POSTS WITH TAG: summer safety

Home & Garden

Should Treehouses Be Banned From Backyards?

Posted by Amy Keyishian
on Jun 7, 2011 at 9:40 PM

treehouseWe've all had the experience of being at a pal's house and thinking, "Well... that doesn't seem safe." We steer our kids away from the trampoline/glass coffee table/sheer cliff, and proceed on home.

But what if we took another tack? What if we called the county and demanded someone change their home to suit our comfort levels?

This is exactly the kind of thing going on right now -- with backyard tree-houses. They’re a classic bit of American life, the kind of thing childhood dreams are made of – and often, for the lucky among us, where kids really do go to run their imaginations, or just read comics in the lazy summer heat.
 
But one family’s annoying experience shows how today’s world seems to be sacrificing too much in a quest for a bubble-wrapped childhood. The question is: Don't I get to make the safety rules in my own home?

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Home & Garden

The TSA Is Picking Your Pocket

Posted by April Peveteaux
on Feb 17, 2011 at 8:10 PM

tsa stealingYou'd think the TSA couldn't get more of a bad rap following the groping, the urine-bag breaking, and the all-around junk-touching of the past year. You'd be wrong. It seems that some seriously crappy apples in the Transportation Security Administration have been getting rich -- by stealing your money and valuables right out of your luggage.

Yep, TSA employees have been busted in Newark, JFK, Phoenix, and Buffalo for taking your belongings home with them. What a-holes. Really. We're forced to put all of our things through x-rays, be patted down, or subjected to x-rays ourselves, and now we find out these same people are making off with our money?

Granted, it's a total of six people out of thousands that are employed by the TSA, but I can't help but think there should be special, oh, I don't know, SCREENING in place when hiring people who have intimate knowledge of your intimates.

Think you were a victim?

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Home & Garden

Budget Camping Season Is the Reason: Deals of the Week

Posted by Jennie Canzoneri
on Jul 22, 2010 at 11:10 AM
Summer Family Fun Guide

dome tentMy husband is always talking about going camping and not in the way I prefer to camp, which is at a place that offers room service.

Although I'm usually resistant to the idea of sharing my bed with insects, I do think our son will one day love the idea of camping, and what he loves, I love watching him do.

So, if you're planning a camping excursion for whatever reason, check out these current camping deals from great stores like Overstock.com, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Cabela's, Target, and Walmart.

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Toddler

Police Refuse to Save Kid From Hot Car Because He's Not Unconscious

Posted by Jeanne Sager
on Jul 8, 2010 at 7:30 AM

hot car kidA Canadian mom who accidentally locked her toddler son in the car when she was picking him up from daycare expected police to rush to her aid.

But when she called 911, the operator told her no one would come -- because it's against their policy to unlock doors for citizens who lock the keys in the car. 

So who's willing to bet they would've sent an officer lickety split if little Michael Desrosiers had been passed out from the heat in the car?

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Toddler

Forgetting Kids in Cars: Is a Cell Phone Really Going to Make Up for Sucky Parenting?

Posted by Jeanne Sager
on Jul 7, 2010 at 10:30 AM

cell phoneThe overheated kid in the car story comes up every summer and makes me want to cry.

But for all that I feel for these parents, the advice the TV crews keep dredging up on how NOT to forget your kids smacks of some pretty sucky parenting.

The reporter on the TV news this week actually suggested putting your purse or cell phone in the backseat next to your kids (not her fault -- the suggestion came from an expert).

Not surprisingly this was in the same broadcast where a bunch of folks on the street admitted they are NEVER without their cell phones.

So what does this say about American parents?

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Baby

Reusable Swim Diapers -- Must-Have for Baby

Posted by Michele Zipp
on Jul 6, 2010 at 2:15 PM
Summer Family Fun Guide

baby swimsuit with diaperIf you don't have the right diaper for swimming, it's not going to be a pretty sight if baby goes potty in the pool. And if you ever tried to let her swim with a regular diaper on, you quickly learned about diaper technology -- and how much liquid it can hold (and how disgusting the insides are when it explodes). Ick!

When I was younger, we had a small 4-foot pool and a sign hanging near it that read: We don't swim in your toilet, so please don't pee in our pool. Great saying, right? No one wants to swim in pee and no one wants to deal with the aftermath of a baby pooping in a pool. So I found these reusable swim diapers that will save the day and save the planet. No swim diapers needed -- it's all built into the suit.

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Beauty & Style

5 Beauty Products With SPF

Posted by Brianne DiSylvester
on Jul 3, 2010 at 7:30 AM

The summer rays can be harsh ... even if it's not super sunny out. UV rays can bounce off glassy buildings or just shine down on you and can be harmful. We all need to think about SPF every day, not just at the beach.

But who has time to add an extra layer of product to their already time consuming regimen? Plus, the smell of some sunscreens aren't the best.

Thankfully, more beauty brands are packing SPF into products you already use.

It's so easy ... two uses in one!

See what 5 SPF-laden items I love.

 

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Home & Garden

4 Ways to Avoid Feeling Like a Pack Mule This Summer

Posted by Jeanne Sager
on Jul 2, 2010 at 1:10 PM

shopper's toteWhy does the most relaxing season of the year always turn you into a pack mule?

Picture it -- you hit the farmers' market for the bumper crop of heirlooms and the next thing you know you're loaded down with bags from the nursery, the groovy organic guy, and that indie baker you couldn't resist.

Sound familiar?

How about your beach trip last weekend, when your sun baked buzz was totally ruined by the need schlep everyone's stuff back to the car?

We'd lend you some virtual help to shoulder the load, but these options might be better:

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Healthy Living

7 Tips for 4th of July Fireworks Safety

Posted by Juliet Farmer
on Jul 1, 2010 at 8:01 PM

FireworksThe 4th of July is a great time to gather with friends and family and celebrate.

Maybe you're entertaining guests for the July 4th holiday, or maybe you're on summer vacation somewhere special.

Whether you're lighting fireworks in your yard or attending a big fireworks show, this 4th of July, when it comes to fireworks safety, your goal should be keeping things fun and safe for everyone.

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Toddler

Is Your Sandbox Making Your Kids Sick?

Posted by Jeanne Sager
on Jun 28, 2010 at 3:30 PM
Summer Family Fun Guide

sandboxIt's prime sandbox season, but this is one playground hot spot that's fraught with dangers.

Now that you've run to scream at your kid to get inside, a bit of good news: It's relatively easy to make your sandbox safe for the summer.

The Stir asked Wendy Gordon of the Natural Resources Defense Council's SimpleSteps.org to explain all those cancer-causing agents in the sandbox and how to get them away from your kids.

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