3 Ways To Keep Outside Activities Safe

While outside activities can take place at any time of the year, they are more common during the summer months. It's a good idea to prepare your yard, your family members and your activities in advance in order to keep your family safe.


Protect From Ticks and Mosquitoes
This is a big one, because not only are these little critters annoying, they can also carry serious diseases. There are many ways that you can protect your family and your yard from ticks and mosquitoes, and the diseases they can bring, even some which are organic mosquito control methods. These can be applied to your yard as a whole or to you and your family. Some of the ones you can put in your yard will be easier to use, especially if you would rather not chase the children around with sprays or lotions.

Dress Appropriately
Whether you are engaging in summer or winter outdoor activities, you will want to dress for both the activity and the weather. This means swimsuits and sunblock for summer swimming and heavy coats and boots for building snowmen. Wearing too many heavy layers in the summer can result in heat stroke or heat exhaustion, so can not finding enough shade or water on a hot day.

Have the Right Gear
A big factor in safety is the gear designed to protect you from falls, slips, and bumps. This means well-fitting helmets for riding bikes or scooters, safety tethers for wakeboards and surfing or even GPS locators for skiing. You can find lists of recommended gear, safety or otherwise, for each activity online to know what to pack and what to look for.

When you protect your family from ticks and mosquitoes, dress appropriately for the weather and activity, and have the right safety gear, you can spend more of your time having fun and less time taking care of injuries. With a little research, you can find the best protection for almost any activity you want to do with your family.

Trampolines for Fun and Exercise

Children and adults love to jump and bounce, sometimes for hours, for play and exercise. Trampolines are a fantastic way to stay healthy and fit. With many new technological advancements, they have become safer than ever before. We don't see many trampolines without strong reinforced nets for safety, but  here are a few safety innovations you may not have heard of.

• Springfree trampolines have eliminated the traditional spring system and offer a wider jumping surface and a softer bounce. 
• The AlleyOOP Double Bed is actually two trampolines. You can bounce on the top bed, and the second bed is eight inches below. When the bottom bed engages, it takes stress off knees and joints and creates a much softer and more controlled bounce. A great deal of the kickback force of the top bed is removed and offers less displacement when there are multiple jumpers. 
• A Surestep Trampoline Ladder is easy to assemble and is non-permanent, so that it can be removed easily in order to limit access to the trampoline. In addition to having lasting weather protection, the two-step ladder fits most trampolines between 33 inches and 37 inches tall and has large, flat platform steps.

With safety taken care of, it's time to explore the playfort accessories for even more enjoyment.  Here are a couple that look fun:

• A Pro Flex Basketball Hoop is designed specifically to be used with AlleyOOP Safety Enclosures. It attaches securely and comes with a reinforced full-size backboard, a cushioned hoop, heavy-duty hardware, and a five-inch inflatable basketball.
• An Outback Tent can be used for daytime adventures or sleepovers. Made specifically for AlleyOOP and JumpSport Sports Safety Enclosures on 12 to 14 foot round trampolines, this giant 11-feet-across and 5.5 feet high tent has a netted/screened zippered door and three windows, a full floor, and attaches easily to the Safety Enclosure in under five minutes. No poles are used; the tent uses bungee cords that are suspended to the bottom and top of the enclosure.

Check out Play N Learn’s Playground Superstores for a wonderful selection of the safest trampolines on the market that will give many hours of fun to enthusiasts of all ages.

Homebuilding Requires More Than a Good Idea or a Blueprint

If you ask the average person what kind of house they would prefer, they likely could tell you the style of the house, describing it in detail, and give you every one of the house's features. Some who have some drawing skill could even sketch the house for you. It takes a lot more than a sense of style to build a house, though. In fact you have to be licensed in every state just to take on this task. Here are some things that contractors have to learn before they are allowed to build homes or master the contractor license renewal process.

• Reading Blueprints and Understanding Building Codes
  Imagine how dangerous some houses would be for living if there were no agency to inspect the work. People would have to deal with fire hazards, substandard materials, fall and accident hazards, and other potential dangers. Fortunately, cities have processes in place to ensure that all contractors understand how to read the blueprints for buildings and understand how legal codes might impact the building plans. No matter how beautiful the idea is for a new house, it has to stand up to current code regulations.
• Energy Conservation
  Every gorgeous idea is not necessarily the most energy efficient use of materials and space. When contractors participate in continuing education courses, or take the required courses for initial licensure, they learn how to best use materials in order to protect the environment, preserve the longevity of materials, and conserve energy. Although some cities offer incentives to encourage contractors to engage in these best practices, the most trusted contractors are already using energy efficient plans as a part of their routine contract work. 
• OSHA and Other Safety Regulations
  Almost everybody knows someone who is a jack-of-all-trades and could build a house from the ground up with little to no help. However, this natural ability does not mean that the jack-of-all-trades is prepared to build safely. Licensing courses teach contractors the best ways to approach safety and keep construction sites compliant with local and national regulations. The risk of not having this training is personal and crew safety, as well as a potential construction shut-down if officials are not pleased with safety precautions.

No matter how good your idea may be for a new house, it is not sound unless it can withstand the inspections required by most cities. The rules are there to protect both contractors and those who dwell in the house. Licensing courses help ensure contractors really know what they are doing.

Three Important Ways to Protect Your Home From Dangerous Chemicals

Having a place to call home is one of the best feelings in life. It is important, however, to ensure that your home is safe for you and everyone who lives in it. Protecting your family and pets from dangerous chemicals which might reside in your home is a big responsibility, but one that ensures the safety of you and your home. Chemicals can enter your home through a number of avenues. Paints, kitchen appliances, cleaning products, and faulty heating devices can all bring in harmful chemicals. In order to ensure that your home environment is safe, take these three precautions to test for and eliminate dangerous chemicals.

1. Lead
   Many homes built before 1978 were constructed with lead paint on the walls, cabinets, staircases, and other parts of the house. In the late 1970's, however, it was discovered that when the lead begins to chip, it releases dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere. These chemicals can seriously inhibit brain development in children and cause a host of other health problems. If you fear that your home may have lead paint, it is important to have it professionally tested. If there is lead in your paint, you will need to have it removed.
2. Radon
   Radon is an invisible, radioactive gas, which is naturally occurring in the atmosphere. A leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, Radon can enter a home in a number of ways. Most commonly, it enters through the foundation of a home when radon is present in the soil. It is important to have your home tested for radon. If radon is present, the source should be identified and a radon gas mitigation system should be stalled. Companies such as SWAT specialize in venting this gas out of your home and creating a safe living environment for you and your family. 
3. Carbon Monoxide
   Carbon monoxide is a combustion pollutant which is caused by burning materials. This dangerous gas is deadly if breathed into your body in large quantities. It can enter your home through appliances, heaters, clothes dryers, ovens, stoves, furnaces, and other common household items. It is important to have a carbon monoxide detector present in your home. This device can measure levels of the gas in your home and notify you it reaches an unsafe level. 

Rugged Heavy Duty Mats

Ever since we built our first house and my brother walked from the front door, across the (brand new) living room carpet and into the kitchen, tracking mud all the way, I have had a no shoe policy in my house.  That means shoes come off at the door, and we don't track whatever our shoes may have come in contact with into and through the house.  And, I expect the people who come to visit to take their shoes off, too.

Of course, for stores, offices, and other places of business, a no-shoe policy is not possible.  People are going to be walking in and out all day long, and they are going to be wearing their shoes.  Dirt, water, snow, and other debris will be tracked into the building on the soles of all those shoes, unless something is done to stop it.  The proper entrance mat is specially designed to stop that debris at the door and maintain a clean and welcoming entrance.  Not only that, but entrance mats help protect flooring, and they protect guests and employees from slips and falls.

There are a wide variety of rugged heavy duty mats to choose from.  Here are two kinds that you've probably seen:

• Grip Rock
  This is the original non-slip matting made from crushed garnet and ceramic beads with fiberglass in the middle. The highly textured surface provides maximum slip resistance and secure footing, promotes safety, resists fungal and bacterial growth, maintains employee performance, and decreases time off related to injuries from accidents and possible workers compensation claims and litigation. Comes in standard sizes, rolls, or custom cuts and is available unbacked for glue-down applications.
  It is commonly used in restaurants, food preparation areas, beverage stations, washing areas, freezers, kitchens, stairways, under thresholds, on incline ramps, in industrial areas, hospitals and more. 
• Poly Weave
  This carpet in heavy duty polypropylene is available in five patterns, many color options, and in rolls, tiles or custom cut sizes. The unique and rugged carpet is popular with its blend of 18-240 dpf solution dyed heavy duty UV stabilized olefin fiber (polypropylene) with a synthetic non-skid rubber backing. It is used indoors or out on the surface or recessed, is UV fade resistant, has a thickness of 7/16”, and more.

I still believe shoes have no place in the house, but these are some good options for places that can't have such a policy.

FREE Online Safety Ebook AND a Lorax Giveaway

Just because kids today have never known a world without the Internet doesn't mean they know how to behave online.  Teaching our children to use technology safely and responsibly is so important.  Are your kids ready to go online?  Take the quiz to find out, then watch the videos to start a discussion in your family about real situations that may occur online.


The More You Know Learning Series, in collaboration with NBC News, has launched Growing Up Online, the FREE eBook for parents to keep their kids safe on the Internet!  This free eBook provides easy-to-use information that addresses the growing concern about kids’ online privacy and cyberbullying in a unique and engaging way. Growing Up Online is packed with important tips that every parent should know!  For a start, check out these 6 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe Online. 

Then once you've downloaded the ebook, be sure to enter this giveaway, sponsored by the more you know and Growing Up Online.  The winner will receive a copy of Dr. Seuss’ THE LORAX DVD & Blu-ray Combo Pack.  I haven't seen the movie myself, but I've read the book, and it's pretty good!


To enter:

• Leave a comment telling me how you're teaching your children how to safely surf the internet or share your favorite Comic Book Video from the Blog App.
• For an additional entry, tweet about this giveaway with a link to this post and the hashtag #GrowingUpOnline in your tweet. (Once per day)

 The contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents, and all entries must be received by 11:59am Central Time on September 22, 2013.  Good luck!

Related articles

• The Lorax Giveaway
• Growing Up Online Free eBook & The Lorax Blu-ray Giveaway
• The Lorax: Blu-ray giveaway

Safer Than a Candle

I finally got a chance to see Jeffrey's apartment - except for just seeing the phone pics he showed me. We were in Iowa together (yay) for a while, and before heading back to Wisconsin, we both came to Champaign so he could go back to work, and so I could look at houses.  When we walked into his apartment, it smelled kind of odd.  Whether that was just how the apartment is or because it was shut up for more than a week, I don't know.  Whatever the reason, he lit a candle to help eliminate the odor.  It did help some, so that's good.

After unpacking and sorting out things that are going to stay at the apartment and things that are going back to Wisconsin, we headed out to look around the area and to get a bite to eat.  He made a point of putting out the candle before we left - because you do not want to leave a candle burning when you are not at home.  There was a time I did that, and I'm so thankful that nothing happened, and we did not burn down the place.  It freaked me out a bit when I realized it.

It reminds me of the time I was actually home and had an issue with a candle.  I put a candle on the windowsill in my kitchen and let it burn.  It was really pretty.  However, what I did not realize was that is was melting my miniblind which I had pulled up a bit in the window - but obviously not enough.  The heat from the candle was too hot for that vinyl miniblind.

I probably should have been using one of these led tea lights, though I'm not sure they had them back then. They're safe!  I could have put one on my windowsill, still enjoyed the look and feel of a real candle, because they're made to mimic that effect with what they call True Flicker®, but there would have been no heat and no melting.  The one click on/off switch and long-lasting lithium battery make them easy to use for over 72 hours of continuous use.  They're even safe to leave on when you leave the house - or around kids and pets (and miniblinds).

I suppose it's not too late to get me some - just in case my brain goes on vacation again, and I want to burn a candle on a windowsill, or forget to put it out when I leave the house.  Six of them are less than $5, which is not bad at all, and they get cheaper the more you order.

Baby Proof!

Now that we've got a curious little 9-month-old boy hanging out at our house on a regular basis, we've got some changes to make around here.  So far that mainly has meant moving stuff off the coffee table and tucking cords away as much as possible - and keeping a close eye on him so we can turn him around whenever he tries to get into anything else.


Then he learned to open the kitchen cabinets.  Do you know how much stuff is in kitchen cabinets?  Very interesting and enticing stuff when you're a little guy.  So Tuesday night - with 'help' from the little guy - Jeffrey put Child Safety Latches on the kitchen cabinets.  I think if we'd put them on before Jason learned to open the cabinets he may never have noticed or thought anything of it.  He'd just think it was normal that the cabinets only open a little bit.  But, now he knows they're supposed to open - and there's all that great stuff in there - and he wasn't at all happy when he suddenly couldn't open them!

I'm not sure I'm all that happy about it either.  I'm happy I don't have to continually get him out of the cabinets and that he can't get into anything that might hurt him - but I don't know if I'll ever get used to having these things on my cabinets.  Again.  Because, of course, we had them on the cabinets when our kids were little.  I just keep trying to open the cabinets like usual and being surprised when they don't.  I can even go straight from opening one cabinet right over to another one - and I still forget about it and try to open it like normal. 

I didn't actually realize how often I get into my kitchen cabinets every day, until they got baby-proofed!

Evie - Voice app for iPhone

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Evie. All opinions are 100% mine.

This kind of reminds me of Star Trek.  You know how they could ask the computer and get any information they needed without touching a thing?  Enter Evie, the voice app for iPhone.  Tell Evie what you want, and Evie delivers.  Call anyone on your contacts list just by saying his name or just say a number you want to call.  Examples: “Call Steve on his cell phone” or “Call 514-555-1212.”  That last could come in really handy for trying to win some of those radio giveaways - the ones where they rattle off the phone number while you're driving down the road, and by the time you've got the number punched into the phone and hit send, they've already got a winner.  But then, maybe that's just me.

Uploaded with Skitch!

Evie can also play anything you have on your iPhone.  Just say the name of the artist, song, audiobook, or whatever you want to listen to.  You can also listen to your facebook feeds with Evie.  This could come in handy not just for keeping up with your friends, which is really important, but also for getting the latest traffic updates.  I heard on our local news this morning that they regularly post traffic updates to their facebook page, and I was wondering how that would do anyone who was actually out on the road any good.  Now I know.  Drivers with an iPhone and Evie can safely stay updated.

For ease of use, convenience, and safety, this sweet little app would be great for anyone, especially those who do a lot of driving because really, you should not be messing with your phone a lot while you are driving.  Busy moms trying to get things done and keep up with the kids could really use this app, too.  With Evie, you can still do what you need want to do - hands free.  Download Evie FREE from the iPhone App Store and try it for yourself.

Snow Shoveling for Excercise and Safety

I've started my winter exercise program.  Besides walking most mornings, I get to shovel the driveway!  Sometimes, like yesterday, we don't walk at all and just stay home and shovel the driveway.  This morning there was a little bit of snow on the driveway, but we ignored it and went for our walk anyway.  And I went out later to clean it off.

There really wasn't that much, and it almost seemed like a waste of time - except for the exercise part - but I did it anyway.  Now there's just a thin layer of snow, what I couldn't scrape off, and when the temperature warms up and/or the sun comes out today, it should all melt, and we should have a clean dry driveway by the end of the day.  If we don't clean off the driveway as much as possible, some of the snow may melt, but not all of it.  Then, come evening when the temps drop again, you get ice, which is not a good thing at all.  I am all for getting and keeping that driveway, and sidewalk, as non slip as possible.

There are people in our neighborhood who just don't get around to shoveling, and their driveways turn into real messes after several snows, partial thaws, and re-freezes.  Once they get a nice, thick layer of ice on the driveway, there's not much they can do but wait for the weather to warm up, walk really carefully, and hope no one gets hurt.

Related articles

• Shoveling Snow The Proper Way (socyberty.com)
• I Love the Snow, But Not the Ice (suzanneanderson.net)

Keeping the Little Ones Safe

Who knew that when we bought a baby gate all those years ago when Beth was born, that we'd still have it.  We've gotten rid of practically every other baby item we ever had, but that gate has come in handy over the years.

I can't even remember what we used it for when the kids were little.  We didn't have stairs in our house, so we didn't need it for that.  We do have stairs in this house, so stairway gates would have been really important if the kids had been babies here.  But Cory was already 5 when we moved here.  We have used it over the years when little people have come to visit, and we used it as a pet gate when Tillie was really little.  It didn't take her long to learn to get over it, though - first climbing it and then just jumping right over.  So we gave up on that.

I'm sure they make better child safety gates nowadays, but the one we've had all these years has done a good job for us.  Will I trust it when it comes time for the grandkids to visit (years from now)?  That might be the time to check out KidSafe to learn more about what's available and see if I need something safer - or just something that opens easily so I don't have to step over it like I do now.  Because, when I'm old enough to be a grandma, I might not be able to so easily.

A Reminder

With the warmer weather, we are beginning to see more and more people out walking on the streets.  I think now would be a good time to remind everyone that, where there are no sidewalks, pedestrians should be walking on the left-hand side of the road or street - FACING traffic.  That way they will be able to see when a vehicle is coming their way, and be able to get out of the way if they need to.

Like I've said before, I live in a very small town, so we don't have a lot of traffic.  It may not be a huge safety issue here, but it still bugs me to see someone walking down the wrong side of the street.  It seems that the majority of people in this town are really trying to bug me!  Seriously, more often than not, the people who walk in this town choose to walk on the wrong side of the street, often 2 or 3 abreast, sometimes with earbuds in.  They have absolutely no clue when a car comes up behind them.

I suppose it is their choice, and probably nothing bad will happen.  Still, people, if you don't care about your own safety, could you at least face traffic when you push your baby in that fancy uppababy vista stroller? Give the little person a chance to grow up!  (See photo example of how NOT to do it)

Boat Safely

Boating is a fun summer activity, and we have plenty of lakes here in Wisconsin, so there are plenty of boats out on the water. Here in Wisconsin, there doesn't seem to be any activity that doesn't involve beer. Somehow, I don't think boating is excluded from that.

It seems pretty obvious when you stop to think about it. Boating Operating Under the Influence is just as dangerous and just as illegal as operating a motor vehicle on the road while under the influence of alcohol. Arizona Game & Fish is offering Boating Education Online in an effort to educate people and hopefully save some lives.

Watch some videos. Read some facts. Learn about boat safety, and save the beer for later.

Safety in the Inner Bank

Image via WikipediaDid you see the video of that huge tornado in Colorado last week? Tornadoes really scare me. Beth keeps saying she wants to see one, but I will be perfectly happy if I never do. I'm also very, very thankful that I have a basement - just in case. I won't be seeing that tornado. I will be hiding in the basement. Other people can see them and take the pictures for me to see later.

I think it was that tornado in Colorado that destroyed a daycare center. All the kids were safe because they took them across the street to the bank and into the bank vault. All the kids were much safer there than they would have been in that daycare center. We've got a daycare center here in town, in the same building as the bank. I hope they remember that bank vault if there's ever a tornado coming through.

Update: A tornado did go through on June 21, 2010.  It was 9:00 at night, so it was dark, and we didn't see it.  And I was in the basement.

The Morning After (Photo credit: bcmom)

I'm Glad We Live in a Small Town

The other morning Jeffrey walked out the door while I was still getting ready. I hate that - he can get up after me and still be ready to go for our walk before I am, but that's another story. He had barely walked out the door, when he walked back in and tossed Beth's car keys into the house. Yes, she had come home from work the night before, dropped her keys on the driveway outside her car, and left them there overnight. Real good. It's a good thing we live in a very small town so we don't have to worry about criminals roaming the neighborhood looking for an easy house to break into (her house key was on there too) or a car to steal. She certainly was trying to make it easy for them, wasn't she?

I'm also glad that we live in a small town, so that I can walk by myself in the mornings without worrying about carrying some kind of self defense products, just in case. Of course, I used to take the dog, when we had one, and now I have my husband to protect me. Still, in today's society, with all the bad things you hear about all the time, it might not hurt to look into getting some pepper spray or some kind of self defense alarm, and be prepared to use them. With the dropping the keys on the ground and not even being aware of it, I think Beth needs some kind of awareness training or at least some self-defense tips. She's a teenager. She doesn't believe anything bad will happen to her. I think the best thing is to be aware that bad things can happen and have some kind of plan for what you would do if it does.