Child Passenger Safety Awareness
Did you know, that motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death among children ages 1 to 19? Although this is a leading cause, there are many ways that we can prevent injury and death among children, while they are passengers in our vehicles.
Here are some helpful safety tips to follow when driving with your child(ren):
- Tug on your kid’s car seat where the seat belt goes. If it moves more than 1 inch at the base, be sure to tighten it.
- Make sure your child is using the proper car seat. Using the proper seating based on your child’s age can very well save their life in case of a crash. You can view proper car seat choices at http://www.safercar.gov/parents/CarSeats/Right-Car-Seat-Age-Size.htm.
- Make sure your child’s car seat is installed properly. Studies show that about 75 percent of car seats are improperly installed. To properly install your car seat, carefully follow the instructions that come with your seat. After installing your car seat, be sure to get it inspected. You can find local inspection sites near you at http://www.safercar.gov/cpsApp/cps/index.htm.
- DO NOT text and drive. Not only does texting and driving put you and your child’s life at risk, but it teaches young ones, bad habits. Avoid being distracted by beeps and buzzes by putting your phone in airplane mode, turning the volume down or completely turning it off.
- Never leave children alone in or around cars. More than 600 children died from heatstroke in vehicles between 1998 and 2013. Many children also die from playing near cars and getting struck by a car backing up. Be sure that you know where your children are at all times when traveling with them.
Please be cautious, attentive, and safety minded with children. Not only can you help make sure they are safe in and around vehicles, but you can save their life.
For more information on child passenger safety please visit http://www.safercar.gov/parents/index.htm.
Written by: Amanda Haase
Disney Pin Trading
Are you looking for a way to make your 
next trip to Disney a little more magical? Have you ever tried pin trading? With all the collections and series to choose from, there are pins out there for everybody. And what makes it even more fun is that you get to interact with the cast members while trading. Each cast member at every merchandise location has a full lanyard of new pins. They are always excited to trade with you and sometimes they even make a game out of it. If you see a pin with the back facing forward then you found a mystery pin. Depending on the cast member you can either choose that pin or answer a trivia question to see it. Whether it’s a mystery pin or a visible pin, it’s always fun to find all the pins you need to collect the set.
Even though the cast members are always eager to trade and interact with you. There are always rules to this fun filled game. Here are the top 7 rules to remember while pin trading.
1. Make sure to ask the cast member to see their lanyard without touching or grabbing their land yard without permission.
2. Don’t feel obligated to trade. If they don’t have a pin you need, it’s okay! Just thank them anyway.
3. If you would like to trade, tell the cast member which one you need and which one you are trading.
4. There is a limit of 2 pins per trade.
5. Make sure to put the pin back on the pin before handing it to the cast member. This prevents anyone from getting poked.
6. Keep your hand open so the cast member can place the pin on your hand without dropping it.
7. Thank the cast member for the trade and they will do the same.
Pin trading is fun for all ages and the perfect way to interact with the cast. You can purchase starter packs of pins that come with lanyards at most merchandise locations. You can also buy individual pins and lanyards. There are also pin specific locations in each park that have exclusive pins. Next time you are in Disney, don’t forget to check out the pin trading works. Happy trading!
Written By: Sandra Costanzo
Creative Ways To Tell Your Partner You Love Them This Valentine’s Day
Wouldn’t you agree that we not only want to be loved, but also to be told we are loved? Valentine’s Day is the occasion when you can experience and express both.
Here are some creative ways to tell your partner you love them this Valentine’s Day:
• Serve them breakfast in bed. Trim the tray with Hershey Kisses and a note card with a short love letter.
• Write a small book of all the reasons you love your partner.
• Take him/her on a scavenger hunt. Have them answer riddles to find the clues to items that you placed somewhere around town. The last item should lead them to your Valentine’s Day activities.
• Plan a small getaway at a bed and breakfast or spa for the week or weekend.
• Give your lady a dozen roses and on each stem attach a little note with a reason you love them.
• Take your spouse or partner to the restaurant that you enjoyed when you first met. This will help you both relive many memories.
• Order take out and have a picnic on the living room floor. This is a great way to involve your children and also enjoy the comforts of your own home.
• Hide little candy hearts in your spouses or partners belongings. (Ex. Shoes, car, jacket, purse, etc.)
• Make a creative coupon book (Ex. Free massage, free night out with the guys, etc.)
• Buy their favorite perfume/cologne and place it next to their bedside with a box of chocolates or flowers.
• Leave a mirror message. Your partner will wake up to a loving message while brushing their teeth and getting ready.
Enjoy your Valentine’s Day with your loved one. Remember, love is not meant to be given and received just on Valentine’s Day. It’s to be practiced every single day of the year.
Written by: Amanda Haase
Celebrations Around The World
On New Year’s Eve, many of us indulge in finger foods and cold champagne. Just like we celebrate the coming of something wonderful, so do others around the world.
In honor of the Chinese New Year (February 8th) and Mardi Gras (February 9th), here are some fun and interesting facts on how these events are celebrated.
Chinese New Year:
• Just like we do on holidays, People of Chinese heritage go shopping for the New Year. This is a way for them to “start fresh”.
• Houses are decorated with red lanterns, red couplets, New Year paintings, and red lanterns.
• Being this is the year of the Monkey, monkey images will appear on decorations as well.
• New Year couplets are written on red paper with black ink, and pasted one each side of a door frame. New Year couplets are sayings filled with best wishes.
• Families come together to enjoy a “reunion dinner”. Here they enjoy traditional Chinese foods such as dumplings and sticky rice cakes.
• In like of watching the ball drop from Times Square, China watches the CCTV’s New Year Gala. This Gala features traditional, folk, and pop performances from China’s best singers, dancers, and acrobats.
• Parents and grandparents provide children with what they call “Red Envelopes”. These envelopes are filled with money and are said to help bring luck, health, and growth for the New Year.
Mardi Gras:
• Mardi Gras is about music, parades, picnics, floats and excitement.
• People dress up in costumes and decorate themselves with long beads caught from the floats of previous Mardi Gras parades.
• Mardi Gras traditional colors are purple, green and gold. Purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold represents power.
• Many individuals customize and create their very own Mardi Gras masks. Wearing masks adds to the excitement and magic of celebrations throughout the city.
• Aside from celebrating at the parade, formal dress balls are planned all year long by the King and Queen of each krewe (an organization that puts on a parade or ball for the Carnival season).
• Out of respect for this long-held tradition, several Mardi Gras krewes still kick off their parades with “flambeaux”. Flambeaux is the burning of a torch accompanied with dancing and stunts.
As our global world becomes more interconnected, thanks to the Internet, it is important to learn and understand other celebrations, traditions, and events that take place around the world.
To learn more about these traditional celebrations visit:
http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/festivals/chinese-new-year-celebration.htm and http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/
Written by: Amanda Haase
National Wear Red Day 2016
Today, February 5th, is National Wear Red Day. Today is a special day in which we bring awareness to women’s heart disease, stroke, and critical research to discover scientific understanding about cardiovascular health.
Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year. Fortunately, 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented with awareness and lifestyle changes.
It is important for all women, to take care of their hearts. It is essential to know the signs of a heart attack and know how to further prevent this from effecting you and your loved ones.
When a heart attack strikes, it doesn’t always feel the same in women as it does in men. Women have more silent symptoms that can go unnoticed.
These six heart attack symptoms are the most common in women:
• Chest pain or discomfort.
• Pain in your arms, back, neck or jaw.
• Stomach pain such as heart burn or a stomach ulcer.
• Shortness of breath, nausea, or lightheadedness.
• Sweating or breaking out into a cold sweat.
• Fatigue.
If you experience one or more of these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.
The American Heart Association encourages everyone to wear red and take action to live longer and healthier lives.
For more information on women’s heart health and ways to keep your heart healthy in every age spectrum, visit https://www.goredforwomen.org/home/live-healthy/prevent-heart-disease/.
You can show off your red attire by posting a picture on all your social media profiles and use the hashtag #GoRed. It’s time to raise awareness and it all starts with you.
Show your support today!
Written by: Amanda Haase
The Legend of Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day has been a popular tradition in the United States for as long as most of us can remember. It is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole to look for his shadow.
If he sees his shadow, he considers it a sign of six more weeks of winter, and returns to his hole. However, if he doesn’t see his shadow, we will expect beautiful spring days ahead.
The groundhog tradition comes from similar beliefs associated Candlemas. This old European theory believes that a sunny Candlemas day would lead the winter to last another six weeks.
Gradually these traditions became associated with other different folklores. The Germans added the belief of an animal (originally a hedgehog). If the hedgehog was frightened by his shadow on Candlemas day, this would predict winter to last another six weeks.
This belief was then brought to America during the 18th Century by German settlers. These settlers then adopted the groundhog as their weather predictor.
Now, each year on February 2nd, we gather for fun events, crafts, stories, and other Groundhog Day celebrations as we await for the weather predictions.
Be sure to visit Long Island’s favorite groundhogs, the Malverne Mel and the Holtsville Hal as they predict what the rest of winter 2016 will have in store for us.
For more Groundhog Day celebrations and events on Long Island, visit http://www.longisland.com/news/01-12-16/groundhog-day-2016-events.html
Written by: Amanda Haase