Are you ready?

It is National Severe Weather Awareness Week and I want to know if you are ready?  There are a few things that you should have ready at your home for the unexpected attack from Mother Nature.  Check out the American Red Cross's list of Preparedness Fast Facts and order your emergency kit from In Any Event today!  Call Natalie Miller at 972-380-4233 or email her at nmiller@iaedallas.com.

Prevention and Preparedness

We learned a lot at last week's Feather Your Nest event with Safety and Security Pro and former Secret Service Special Agent James Savage.  He was fascinating!  I walked away from the event feeling safer and stronger than ever before thanks to his wonderful advice and tips.
One of the things that really struck me is the importance of being prepared for something unexpected.  The U.S. Government recommends that we all take time to put together a safety kit for our homes.  Their list of recommendations can be found at www.Ready.gov. The list is wonderful but I must admit I went shopping to put our kit together and it was really hard to find some of the items and the price tag adds up really fast!  I wish that I had known about these pre-prepared kits!  They are easier and less expensive and take up a lot less room than the kit I put together!  Just as Jim Savage recommended, I purchased one for my car and one for our home.  To order yours, please call or email Natalie Miller at nmiller@iaedallas.com or 972-380-4234.

Here are the contents:

Deluxe Family Kit

This kit is designed to support a family of four for three days.

Cost: $159. 95 (tax included)

Each bag contains:

First Aide

12            Benzalkonium Chloride Antiseptic Wipes

6            Antibiotic Ointment packets

8            Gauze Sponges, 2”x2” and 4”x4”

4            ABD Tendersorb

1            Gauze Roll

            8            Adhesive Bandages, strips, triangular & butterfly

            1            Tape

            2            Finger splints

            1            Cold Pack           

                        Scissors and Tweezers

                        Latex gloves

                        First Aide Guide

Food & Water

4            Emergency Food bars, 3600 Calories each

48            Emergency Water Pouches, 4.22 ounces each

Light, Warmth & Communications

1            Standard Flashlight,

2            Alkaline D-Cell Batteries

1            AM/FM Radio with Batteries

4            Emergency Blankets, Mylar-type

2            Light sticks, 12-hour green

10             Candles, 5 hours each for a total of 50 hours

1            Waterproof Matches, Box of 20

1            Whistle

Sanitation

48            Pre-moistened Towelettes

12            Infectious Waste Bags with Ties

3            Large Waste Disposal Bags with Ties

4            Toilet Paper, Mini Roll

1            Liquid Soap           

4            Toothbrush & Paste Sets

1            Toilet Deodorant, 2-ounce pack

Miscellaneous

1            Pocket Knife, 3”

1            Manual Can Opener, 3-in-One

2            Dust Masks

Survival Kit I

This kit is designed to support one person for three days.

Cost: $79.95 (tax included)

Each bag contains:

First Aide

6            Benzalkonium Chloride Antiseptic Wipes

3            Antibiotic Ointment packets

8            Gauze Sponges, 2”x2” and 4”x4”

2            ABD Tendersorb

1            Gauze Roll

            8            Adhesive Bandages, strips, triangular & butterfly

            1            Tape

            2            Finger splints

            1            Cold Pack           

                        Scissors and Tweezers

                        Latex gloves

                        First Aide Guide

Food & Water

1            Emergency Food bars, 3600 Calories each

12            Emergency Water Pouches, 4.22 ounces each

Light, Warmth & Communications

1            Standard Flashlight,

2            Alkaline D-Cell Batteries

1            AM/FM Radio with Batteries

4            Emergency Blankets, Mylar-type

2            Light sticks, 12-hour green

1            Whistle

Sanitation

12            Pre-moistened Towelettes

3            Infectious Waste Bags with Ties

1            Toilet Paper, Mini Roll

1            Liquid Soap           

1            Toothbrush & Paste Sets

Miscellaneous

1            Leather Palm Gloves

2            Dust Masks

Feather Your Nest Event is open for registration!

I really hope you will join us for our next Feather Your Nest Luncheon and Speakers Event!  I am really excited about our next event because it could truly save lives.  Even though it is not fun to think about a breach in security or personal safety issues, being prepared for them can save lives.  Our speaker, Jim Savage, is a former Special Agent for the U.S. Secret Service will knock your socks off with his amazing tips and simple tricks to keep you and your family safe and prepared in the event of an emergency.  I hope you will join us at Fearings in the Ritz Carlton. 

James A. Savage, Jr. is the Chief of Security Operations for a leading global energy company. This Corporate Security Group is known for its oil and gas ventures and also includes a diverse range of other business units which operate across the globe, including Yemen, Peru and Northern Iraq. The Corporate Security Group is responsible for all matters relating to the protection of critical corporate assets, pro-active preventive strategies, and emergency preparedness programs.

Prior to this position, Jim was a member of the Senior Executive Service and served in a number of protective and investigative positions during his 20 year career as a special agent with the U.S. Secret Service.

Mr. Savage is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and served as a State Trooper for four years with the Texas Department of Public Safety before starting his Federal law enforcement career with the U.S. Secret Service in 1983. 

I love these tips for choosing a babysitter from The Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County and The Container Store!

Choosing a Sitter: Get to know the sitter. Find out how much experience the sitter has. Ask questions that relate to your childs needs. Check the sitters references, talk to other parents who have hired the sitter. If the sitter is a teen, talk to their parents. People often care for children the way they were cared for. Establish a clear understanding for what form of discipline is acceptable. Ask yourself if you are comfortable with this person watching your children, AND if your children are comfortable. Post contact information, emergency phone numbers, medicine rules, bedtimes and other important information next to your telephone. Remind the sitter that they can always call you if they have questions or concerns. Your child's safety and well being is always the first priority! Invite a sitter over for a "get-to-know" session before you leave them alone, pay them the hourly rate, but use this opportunity to establish a relationship.

Summer Safety!

It is so important to make sure your kids are safe when they are playing outside and goofing around this summer.  Helmets, sunscreen and bug spray are on my list!

-These adorable helmets from Little Nutty's are just precious and will make safety fun!  At $45 they are a great way to provide protection for your little cyclers, scooter racers and mischiefs!
-Sunscreen is so important!  Protect your children with Little Twig Non Chemical Sunscreen in SPF 30+. They skipped out on the chemicals and mineral oil and added antioxidents and made it water resistant.  It is alsoparaben,  nut, soy and wheat free and Pediatrician and Dermatologist reviewed.  Its great for the whole family, from newborn to adult.
-When you are trying to keep those mosquitos away, opt for a natural Deet Free bug spray like All Terrain's Herbal Armor Deet-Free Pump Spray.    It is a time release formula so it will protect your tots for hours.

Pedicure Perfection

I love getting a pedicure this time of year. It seems like less of an indulgence and more of a necessary beauty treatment now that I am wearing sandals and open toed shoes! I am always a bit nervous about some of the horror stories I hear about coming out of the nail salons though! Staph infections and fungal infections like Athletes Foot are not all that uncommon when the salons don't follow the proper sanitary guidelines! I did a bit of homework so that I can have a safe and effective pedicure this spring!

1. According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, foot baths and tools are typically at their cleanest first thing in the morning so try to be first appointment of the day!

2. Invest in your own set of tools and ask the nail technicians to use yours. If you go to the same salon often, they might order you some and let you keep them there.

3. Don't shave, wax or use a hair removal creme 24 hours before your appointment. The tiny little abrasions in your skin make a bacterial infection more likely.

4 Cuticles provide a protective barrier so don't let your technician cut them.

Other things you can do with Wine!

I love getting my magazines every month and I was fascinated by a little booklet sent to me by Real Simple Magazine as a Thank You for renewing my subscription. Inside the booklet was a great list of extraordinary uses or ordinary things and I loved the suggestions they had for wine bottles and corks.

• Use a pair of empty bottles as bookends. I love this idea! We often use our wine bottle as a "guest book" of sorts at special occasion dinners. We pass around the bottle and a gold or silver marker and everyone will write a message. We always put the date and occasion at the top and then keep the bottle in a wine closet. Now we can put those mementos of special occasions out on a shelf to hold up books.
• An empty wine bottle is a perfect rolling pin!
• A pair of empty bottles is a great way to keep your boots up when you are not wearing them!
• Use the cork to cap the end of a knife before you put it away. Not only will it keep the knife from getting dull but it will also keep things safe!
• Poke your small stud earrings into a cork and throw it in your travel bag. No worries about loosing those itty bitty accessories any more!