This is an exciting week for us! Several of the OP Team are congregating at my apartment where we're loading USBs, addressing envelopes, and shipping orders. This is particularly thrilling because we have been working on pulling this project together for months and we're now seeing it come to fruition.

So we're set up, assembly-line style, in my living room (my TINY living room) with my giant dog Thor snoozing in a corner, getting things done. The atmosphere is festive and we have a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge, cork ready to pop when the last one is sent out.

We're so excited to get these products in your hands!

I'm making great use of the crockpot with meals like chili and stroganoff. It's nice to have a hot meal that doesn't take a whole lot of time away from what we're doing.

Aside from this, Thor had his follow-up check-up at the vet this week. His appetite really lagged after we lost our other dog but he is gaining back some of the weight he lost and the vet said he's on his way to being much healthier. He was given a chew by the vet and has no idea what to do with it, so it's right there in his bed with it and he's been cuddling it all week, with scarcely a toothmark on it.

In other news, you may have noticed that The Organic Prepper website got a makeover that went live this past week. We hope that you find it better organized and easier to find the type of content you're looking for. We're also upping our game with two articles per day - one with a newsier angle and one more geared toward self-reliance and prepping.

We'd love your feedback on our new look, positive or negative. Just hit reply on this email and let us know!

I haven't spent as much time reading and watching media this week because we're busy making it. However, there were several things that definitely caught my eye.

A judge in Kentucky gave a male prison guard who sexually assaulted a female inmate a choice between prison and the military. I'm pretty sure the military isn't actively recruiting sex offenders.
Here's what to expect next with regard to Covid.
A volcanic eruption so big it could be seen from space caused a tsunami that hit Tonga and caused tsunami warnings for the West Coast of the US.
Queen Elizabeth has had enough of Prince Andrew - or should we just call him Andrew now? She has stripped him of his titles and refuses to foot the bills for his legal defense against the accusation he raped at least one minor girl in relation to the Epstein/Maxwell trafficking case.
Joy Reid doubled down on her opinion that the unvaccinated should be denied medical care.
A bunch of scientists and doctors are trying to get Spotify to censor Joe Rogan due to his interviews with Covid experts that aren't toeing the CDC narrative line.
Outgoing Virginia Governor Ralph Northam blames motorists for his mishandling of the I95 debacle.
An official in Poland says that Europe is closer to war than it has been in decades.
Here's how to make homemade cough drops that really work.
Here's a 50-question quiz to find out whether or not you're a terrorist. Ahem.

With a houseful of guests, I picked up some extra water and supplies. The part of the south where I live is bracing itself for a snowstorm today and we've been warned of potential power outages. I also stopped by the storage unit and got all of our extra blankets, just in case we run into problems, so that I can keep the extra folks warm and toasty.

I grabbed my stuff early but neighbors and readers tell me that the stores in southern Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina are picked bare. It always pays to have your supplies on hand or to go early if you need some extra things.

If anything positive has come from the pandemic, it's that more people than ever are aware of the potential of disasters and are more likely to try and prep if a threat is coming. This, especially combined with the supply chain crunch, means that supplies will be even more limited than before.

Starting seeds might not be as easy as you think…

I mean, yes, it's simple. Anyone can do it. BUT there are a few things you should know before you start it, or you will might be caught by common mistakes like not hardening off your seedlings properly…and trust me, you don't want to destroy all of that hard work with a tiny mistake that could have just as easily been avoided!

Get started with homegrown seedlings the right way, in this free training from my friend Jason. Everyone who has attended his training has been thrilled. Be sure to pre-register!