Useful Emergency Preparedness Tips

My husband and I were fortunate enough to not have to deal with something like a Hurricane Sandy this fall, though it did get us thinking about what we would do in case of an emergency like that. I've been digging around online for emergency preparedness tips and came across this DIY Emergency Preparedness Guide from Buzzfeed.com. Although I tend to disagree with most of the content they publish, this particular guide is actually pretty useful. 

Here are a few of their tips: 

Friday Funny

One of my favorite sports to watch during the Olympics is women's gymnastics.  These ladies are all adorable little powerhouses with a fierceness that I really admire. That's why it was so difficult to watch McKayla Maroney miss out on the gold this year for her vault exercise. She was clearly not impressed with her performance. But there's a bright side to everything, which is why the McKalya Maroney Is Not Impressed meme is so fantastic. Failure doesn't have to be a bad thing. Laugh a little!

McKayla is not impressed with the royal wedding.

Not impressed by the most iconic Beatles scene ever to be captured

Not impressed by Nicolas Cage or his Oscar win

Nostalgia Shoppers Special Trains

The New York Metropolitan Transit Authority is getting into the holiday spirit this year with the temporary addition of vintage subway trains. They're calling them the "Nostalgia Shoppers Special" trains and they are running through Christmas Eve. Everything on the inside and out is authentic - from the ceiling fans to the wicker seat covers (who knew that back in the day, the seats were actually wicker?! Ouch!)

This time of year is always so beautiful in New York, but this really steps up the "wow factor" for me. So festive and fun!

The exterior looks just as it did back in the twenties and thirties.

These ladies look like they've stepped off a movie set!

Project "Remember Me"

Okay, time to get serious for a minute.

The United States Memorial Holocaust Museum has launched project "Remember Me" in an effort to help identify thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish children left uprooted and orphaned in the aftermath of World War II.  (see photos below)

The goal of project "Remember Me" is to learn who these children are, find any of their surviving relatives or friends, and let their stories be told so as to raise awareness about the atrocities of genocide. Of course there is a sense of urgency in getting to the bottom of these photos, as the number of living Holocaust survivors dwindles every year. 

You can learn more and assist in this inspiring project by visiting http://rememberme.ushmm.org/ .

Speed Saves The Day

With so many terrible stories to come from the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, I thought I'd stay positive and share something inspiring.  This elderly Japanese woman, who says recent events remind her of life after Hiroshima, survived being swept away in a strong current of debris by escaping on her bicycle!  She shares her story below.