So, the next few weeks are going to be gnarly. April 2020 is going to be one for the books. Shelter in place with trips out for essential things and walking is probably going to start leaning towards more of a lockdown/don’t leave your house unless absolutely necessary.

As such, if you haven’t already, let me mom out here and urge/nag you to get your supplies in now. Like you’re gonna get snowed in and won’t be able to get out for stuff.

So food, obviously. But also think about canned and frozen fruit, frozen juice concentrate, bottled lemon/lime juice, and flavor/umami boosters like bouillon, miso, fish sauce, soy sauce, and tomato paste.

If you have kids, shelf stable milk/milk alternatives or powdered milk. If you’re a baker, get your fats in order - shortening, lard, butter, etc.

Don’t forget about cleaning supplies. Dish soap, dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent, Windex, some bleach, some Comet, some scrubby pads, dishwashing gloves, toilet bowl cleaner, plunger, toilet brush.

Paper towel shortages are real, so perhaps get more dish towels and launder them. Same for napkins and handkerchiefs.

If you have a Swiffer, get some extra pads. Remember to get some spare air filters for your HVAC, salt for your water softener, and water filters if you need them, and humidifier filters if they use them.

Batteries. All the sizes. A few lightbulbs.

Get a cooler. If a loved one in your home gets sick and needs to be isolated, it’s safer to be able to leave a cooler of water and drinks in there once every few hours instead of having to go in and out of the room. Or if you’re sick alone, it’s next to the bed.

Get a bucket.

Have your medicine cabinet in order. If someone gets sick, they will need all the cold and flu things. Cough drops, VapoRub, tea, ice packs for fever, etc.

People with COVID have a hard time even getting to the bathroom bc they can’t breathe. If you have a man in the house, a portable urinal is cheap and gives you some insurance. Also, that bucket.

I got a spirometer - it’s basically a lung exerciser they give to bed-bound people so they don’t develop pneumonia. It’s probably overkill, but I also have a pulse ox meter in my shopping cart, so...

You may want an extra set of sheets. People get sick and sweat and you may need to change sheets more often.

And not to be your Korean mom, but dedicated inside slippers so your outside shoes don’t track in germs.

A spray bottle. Worst case scenario, you have to make some diluted bleach solution. It might stain your stuff, but it will kill them germs.

Duct tape and extra garbage bags. Like the big black ones. You never know what you may need to seal up and/or throw out.

Now don’t hoard this stuff. Just focus on what you may need for this month. If your kids go without fresh milk for a bit, no big deal. But evaporated milk works great in boxed Mac n cheese and they won’t die.

The other reason to get your stuff squared away now is that at the peak, delivery isn’t gonna really function. Amazon and Instacart won’t be an easy thing. Get your Easter stuff now. Get all the kids activity stuff now.

Some means of white noise or noise cancellation. Ear plugs, white noise machine, box fan. There’s gonna be a lot of sirens. It might make kids and pets upset.

If you need another tablet, go get it.

Have some extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, face wash, soap, shampoo/conditioner, body lotion, and hand cream.

Contact solution.

Oh, also, get some disposable paper ware, cups, cutlery. Again, if someone is sick, you have to keep things separated.

And if you’re sick and alone, you won’t want to be doing dishes.

Get some Gatorade or electrolyte powder mix in case someone gets sick. Worst case you can make your own by adding a few shakes of Morton’s Lite Salt to whatever you’re drinking - it’s sodium and potassium.

Pickles. A big jar. Again, worst case scenario for electrolytes, you can just drink some of it.

Get your comfort foods too. Whatever it is. Get your trash panda goodies. We not going to the beach this summer, fam.

Cup noodles, ramen, Mac n cheese, Oreos, chips and salsa, cookie dough, ice cream.

When the surge hits, it won’t be fair to make people work in warehouses or whatever to deliver things you can get now. Pads, tampons, diapers, adult diapers, Ziploc bags, popcorn, whatever. Get it now.

Anyways, I pinned the thread if you need a jankety list to look at at the store.