PSA: "Buzzed" Driving

I'm not much of a drinker but I do like to indulge myself with an occasional cocktail in a social setting - especially around the holidays. Thankfully, I am playing the part of "hostess with the most-ess" this year and will be avoiding the roads but many families will be traveling for parties and fellowship this Christmas.

Did you know that last year, nearly 12,000 people in the U.S. were killed in alcohol-related driving crashes, with 316 people killed during the period between Christmas and New Years? In 2007, 162,493 women were arrested for DUI, an increase of 29% since 1998. These numbers are astounding. You can't help but wonder how many lives could have been saved had these people thought twice before getting behind the wheel.

With the holidays just one week away, I want to remind my readers of the dangers of "buzzed" driving. While you're having fun at events, it is so easy to lose track of your alcohol intake. As you chat and eat, you can forget how much you've really imbibed or how much "just one more drink" can really affect you. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) and the Ad Council are asking everyone to drive smart this season and pledge not to drive buzzed. Visit the Buzzed Driving website to pledge your commitment, play an interactive game which demonstrates the difference between "buzzed" and drunk, or hear personal accounts from those who have driven while buzzed. You can also follow Buzzed Driving on Twitter or Facebook to stay on top of the latest updates and news.

I'll be taking the pledge. Will you take it with me? Just think...in signing our names, we could help safe a life.

Please, please, PLEASE have a safe, happy holiday and remember that "buzzed" driving IS drunk driving. If you plan on drinking, don't endanger yourself and others. Play it smart. Assign yourself a designated driver, have a local taxi cab company's phone number handy or make plans to stay the night with family or friends.

Disclaimer: I was invited to post about this campaign due to my membership at Global Influence, formerly Momfluence. I was not compensated for this post but I will be entered in a contest to win a $50 gift card in return for writing about this topic.

PSA: LATCH Cross Country Blog Tour

Last month, I talked about the importance of Child Passenger Safety. Well, I'm back to participate in a countrywide blog tour and further spread the word about the importance of Car Seat Safety.

The holiday season is now in full swing and many families across the nation will be traveling extensively. Whether you're driving cross-country to visit family or just a few blocks away to shop for the perfect gifts, it is imperative that your children are riding safely and that your car seats are properly installed.

AAA estimated that 30 million people traveled on Thanksgiving Day this year. For many, that is only the beginning of the holiday hustle and bustle. Now is the perfect time to utilize the Child Car Safety tools provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Ad Council to learn more about proper car seat use and installation. Here you can find valuable resources as well as instructional videos on how to effectively use the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) system.

Before you travel over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house, visit NHTSA online via Facebook or Twitter to get your questions answered 24/7.

Disclaimer: I was invited to participate in this campaign due to my membership at Global Influence, formerly known as Momfluence. I was not compensated in any way for this post.

Review and Giveaway: MyPreciousKid.com CLOSED

My 15-month old is quite adventurous, always on the go and always getting into something. That's a boy for you. We've had our fair share of accidents already, including a fat lip from jumping on and subsequently falling off of our bed, as well as a bruised cheekbone from unsuccessfully climbing onto our couch. Try as I might to prevent it, I'm sure there will be more trauma in the future. It just sorta goes with the toddler territory. All I can do is prepare myself for the inevitable, by educating myself about potential dangers and childproofing as best I can. But it's often hard to know where to start with the overwhelming sea of products on the market.

MyPreciousKid.com eases your parental fears, providing you with a one-stop shop for all of your child safety needs. You'll find ID cards and labels, harnesses, first aid kits, alarms, brackets/anchors, locks/latches, baby gates, guards, and cushions. There are DVDs and books you can read or watch and discuss with your children. They even carry babywearing, nursing, sleeping and feeding gear! Seriously, they carry everything I can think of - and more - in one, easy-to-navigate place.

I was fortunate enough to receive a Child Safety Pack and The Child Safety Guide for New and Expecting Parents by Christian J. Bezick to review.

The book was very informative, relaying statistical information, tips/advice/warnings and product suggestions for keeping your baby safe. Did you know that more than 4 million children under the age of 5 are injured and require medical attention each year? That is 22% of the population segment! Children under 5 get hurt twice as much as the rest of us because they lack the judgment and understanding about safety risks. Hazard recognition is a learned behavior through trial-and-error, rather than something that comes naturally to us.

Half of all child injuries occur at home and to prevent these injuries, I learned you should childproof in layers. For example, to optimally childproof your laundry room you should place a door knob cover on the door (layer 1), place a safety latch on the storage cabinet (layer 2) and put childproof caps on toxic items in the cabinet (layer 3). This may seem like overkill but it is imperative to place barriers between your children and dangerous items or substances. It may not completely prevent accidents from happening but it will certainly limit the occurrences.

I also learned that table salt is toxic to young children. Did you know that just a tablespoon and a half of salt can be deadly to a baby 25 lbs. or less? Not that I allow Nate to play with a salt shaker but I still had no idea how dangerous something like this could be. It was a very eye-opening read.

In addition to childproofing, the book discusses SIDS and sleep safety, how to identify product recalls and what to do if one of your products is involved, car seat safety and installation, choking, poisoning, drowning, and strangulation. Guardianship and life insurance are also touched on briefly. There is a helpful appendix in the back that allows you to make a list of products that you research, which is perfect for pregnant couples trying to compare the features of car seats and similar baby gear.

I also received a Child Safety Pack from MyPreciousKid.com. The Child Safety Pack contains:

• (1) Child ID Card - to be carried in your wallet or purse in case your child wanders off
  
• (1) Child Car Seat ID Card with Velcro - to be attached to your child's car seat in case of car accident
  
• (1) Medical Release Card - to be given to caregiver in case of emergency
  
• (1) Child Luggage Tag ID Card - for diaper bag or luggage, if traveling
  
• (2) Shoe ID Stickers - to be placed inside shoe or helmet in case your child is lost
  
• (1) Disposable Child ID bracelet - wristband for your child to wear in case he/she is lost
  
• (1) Child DNA Fingerprint Kit with Ink - to be kept at home and presented to law enforcement if your child should go missing
  

Each card holds a recent photo, thumbprint, name, address, weight, height, birth date, emergency contact numbers, doctor name and number, dentist’s name and number, insurance info, plus a medical release signature allowing immediate medical treatment if you are not present or can not speak for your child. Each card also comes with its own self-seal, laminate pouch so the pertinent information will always remain clear and intact.

The Child Safety Pack was the proud winner of the 2006 Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award and is CPSC and CPSIA compliant.



I admit when I first opened the pack, I had no idea if all of this was truly necessary or if I would really use it. But then "protective mommy instincts" kicked in. I'm incredibly thankful that most of Nate's injuries thus far have been relatively minor. But what if something serious happened to both of us? What if we were in a car accident and I couldn't respond on his behalf? Would my son be taken care of? Or what if, heaven forbid, Nate got out of my sight in a public place? These are situations that no parent wants to think about but for our child's protection, we must consider it.

God willing, I will never have to use this kit. But it makes me feel much more at ease knowing that I have these small, simple tools to help in those immensely scary scenarios. Having my child's information at my fingertips can save time and resources trying to identify or locate him, if necessary.

The only thing I would have liked to see included in this kit is a permanent fine-tip marker to fill in the information. You can purchase one separately but I would have liked to have this as part of the kit so I didn't have to hunt one down. Also, the kit is only good for one year, as the information on the cards is likely to change the minute after you fill it out. Kids just grow and change so much in a short amount of time. It would be nice to have a wipe-clean option to easily change the information without having to purchase an entire kit each year.

Bottom line: If you are pregnant or mom to a small child, I would definitely recommend checking out MyPreciousKid.com for all your child safety needs and purchasing a Child Safety Pack. While some of you may think it is "being paranoid", "going overboard" or "highly unlikely" that you'd ever need it, it's a small price to pay for assurance in an emergency situation. The Child Safety Guide for New and Expecting Parents is also a highly informative book for a new mom who isn't sure where to start with childproofing.

BUY IT: You can purchase a Child Safety Pack and The Child Safety Guide for New and Expecting Parents exclusively on MyPreciousKid.com (ARV $15.99 and $4.00, respectively). Pregnant? You can also set up a gift registry!

WIN IT: One lucky reader is going to win the book and a Child Safety Pack ($20 value)! But that's not all...5 more winners are going to win a Car Seat ID Card!

MAIN COURSE (MANDATORY ENTRY): Check out MyPreciousKid.com and tell me a product you'd like to have and why. Easy! Remember to please leave your email address in your comment if it isn't visible on your profile or if you are not a blogger!

SUGAR ON TOP (BONUS ENTRIES): To maximize your chances of winning, you may do any or all of the following. Be sure to complete the above mandatory entry or your bonus entries will not count!

1.) Follow my blog or subscribe via reader or email. Comment telling me which method you chose. If you already follow or subscribe, that counts! (1 entry)

2.) Follow me and @MyPreciousKid on Twitter and tweet about this contest. Just leave me a comment with your tweet link. (1 entry)

3.) Become a fan of My Precious Kid on Facebook. (1 entry)

4.) Subscribe to the My Precious Kid Child Safety blog. (1 entry)

5.) Enter any of my other current giveaways and leave a comment telling me which one(s) you entered. (1 entry each)

Giveaway will end on November 20, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. Open to U.S. only. Winners will be chosen via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to congratulatory email or prize will be forfeited and another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: As noted above, I was sent a book and Child Safety Pack from Kay at My Precious Kid to facilitate my candid review. I was not compensated in any other way for this post. None of the items mentioned in this review are a substitute for parental supervision.

PSA: Child Passenger Safety

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 75% of car seats are not installed or used properly. This is an astonishing figure! Thousands of children are killed or injured each year due to improper car seat installation or lack of restraint.

Many parents are confused about how to install their car seats. After all, the directions can be pretty complex. But with the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) System, available in nearly all car seats and most vehicles manufactured after September 2002, installation is much faster and easier, ensuring the right fit each and every time. The NHTSA is now recommending that parents use the LATCH system whenever available.




The NHTSA has joined forces with the Ad Council to create a site with all the resources you need to keep your littlest passenger safe. On this site, you can find your nearest inspection station, view instructional videos or even test your knowledge with a fun quiz!

If you're a social media maven, you'll want to follow @ChildSeatSafety on Twitter, where an actual safety expert will answer any questions you may have on child passenger safety - from safe choices for car seats to how to maximize the efficiency of your car seat. Or you can become a fan of the NHTSA on Facebook to learn more about LATCH or locate inspection offices.

We're all carrying precious cargo. Please use this as a reminder to examine your car seat and prevent your baby from becoming another statistic.

Disclaimer: I was made aware of this campaign from my membership at Momfluence. In exchange for my post, I have been entered in a contest to win a surprise swag bag.

Spotlight: Safe Sizer Choking Prevention Plate

You may or may not know that September is Baby Safety Month. Initiated by the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association (JPMA), Baby Safety Month is designed to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of the safe use and selection of juvenile products. Many retailers will be offering car seat clinics, and childproofing/safety seminars in honor of Baby Safety Month. Some, like Babies R Us, may provide product trade-ins, where you can turn in used baby gear for a discount on a new model. childproofing. You may also find more information on how to exchange recalled products for a replacement. Whether you are a new parent or an experienced one, the safety of our children is always in the forefront of our minds.

One of my biggest safety concerns with Nate is choking. Ever since he started on solid foods at 6 months, I cringe with fear each time he takes a bite. Even now at 13 months with 10 teeth, I worry that he'll literally bite off more than he can chew. I never leave him unassisted at mealtimes but I know full well it only takes a moment for something tragic to happen.

I recently discovered a product that can ease my fears.

The Safe Sizer Choking Prevention Plate was created by parents David and Susan Zak as a way to prevent accidents and help make childrens and parents' lives easier.

The Safe Sizer is a 1/2 inch diameter raised ring molded into a 8" 100% melamine plate that provides a visual reminder and measurement gauge for parents and caregivers. The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) recognizes the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation that children younger than 4 years old not be that children younger than 4 years old not be fed any round,firm food unless it is cut into small pieces no larger than 1/2 inch in any direction.

What a great idea to have a visual reminder of the 1/2 inch rule. I know I sometimes misjudge this measurement but with this product, I could ensure that the pieces of food I give my son are actually small enough and won't present a choking hazard. I love anything that elminates guesswork. Especially when it comes to safety.

The Safe Sizer plates come in three adorable styles and are phthalate compliant. As if you needed more of a reason to get one.

BUY IT: The Safe Sizer plates retail for $5.99/each. You can purchase them directly from the Midwest Monkeys website. And if you buy 3 plates, you get free shipping!

DELECTABLE DEAL: Pediatric Safety is giving away 2 Safe Sizer plates each to 4 lucky winners! Visit their site to enter the giveaway. But hurry - it ends on September 11, 2009 at noon EST.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for this post, but I did use this post as an entry to the contest.