Light
Battery or rechargeable lights in every main room, easy to find in the dark and safer than candles.
Source: Red Cross: flashlights, not candles
Home readiness for everyday households
Peace of mind, one small step at a time.
A calm, practical guide to getting your home ready for outages, storms, and a sudden need to leave. You start with what you already own, in the right order, and you can stop after any step.
How it works
A home that's ready for anything starts tonight.
Getting your family ready starts small: a few 15-minute steps tonight, mostly with things you already own, then a weekend to work through your home room by room. Each step leaves everyone a little safer and a little more sure of what to do.
1
Start
Six 15-minute steps with things you likely already own: a light in every main room, your water number, a can opener, a family contact card, a charged power bank, and tested smoke alarms.
2
Build
One weekend, room by room, from the pantry to the papers drawer to the car. Each chapter ends with a goal you can check off.
3
Take your first step
Tend
A short check-in twice a year keeps it all fresh: rotate the water, test the alarms, and charge what needs charging. Coming in Guide v2.
Everyone takes a piece.
Kids check the flashlights while someone else counts the water.
The four pillars
What every ready home has.
Light, power, water, and a plan are what every household reaches for first when the power goes out or a storm rolls in. With these four in place, you're ready for most of what comes your way.
Power
A charged power bank keeps phones ready to call, text, and get news through an outage.
Source: Ready.gov basic kit
Water
1 gallon per person, per day, for at least 3 days. A family of four needs 12 gallons.
Source: CDC
A plan
Where to meet, who to call, and an out-of-area contact everyone can text.
Source: Red Cross
Your next step
Simple answers to the big questions.
Getting ready raises a lot of questions. The Guide answers them in order, room by room, so you always know what to do next. Start tonight with the free checklist.
The Home Readiness Guide
A weekend to a ready home.
The questions every household asks, answered in order. Each step explains why it matters, ranks your options from what you already own to the best choice, and shows how you'll know you're ready.
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4 printables
Instant PDF download
One guide, one weekend, $27. Yours to keep.
All sales final on digital downloads. Look inside before you buy.
Free Starter Checklist
The first six questions, answered.
A free 2-page checklist that answers them in order, each in 15 minutes or less, mostly with things you already own.
To do
What light sources are the most reliable?
To do
How much water does your family need on hand?
To do
What does your kitchen need when the power's out?
To do
Who does your family call when local lines are busy?
To do
How do you keep phones charged in an outage?
To do
How often should you test your smoke alarms?
First name
Your first name
you@example.com
We'll email you the checklist, then three short notes over the next week. Unsubscribe anytime. We never sell your email.
Everyday readiness
What you can, and should, be ready for.
Power outages.
Light, charged phones, and food that keeps, for a night or a week.
Heavy storms.
Water, food, and news on hand when the roads close for a few days.
A house fire.
Working smoke alarms, and a way out that everyone has practiced.
A sudden need to leave.
The important papers in one place, and a meeting spot everyone knows.
Each one takes a little thought, a little preparation, and some practice together.
Why I started The Tended Home
"I started The Tended Home because I needed my own peace of mind."
When the lights go out, a household that knows what to do is the best preparation there is. These are the practices my family uses, written in small steps so you can build on them over time.
[Nate to confirm: drafted from your Guide Welcome. Your name and photo go here.]
Read our storyThe essentials
The gear we trust at home.
One pick for each pillar, useful on an ordinary day and ready when you need it.
Light
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Evening In
A rechargeable lantern, a headlamp, and a flashlight for every main room.
Patio dinners now, outage nights later.
Power
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Stay Informed
A hand-crank and solar radio with NOAA weather alerts, and a power bank.
Weather on the counter, charged phones.
Water
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Water on Hand
Water storage sized for three days, made to fit small spaces.
Three days of water in one known place, dated.
Every pick is something we use at home, recommend to our own family, and give as gifts. Some links earn us a small commission, at no cost to you.
Free articles
Answers to the most common questions.
Short, sourced, and free. Each one ends with one simple next step.
Everyone · Start
What being ready actually changes
What changes for a prepared household, why small steps work, and the 15-minute first step to take.
Everyone · Start
What to do in the first hour of an outage
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Everyone · Build
How much water does your household need?
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