Archive for the ‘Safety First!’


Give the Gift of Safety and Save

What parent doesn’t want to give the gift of safety this year?

Save 20% on fire safety products until December 19th in the Kidde store on Amazon.com. Just click on “Give the Gift of Safety” on www.kidde.com or visit the Kidde Amazon store directly and enter 85BR5532 as the promotion code when checking out.

Safety Caps. Because it’s rather important that child safety items are actually safe.

Safety Caps were developed by George DeCell after his daughter choked on a standard electrical outlet plug cover. Now that’s what I call a problem solving Daddy!

I had no idea that the standard plugs are only 1 3/8″ wide and fit perfectly into a child’s mouth. We use the Shok Stop outlets from Home Depot so there are no opening visible at any time and we love them. They’re costly, though, and Safety Caps are a much less expensive solution. At only $10.99 for a whole house package (48 Safety Caps), you can afford to keep your kids safe from not only electricity but also other dangerous products that are designed to keep them safe.

The pacifier inspired design of Safety Caps is rather brilliant in the face of the alternative. They measure 2 1/4 inches at their widest point. They take some work to get into a child’s mouth, so it’s not likely to happen. But if your child is crafty and “spirited” like mine then they might, and you don’t have to worry because there are holes on each side designed to allow air flow in and out. Buy them here.

Win it! Five randomly selected T.O.P. readers will win a whole house pack of Safety Caps. To enter, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 mst on October 8, 2008.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Hands-On Parking Lot Safety

parking pal magnet reviewWhen it comes to child safety, I tend to lean toward the ‘freakishly paranoid’ side of things. I was once given a tip by a friend to have children touch the car while you’re unlocking it or doing whatever you need to do before you buckle them in or take their hand to walk into a store. I (while hovering, of course) tried it once and my son kept his hand on the car while walking around the whole thing. That kid will bend the rules any way he can.

I love love LOVE his new Parking Pal Magnet. These things are some serious evidence of the brilliance of a desperate mother.

Parking Pal Magnets are brightly coloured circles with a handprint in the center that attaches magnetically to the side of your vehicle. When your child is outside your vehicle, they place their hand right on the handprint while they wait for you to buckle the younger child, load groceries, grab a cart or whatever else you need to do. Along with some education and good parenting, I can see these magnets being a great addition to every household with young children. They’re available in five bright patterns and are only $7.99 each.

Get free shipping with the code opin408.
You’ll also find this code among others in our TOP Shops!

Win it! We’re giving away four Parking Pal magnets to four winners. To enter, leave a comment on this post telling us which of these five styles you’d like to have if you win. Contest closes on May 6/08.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED

If only removing my pregnant wedgie were this easy.

I seriously can’t believe I didn’t change that title before posting this.
Blame it on the hormones with less than 3 weeks to go…

wedgEZWedgEZ™ is another one of those products that we love to find here at T.O.P.. You know, the ones that we should have thought of ourselves but didn’t. Or if we did we were too lazy or stupid to do anything about it and that’s why we’re so grateful for all of the great folks that email us to tell us about their inventions!

Such a simple concept really, and one that many parents have likely wished someone would invent.

You know those little plastic outlet plug inserts?

The one you’ve probably broken several nails trying to remove?

The one that I actually used a butter knife to remove once? (Duh.)

Now you can simply insert the top of a WedgEZ™ between the plug and the outlet, gently press it toward the wall and it’s dislodged. So simple. So smart. So not a butter knife.

I tried it and it’s incredibly simple to use and works like a charm. It’s also designed to attach easily to your vacuum cord so it’s easily accessible when you need it. For me, I’m hoping it inspires me to vacuum each time I need an outlet for something.

The WedgEZ™ is 100% guaranteed — if it breaks or fails to perform as specified, they replace it for free. They retail for only $3.99 or 3 for $9.99.

Ten randomly selected readers will win their own WedgEZ! To enter, email theopinionatedparent@gmail.com before midnight MST on 12/14/07 with WedgEZ in the subject line and tell us how many forms of payment are accepted at the WedgEZ site. Just a number is good! Congratulations to Kristin, Jennifer, Megan, Renae, Nissa, Amber, Jessie, Bree, Angela & Betsy!