How to Create a Safe and Spooktacular Halloween, Thanks Giving and Holiday Season Giveaway
October 5, 2010 By 125 Comments
It’s October and Halloween is going to be here before we know it. I have always loved Halloween because I just love an excuse to dress up. Underwriter’s Laboratory is offering up some steps on how to be safe on Halloween.
How to Create a Safe and Spooktacular Halloween
For families across the country, Halloween is the official launch of the holiday and decorating season, which is why it is important for parents to recognize the potential safety hazards that may be associated with many of the season’s celebratory activities.
1. Inspect decorations for loose connections, frayed or bare wires and broken or cracked sockets when using lights to decorate the home for Halloween. When hanging lights, use plastic hooks or clips to reduce the risk of electric shock and fire hazards. Never nail or staple light strings.
2. Keep candles away from items that easily catch fire, such as decorations, window treatments and paper. Halloween is the fifth highest day for reported candle fires. Candles are the cause of approximately 15,000 reported house fires every year.
3. Look for flame resistant labels when purchasing costumes, fabric and accessories. Although this label does not mean these items won’t catch fire, it does indicate the fabric will resist burning and should extinguish quickly once removed from the ignition source.
Then after Halloween it always feels like November and December just fly by with Holidays and things to do. Growing up, I had a huge family. I have two moms and two dads and each of them have four/five siblings so visiting everyone was always a huge ordeal, but still fun. So I know that you will all be very busy this Holiday Season and I wanted to share UL’s tips on staying safe for the rest of the year!
Serve Up a Side of Safety This Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is the No. One day for home fires, which isn’t surprising since Americans will roast, bake, brine, grill and even deep fry more than 45 million turkeys on November 26. This Thanksgiving, UL is offering these simple cooking safety tips to help keep cooks safe in the kitchen, regardless of their level of expertise!
1. Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking: Most fires in the kitchen occur because food is left unattended. If you must leave the kitchen briefly, carry an oven mitt with you as a reminder that something is cooking.
2. Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of emergency and know how to use it: Make sure the fire extinguisher is rated for grease fires and electrical fires and read the directions carefully. The acronym P.A.S.S. can help make sure you use it properly.
· Pull the pin; Aim the spray nozzle low at the base of the fire; Squeeze the nozzle to spray the contents; Sweep back and forth as you spray the base of the fire.
3. Do not pour water on a grease fire: Pouring water on a grease fire can cause the fire to spread.
Last but not least is “The Most Wonderful Time Of the Year”, Christmas. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas and all of the festivities around that!
Wrap Up the Year Safely This Holiday Season
Between finding the perfect gift for loved ones, trimming the tree and sprucing up the house with festive decorations, safety can easily be overlooked during the holiday season. That’s why UL is reminding families to take a few minutes to think about the most precious gift of all when celebrating the holidays – safety.
4. A fresh tree is key: If the needles are not fresh, it can lead to a greater risk of fire. Remember to ask your tree lot attendant to make a fresh cut to the base of the tree and place it in water as soon as you get home. Place tree in a tree stand that holds at least one gallon of water and check moisture level frequently.
5. Indoor or outdoor? Look for the UL Mark: Indoor-use only light strings are marked with UL’s green holographic label. Indoor or outdoor-use light strings are marked with UL’s red holographic label.
6. Read manufacturer instructions: When stringing lights together, the general rule is to not connect more than three midget light string sets together. Light strings with screw-in bulbs should never have more than 50 bulbs connected together.
7. Examine packaging: Parents should thoroughly examine new gifts, especially if they have young children at home. Pay particular attention to products in boxes or packages that do not offer the following:
· A brand name
· Manufacturer’s name with contact information for reporting problems with the product
Enter to Win:
UL picnic basket loaded with UL goodies
To Enter:
Leave a comment telling me which of the tips is most useful to you!
This is not a sponsored giveaway and it ends October 25th.
Oh For the Love of Controversy
October 5, 2010 By 15 Comments
The controversy over the HFCS post I wrote has become quite popular, or un-popular I should say. The last time I had such a popular post that wasn’t a giveaway was when I was writing about my organs falling out and the anxiety I live with. Let me tell you, this mess has caused my anxiety to come back a lot quicker than I expected it to. I usually only deal with the anxiety once a month but this might be a long month for me. With popular bloggers writing about me, some linking to me and other’s respecting me and my site; I wonder if I actually have a thick enough skin to seriously partake in this Blogging Community. If I am going to take on controversial posts I need to develop that thick skin quickly!
I took the Corn Refiners campaign because every time I support a company like Kellogg’s or Sara Lee I get nasty e-mails about myself as a mother or about the health of my children. I do care about my children and if you knew me personally you would think I was a sugar Nazi. I honestly don’t care about HFCS at all, and I never said I did in the post. I said I think of it as I do sugar, and I limit sugar of any kind in my children’s diets so much so that my children’s doctor had to tell me to let them have a little bit. If I limit it all the time, when they are in an environment that I’m not there to control then they’ll over indulge. My kids don’t get juice, cookies or ice cream unless it’s a special treat and those are rare. My husband gave them some cotton candy the other day and I thought I was going to have a heart attack on the spot. But in moderation, a little processed food or sugar of any kind is not going to kill my kids. I cook dinner for my kids often, but I’m also a mom of convenience and I’m not afraid to share that with my readers. I’m not a crunchy and I’ve never pretended to be. When I shop for foods, I look for any of the key words that mean sugar, syrup, HFCS, glucose, fructose, and sugar itself, I don’t buy things that have sugar as a main ingredient. I also look at the calories, fat, and number of sugars in the nutritional information. That is what I think all moms should do. Set limits.
So why is it so bad to write a post raising awareness? I was completely up front with who the presenters/experts were. I even mentioned who each one worked for and who they were associated with. I knew it was slanted by the Corn Refiners and anyone looking at my post should have been able to see that fact. I even wonder how many people actually Read my post before jumping on their I hate HFCS and Corn Refiners band wagons. Did you even notice that we might be dealing with a new branding here. I wanted to raise awareness that HFCS might be rebranding to corn sugar.
I took this campaign because I knew it was controversial and that I would get comments. I never expected to be so honored by being linked to on numerous other blogs. In fact it makes me think that yes I was under paid by the Corn Refiners and Mom Central because my reach is much larger than I expected it to be. In all honestly, I want to thank those of you that are using me as an example. You have raised my traffic and stats and have raised even more awareness about the Corn Refiners and their plans than I ever could have on my own. I’m just a little disgusted at some of the comments being left on those posts! You all want to send me into Mommy Over Protective Monster over here. So while I go out and get some fresh air, you’ll have to forgive me for not leaving comments on all of your posts or stirring the pot anymore than this response here.
I appreciate my readers because you were all very kind and left informative comments.
To the Rest of you…Understand that there is a blogger, a person with feelings that is writing these posts. Attack the content and not the person. Dragging my name or any of the other blogger’s names through the mud because we wrote about something you do not agree with is only hurtful. Understand, my opinions cannot be bought. I write what I want to write about regardless of someone paying me or not. I pick and choose and you may not agree with me.
Help Habitat For Humanity Celebrate World Habitat Day Today October 4th – 8th.
October 4, 2010 By 2 Comments
A few weeks ago when I was in Florida visiting my mother we were talking about charities and which ones to support or now. She was telling me which one is her favorite and it happens to be World Habitat because she knows that it is going to be helping other. After Hurricane Katrina, even though she didn’t live in New Orleans she saw Habitat for Humanity help in her community living on the gulf coast. I think she even said she makes a donation once a month give or take because where she lives they actually come by and pick up the donations. I’m trying to teach my children to have the same giving heart that I have, my mother has and that even my grandmother has, but since I have a voice on-line, why stop with my children?
We can all help! That’s right even you, my readers can help, here are three suggestions:
Advocate
In addition to building homes in partnership with people in need, Habitat advocates to address the causes of poverty housing. Advocacy activities always include a specific request, such as asking supporters to sign a petition, send a message to an elected official or take part in a rally.
Fundraise
World Habitat Day is a great way to raise funds for Habitat in your area. A fundraiser can help educate the public and generate publicity for nonprofit organizations like Habitat for Humanity.
Educate
Organize a public awareness event for World Habitat Day 2010 that not only highlights the need for affordable housing in your own community, but also discusses the need for improved shelter for billions of people around the world.
Look for ways to celebrate World Habitat Day:
In the United States, Habitat for Humanity will also focus on neighborhood revitalization. In a broad effort to help communities fulfill their aspirations, Habitat will expand its housing programs to include repairing more homes, rehabbing more vacant homes, and improving the energy-efficiency of homes. Habitat will work with partners to provide holistic improvements in a community. Habitat’s World Habitat Day efforts will focus on the link between housing and health, for example, through the release of the 2011 Shelter Report, which focuses on the need for more research on the connections between healthy homes and healthy families around the world.
Around the World:
Around the world, many Habitat for Humanity local offices have organized World Habitat Day events. Habitat for Humanity’s 27th annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project is a World Habitat Day event this year. It will be held Oct. 4 – 8 in six cities in the United States. Held in a different location each year, Habitat’s Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project is an annual, internationally-recognized week of building that brings attention to the need for simple, decent and affordable housing. This year, the Carters will work alongside volunteers in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore and Annapolis, Md.; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.; and Birmingham, Ala. to build, rehabilitate and improve 86 homes.
- To see a list of other Habitat World Habitat Day events, click here.
- To view online resources available for download, click here.
- To join Habitat’s World Habitat Day Photo Wall, click here.
This is not a paid post, I have a passion for charity and much of this content was provided to me by Habitat for Humanity. I hope that you can find a way to help in your own community or place in the world!
Romantic Comedy Life As We Know It
October 4, 2010 By 1 Comment
I haven’t seen very many previews for movies lately, in fact I have very little knowledge of what is coming to theaters unless I get a press release for my blog. I received an invitation to go see Life As We Know It and knew that I wanted to take my husband with me. Due to circumstances out of my control, my husband could not go with me so I invited a good friend of mine. We went to Seattle for a girl’s night out and enjoyed the movie.
Life As We Know It stars Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel two characters I have been watching for a very long time. I started watching Katherine when she was in Roswell even though most everyone in the world thinks she got her start on Grey’s Anatomy. Josh Duhamel, I wish he would go back to All My Children but why in the world would he when he’s making it on the big screen? Yeah, he won’t!
In Life As We Know It Josh and Katherine play two characters (Eric Messer and Holly) that HATE each other at first! They endure each other because their best friends got married and had a baby. Messer is a sports fanatic living the dream life in his eyes, he can sleep with whomever he wants to whenever he wants to and loves every minute of it. Holly, is a business owner that plans out every second of her life. When Holly and Messer are thrown together becoming parents their lives are turned upside down. They don’t even have time to actually grieve over the passing of their friends, because they find out they are now the guardians of Sophie. At first they just don’t’ think they can share the responsibility, then they decide that they are the best option so they give it a try. Of course with any romantic comedy, they fall in love have sex, argue, break up and in the end…..Go Watch the movie, but I’m pretty sure you can guess the outcome!
Watching this movie actually made me stop and think about what I would do with my kids in this situation. Who would I pick to be their parents if something was to happen to my husband and I? We decided that we both would pick our sister, both of us feel more comfortable with our own, but they couldn’t share the responsibility like Holly and Eric do in Life As We Know It. Were Sophie’s parents crazy throwing the two of them together? I don’t think so. They knew the two of them could do it.
Life As We Know It made me laugh, cry and think about life. I could see my own neighborhood, neighbors and kids and that brought on more tears and smiles. I would love to take my husband to see this movie and I think he would actually like it. It’s not just a chick flick in my opinion. This is a movie for parents, being a parent is hard and we all make mistakes. Being reminded that it’s ok to make a mistake and laugh about it is priceless. If you want a full movie synopsis visit Life As We Know It .
I attended a complimentary screening of this movie to facilitate my review and received a gift card from Mom Central as a thank you for my time.
Monday Mingle What’s your look?
October 4, 2010 By 6 Comments
It’s time for Monday Mingle. What are the crazy things you have done to change your looks. Today over at Jennifer’s blog EightyMPHmom is asking a few questions about how you change your looks. Me, I’m not big on my looks anyways. Yes, when I go to blog events I’ll do more than usual to dress up, but at home, I’m a mommy and dress down. I just hate getting my nice clothes covered in paint or food you know. But at most events, I look at those like job opportunities. So I dress up.
Here are the questions this week:
This week’s questions (submitted by Debbie from Musings in the Key of D):
1. What is/was your favorite thing you have done to change your look? i.e. tanning, hair removal, new cut/color, different style of clothes, hair extensions etc.
2. What is/was NOT such great a way to change your looks?
3. If time and money were not an inconvenience, which would you prefer laser hair removal or permanent makeup ? Why?
I’m just not big into make up, I’m not into tanning. I didn’t mention this in the video but I have been tanning before. It’s not for me. I think it’s a pain in the butt. I don’t’ like going to salons a great deal because I hate having people touch my feet. Next week are my questions.
David Archuleta The Other Side of Down Giveaway
October 3, 2010 By 30 Comments
Sometimes, I post things because I have a good relationship with a PR rep. This is one of those times, I haven’t received the CD yet so I can’t write up a review. Sometimes, I think I’m the only one in the world that isn’t watching American Idol. My parents watch it, both my mom and dad even though they live in different states, they sit down with their families and watch it. So I know they know who David Archuleta is. So does most of America I would say.
David Archuleta’s 3rd studio album titled, The Other Side of Down will be released on October 5th.
“I’m really looking forward to releasing this album. Most of the songs on the album represent thoughts and experiences that I’ve personally gone through,” says David. “I hope this album helps people understand more of where I’m coming from as an artist and as a person. It’s about moving forward in life, making progress in accomplishing your goals and dreams while appreciating what life has given you.”
Earlier this year, David Archuleta earned the distinction of the “Best American Idol ever” in a Billboard magazine reader poll. Archuleta was the American Idol Season 7 runner-up in 2008, and he’s widely known for his exceptional vocal talent and charismatic boy next door charm. The 19-year-old Utah native received accolades for his self-titled 2008 debut; People magazine observed, “There’s a surprising freshness to his pop CD.” The album contained the hit song “Crush,” which has sold over 2.3 million digital units to date, and went on to sell over 750,000 albums. Last year, he released a seasonal album, Christmas from the Heart and it is certain to become a holiday staple for years to come.
In June 2010, Archuleta penned his first book Chords of Strength: A Memoir of Soul, Song, And the Power of Perseverance which debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list. The autobiography chronicles lessons he’s learned in his young life so far and encourages young people to follow their dreams.
Enter to Win:
Three (3) winners will receive:
- Copy of his new CD, THE OTHER SIDE OF DOWN
To Enter:
Leave a comment on this post telling my why you want to win.
This is not a sponsored giveaway, and the giveaway ends October 18th
Let’s Go Fly A Kite
October 3, 2010 By 7 Comments
It was a beautiful weekend for the most part. We didn’t have any rain and the temperatures were quite pleasant. So on Saturday, my daughter found the kite in the garage while my husband was cleaning. My husband put up shelves in the garage and now all of my blogging stuff is getting organized. Back to Zoe, she took the kite out into the cul-de-sac to fly it with her brother and dad and then the neighborhood came out.
Zoe flew the kite back and fourth.
Miles took a turn or two, or a million. I lost count!
The kids played and played for hours and hours. We didn’t have a lot of wind on Saturday so the kids had to take the kites and just run to keep them up. I couldn’t believe that everyone loved it so much. You all should have seen it, my husband and I have been discussing the fact that the adults actually liked flying the kites more than the kids did. We all had a ball. I heard one of the neighbors that doesn’t have any kids even say he had a great time watching the kids run back and fourth with the kites. It was beautiful!
OrganWise Guys Back To School Back To good Health Kit Giveaway
October 3, 2010 By 53 Comments
Remember the OgranWise Guys Summer Time kit that I posted about? Well, we colored all of the pages read the books and then received the back to school kit. Now, I’ve been extremely busy since getting back from BlogHer, Zoe started preschool, and Miles and I have been having mommy son dates. We’ve been having so much time learning together and I’ve just been really happy spending time with the kids.
What’s been really crazy is that all along, even at the beginning of the Summer, Miles is the one that has had more interest in learning about the organs and playing with the Organwise Guys toys. Zoe has been the one that loves to color the coloring pages and activities, but they both like looking at the book. We recently received the OrganWise Guys Back To School Kit and enjoyed learning even more. Every time I look at it it makes me think of Xmen because the Sir Rebrum, is so close to the name of the machine that Xavier uses in the movie. Anyways, we’re learning about the brain here guys!
I know some of you reading my blog think that I don’t care about my kids health, but I DO! I love teaching them about how important exercise is and how everything in your body works together to be healthy. We’ve been teaching the kids that exercise make the heart stronger, and eating healthy is good for the brain and for the heart. It’s in their own terms and these kits from OrganWise Guys are helping me to teach the kids with pictures and plush. The plush I like to put right up to them and say, this is where your heart goes, and this is where your brain is. It’s fun to see Zoe’s eyes light up like, are you serious?
Imagine if your body could speak to you. Really. Imagine if it could really speak to you. For children, learning has to be imaginative and fun. So, as the childhood obesity crisis persists, teaching children about health and wellness is imperative but it has to be imaginative and fun. See for yourself by visiting http://www.organwiseguys.com/kids.html and listening to The Buddy Song.Imagine if your body could speak to you. Really. Imagine if it could really speak to you. For children, learning has to be imaginative and fun. So, as the childhood obesity crisis persists, teaching children about health and wellness is imperative but it has to be imaginative and fun. See for yourself by visiting http://www.organwiseguys.com/kids.html and listening to The Buddy Song.
Enter To Win:
The OrganWise Guys Back to School Kit:
* Monthly Healthy Behavior Tracking Calendar: With the start of a new school year, take on a new healthy behavior each month! The calendar is designed for use beginning any month of any year.* Sir Rebrum Plush Toy: The brainy but cute professor is also the leading caricature in the Breakfast Skippin’ Blues Video
* School Days Here We Come! Book: It’s the first day of school and time to meet all The OrganWise Guys classmates and see where they live!
* Breakfast Skippin’ Blues Video: Sir Rebrum is having a hard time remembering his lines in a school play. Can you guess what he forgot to do that morning?
The cast of The OrganWise Guys — Hardy Heart, Peri Stolic (the large intestine), Sir Rebrum, Pepto the Stomach and Sid and Kid Kidney (The Kidney Brothers) along with buddies Calci M. Bone, Windy the Lungs and Madame Muscle, is a collection of friendly, delightfully eccentric characters that are cleverly personified body parts. They invite parents and their children to join them on child-friendly experiences as they learn to incorporate healthy eating and physical activity into their daily lives. $34.80!
To Enter:
Tell me what your favorite part of the body is!
Extra Entries:
Tweet or RT this post and include the link to the post
OrganWise Guys Back To School Kit #Giveaway http://bit.ly/9PTgIR
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This giveaway ends October 18th, I was provided a sample in exchange for this post! All rules can be found under giveaway rules.
Sid The Science Kid Home Party and Science Kit Giveaway
October 2, 2010 By 161 Comments
Sid the Science Kid is a FAMILY favorite. Yes, the whole family likes watching Sid, not just Zoe and Miles. In fact I would say that it is their dad’s favorite cartoon to watch with them. We love watching Sid and he’s helped us with things like wearing sunscreen and discovering bugs. We had the privelage of throwing a Sid The Science Kid Party and sharing some new toys from Sid The Science Kid. The Sid The Science Kid Party was thrown in honor of Sid the Science Kid, the award-winning, educational television series from the Jim Henson Studios returning for its second season with 12 new episodes on October 4th! That’s Monday People! Tune into PBS to watch the new series and check 
your local listings for times!
At PBS they believe that introducing preschoolers to the basics of science through the eyes of a young science reporter named Sid, is a fun way to educate. Each episode begins with a new question and Sid embarks on a fun day of adventures filled with singing and dancing. The singing and dancing is not annoying in anyway and we find that the information is really presented in a way that a child would actually understand and do themselves.
We were provided with the supplies, plates, napkins, and cups, a Sid the Science Kid Microphone, and the Sid The Science Kid Kit Why Are Wheels Round. The Microphone we shared and it was a huge hit. I was asked where you can purchase one because a special birthday is coming up! I believe you can find them at Amazon, and Target. I know if you search for them on-line you will find plenty of places to purchase them.
Sid seems to be quite a favorite in other families too, or at least that is what I gathered from the party. We had a lot of fun that day, so much that I didn’t get any other pictures captured other than the party supplies. OOPS!
The next day, when daddy was home we did the science kit, Why are wheels round? My husband had them do it just like Sid would have. They explored every aspect of it. They used the square wheels, the oval wheels and the round wheels. They talked about friction and when the friction was the best and worst. It was quite fun to watch them all do it together. Then they had to write down their discoveries in their journals. Which was also fun to watch them draw!
After they made all of their discoveries inside the house they had to see how it would do outside on the sidewalk. So we had quite a fun day with our experiment.
Enter To Win:
Sid the Science Science Kit Why Are Wheels Round.
To Enter:
Tell me what your favorite Sid the Science Kid Product is.
Extra Entries:
Tweet or RT this post and include the link to the post
Sid the Science Kid Science Kit Why Are Wheels Round #Giveaway http://bit.ly/9yVwsz
Follow/Like Mom Start on Facebook
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Follow me on Google Friend Connect
Subscribe to my blog
Comment on any other non-giveaway post
List this giveaway on any giveaway site, dig or stumble
Blog About this Giveaway (5 extra entries, linking to the giveaway)
Add my blog button to your sidebar.
This giveaway ends October 18th, I was provided a sample in exchange for this post! All rules can be found under giveaway rules.
