Great Storm & Recovery Coloring Bk & Parent Guide

I found this while looking up resources for myself and all those in my area affected by the Hurricane and thought I would share it with all of you! It is a free PDF download, enjoy :)

Download copy here
http://www.mentorresearch.org/Documents/StormFloodColoringBookParentGuide.pdf

Putting a 13-Year-Old Child Safely on Facebook

By Nick Bilton

An e-mail in my inbox Monday morning from my editor had a scary subject line: “Help!” When I opened the message, I read this:“My daughter is 13-years-old today and so, as promised, I let her sign up for Facebook. YIKES. Now I am freaking out over her privacy settings!”

Even for an adult, Facebook’s privacy settings are as daunting as trying to do your taxes with an abacus. For teenagers, unaware of the consequences of their online actions, using Facebook incorrectly could potentially leave a digital trail that might follow them all the way through high school, college and into the real world.

Read this great article and tips here
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/putting-a-13-year-old-child-safely-on-facebook

Poison Prevention

Children Act Fast – So Do Poisons

Did you know that each year, more than 1.2 million children ages 5 and under are unintentionally poisoned? Whether it's medication on your dresser, cleaning supplies under your kitchen sink, cosmetics in your bathroom or carbon monoxide from gas appliances in your home, you can take simple steps to keep your kids safe.

Read information and find out more resources here
http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-spotlight/poison-prevention-week

Hurricane Sandy

UPDATE: 11/27 - we still are working through some issues with getting our house inspected and our red tag (not safe) lifted but are so happy and grateful we at least have a home. Although it is a rough rode, fraught with a great deal of not knowing and stress, we are happy that we made it through the storm and are alive and well. Thank you again for everyone who has been sending good wishes and their prayers and thoughts, we greatly appreciate them!

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I would just like to send out warm wishes and greetings to all of my visitors and followers here! Around 10/9 I had some computer issues which prevented me from posting here and that was followed up with Hurricane Sandy. We began to prepare for her possible downfall upon us here in NJ that Friday 10/26, with so much to be done outside, stocking up, etc.

My son and myself rode out the night before over in our home (hard hit in Keansburg), but was forced to leave that Monday afternoon by the State EMO who told us we had to leave now, so we did with the clothes on our backs and our 3 cats. It was the most horrowing experience I have had in my life thus far! As we rode through the winds, the debris flying at his car, cats crying, I began to just sink inside with this horrible feeling I might not be coming home.

We hunkered down with my parents and family down the rode (who were also under a mandatory evac order), praying we would all make it through. The power went out a few hours there after and all we were left with was darkness, candles and my mom's scanner to keep us abreast of what was happening with the Storm. It was not until almost 2 days later that we were able to contact anyone, which was very discerning and quite anxious of a feeling. My sister in Colorado kept us informed of everything including the surrounding devastation right down our road we knew nothing about.

7 days later, tired, worn out and extremely relieved (hungry too), we began to venture out to see what the world had unfolded while we sat helpless in our home. The destruction to the surrounding little Bayshore towns I have called my home for 1/2 my life is just not measurable. Right smack in between this horror called the aftermath of Sandy sits my parents little town, basically unscathed from her wrath, a sure blessing from GOD! A few minutes in any direction looks like a scene from a horror or war movie, it is just not real. My town, near the boardwalk is virtually destroyed, with our little boardwalk a mangled mess, homes ripped out, gone, others waiting for approval to be lived in again.

I never thought in my wildest dreams that something like this could happen to us? We have ridden out many storms while living down here and nothing could prepare us for what we would endure for the next 10 days and beyond. I am so grateful that I have a home to go to, loss of some food, power and a rug; a home to go to, gosh what lovely sounds of joy to my ears! It will take me a week or so to get back into the swing of things and begin posting here and on all my blogs, so I ask your patience and understanding :) Thank you for supporting me and the Heart of Parenting, Patricia from NJ