Join NHTSA on Twitter on July 31 for a Heatstroke Tweetup

Did you know that heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash-related deaths for children under 14? Already 10 children this year have lost their lives to heatstroke after being left in vehicles. In fact, each year, an average of 37 children die from vehicle heatstroke.

While it seems like an impossible mistake to make, every parent or caregiver can potentially become distracted, and distractions often fuel this devastating situation. No one is immune. This tragedy is 100% preventable. We each have a role to play to help keep kids safe. Help  share live-saving tips and resources with as many people as you can about this important safety topic. Join National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Tweetup. Your support can help us prevent tragedies.

nHTSA will be tweeting all day on Friday, July 31, 2015, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET with the hashtags #heatstrokekills and#checkforbaby. They’ll be sharing information, safety tips, badges, infographics, and other resources to help spread the word about the dangers of vehicle heatstroke.

Use these sample messages to get your followers involved in the Tweetup:

Twitter:

• Do you know that #heatstrokekills? Join @NHTSAgov’s #Heatstroke Tweetup Friday, July 31, to help spread awareness.
• On average, #heatstrokekills 37 children each year. Follow @NHTSAgov’s #Heatstroke Tweetup Friday, July 31, to help change this stat.
• Summer days are hot! Don’t let them end in tragedy. Follow @NHTSAgov’s #Heatstroke Tweetup Friday, July 31. #heatstrokekills
• Interior car temps rise quickly! Learn more about the dangers of #heatstroke during @NHTSAgov’s Heatstroke Tweetup, July 31. #heatstrokekills
• Act fast, save a life. Bystanders can help. #checkforbaby #Heatstroke Tweetup Friday, July 31.

Facebook:

• Vehicle #heatstroke deaths are 100% preventable. Join @NHTSAgov for a heatstroke Tweetup onFriday, July 31, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Safercar.gov/heatstroke. #heatstrokekills #checkforbaby
• On average, 37 children die each year from vehicle heatstroke. Help NHTSA change this number to zero. Join us for a heatstroke Tweetup with @NHTSAgov on Friday, July 31, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. #heatstrokekills #checkforbaby
• We’re joining @NHTSAgov on Friday, July 31, 2015, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET to help put an end to help end vehicle #heatstroke. Join with the hashtags #heatstrokekills and #checkforbaby.

Encourage your family and friends to be proactive about responding to potential heatstroke situations or victims. Join NHTSA for the Heatstroke Tweetup on Friday, July 31, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, and I invite everyone to participate in the Tweetup, too.

Review and Contest Information: Maty's Medicine at its Natural Best

I am a person who doesn't like to use medicine.  Not for religious reasons.  It is more for fear of unwanted chemicals in my body.  I worry that medicine has too much chemicals.  So, when I was asked to review Maty's all natural vapor rub, I was kind of cautious because I am not quick to run to medicine for myself, or until I do careful research when it concerns my child.

Maty's all natural vapor rub is just pure awesome.  It is made of pure ingredients, meaning with natural ingredients!  Yes, natural ingredients!!!  I read the ingredients--they were words I can actually pronounce and understand like Sunflower Oil and Coconut Oil, and even Vitamin E.  

The vapor rub even has a eucalyptus, wintergreen, and peppermint smell to it as well.  Smells that I and my child can tolerate.   Not that bad chemical smell.

The baby chest rub is good for any child 3 months and older. The chest rub has won 3 awards including the "2013 KIWI Magazine's Best Natural Cold & Flu Products", "2012 National Parenting Publications Award" and "2011 Parent Tested-Parent Approved Award".

Maty's products are more effective and work faster than any cough medicine too.  There as a study done by Penn State University back in 2007 that concluded buckwheat honey was more effective at quieting a cough than dextromethorphan, a popular cough medicine.  Maty loaded their cough syrup with 8-9 other immune boosting ingredients.  People even take the cough syrups daily as an immune booster.

You  will need to become a fan on Facebook to enter the contest. To learn or enter the contest Click on the link: http://woobox.com/4a4e3j 

 

Check out the links below for more information. 

 

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MatysHP

Twitter Account:  https://twitter.com/matys_cares

Pintrest Page:  http://www.pinterest.com/matyshp/

Website:  http://matyshealthyproducts.com/

FTC: I was sent a sample product of Maty's all natural vapor rub to review for compensation.  All opinions are my own.

Rainbird and activities

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Rainbird Press Kit

View more presentations from ValenciaPR.

What You Need to Know About Children's Health Care

From the Children’s Defense (www.childrensdefense.org) website:

Join Us In Standing Together for Children:  Congress is debating health reform legislation that could leave millions of children worse rather than better off and fails to fix bureaucratic, unfair barriers to care. This must be changed now!

What We Are Demanding:  Congress and the President must support changes that provide comprehensive, affordable, accessible care for all children no matter where they live. Changes must build on what works in the system and fix what doesn’t work for children now.

Actions You Can Take:  Join children, parents, grandparents and champions for children in a "stroll" to the Nation's Capitol on November 4 or join stroller brigades in cities across the country November 5 through 8 to ensure that our children are not left behind in health care reform. Can't join a stroller brigade in-person? You can also participate in our Virtual Stroller Brigade!

Important Dates and Links:

-          November 4^th: The Stroller Brigade campaign kicks off in the DC and readers in the DC area can sign up here - http://www.childrensdefense.org/helping-americas-children/childrens-health/health-coverage-for-all-children-campaign/stroller-brigade/join-stroller-brigade/washington-dc.html

 

-          November 5^th through 8^th: The Stroller Brigade will travel around the country.  You can find a location near them here - http://www.childrensdefense.org/helping-americas-children/childrens-health/health-coverage-for-all-children-campaign/stroller-brigade/join-stroller-brigade.html

 

-          You can create a Stroller Brigade in their own neighborhood here: http://www.childrensdefense.org/helping-americas-children/childrens-health/health-coverage-for-all-children-campaign/stroller-brigade/create-your-own-stroller-brigade.html

 

-          You  who do not want to join a Stroller Brigade can help by contacting their member of Congress, spreading the word about the campaign, and sharing their own story: http://www.childrensdefense.org/helping-americas-children/childrens-health/health-coverage-for-all-children-campaign/stroller-brigade/take-action.html

-          Fact sheets and more: http://www.childrensdefense.org/helping-americas-children/childrens-health/health-coverage-for-all-children-campaign/stroller-brigade/toolkit.html

-          The Stroller Brigade in the news: http://www.childrensdefense.org/helping-americas-children/childrens-health/health-coverage-for-all-children-campaign/stroller-brigade/news.html

The Twitter Blogger Press Conference is Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. EST with the hashtag #strollerbrigade if you would like to join, and I’d love to see you all there!  We will be chatting with a director from the Children’s Defense fund.

Eating Fruits and Vegetables Like Going to the Dentist?

TwitterMoms and Horizon Little Blends is sponsoring a contest for for parents to share how they have their children eat their fruits and vegetables.

For some parents, feeding fruits and vegetables to their children is like going to the dentist--scary and painful. However, it doesn't have to be.

Here are some ideas that I have done with my child and some I have done without my child knowing (no, it doesn't include bribing or blackmailing):

• I have had my son help me prepare dishes that include vegetables and fruits. The fact that he helped prepare them makes them more special to him that he sees it is as a reward of eating something from his own hand.
• I have often included a very puree vegetable mix in hamburger meat, shishkabobs, etc.
• My son and I have always made frozen popsicle by freezing 100 percent juices. He enjoyed the activity, while I got to remind him that not only these are fun to make, but also better and healthy for him.
• My son is a the age now that he loves to use a plastic knife or butter knife with supervision, for example like putting peanut butter on celery sticks.
• I also include my son when grocery shopping asking him what kinds of fruits or vegetables we need at home.

Share your tips with us.

Resource: Smile Illinois!

Smile Illinois! is a dental clinic that have mobile dentists--meaning they travel to schools and other places to give children an in-school dental check-ups. They are in compliance with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Surgeon General guidelines.

Preventive services include:

• Dental exams/screening
• Cleanings
• Fluoride and Fluoride Varnish
• Sealants

Smile Illinois accepts all children, regardless of insurance status--grant-assistance is available. For those who are covered with Medicaid and All Kids, plus other types of dental insurances can use Smile Illinois.

If you may be interested in using this service for your child(ren), I would suggest calling your child's school to get more information.

Note: I haven't ever used this service. I thought I would pass this as a resource for those who might need it or know of someone who may use this.

Review: Care.com

Often times, we rely on family or friends for recommendations on babysitters, nannies, senior care or pet care. However, there may be times when family or friends may not have recommendations to give you. Have no fear, Care.com is here to help make your choices easier.

Navigating on Care.com is simple and clear. There are tips on how to use the site. There are articles that relate to different types of care. You type in your zip code and how many miles out of your zip code when you are searching for a care giver or even a tutor. You can even request special things like have own transportation, no smoking, and what language they speak. A list of caregivers will appear, and you get to see how their age, experience, years of experience, and how much they charge.

Care.com also allows you to do background and criminal checks on a caregiver. You can view their references and videos and many more.

Did you know you can post jobs on Care.com? If you are a nanny, babysitter, tutor or some kind of caregiver, you can review jobs. You can type in your zipcode and see what kinds of offers are available.

Care.com is a great resource for individuals and families and also all caregivers. I kind of think of this as a database of finding a great caregiver or reviewing job posts for care giving. I would highly recommend this site for anyone who is in need of some kind of caregiver. Visit http://www.care.com for information.

Speak Now For Kids Campaign

We all want healthy children, so we will do anything to make sure our children are healthy by making sure they live in an environment and have all the required essentials, such as health insurance, and maybe a little extras essentials when we can.

However, did you know that about 9 million children in the U.S. don't have any kind of health insurance including government assistance? Craziness. There is no excuse why children can't be offered some kind of health insurance despite their parents' financial abilities. All children must be covered with health insurance. That is why I want you to know about Speak Now for Kids Campaign.

Speak Now for Kids in Health Reform is a national campaign sponsored by the National Association of Children’s Hospitals (N.A.C.H.). N.A.C.H. is joined by national partners and supporting organizations from around the country who all care deeply about how children will be treated in health reform. Speak Now for Kids in Health Reform urges parents, family members, health care providers and other advocates to tell Congress why children matter in health reform – through stories, photos and videos.

Let your voice be heard through stories, videos, pictures, or even just your thoughts because you care and want to see all children in the U.S. given the right of health care insurance.

Go to Speak Now For Kids.