Health Safety Tips: What to Do About Spider Bites

It is not unusual to be bit by a spider so it is a good idea to know what do to do about spider bites.  According to Kidshealth.com, you should take the following steps:

Sites for Checking Whether an Email is a Hoax or Not

I am sure you get these emails or even Facebook posts all the time about,  "a virus was just announced that will burn your hard drive, or if you send these to 10 people so and so will donate $$ for charity, etc."  Before resending these emails, what you can do is a reality check find out what's real and what's not.  Here are highly recommended sites for checking whether an email is a hoax or not:

1. Snopes.com: is the most trusted and popular online watchdog.  Entries are well researched, with original sources and veracity is provided.


2. Urbanlegends.About.com: gives you a status of false, dubious or true and provides analysis.


3. Hoax-Slayer.com: it organizes hoaxes in to topics such as celebrity, charity, phone calls, etc. It covers most of the bases.

So, next time, just before you click that "forward" button to send it to the entire world, do a reality check with these three most trusted sites.

- The Moms Buzz

source: ShopSmartMag.com July 2010

Grilling Etiquette

If you did not know, May is the National Barbecue Month. With the weather getting nicer and warmer, throwing a barbecue is the way to entertain. For that, Moms Buzz wants to share with you the grilling etiquette, the dos and don'ts. Please share this with your husband if he's usually the person manning the grill at home. Take notes...

Grilling Etiquette

When invited to a Barbecue:

• DO feek OK bringing your own sauce. 49% of grillers say it is acceptable.
• DO expect themeat to be provided by the host, but pull your weight by brining your own sides and beverages. Go the extra mile and bring enough to share with others.
• DON'T touch the grill! 61% of people say that only the host/hostess shold "man" the grill. As a guest you can look, but don't touch.

As the host of a barbecue:

• DO have all grilled food ready at relatively the same time.
• DO offer grilled vegetarian options.
• DON'T feel obligated to invite your neighbors.

In general, when grilling with others:

• DO start eating your food if your meat is finished before everyone else's.
• DO stake your claim at a community grill by laying out your grilling utensils or meat.
• DO be considerate of others. It is only appropriate to flip your own meat and the meat of others when manning a grill.

You can read more about grilling at The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association.

Enjoy grilling during May, the month of the barbecues!

- The Moms Buzz

Sun Safety Factors to Keep in Mind with Sunscreen

Oh, yeah! The warmer weather has said hello already, and that means lots of protection for our skins and that of our family members', especially the children.  However, do not forget that it is OK to receive some sun 10-15 minutes to get our daily dose of Vitamin D!  This is another topic to talk about, but for this post, we'll cover sun safety factors to keep in mind with sunscreen:

Make YouTube a Little Safer for Your Children (Young and Older)

If you did not know here are some facts about YouTube:

• Kids are supposed to be 13 to use YouTube
• Anything -- from fabulous to icky -- can be uploaded or viewed
• YouTube relies on community monitoring to flag iffy videos
• Safety Mode helps filter inappropriate content

Since many of out children watch and look for children stuff in YouTube, you may want to make YouTube a little safer for your children.  YouTube has a SafetyMode that you can turn on to filter our the iffy stuff.  Here is a YouTube video tutorial with safety tips and that will tell how to do it:

- The Moms Buzz

Food Safe Picnics Tips

Spring weekends mean picnic time with family and friends, and it is important we take care the right measures for keeping our food safe while outdoors for long periods of time. 

Preparing, serving and eating safe food is important.  We must constantly practice safe food handling to avoid illness.  Here are some food safe picnics tips so that you make the best of your fun time outdoors:

Safety Tips When Buying Frozen Foods

When you are at the supermarket, don't think that everything you see if perfectly safe.  Here are some safety tips when buying Frozen Foods:

Safe Bicycling for Young and Older Children - Tips

Although it's still cold out there, it will get warmer soon being the perfect time for children to ride their bikes.  If you live in one of those lucky cities like Washington, DC, where it was Spring time this past weekend, children of all ages where riding their bikes. 

How to Set iPhone's Parental Controls

I love my iPhone and guess who else?  My kids too!  However, iPhones or iTouchs are like little computers, and if you have parental controls in your home computer, you may want to do the same with your iPhone.  Here is how to set iPhone's parental controls:

Dos and Don'ts of Online Holiday Shopping

The holiday shopping season has started already - although not officially - and what we dread the most is usually getting a parking spot at the malls and waiting in line to pay.  For busy moms, online shopping is the helping hand we need during this season. It is convenient, fits our busy schedule, no need to fight the traffic, and we can tackle almost all our holidays gift shopping in one seating! (provided the kids are asleep, right? ;))  But, as convenient as it is, we still need to take some precautions when shopping online.  Here are some dos and don'ts of online holiday shopping safety:

Situations Where Massage Should Be Avoided - Safety Tips

As busy moms we always feel what a treat a massage could be, but of course, there is no room in our busy agendas most of the time.  Although, we long for such a peaceful and therapeutic moment, we need to keep in mind that there are situations where massage should be avoided:

Food Safety Picnics - 3 Basic Tips

Weather has been good this Summer, very little humidity without extreme hot temperatures as in past years.  This fabulous Summer weather has lent itself to picnics beyond the Spring season.

Preparing, serving and eating safe food is very important when on a picnic. We must constantly practice safe food handling to avoid illness, and especially, when the food will remain outside for a long time.  

Follow these 3 basic food safety tips and you will be ready enjoy a safe food picnic:

Bridging the Digital Gap Between Parents and Teenagers

The importance of family internet safety education and etiquette is often overlooked by both kids and teenagers today. While most teens are more ahead of the curve than most parents when it comes to the internet, they may not have the knowledge to help keep them safe from online dangers and its potentially negative effects.

The Moms Buzz would love to introduce you to a new initiative by Girl Scouts called LMK (text-speak for “Let Me Know") which provides parents and girls with resources catering to both generations, and whose goal is to bridge the digital gap between parents and teenagers.

Three Safe Sites for Kids Recommended by PCMag.com

We are all concerned about where our kids surf the net, install parent control features in our family computers and supervise where they play online. There are plenty of safe sites for kids on the Internet, and the three safe sites for kids that we are telling about today are high recommended by PCMag.com for games, videos, news and more:

Choosing the Right Size Bicycle for Your Child

Choosing the right size bicycle for your child is one of the most important safety measures for your child when riding a bike.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, all bikes must be the correct size for the child to whom the bike is sold to prevent an accident.  Even though, more often than not, we tend to go to a bike shop to buy our family bikes, where they will "size" the bike to our child, it is important that you also know about the following tests to ensure your child is getting the right size bicycle:

Recall Alert on Peanut Butter Products

As you may have heard from the news since January 12, 2009, there has been a recall on peanut butter products associated to a salmonella outbreak.  Today, Peanut Corporation of America announced a further recall of peanut products that may be contaminated with salmonella.  Below are some of the products and brands you need to consider disposing of all at once.

• All peanut butter products with the King Nut label.
• Austin and Keebler branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers.  
• Snack-size packs of famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies and Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies.    
• Little Debbie peanut paste crackers. 
• LÄRABAR peanut butter cookie flavor snack bars and JamFrakas Peanut Butter Blisscrisp flavor snack bars.
• Wal-Mart Bakery brands of peanut butter cookies, peanut butter no-bake cookies, and peanut butter fudge no-bake cookies.

The salmonella outbreak is the second in two years involving peanut butter. Salmonella is the nation's leading cause of food poisoning; common symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.   If you suspect your child has any of these symptoms, and may have consumed any of the products mentioned above, take him urgently to the doctor.

- The Moms Buzz

source: various

How Safe Are Gift Cards?

Gift cards have become popular ways of allowing consumers to buy something they really want. But, this holiday season gift cards have been in the news for other reasons.  We have heard so many stories about using caution with gift cards due to store going out of business that we ask ourselves how safe are gift cards these days?  With just a little bit of precaution and some common sense, gift cards should still be a safe gift this holiday season and always. Our friends from Retrevo.com, a blog about gadgets and electronics, give us some tips on how to make the best out of the gift cards we receive or are about to give as presents.  

Don't Become an Unsecured Creditor 
This year there is an added caution; if you buy a gift card from a retailer that goes on to file for bankruptcy (like Sharper Image and Circuit City) you could be left holding a worthless plastic card. The best advice is to use the card as soon as possible. Bank gift cards can be a safer bet however they tack on extra fees and charges. 

Beware of Gift Card Scams
There have been reports of gift card scammers collecting gift card numbers off gift cards like a Best Buy gift card or a Starbucks gift card in racks at supermarkets, When you purchase the card at the local Safeway or anywhere else, your ID becomes active and now the scammers can use the card number online and drain the funds.

Staying Safe in Parking Lots and Garages

We have heard of so many stories about being robbed or cars broken into in parking lots or garages that we thought it would be a good idea to share some safety tips on how to stay safe in parking lots and garage to keep in mind for the rest of the holiday season and always.

 

1. Identify entrances and exits when entering a parking facility.
2. If possible, park next to entrances or in open and well-lit areas.
3. Always roll up windows, close the sunroof and lock the doors before leaving your car.
4. Avoid leaving valuables in your car.  And, don't leave your cell phone plugged in the cigarette lighter and in plain view.
5. When returning to your car, keep your keys in hand walk with a purpose.
6. Trust your instinct. If you do not feel comfortable, ask a security officer to escort you to your vehicle.
7. Immediately report any suspicious activity to security.
8. Do not linger around your car.  Prepare to enter your car quickly and drive away.
9. Keep doors locked and windows up until you have excited the facility.

Be safe and check your surroundings always to stay safe in parking lots or garages.

- The Moms Buzz

source: Washington Family Magazine December 2008 edition.

2008 HOLIDAY SAFETY TIPS

Image by VACCARI Photography

 It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays. You’ve got parties, decorations and shopping on your mind—but that’s all the more reason to be aware and keep alert of any potential dangers. Below are some safety guidelines by the American Academic of Pediatrics to keep in mind this holiday season.

Buying Safe Toys for the Holidays

After so many recalls on toys with lead content or chocking hazards in others, parents must always pay attention now when buying toysfor their children.  Although Congress recently passed a law that sets tougher standards and toy safety is mandatory, many of the new lead laws do not kick in until February 2009 or later, well after the holiday shopping season.  Because buying toys should also be fun for parents, here are 4 simple strategies for buying safe toys for this holiday season and feel good about it. 

Some of these safety strategies for buying safe toys you may already know, but a friendly reminder does not hurt.  Remember, buying toys should be fun so don't let this discourage you. 

Four Safety Strategies for Buying Safe Toys

1. Know what toys to avoid. For example, avoid metal jewelry, magnets of any kind, squeezable soft plastic toys or books if you have an infant or toddler, anything that does not say "no phthalates" on the package. 
2. Buy According to kid's age.  Look for the recommended age on the package. Age grading is more than a friendly hint.  It can alert you to a possible choking hazard (i.e. presence of small parts) and affect toy's play value.  A toys designated for an older kid could be a source of frustration to a younger kid.
3. Check for recalls.  Before shopping, go to www.cpsc.gov to see which toys have been recalled. Moms Buzz usually posts about recalls of popular toys, childrenen furniture and apparel.  
4. Watch where you shop.  Be leery of drugstores, airports and dollar stores.  They have been known for carrying sometimes unsafe toys.

Have a wonderful holiday season and be smart about buying safe toys!

- The Moms Buzz