Ok, so I typically don’t post personal stuff here, but I figured this is as good a place as any to share what’s gone on in my house this past week.
Last Tuesday I let my dog in around midnight from his potty break before bed. All of a sudden I smelled a terrible smell.
Smelled like sewer. I thought I had a propane leak since it’s supposed to smell bad.
I called the propane guys and they told me to turn it off (outside in the dark) and they’d come in the morning.
So they came.
Three men.
In the MORNING!
They searched the room the odor was coming from. They thought they’d find a dead animal. Um, I have 3 cats. No way are there animals in my house. If so, they’d be a meal.
Surprise my freezer had come unplugged and everything was warm and defrosted. A lot of the food was old so I was okay with that. What I wasn’t okay with was the stench.
Be happy that photo isn’t in smell-o-vision!
Did I mention that as soon as the guys realized it wasn’t a propane leak they said, “See ya. Good luck with that.”
Um, guys, a little help here?
Needless to say, my house STILL smells like a garbage dump and I am not stretching that description one iota!
Then tonight, I’m ready to start a Twitter party when my cat, Sammy, decides to have a puke fest.
My life is not dull.
I go grab the brand new roll of paper towels out from beneath the sink and I see this:
Honestly, this is indicative of my life people!
The pipe just totally corroded away from the sink base. I just replace the faucet in my bathroom so I think I’ll be able to do this ok. We shall see.
So, you think I’m done? NOPE.
During the Twitter party, Buddy comes to the computer desk to talk to me and show me some stuff.
As he backs away from me he knocks over my 1/2 filled cup of apple juice onto my other computer tower!
Now I’m just hoping none of the juice got into the tower. It’s got a lot of old photos on it!
So, I’ve always heard bad things happen in 3s so I should be good for a while!
This summer has been a busy one for me. It’s the first year neither of my daughters have been home to help with the boys.
Thankfully I have neighbors to help and the boys are old enough to spend some time alone with rules to follow.
The boys have been able to go up to great grandma’s a couple of times to spend time with the extended family including cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and so on.
Unfortunately, I only got to go up once over the weekend. It was the first weekend I had been disconnected from the computer and cell phone since I don’t know when.
My sister-in-law and her kids had made the trip up from IL. She and I have never really gotten to spend a lot of time together.
So, while our kids were playing with each other, we took the canoe out to the lake and headed to the reeds. We were searching for the “secret lake” that we’d heard about.
We felt like kids again, but our bodies weren’t enjoying the paddling so much! We got to the reeds and kept going and going.
Becky and I had time to talk and share and spend some wonderful time together as sisters. I wish we would’ve had a camera to take photos of our adventure!
We never made it to the secret lake because the reeds just kept going on and on. We’d come around another bend and NOTHING! So we turned around and headed back.
Aside from our chit chat it was so calm and peaceful. We weren’t in a hurry. The kids were with their grandparents and we were taking in the serene setting. We literally stopped rowing at the same time to just take it all in. Peaceful and tranquil.
Quiet moments with no requirements is what I would call sweetness in life for this single mom! That’s something I rarely get to enjoy. I need to make more time for them, that’s for sure!
Do you have a moment from summer that made you stop to savor the sweetness of life? If so, I’d love to hear about it.
Speaking of sweetness, Milano has a new cookie called Strawberry Milano. Sounds heavenly! How would you like a $1 off coupon so you can try these out?
You can also visit the Pepperidge Farm Milano Facebook Page(http://bit.ly/MilanoFacebook) for more special offers and discounts.
I’d like to thank the One2One Network and Pepperidge Farm for the opportunity to win a gift certificate by sharing my Sweetness of Life story from this summer.
Back to school and backpacks are pretty synonymous. You really can’t have one without the other.
Do you ever equate backpacks with safety? If you haven’t before, you will after you learn about iSafe Bags.
My oldest daughter, Baby, lives on a college campus in the cities. As a mom, it stresses me out! She isn’t under my constant care and has to make her own decisions.
Her job can get her home late into the night. She’ll go on a walk with friends in the city. Going from one building to another can be a good long hike. She even gets concerned when she’s by herself.
Now she has a backpack that has given her a lot of comfort. She called me the night she took her iSafe backpack back to her dorm. She just called me screaming. I totally freaked out because I didn't understand what she was saying.
I guess what she was saying was, "Dude (yes she called me Dude) I love this backpack. I’m walking in the dark, well not really, I'm at my dorm..."
Me interrupting: “Um, it is dark and you're just getting back to your dorm, so you were walking in the dark."
Her: "Well, ya, but dude I love this backpack. We were trying it out today and it sounds like this (insert her interpretation of a siren). It's so loud! I feel so safe. Ok, well, not really, but kind of."
Not sure when I became “Dude” to her instead of mom, but we’ll leave that for another post.
Basically she was saying that she feels so much safer because 1 pull of the string and that baby blares like you wouldn’t believe and there are flashing lights!
When her friends came over for one last hurrah before heading their separate ways again, I had Baby go get her backpack. They had no idea what was coming. Check it out!
Isn’t that awesome!
Now, more about the iSafe Backpacks and what they’re all about…
Developed by Inventive Concepts International, iSafe Backpacks and Bags feature a lightweight, battery-powered audible and visible alarm system that, when activated, signal distress and attract immediate attention in a dangerous or crisis situation. Available in children’s sizes and designs, as well as adult laptop/business sizes with professional designs, iSafe bags provide the most convenient and reliable safety protection available for people on the go.
“iSafe bags are like having a personal body guard with you at all times,” said Edric Sizemore, president and co-founder of Inventive Concepts International. “They’re ideal for children who walk home from school, college students on campus and even adults who want to feel safer and more secure in dark parking lots or unfamiliar surroundings.”
Endorsed by actress and author Holly Robinson-Peete and featured on the Montel Williams Show, the patented iSafe bags can also be used as an emergency rescue beacon in the event of an accident or other emergency situation. The alarm can run continuously for up to two hours on just two 9-volt batteries to attract attention to lost hikers or children, in the event of a car accident where the vehicle slides over an embankment or even in a building fire where smoke may make it difficult to locate those needing to be rescued. The alarm can also be switched on and off in intervals to conserve battery power.
They also have an amazing Replacement Policy! If your backpack becomes worn, unsightly and well used, you can replace it for a fraction of the cost, up to 50%, because you aren’t having to purchase the safety alarm which is only designed to work with iSafe Backpacks.
I’d like to thank Mallory from iSafe for the opportunity to review their backpack. We were given the backpack to review, but no other compensation was given. The opinions expressed are my own and my daughter’s. I found out about iSafe from Pitch It To Me.
I wanted to thank everyone who has been voting for my photo at the Facebook Rayovac Contest.
You guys have totally rocked! There are 2 more days left and if you haven’t voted, you can vote once in a 24 hour period.
You can go here to read my initial post about the Rayovac Contest and my experience on the Riptide at Valleyfair.
I’ve never entered a Facebook photo contest before so this was a bit daunting.
As of right now, 8/27 at 11:30pm my photo is on page 2 of 19 for the Most Votes! That’s amazing!
Not sure if that’s indicative of where I’m at for number of votes or if it’s just a random placing. Rayovac isn’t letting people know where they’re at! Ugh, the wait!!!
Well, at least I think it’s amazing. There’s no telling how well my photo is doing. There are 3 categories and mine is in the Fun With Water category or something along those lines.
After all the votes are in, it comes down to the top 3 photos in each category. There are then 3 Grand Prize winners! Oh I hope, I hope!
Anyhow, I just wanted to take the time while I was thinking about it to say Thank You to all of you who voted!!
If you want to vote, you can click on the photo and it will take you to the voting page.
The Dryel 3-IN-1 Touch-Up Spray™ is specially formulated to safely care for your everyday and dry clean clothes. If you’ve worn a shirt and want to wear it again, spray the Touch-Up Spray and it’ll help get rid of smells and wrinkles.
The spray is perfect for me because I only wear my nice clothing once in a while and I don’t want to be washing them if I’ve only worn them for a few hours. Spray the Touch-Up Spray and they’re good to go until the next time!
The Dryel On the Go™ Stain Pen helps remove fresh stains, and it’s EVEN safe on dry clean only clothes, delicates and hand-washables such as wools, silks, rayons, linens, cottons and other special care fabrics.
The Stain Pen has already come in handy for me! I need 2: one for my purse and one for the house! I love that these pens are small enough to fit in my tiny purse. It totally took the stain I got out of my shorts! Thank you Dryel!
The Dryel® Starter Kit contains 2 ultra-concentrated cleaning cloths that will care for 2 dryer loads (up to four garments in each load for a total of 8 garments). Dryel® is also available in economical six-load refill packs in Clean Breeze Scent to care for up to 24 garments. Each kit includes:
Instant Stain Remover Pen
2X ULTRA Concentrated Refill Cloths
Re-usable Fabric Protection Bag
An instructional pamphlet including coupons
To clean and freshen special care clothes:
(dryclean, delicate and hand-washable)
Zip it.
Add 1-4 garments to the Dryel Fabric Protection Bag. Bag should not be more than half-full to allow garments to tumble freely. Unfold Dryel cleaning cloth and add to bag. Zip the bag and then place in the dryer.
Steam it.
Tumble in dryer on medium heat for 30 minutes to activate the steam-cleaning environment, removing odors and protecting against shrinking, stretching & fading.
Wear it.
Clothes should be slightly damp when removing them from the bag. Promptly hang or wear clean and fresh garments to help wrinkles fall out. Throw away cleaning cloths after use, but save the Dryel Bag for next time. It is designed to last up to 25 loads.
If you purchase the The Dryel® Starter Kit from Walmart in August, you can try it FREE via a rebate. This is good for purchases through August 31, 2010 and needs to be mailed by September 30, 2010.
About doing laundry, I don’t really enjoy doing it. I try to purchase items that don’t need to be dry cleaned. I do have a couple items, but I refuse to take them to the dry cleaners.
We don’t even HAVE a dry cleaner near us! So, this is going to make cleaning my few dry cleaning items so nice! They will be happy!
As for my regular clothing. I’m kind of last minute girl. I wake up searching for clean work clothes, and so often I’m digging through a pile. Sigh…didn’t know I’d be doing confessions!
With Dryel, my laundry can be freshened up while I get ready for work! 15 minutes and voila, I have refreshed work clothes! Dryel has definitely made a quick job of cleaned up clothing.
Win it!!
Required: Tell me how you usually clean your delicates and dry clean items.
Giveaway open to US Residents 18 yrs and older. Please leave your email address in your required comment or have it available in your profile. No email/contact = No entry. Giveaway ends 9/11 midnight PDT. Winner has 48 hours to respond to email.
Tweet the giveaway (1 entry daily) “Save $ with Dryel and win The Dryel® Starter Kit
Enter any of my other giveaways (1 entry each)
This is a Mama Buzz review. The product was provided by: Dryel for this review. They will also provide the giveaway item. The opinions expressed are my own.
I grew up with terrible dental hygiene. I didn’t understand how important it was to take care of my pearly whites. I do now and I floss like a maniac!
Well, along with other ladies from TwitterMom, I have 5 tips on how to help your kids have healthy teeth.
ROUTINE
It’s so important to get children into the routine of brushing and flossing their teeth in the morning and at night. Start them off when they’re young and make it part of their day.
FLOSSING
These days flossing doesn’t just have to be a long piece of dental floss. They have flavored floss and fun shaped flossers for kids to use. My brother-in-law with floss his kids teeth as they lay on his lap watching tv. Kids need to know how important it is to get the food out from between their teeth as well! Trident is available in 11 great flavors so kids have lots to choose from!
CUT OUT POP
Pop has a lot of acid and other stuff I don’t understand in it and it will cause tooth decay. Not only that, it will stain their teeth. You can look online to find a list of how bad each pop is in regards to tooth decay. If you are going to drink pop, it’s better to drink it through a straw.
SLEEP WITHOUT BOTTLES
As most people know, it’s important for babies and toddlers not to fall asleep with a bottle in their mouths. The fluid will sit in their mouths and cause tooth decay.
VISIT THE DENTIST
Remember to get regular dental check-ups. Have them visit a dentist twice a year to make sure that they are taking good care of their teeth and gums. A dentist and hygienist can see what we can’t. If there are issues, it’s important to get them taken care of sooner than later. If possible, have their molars sealed!
Trident gum has long been a pioneer in providing oral health benefits to consumers. Trident was the first gum brand of its kind to undergo testing in 1967 with studies showing that people who chewed Trident experienced significantly fewer cavities. Trident is available in 11 great-tasting flavors: Original Flavor, Bubble Gum, Spearmint, Tropical Twist, Watermelon Twist, Wild Blueberry Twist, Minty Sweet Twist, Passionberry Twist, Wintergreen, Strawberry Twist and Cinnamon. All flavors can be purchased in 18-piece packs and 54-piece multi-packs (three 18-piece packages).
About Smiles Across America® (SAA)
SAA is a signature program created by Oral Health America, a national non-profit organization dedicated to changing lives by connecting communities with resources to increase access to care, education and advocacy around oral health. SAA improves the health of elementary school students by supporting oral disease prevention services in school-based or school-linked settings, and demonstrating to communities that healthy mouths are integral to overall health. For more information, visit http://www.oralhealthamerica.org.
“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Trident blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”
I enjoy being outside with our Rugby. We live out in the country and don’t have any dog parks near us. Don’t I wish! He is Mr. Sociable!
I haven’t taken him on walks around our street before because if he did his “business”, I didn’t want to be carrying around some stupid looking plastic bag. So, he just runs around our large yard and does his “business” in his spot.
Thank you Rascodog for making a leash that hides the bags I can use to scoop Rugby’s “business”.
The leashes come in different colors (6) and two different webbing widths (1-in and 5/8-in).
“The ReadyLeash features a comfort-grip handle with an integrated poop bag dispenser. Poop bags simply pull out like tissues and refill rolls easily pop into the handle. The ReadyLeash comes equipped with an adjustable lead (4-6 ft range) and a roll of 15 biodegradable Readybags.”
I agree, the handle fits very well in my hand (and my son’s) and the grip is soft. Yes, my Rugby is a puller so having a handle that isn’t biting into my hand is a bonus!
The ReadyLeash is non-retractable (doesn’t roll back into itself automatically). I like that, especially when my boys take Rugby out. They always seem to get tangled up in retractable ones that we borrowed from grandma.
Rascodog’s 100% Biodegradable Readybags will “decompose in less than 1-year under normal landfill conditions.” Anything to help our planet stay healthy is top notch!
If you have a dog that you enjoy taking for walks or going to the dog park, you will love using the ReadyLeash.
Here’s your opportunity to win one for your pooch or the pooch of someone you love.
Required: Head to Rascodog and tell me which color leash you’d like to win.
Giveaway open to US Residents 18 yrs or older. Please leave your email in the required entry or have it available in your profile. No email/contact = No entry. Giveaway ends 9/9 midnight PDT. Winner has 48 hours to respond.
Extra Entries:
Like ReadyLeash on Facebook (2 entries, comment 2x)
Leave a comment on any ReadyLeash Blog post (2 entries, comment 2x)
Tweet this giveaway (1 entry daily) “Win a RascoLeash for your pooch from Marvelous Mom Reviews #giveaway @rascodog http://bit.ly/artsXa“
Enter any of my other giveaways (1 entry each)
I’d like to thank Rascodog for sending me my review ReadyLeash and providing the giveaway item. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
To add your giveaway linky you must link to your giveaway not to your homepage! It will be deleted if it doesn’t. Spam will go as well. If you believe I’ve deleted your linky by accident, please let me know.
Does anyone have a preference as to whether the inlinkz linky has photos or not? I can do a photo linky instead if anyone cares. Leave a message with your comment of Linky choice. Today will just be a text linky. See you next Thursday!
The kids and I enjoy doing lots of things! That’s a given with kids of various ages in one family.
I didn’t grow up with a lot of family around me so tradition is really important to me. I also like taking the boys to try new things. Here are some of the things we like doing together:
Hanging Out With Family
Much of our family lives out of state, but it’s so much fun when they head to Minnesota for the 4th of July. We’ve done it ever since we lived here, 12 yrs. We go “up Nort’” to hang with all the cousins, aunties, uncles, grandma, grandpa, and 95 yr old great grandma. It’s a special time for all of us!
Sporting Activities
We try to get to at least one baseball game every year. We enjoy going to see the Twins, but with the new stadium came new prices for seating. So, we headed North again and went to a Riverbats game. It’s the college level guys and it’s just as much fun!
Visiting the Beach
With summer here, we try to be outside as much as possible. As you well know, Minnesota can be a frigid place for about 6 months of the year, so we soak up the heat for all it’s worth!
Berry Picking
This is one of my favorite activities! We’ve been berry picking for years! We head out to a local farm that has blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. You can’t beat coming home with buckets full of fresh berries straight off the plant.
Playing
Heading outside to play baseball, jump on the trampoline, play bocce ball, or anything else that comes to mind is probably the best! We live in the country, but on a road with several families with kids the same age. Our house tends to be the meeting place! It’s great to have a home where the neighbors enjoy coming!
What activities do you enjoy doing with your family? Going to the park? Taking bike rides?
About LEGO®:
The LEGO Group is a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company is still owned by the Kirk Kristiansen family who founded it in 1932.
The LEGO Group is engaged in the development of childrens creativity through playing and learning. Based on the world-famous LEGO brick, the company today provides toys, experiences and teaching materials for children in more than 130 countries. The LEGO Group has approximately 8,000 employees, and it is the worlds fifth largest manufacturer of play materials.
I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and LEGO blogging program, making me eligible to get a prize pack. For more information on how you can participate, click here.
Alrighty, I love linking up my giveaways at other sites and do it on a daily basis! There are sites I absolutely MUST go to on a given day and make sure my links are with them!
But, I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a weekly link up.
What do you think?
I know it’s not necessary, but would you like to see more giveaways from other sites or do you feel like you have enough places to find giveaways to enter?
Let me know. If I do one, it will be on Thursdays.
When you go places such as the grocery store, hospital, or mall, do you ever think about the automatic doors that are there to greet you as you come & go?
I don’t usually. They’ve become so much a part of our everyday lives I don’t give them a 2nd glance or thought. I just walk right through.
These days with our hectic lives, I like that those doors open and close for me. When I had babies in tow and now when I have arms or carts full of stuff, I like that those doors treat me like a princess! LOL
I know, sad, but this is what my life has come to. Enjoying automatic doors.
This isn’t quite the same, but I have sliding doors on both sides of my van as well as the hatch on the back. I absolutely adore them! They have saved me from dropping things so many times. Press a button and away they go!
Check out “Peek-A-Boo,” a short video that follows a busy mom, flustered by malfunctioning doors and hand-dryers while running errands with her toddler. Just as she’s about to have a meltdown, she walks toward the shopping mall exit, automatic doors gloriously open for her – and she laughingly gives thanks for them. This video is part of a public awareness campaign, Automatic World, promoting the health benefits, accessibility, and convenience of automatic doors.
About AAADM: The American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers (AAADM) is a trade association of power-operated automatic door manufacturers who established their organization to raise public awareness and administer a program to certify automatic door inspectors. AAADM was founded in 1994 by a group of automatic door manufacturers who wished to promote safety in the manufacture, installation, and operation of automatic doors and their components. For more info, visit Automatic World on facebook.com/AutomaticWorld.
For your chance to win a $100 Target gift card do the following:
Required: “Like” Automatic World on Facebook and leave a comment letting them know you were sent by Marvelous Mom Reviews. Then come back to MMR and let me know it’s been done.
Giveaway open to US Residents 18 yrs and older. This giveaway will be run differently. Automatic World will be choosing the winner so you MUST leave a comment on FB in order to be entered. Giveaway ends 9/8 midnight PDT. Winner has 48 hours to respond to winning notice.
NOTICE: I was contacted by the company and was told I will now be choosing a winner! I will be using Random.org as I always do.
I’d like to thank Automatic World for the opportunity to giveaway the Target giftcard. I was in no way compensated for posting this giveaway.
I’m not what you would call an “organized” person. Picture me having just used air quotation marks in that first sentence!
If you were ever to venture to my house, say, unexpectedly, you might find a house in complete disarray! With school back in session in a couple weeks, it will get a bit more crazy around this house.
This is where Command Hooks from 3M have come in handy helping me to organize a few areas of my house.
First of all, our entry way! Ugh, is that NOT the hardest place to keep tidy? My boys seem to not realize that the moment they walk through the door, there’s a double closet…right…there! For real!
The winter is the worst! They walk in and backpacks are dropped, shoes/wet winter boots kicked off & left, and their keys left on the floor.
Now, right when they walk in, they can hang up their keys and if they have a light jacket, it can go on their respective lockers.
Secondly, I also organized the wires under my desk. My living room/office isn’t set up with computers in mind. All our outlets are far away! So, I have wires coming & going under my desk. Well, I did!
I also have a large white-board calendar in my kitchen so we can keep track of our lives. At least when I remember to use it. Now I have a Command Clip underneath it so I can hang the boys projects there and change them out as needed!
The Box Tops for Education program is an easy solution and this year Walmart is making it even easier! From Aug. 3 - Aug. 31, head over to your local Walmart to find 4 Box Tops on participating General Mills products and earn more cash for the participating school of your choice. As your one-stop destination for all your needs this back-to-school season, Walmart is helping you save more and earn more with the Box Tops for Education brands you love.
With over 20 great brands and more than 40 products participating, here are just a few favorites that include 4 Box Tops that you can find at Walmart this August: Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, Pillsbury Toaster Strudel pastries, Trix Yogurt, Hamburger Helper skillet meals, Totino´s Pizza Rolls snacks, Nature Valley Granola Bars and Betty Crocker Fruit Roll-Ups snacks. Be sure to keep an eye out for Box Tops on great products from Kleenex, Ziploc, and Hefty too!
I am a total Walmart shopper. I should probably own stock at Walmart. Truly. I don’t think there’s another store I go to more than Walmart. I am thankful to have a Super Walmart in the same town I work!
Shopping there was easy for me, although they are in the process of remodeling! Ugh…
So, with my $25 Walmart gift card here’s what I got:
Go-Gurt
Yoplait Trix
Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls
Lucky Charms
2 multi-boxes of Fruit Snacks
Betty Crocker Brownies
Green Giant Stir Fry
Totinos Pizza
Toaster Strudel
I had a couple dollars left over, which I hadn’t anticipated. I’m not worried, I’ll be back. Everything in the photo above is what I purchase weekly anyhow except the Totinos and Cinnamon rolls.
Ready to go shopping?
Required: Tell me which General Mills Box Tops items you plan to purchase at Walmart during the month of August.
Giveaway open to US residents 18 yrs and older. Please leave your email in the required post or have it available in your profile. No email/contact = No entry. Giveaway ends 9/7 midnight PDT. Winner has 48 hrs to reply.
Extra Entries:
Follow MMR via GFC (2 entries, comment 2x)
Subscribe to MMR (3 entries, comment 3x)
Refer someone to this giveaway & they say you sent them (3 entries, comment 3x)
Don't miss this wonderful opportunity for a chance to win I.D. Me Labels "ULTIMATE BACK TO SCHOOL LABELS" for you and your readers! See attachment for more details! www.idmelabels.com/blog
A leader in personalized kids name labels, I.D. Me makes colorful, waterproof and water resistant baby labels, kids labels, and school labels for daycare, nursery school, preschool, school, and summer camp. Created especially for children, our baby labels and kids labels are stylish, durable and effective. Choose from our large assortment of icons, fonts, and colors to match your child's personality and prevent lost, misplaced or stolen items. I.D. Me Labels are the only labels for school your kids will need!
The “Ultimate Back to School Labels Combo” includes:
25 Streamline School Labels
25 Laundry Safe Clothing Labels
20 Sole Mate Shoe Labels
15 All Purpose Icon School Labels
2 School Bag Tags
A $43.00 Value!
Enter to win I.D. Me Labels “ULTIMATE BACK TO SCHOOL COMBO!” From now until August 30, 2010 entries to our Ultimate Back to School Combo can be submitted at www.idmelables/blog/. One winner will be chosen at midnight August 30, 2010 and the winner’s name will posted here on I.D. Me Label’s blog. Hurry and enter before the deadline. Good Luck!
Learn more details on how to enter and the rules by visiting the giveaway post!
The 1590D Precision Dial (List Price: $12.69) uses directional movements instead of the standard rotary dial. It is really lightening fast to open! It took me several times to figure it out, but it’s AWESOME! It comes with anti-shim technology! Perfect for my oldest daughter’s dorm room.
The 1500iD Speed Dial allows you to use 3 letters, numbers or mix them to create a combination. It also comes with a Combination reset tool. I kind of worry about misplacing the reset tool. If I do, what then? This also has the anti-shim technology.
The Precision Lock comes with stickers to place over the arrows. That way you will have visual reminders of the password you created. The Master Lock website allows you to safely store your passwords and numbers at Combo Locker!
COLLEGE PREP: TOP 10 TIPS PARENTS NEED TO KNOW TO KEEP STUDENTS’ THINGS SAFE ON CAMPUS
MILWAUKEE (July 26, 2010) – Parents have enough to worry about when their son or daughter departs for college – the safety of their child’s “stuff” shouldn’t be one of them. To ease the burden, Master Lock has developed a top ten tip sheet for parents to help protect their students from becoming a victim of theft – the No. 1 crime on American college campuses1 – as they head to college this fall.
“It’s much smarter for parents to invest time and money now to ensure that their child’s belongings will stay safe at college than to leave your child at risk and worry about replacing valuables later,” said Rebecca Smith, vice president, marketing for Master Lock. “By following a few basic steps, you can significantly reduce the risk of theft.”
1. Back-up the backpack While backpacks are a popular and practical tool for carrying books and supplies, they’re also an easy target for theft due to their multiple, simple points of entry. Help your student deter theft with a sporty and secure backpack lock, such as Master Lock’s 1548 carabineer lock or 1533TRI mini combination lock. Students should also be mindful to keep their backpack and other valuables with them at all times, whether in the classroom, library or cafeteria.
2. Engrave valuables Help your student engrave or permanently mark his or her valuables with your student’s first initial and last name. Permanently marking items makes them more difficult to pawn, easier to recognize as stolen and easier to identify and reclaim.
3. Keep personal information personal Limit the personal information your student shares on his or her valuables, front door, mailbox, key chain, backpack and other items. Your student should not share his or her address or complete name in order to avoid additional risk if an item is stolen or misplaced, or if your student’s living space is violated.
4. Keep money safe Before sending college kids out on their own, teach them how to responsibly use a debit or credit card to allow them to carry less cash. Cash can’t be replaced if stolen, but most credit cards only hold the card-holder liable for the first $50. When storing money and other small valuables in high-traffic areas, such as dorms and apartments, students should always lock them up in a cash or document box made of durable steel, such as the Master Lock 7113D cash box, 7143D drawer safe or 7142D security chest.
5. Lock personal items in lockers Some things never change - every student should be equipped with a high security padlock to keep his or her belongings locked safely in a locker whenever possible, whether at the gym or in the classroom. What has changed is the variety of padlocks now available, including combination-alike locks so users don’t have to remember multiple combinations and set-your-own password locks so users can personalize their locks and create an easy-to-remember passwords, such as Master Lock’s 1500iD Speed Dial, 1590D Precision Dial or 1534D combination lock.
6. Safeguard bikes Teach students to always lock up their bikes, regardless of how long they plan to leave the bike unattended. Invest in one of Master Lock’s high security u-bars paired with a large diameter (3/8-inch or greater) cable. Use the cable to secure both wheels to the bike and the u-bar to anchor the bike frame to a secure, immovable object such as a cemented bike rack.
7. Always lock doors and windows Whether they are in their room or away, teach students to always lock their doors and windows to prevent unwanted entry. To prevent someone from forcing their way in the room as well as protect against others who still have a key from previous years, students should invest in a door and window security bar, such as the Master Lock 265 security bar or 266D window bar and alarm.
8. Travel safely Whether traveling by bus, train or air, a lock is imperative for keeping your student’s belongings safe throughout their entire travel route. To get the most bang for your buck, invest in a TSA-accepted locking device – the one lock airport screeners won’t cut. These locks allow TSA screeners to inspect and relock baggage without damaging the lock. Students should secure both their checked luggage and carry-on bags with a TSA-approved locking closure, such as the Master Lock 4688D TSA-accepted combination lock.
9. Insure your student’s valuables Check to see if your homeowners insurance covers your student’s belongings while they reside in either on- or off-campus housing. If not, consult with an insurance agent to determine what additional coverage is necessary.
10. Be aware and prepared, not scared While it’s a parent’s job to be overprotective, don’t scare your student into thinking college is a completely un-safe atmosphere. Do teach them to be aware of their surroundings – walk with confidence and pay attention to what’s going on around them, and be sure to review the school’s safety programs and services during orientation or online. Preparation and awareness are the keys to safety in any situation.
Time to win your choice of Precision Dial or Speed Dial lock.
Required: Tell me who would use this lock if you win.
Giveaway open to US residents 18 yrs or older. Please leave your email in the required entry or have it available in your profile. No email/contact = No entry. Giveaway ends 9/5 midnight PDT. Winner has 48 hrs to respond.
Extra Entries:
Follow Marvelous Mom Reviews in Google Friend Connect (2 entries, comment 2x)
Vote for my photo at the Rayovac Facebook Contest (1 entry daily) Voting Ends 8/29
About Master Lock
“Master Lock is the world’s largest manufacturer of padlocks and related security products providing innovative security solutions for home, automotive, campus, power sports, bike and storage security needs for consumers and contractors alike. Master Lock Company LLC is an operating unit of Fortune Brands, Inc., a leading consumer brands company. Headquartered in Deerfield, IL, Fortune Brands (NYSE:FO) is included in the S&P 500 Index.”
I’d like to thank Master Lock for my review and giveaway locks. The opinions expressed are my own.
Still trying to figure out who I am: Blogger, Parent of 4, Friend, Christian, Pet Owner, Daughter, Sister, and Jane-of-all-trades (in no particular order)
Posts
Zip it.
If you purchase the The Dryel® Starter Kit from Walmart in August, you can try it FREE via a 
General Mills provided you with the gift card, information, and giveaway through MyBlogSpark. The views shared in this post are my own.
