All About Holiday Pet Safety

We had a dog several years ago and fortunately, never had to deal with many Holiday issues. Lily was a beautiful Golden Retriever who was curious, rambunctious and VERY energetic. We had a 13 month old child in the house when Lily became our dog and because of the age of our daughter, we completely gave up on having a Christmas tree. She (my daughter) was so busy, I didn't have time to keep her away from a tree. So, we never had to deal with training Lily or my daughter to keep out of the tree. Other decorations were strategically placed above reach of little hands and paws and we always enjoyed a stress free holiday. For those of you who have four legged friends around your decorations, I have some tips to share with you on how to keep them safe during this very busy and joyous time of year. These tips are thanks to DOGTV.

1.   Don’t turn your pooch into a holiday decoration – avoid putting lights on the lower branches of the tree

Source: We Heart It

2. Pups get chilly too – keep them warm and cozy on winter walks

Source: We Heart It

3. Holiday plants can be dangerous – keep dogs away from the poisonous ones like poinsettia, holly and mistletoe

Source: flickr

4. Avoid an expensive surgery – keep tinsel, ribbon and garland out of their reach

Source: flickr

5. Don’t throw them a bone – turkey, ham and lamb bones can get stuck in their throat and intestines

Source: flickr

6. If your dog gets into the prescription pills it will give you more anxiety that your in-laws – keep them out of paws reach

Source: drdvmd.com

7. Use a pet friendly tree preservative – just like toilet water, dogs may drink from under the tree

Source: We Heart It

8. Dogs are curious creatures – don’t put edible gifts in stockings. They may not be there in the morning

Source: Flickr

So, there you have it...some simple yet effective ways to help ensure your pets safety! The holidays can be hectic and you don't want to forget to keep your furry friends safe. Enjoy your Christmas!!

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Fall Into Safety With Security Tips for the Season From Master Lock {Review & Giveaway}

I am always adamant about keeping my home safe and secure. We are in a pretty well populated area but that means nothing when it comes to security. People are so distracted nowadays, I cannot count on anyone to keep an eye on my home. Locking doors when I am home alone, locking windows in the bedrooms at night time and only taking my children outdoors when I can go with them are some ways in which I try to keep things safe. I am not paranoid, but rather trying to be wise. I also like to try and remember that home security goes beyond locking your doors...it is also training your family to be safe. So, when it comes to home security I think that we all should take a step back and take a look at what we currently have in place and see if it needs updated or not.

With the days getting shorter and nightfall coming quicker, Master Lock has come up with some fantastic safety tips to share with homeowners this fall season and I wanted to take a minute to share these tips with you. 

1. Be aware of surroundings. As dusk and darkness creep up earlier each day, remind children to follow safety precautions on their way to and from home. Whether walking all the way home or just to a parked car, students are advised to be aware of their surroundings, stick with a friend or in a group, stay in well-lit areas, avoid short cuts and always observe traffic rules.

2. Establish a "home alone" routine. Sometimes situations arise where children and teens will be home without supervision, whether coming home after school to an empty house or due to busy weekend activities. It's natural for parents to feel uneasy at first, but with some planning, both parents and children can feel confident when the time comes. Set guidelines with your children to follow when home alone including, locking the door immediately after entering the house, calling to check in as soon as he or she gets home, not answering the door for any visitors and reviewing relevant emergency phone numbers and exit plans. Instead of hiding an extra set of house keys beneath a door mat or under a nearby rock, the Master Lock 5422D Portable Key Safe is the perfect solution for securely storing house keys outside so that children (or parents) are never left locked out.

3. Set ground rules for social media sharing. Teens are sharing more information about themselves on social media sites than ever before*. As parents, it's necessary to evaluate the information your child is sharing and advise them on security risks of sharing too much identifying information. Set ground rules for what your child can disclose online, and teach your child how to set privacy controls so that photos, location and personal information do not end up in the wrong hands.

4. Lock down valuables on the field. Lockers help keep gadgets, wallets, house or car keys and other belongings secure while in class, but what keeps them secure outside of school? Keep valuables locked up with a small, portable safe, such as the 5900D SafeSpace, which kids can easily fit in their backpacks, gym bags or lock down to a fixed object while attending after school activities.

5. Inspect to protect. While talking with your children about safety guidelines, fall is also an ideal time to create or practice a fire safety plan. Start with inspecting your home thoroughly ensuring all smoke detectors are functioning properly and review the sound of the alarm with children so they know what do to when it goes off. Make an evacuation plan by visiting each room in your home, designating two ways out and check that all windows and doors open easily. Lastly, designate a safe meeting place outside the home where your family can gather after exiting. This meeting place should be close to the home, but not too close to be in danger from the fire, and in front of the house so that fire safety personnel can easily see you as they arrive. It should also be somewhere easy to find in day or night, such as near a telephone pole, tree or mailbox. Most importantly, practice the escape plan. While 71 percent of Americans have a plan, only 47 percent of those have practiced it**.

I love those ideas...I would also teach my children about how to handle encounters with people they do not know and work on them memorizing their phone number and house address. Those things, as well as the ones mentioned above are so important to keeping everyone and everything safe and secure. 

In light of the tips given, I was given the opportunity to review a Master Lock Wall Mount Key Safe and share my thoughts of this product with you all! Since our move to this new house back in January, we have yet to plant a key outside somewhere in case we get locked out and so receiving this key safe was wonderful. 

This Wall Mounted Key Safe has many features that I love. The alpha-numeric buttons are super easy to use and setting the lock is simple. You can set your own combination using up to 12 characters...letters, numbers or both. 

This box is made of durable metal and measures 3-1/8" wide...the perfect size for keys, cards and other small valuables. You will see in the photo above that there are four pre-drilled holes for easy installation and this box comes with four screws so you don't have to worry about finding your own. I like that. :) Another feature that I love is that you can insert a small key hook into the back of the box (it comes with the hook) so you don't have to worry about keys jamming the door shut. We will be using this box for our extra door key so that hook will come in handy for sure. 

I am very pleased with this Master Lock Wall Mount Key Safe and cannot wait to get it up outside! Having something like this will be so helpful as I have locked myself out of my house once or twice. Keys hidden outside are a great idea, people! This makes finding and using your keys safe and simple. This Wall Mount Key Safe from Master Lock retails for about $37.95 and would make an amazing Christmas gift for someone, or just a nice house-warming present. Check out this and other Master Lock home security products on Master Lock's website today and secure your home the right way this holiday season!

Master Lock has offered to giveaway a Master Lock Wall Mount Key Safe to one of you! Here are your entry options...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive free products from Master Lock for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the sponsor's website and email. Prize is being provided and shipped by the sponsor. This blog is NOT responsible for lost, stolen or damaged prizes. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Stop Signs...They Are There for a Reason!!

We are in a new neighborhood now and I am loving it! We only have neighbors on two sides of us as we are on a corner lot and have fields behind our house. It is sooo nice to not be totally surrounded by people. At my old house, every window I looked out of I saw a house. Now, it is not that way at all and it is wonderful. Out my bedroom window, I have a great view of our street and I can also see several streets over too.

One thing that irks me to no end is watching people come up to the stop sign in front of our house. As I look out my window, I see a car approach the stop sign. The driver decreases their speed and coasts through the intersection...without even stopping!! Ok, so this is my beef here. It's a STOP SIGN...not a YIELD sign! If there was supposed to be a yield sign, then yes, I can see why someone would not come to a full and complete stop. However, this is a neighborhood FULL of children and yes, there is traffic that travels these streets.

When I was pregnant with my daughter I was driving home from my mom's house one afternoon. I approached a busy intersection that was controlled by one stop sign - the one I had to stop at. No one else had a stop sign so that meant I had to be extra careful to not pull out in front of someone. So, I slowed down and came to a complete stop. No cars were coming in either direction but I had been taught to ALWAYS stop at a *ahem* STOP sign. I had stopped my vehicle but the driver behind me failed to stop and rear-ended me. Now, it wasn't a bad accident and I had a small dent in my fender. When the other guy got out of his car, he told me that "No one ever really stops at THAT stop sign..." so he wasn't expecting me to. Really? Seriously? I couldn't believe my ears. Needless to say, his insurance company paid for the repair on my vehicle.

This is what I am talking about. There are stop signs for a reason. For your safety. Watching just about every driver coast through the stop sign on my street has given me a new awareness of how I drive and making sure I do indeed STOP at each and every stop sign...even if it irritates the driver behind me. ALWAYS obey  road signs...they are there to protect and keep you safe!!

Brought to you by your friends at safetysign.com

Tips to Protect Your Identity in the New Year

Identity theft...two words NO ONE wants to ever hear associated with their name. I have never been a victim, and hope I never will be one! I received this tip list the other day and thought I would share...it's all about how YOU can protect yourself against identity theft. Hope these tips help!

For 2013, TrustedID—the nation’s most comprehensive identity protection and privacy service—is calling on consumers to also take control and protect their identity with these simple steps:

• Secure all of your devices. With smartphones and tablets, the whole idea is to benefit from quick, instant access to your useful information. This means if your mobile device goes wandering, someone else might be a finger swipe away from information meant for your eyes only. Be it a PIN, a clever password or zigzag swipe pattern, load it on your device and lock it up.

• Wipe clean your OLD devices. Many unwrapped the latest and greatest tech toys as holiday gifts. But what to do with old ones? Whether you decide to sell, donate or toss, it’s important that you remove ALL of your data. Simply deleting files is not enough. Use disk wipe services for laptops, and install wiping software on your smartphone to remove any stored data.

• Remove your name from data broker lists. A ton of unwanted mail starts with data brokers. These personal information mongers collect and sell your personal information to any company wanting to mail anyone and everyone. Regain control of your personal information by having your name and address removed from data brokers’ marketing lists with our MailStop Shield Service. This reduces unwanted mail and protects your privacy.

• Restrict access to your info on social media. There are constantly new dangers on social networks.  We feel encouraged to share more and more information online every year, and privacy risks are immense. Pay close attention to your privacy settings at least once a month, and don’t “overshare” with complete strangers.

• Don’t give out your zip code to retailers. Not even if they ask with a smile. Knowing your zip code allows retailers to easily find your entire address so they can send you unwanted mail. By giving out personal information such as your email, phone number and zip code, you also pave the way for identity thieves.

•  Put a Google Alert on your name. It sounds very egotistical, but it makes perfect sense. Set up Google Alerts to track your name. This way you can monitor search engine results and learn what others can find out about you. If you discover public information that could damage your reputation or puts your privacy at risk, contact the source and ask them to remove the information.

• Create Pa$$_w0rDz! like never before. There is no better time for updating or changing your passwords than the beginning of a new year. In 2012, large companies like Global Payments, Zappos and LinkedIn became victims of data breaches, exposing sensitive information of millions of users. While any site that requires a password is at risk, you can reduce this risk by creating strong, complex passwords that are difficult to hack, even for a professional. 

So, those are just a few really great tips that I felt necessary to share with all of you. I personally HATE when cashiers ask for my phone number or zip code...bleah!! Anyway, here's to a happy and SECURE New Year!!

Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for this post.