Since it’s Halloween I thought it would make sense to post some Halloween safety tips.  Feel free to let me know if you can think of anything else and I’ll add it to the list.

• Stay on the sidewalks
• Walk
• Stay in neighborhoods you know
• Don’t cut across people’s yards, use their walkways
• Carry a flashlight
• Wear shoes that are good for walking in
• Only go to houses with the lights on
• Wear light colored clothing or add reflective tape to your costume
• It’s better not to wear a mask at all, but if you wear one make sure you can see well through the eye holes.  Take it off if you need to cross the street.
• Wear a flame resistant costume

Have fun!

Need to save some money? With the rising costs all around us most of us are looking for ways to save some extra cash. Here are a few things you can do this summer to reduce your electric bill.

1. Set your air conditioner to 78° while you are at home.
2. Run a portable fan which will make the room about 4° cooler.
3. Only run your dishwasher when it is full.
4. Stop your dishwasher before the dry cycle and let the dishes air dry.
5. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water (not hot) and use cold water for your rinse cycle.
6. Hang your clothes outside to dry instead of using the dryer. (Unless you have allergies, like me, then you do not want to do that.)
7. If you use your dryer- make sure you run it full, use the moisture sensing setting so that it doesn’t run longer than necessary and clean your lint filter.
8. Turn off or unplug your electronic items when you are not using them. If you can’t turn your computer off, at least turn the monitor off when not in use.
9. Replace your old incandescent light bulbs.
10. Keep your refrigerator or freezer full.

LaJolla Boat Bed and Pirates of the Caribbean Twin Trundle Beds sold at Costco and furniture retail stores nationwide and Costco.com from January 2006 through May 2008 for between $700 and $1,400 are being recalled. The beds have a toy box on the foot-board of the bed and the lid supports on the toy chests fail to prevent the lid from closing too quickly, posing an entrapment and strangulation hazard to young children. A 22 month old toddler was killed when the toy chest fell on the back of his head and entrapped his neck on the edge of the chest of a LaJolla Boat Bed.

For additional information, contact Bayside at (877) 494-2536 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.baysidefurnishings.com to register online for the free repair kit

The 4th of July can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a time for a lot of injuries.  According to KidsHealth there were more than 10,000 people treated in emergency rooms in 2005 for fireworks related injuries.  And of those 10,000 people almost half were under the age of 15.  Even items like sparklers (which I always used as a kid) are very dangerous- they can reach 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and cause serious injuries.

How can you enjoy your 4th of July holiday safely?  Leave the fireworks to the professionals!