20 Ways to Avoid Independence Day Injuries

Nothing extinguishes Fourth of July fun faster than an injury.  That goes double if your young child is the victim of an Independence Day accident. To avoid the physical pain and suffering associated with a holiday mishap and the added agony of paying sky-high medical bills, consider the following safety tips:   Never allow children to ignite fireworks. Adults should be on hand at all times when children are near fireworks. Always follow the instructions printed on the fireworks’ box. Keep fire extinguishers, water hoses or a bucket of water on hand if you are using any type of pyrotechnic, … Continue reading

Surviving Your Kid’s Spring Break

Not your little guy’s break from school, your older one. You know, the one who begged you to let him head down to Cabo with a bunch of friends for spring break, and now you are sitting at home praying that the next call you get isn’t from a Mexican prison. Keeping children safe is the utmost priority for most parents, but you can’t expect your college-age kid to want to spend every school break at home so you can monitor his every move. Sure, viewing Facebook photos of your son at the bottom of a beer bong and your … Continue reading

Allstate has Tips to Prevent Holiday Theft

Many of us will be spending time visiting friends and family over the holidays. Allstate Insurance says that this is the prime time for break-ins and theft to occur. Thieves realize that you aren’t at home! Fortunately, the insurer has some tips that you can use to prevent theft over the holidays. Over the river, and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house you go! Many families spend a big portion of the holidays visiting with various relatives. You might be taking your children to visit with their grandparents. Or, you might be attending a family gathering that includes aunts, uncles, … Continue reading

Back-to-School Shopping Tips

So much for summer! Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, heck, even my favorite supermarket have ditched their displays of sun chairs, sunscreen, sunglasses and sand toys to make way for back-to-school supplies. Now, instead of deciding on the type of cooler to take to summer sports camp, your son will be faced with the dilemma of picking between a new Transformers backpack and one that features SpongeBob SquarePants in all his electric yellow glory. However, before you allow your child free rein in the backpack aisle you might want to consider these helpful safety tips: Make sure you choose a … Continue reading

Safety Tips for Portable Heaters

When the temperature goes down, more and more people are turning to portable heaters to warm up. Portable heaters can be a great way to cut your heating costs. Because they heat only a small space, you can turn down that furnace and yet still feel comfortable. Portable heaters are especially good when you will be staying in one place for a length of time, such as in an office, a home office, a living room, etc. Portable heaters do come with some safety precautions. As a source of heat and electricity, portable heaters can be hazards. Here are some … Continue reading

Warning to Parents: Watch Your Kids… Especially at Chuck E. Cheese

At least that’s the message a TV station in San Antonio, Texas is trying to get out to parents. A local TV news crew there recently aired an investigative report illustrating dangerous lapses in security at nearly every Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in the city. At the heart of the investigation was the popular restaurant chain’s Kid Check program. Parents with young children are likely familiar with the service. Basically, when you visit the kiddie eatery, which is jam-packed with video games, indoor playground equipment and other toys, you get your hand stamped with invisible ink. When you visit in … Continue reading

Home Week in Review: December 24 – 30

Merry Christmas! Here are these week’s selections at a glance: One Day ’til Christmas Do you open a gift, or all your gifts on Christmas Eve or do you save them for Christmas Day? We will each open one small gift later and then we’ll put out cookies and milk for Santa and hang up the stockings. Did you write down all the gifts that need batteries and get batteries for them? There may still be time to get some if you forgot. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Joy to all May you all be happy and blessed at Christmastime … Continue reading

Christmas Tree Safety Tips (1)

Each year, there are many accidents that involve a Christmas tree. Do you know what you need to do to protect your family and your home? Check out these Christmas Tree safety tips. They will help to make sure that your holiday season isn’t spoiled by a mishap. Can you guess how many fires involve Christmas trees in just one holiday season? There are nearly 400 residential fires that can be traced back to a real Christmas tree, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). Sadly, those fires result in 40 deaths and 100 injuries each year. Dry trees are … Continue reading

Home Safety: Entertaining Holiday Guests

Safety. It may not be the first thing we think about when entertaining holiday guests. We’re busy getting things ready for the holidays, and preparing the guest room and other spaces to ensure that our guests are happy and comfortable throughout their stay. Whether guests are visiting for the day, or coming for an extended visit, there are a few important things to keep in mind. Dangers Lurking in Luggage Our guests may not have small children or pets in their homes and may not realize that their luggage could be an invitation for kids or pets to explore something … Continue reading

Happy Halloween (or Harvest!)

Whichever you celebrate, if you celebrate this date, I hope you have a happy one! My younger kids were excited as they rushed off to school, treats in hand, to share during their fall parties today. Many schools don’t have Halloween parties any more, and some no longer allow kids to dress up in costumes for Halloween either. Our school has a fall party but no costumes. I have even heard of several small towns in this area that would like to ban trick-or-treating altogether as well. It wouldn’t really bother me, but I know some would miss it. I’m … Continue reading