Happy Thanksgiving

Now that we’ve turned the clocks back and the leaves have changed colors, it’s time to officially embrace the fall season. We hope you all had a safe and sound Halloween and we’re sure you’re busy preparing for a scrumptious Thanksgiving feast next week. If you love this holiday as much as we do, why not share this brief history of Thanksgiving with your little ones? In 1621 the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is now known as the first Thanksgiving. What may surprise you is their feast was not like ours which consists of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Back in 1621, the staples of a good Thanksgiving dinner were venison and wild fowl. And something we’re sure your toddler would love – the pilgrims didn’t use forks – they ate with knives, spoons, and their fingers! So don’t give your little one a hard time when he starts devouring that turkey dinner with his fingers – maybe he’s just keeping alive the tradition of pilgrim-style eating! Wherever your travels may take you this Thanksgiving, be sure to read up on our holiday safety tips and enter our contest to win Safety 1^st Jitterbugs!

 

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Safety 1^st & ABC’s The View

Safety 1^st recently took part in an audience giveaway for ABC’s The View, which aired on October 23rd. Expectant mother and co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck enjoyed her last day before departing on maternity leave by showcasing her baby “must haves.” All 188 pregnant audience members received several incredible baby gifts – including our Safety 1^st Glow & Go Monitor, Safety 1^st® 8-Second Fold-Up Digital Thermometer, and our Eddie Bauer® Complete Care Play Yard.

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Holiday Safety Tips

With the holidays right around the corner, now is a great time to review some holiday safety tips. Practice these seven simple steps to help keep your family safe this holiday season:

1. Plan ahead.
Walk through your home and get down on your hands and knees to look at each room from your child’s point of view. Look for hazards like exposed outlets or cords, sharp corners on furniture, open stairwells, easy-to-reach cabinets, and places where matches, lighters, and any firearms are stored. Install childproofing products like outlet covers, gates, cabinet and drawer locks. If you’re traveling to someone else’s home during the holidays, ask your host to do a little childproofing – and lock up dangerous items like matches, lighters, and firearms. Keep important phone numbers that you or a babysitter might need in an emergency, such as the police and fire department, your pediatrician, and the national Poison Help Line, 1-800-222-1222.

2. Put fire safety in your holiday plans.
Fire safety is always important – but should receive extra attention during the holidays. Install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor including the basement and on the outside and inside of every sleeping area. Make sure to install both detectors according to the manufacturer recommendations. Check them once a month and change the batteries twice a year. The holidays are a perfect time to change batteries. Practice your family’s fire escape plan with two ways out of each room and a safe meeting place outside. Make sure overnight holiday guests know the plan.

3. Decorate with care.
Holiday decorating is a family tradition that should be lots of fun—but it should also be safe. Avoid using decorations, like tinsel and artificial snow that may be a choking hazard. Keep ornament hooks, breakable ornaments, and decorations with small pieces out of a child’s reach. Poinsettias, mistletoe, holly, and other holiday plants should be kept out of reach.

4. Be bright about candles.
Candles are a great way to light up the holidays, but they should always be used with care. Do not use lighted candles on a tree or near other flammable decorations. Burning candles should never be left unattended or within a child’s reach. Lock up matches and lighters so that a child cannot reach them.

5. Think fun, think safety.
Look for labels to indicate that toys are non-toxic, fire resistant, lead-free, UL approved, and appropriate for your child’s age. Avoid toys with sharp edges, projectile parts, brittle pieces, and cords or strings. Toys that can fit into a cardboard toilet paper roll are too small for young children. Remove and throw away all wrappers and packaging before giving toys to a child.

6. Make safety present in gift-giving.
While it makes holiday gift giving even more fun, gift wrapping can pose a choking or suffocation danger to young children. Throw away wrapping paper, bags, bows and ribbons after gifts have been opened. Never burn wrapping paper in the fireplace. Use the holidays as a time to give gifts that help keep children safe, such as bike helmets.

7. Keep outdoor play safe for everyone.
Children should wear water-resistant coats, gloves, hats, scarves, and boots when playing in the snow. If your child’s gloves or shoes get wet, change him into a dry pair. Do not let your child sled near trees, fences, roads, motor vehicles, or water. Teach children never to walk on or near frozen water. Always supervise children while playing outside.

For more information about child safety, contact your local children’s hospital. To locate a children’s hospital near you, go to www.childrenshospitals.net/hospitalprofiles or visit www.getonboardwithchildsafety.com. Get On Board with Child Safety! is a partnership of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions and Dorel Juvenile Group.

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Congratulations to Our Winners!

Each person received one of our fantastic Safety 1^st® Fish & Net Squirters! Click here to check them out and buy one from our retailers.

Barbie Janssen
Richmond Heights, MO

Angela Bowen
Fort Smith, AR

Gerardo Olea
El Paso, TX

Jeanne Souto
Metairie, LA

Jocelyn Gray
Seward, NE

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Cosco® pronto! Belt-Positioning Booster Car Seat

Just in time for the holidays is the new pronto!™ belt-positioning booster car seat by Cosco®. Designed for children who weigh 30-100 pounds and are 34 to 57 inches tall, it features an adjustable headrest that fits your growing child, a convenient, slide-out cup and snack holder, and it easily converts to a backless booster! The best part is, it’s only $29.99!

Click here for more product information.
Coming soon to Wal-Mart and Kmart!

 

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Safety 1^st® Baby on Board Deluxe Roller Shade

If you’re traveling for the holidays, be sure to grab one of our Safety 1^st® Baby On Board Deluxe Roller Shades! Ideal for any vehicle, it expands up to 14” wide to help protect your child from the sun’s harmful rays. Made from see-thru material, it lets you and your child see through the window while driving.  Plus, its easy-release button lets you roll it up for periods of non-use!

Click here for more product information.
Available at select specialty retailers.

 

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Safety 1^st® Flip-Down Childview Mirror

Keep your eye on your little one while traveling with our Safety 1^st® Flip-Down Childview Mirror. It easily attaches to your car’s rearview mirror, and flips down for use, or flips up for periods of non-use. Now you’ll never have to worry about what your little one is doing in the backseat!

Click here for more product information.
Available at Babies “R” Us, WalMart, and Kmart, or online at www.kmart.com

 

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CLICK HERE TO WIN ONE OF 5 SAFETY 1^st JITTERBUGS!

Spotlight on Evie and Emmett!

This month we chatted with Safety 1^st Product Manager, Jenny Lockwood-Mullaney, about what it’s like raising her two children, Evie, 3, and Emmett, 18 months. Jenny reports that Evie is an active artist and loves coloring. Her favorite food is pad thai (yes, she really tells people her favorite food is Pad Thai – at 3, can you believe it?). She loves animals, so trips to the zoo and the aquarium are definitely on the family’s weekend To Do list.  Emmett, on the other hand, is currently teething (darn those pesky canines) and somehow managed to get his entire fist into his mouth, a feat that I’m sure would impress most people. Much to his family’s dismay, Emmett is an early riser and makes sure that the whole family is up at the crack of dawn to get a jump on the day. His favorite foods are bananas and yogurt, which you guessed it, causes a royal mess. He loves dogs and his favorite buddy is Elmo – he even knows how to say “Elmo!” For Thanksgiving, Evie and Emmett’s grandparents will be visiting, and for Christmas they will be traveling to Kansas!  We wish the Lockwood-Mullaney family and all of our Safety 1^st families health, happiness, and continued sanity during this busy holiday season!

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