness Post every Monday morning like clockwork. I write a little something in it each week too, called Wendy’s Corner, and that’s where this whole book thing started.

Because here’s the truth: prepping doesn’t have to be scary. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. And it certainly doesn’t have to look like a bunker in the woods with 14 cases of tuna and a doomsday countdown clock. It can look like a mama who just wants to keep her family safe, warm, and fed when the lights go out or the roads ice over or the world gets a little sideways, which, let’s face it, happens more than we’d like.

I’ve learned that being prepared is just another kind of parenting. It’s like carrying a diaper bag when your kid’s out of diapers, just in case. It’s keeping snacks in your purse even when you’re the one who ends up eating them. It’s thinking two steps ahead but still knowing that sometimes you’ve just got to wing it with duct tape and determination.

This book is for the moms who already have a to-do list longer than a CVS receipt. It’s for the dads who want to help but need clear directions and probably a checklist. It’s for anyone who wants to feel a little more in control when the world feels a little less predictable.

So no, I don’t have all the answers. But I do have a pantry full of canned peaches, a drawer full of headlamps, and a whole lot of trial-and-error stories. I’ve packed and repacked our bug-out bags more times than I can count. I’ve tested recipes on a propane stove with a toddler strapped to my back. I’ve figured out how to keep kids entertained during power outages without selling my soul to screen time.

Let’s get ready for anything together. Not because we’re paranoid. Not because we expect the sky to fall tomorrow. But because life happens. Storms come. Grids fail. And when they do, I’d rather be the lady with an extra jar of peanut butter and a plan than the one fighting for batteries at the gas station.