Cram Session #2 - Grab List

TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WEEK
*Create a Grab List

If you need to evacuate your home in a hurry, it would be a good idea to have a list to work off of. This week we are going to create a 'Grab List'. Here is a form you can download and fill in.

Click Here to Download Grab List

Once you've completed the Grab List, you should add it to your 3-ring binder.

When we did this, I started off and wrote things down. Then, I decided to incorporate my family into the process. We moved from room to room as we were making the list. I pointed some things out that would be important to grab in each room (seriously, I think this part helped my husband :) too). Then, we went into each kids room, I let the kids think of a couple of things that they would "need" if we had to evacuate. (Remember if you had to evacuate it would be quite stressful for children - having a favorite stuffed animal or familiar toy may make a huge difference in helping them to cope with the stress around them). After it was all said and done, and as the week progressed I kept thinking about things to add to the list that I had forgotten (my jewelry box, the jewelry that we take off each night). It was nice to be able to remember something and add it to the list. I KNOW that if I was having to do this during a REAL emergency - I would have forgotten something.

I reordered the list, grouping things from each room together so that it would be easier to grab in an semi-organized fashion. I also made several copies of the list to add to my 3-ring binder. I figure that I can have my kids help me in case of a real emergency.

Some things to make sure you include on your list: 3-ring binder, important documents (birth certificates, social security cards), medication, cell phone chargers, pictures, computer (tower only), purse/wallet/cell phone, financial records (account numbers), heirloom items, items with sentimental value (if you think of something else - add it as a comment!)

As I continued to think about this, I started thinking -
*What if we had only 5 minutes as opposed to 30 minutes? What are the MOST important things on my list? I need to rework my list and maybe put an asterisk or something to prioritize the MOST important items.
*Do I have materials (boxes and packing tape) on hand that I can pack things into?
*I also thought that maybe I should use brightly colored labels on boxes that contain important items (financial records, sentimental Christmas ornaments, etc) so that if I had my kids helping me, it would be easier for them to identify the box and grab it.

I want to hear what you are doing with your grab list - leave me a comment! Do you have any great ideas to share? What items should we make sure to include?