Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Safety Tips for Halloween

With just a couple of days until the scariest holiday of the year, it is important to review some safety tips to make sure you, your loved ones and neighbors have a fun and safe Halloween.

Here are some guidelines the National Safety Council recommends.

Before children start out on their "trick or treat" rounds, parents should:
  • Make sure that an adult or an older responsible youth will be supervising the outing for children under age 12.
  • Plan and discuss the route trick-or-treaters intend to follow. Know the names of older children's companions.
  • Instruct your children to travel only in familiar areas and along an established route.
  • Teach your children to stop only at houses or apartment buildings that are well-lit and never to enter a stranger's home.
  • Establish a return time.
  • Tell your youngsters not to eat any treat until they return home.
  • Review all appropriate trick-or-treat safety precautions, including pedestrian/traffic safety rules.
  • Pin a slip of paper with the child's name, address and phone number inside a pocket in case the youngster gets separated from the group.


The National Safety Council urges motorists to be especially alert on Halloween.

  • Watch for children darting out from between parked cars.
  • Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.
  • Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
  • At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.

Click here for additional Halloween safety tips.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Paper Shouts Surprise Giveaway

The holidays are right around the corner. (Can you believe it?!?!) And you know what that means...holiday cards! There are so many card choices out there, who are you going to turn to?
If you are looking for a company that not only makes a great card but also has a great sense of philanthropy, you have to check out Paper Shouts.

Paper Shouts’ holiday cards are made of 100% Post Consumer Waste (PCW) recycled paper and a percentage of the proceeds from their holiday cards will be given to Our City Forest.

There are tons of different designs to choose from and the cards have a subtle elegance that any recipient would be impressed with. In addition to the holiday cards, Paper Shouts also carries other paper products including announcements, invitations, and thank you cards.

And guess what? I have a couple of great pieces of news to share with you. First of all, Paper Shouts is offering a 10% discount through December 1 for all Houses, Couches and Babies readers. All you have to do is enter the promo code 'hcandbabies' just before check out.

Secondly, (1) lucky HC&B reader is going to win a $50 gift certificate from Paper Shouts!

Here's how to enter:
  • Click here to visit Paper Shouts' line of holiday cards
  • Post a comment here listing your favorite holiday card as well as your favorite green initiative, product, or green tip.
  • In your comment, please include your name and location (a.k.a. city/state)
  • Post your comment by midnight PST on Wednesday, November 5.

The winner will be announced shortly after November 5, so please check back to see if you have won. (The winner will not be contacted.)

Good luck and happy card shopping!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

1 Good Ear Infection Deserves a Double

The story is simple...#2 got an ear infection last week. She was miserable all weekend while daddy was away and I was home with the kids by myself. Then #1 got a double ear infection and he has had a high fever for almost three days...I could become a black market antibiotic dealer at this point!

It's officially the first time this has happened, and unfortunately, probably not the last!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Find Your Favorite Drink at TheBar.com

Ever wonder how to make your favorite mixed drink?

Well, you don't have to wonder any more. Thanks to HostessJo.com, I have been introduced to TheBar.com, and now, so have you.
TheBar.com is a really cool website where you can search the name of any drink and find out how to make it. In full disclosure, the site obviously has sponsors because brand names are used throughout, but you can get the general idea of how to make a drink. They have some really fun and festive drink ideas based on the occasion and drink idea.


Another cool feature of the site...personalized liquor labels. If you plan ahead, that could really make a fun birthday or host/hostess gift for the upcoming holidays. Oh, and the personalized labels are free. Well, at least 5 a month are free. I mean, wouldn't your husband just love to see his name on a bottle of Crown Royal???

(Of course, HC&B recognizes that you should always drink responsibly (i.e. no drinking and driving and no angry drinking - nobody likes an angry drunk!)

P.S. Just because my husband has been out of town the past three days and I have been couped up with my sick kids in the house the whole time that doesn't mean I need a drink or anything! (Just a Purple Heart!)

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Thursday's Tip: Reheating Refrigerated Breads

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Germy Germs

My son got a cold first. Then it hit my daughter. Today my husband stayed home sick from work. Hmmm, I wonder who is next? Why, oh why, does this happen?

Here are 13 of the germy-est items around...
  1. Sponges (i.e. kitchen sponges)
  2. Women's purses
  3. Men's wallets
  4. Makeup case
  5. Remote control
  6. Pillows and mattresses
  7. Refillable liquid soap dispensers
  8. PDA (Blackberry, etc.)
  9. Phones
  10. Desk drawer bottom
  11. Computer mouse
  12. Door handle
  13. The car

Click here to read more details about all these germs!!!

Information courtesy of Lifescript.com

Friday, October 10, 2008

NKOTB Concert: AMAZING!!!

As I mentioned on Wednesday, I went to the NKOTB concert at Staples Center with my girlfriends. We actually started the night at The Palm restaurant a couple of blocks from Staples Center for appetizers and drinks. Thank you Joe, the bartender for the free shots, and thanks to all the girls in the restroom who sang "Hangin' Tough."

Then we were off to the concert.

OMG!!! I have never had a better time at a concert...ever!!! Natasha Beddingfield was a great opening act, who we then said hi to during the brief intermission before New Kids came out while she was walking on the main lobby floor.

NKOTB then came out and performed for nearly 2-1/2 hours! Talk about getting your money's worth! And I will be honest, I wasn't expecting much after hearing them on The View. (They sounded horrible!) But after a few sound checks I suppose the worked out all the kinks because they sounded great! It was so much fun to sing all of those songs again.

This may sound weird, but it was so much more of a fun concert to attend now as an adult rather than as a teenage girl. Unlike when I was a teenager, I had no wishes and dreams to finally meet Joe and fall madly in love. Instead, I just appreciated that they all are still around (aka didn't OD on drugs) and are still great performers.

Another amazing aspect of the concert...everyone was standing the entire show. Last October I went to the Justin Timberlake concert at Staples Center as well, and it was a great show. But no offense JT, it was not as good as this concert, and the fans weren't nearly as into the JT concert as the fans were into NKOTB. It was a trip to look around the arena and see that from the very front row to the last row in the nose bleed section, everyone was standing and dancing. And the arm waving for "Hangin' Tough"...INSANE!



And yes, the guys looked good. Aging has done them well. Jordan was very impressively ripped during his open shirt/wind blowing solo performance of "Baby I believe in you."

So, if NKOTB are coming to your town and you are thinking about going, stop thinking. You have to go! It is worth every penny!
(Coverage of LA concert above courtesy of E! News)

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Thursday's Tip: Reopening an Envelope


If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

NKOTB Tonight!!!

Well, the night has finally come...it is time to see if the New Kids on the Block still have The Right Stuff.

My girlfriends and I will be seeing the original boy band at Staples Center in LA. We are even making an event out of it and staying in a hotel...watch out, Moms Go Wild!!

I will wave my arms in the air to Hangin' Tough for all of you NKOTB fans that can't make it to their show. And I will certainly dish all the details of the show later this week!

Monday, October 6, 2008

Tiny Prints Surprise Giveaway Winner

Thanks to those of you who entered the Tiny Prints surprise giveaway.

The lucky winner of the $50 gift certificate is...

Chrissy from West Chester, PA.
Congrats Chrissy, please contact us at info@housescouchesandbabies.com to claim your gift certificate!

Be sure to stay tuned for more surprise giveaways!

Your Dishwasher: Should it Stay or Should it Go?

Our dishwasher is a little over 5 years old and has been acting up lately. Should we get a new one or just repair the one we have?

According to Consumer Reports, it makes sense to replace a dishwasher that is 6 years or older, rather than repair it. This is because of the improvements that have been made to today's dishwashers such as sophisticated sensors, high-efficiency pumps and improved filtration. As a resultof these improvements, dishes get sparkling clean with just 3 gallons of water - which will actually save you money on water and energy costs.

Hmm, I suppose I should start researching new dishwashers...

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Thursday's Tip: Bananas


Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
Of course, if you like them ripe and mushy, then keep them connected.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Subtle Butt: Funny but Serious

Okay, this product is so funny that I cannot NOT tell you about it. And yet, it is a legitimate product that you might want to go out and buy. I just heard about this product on my favorite show, Chelsea Lately, and thought I would pass it on to you.

Subtle Butt is a disposable gas neutralizer...what does that mean, you ask? Here is part of the description on the Subtle Butt website:

"From the brilliant minds at Garment Guard comes our newest product, Subtle Butt. This pack of 5 saving graces effectively filters the odor caused by flatulence; Simply stick it in the right place and you're ready for a chili cook-off. "

You can buy 5 of these disposable pads for just $9.95 at drugstore.com. For more details on Subtle Butt, click here.

Ladies, now you know what to put in your husband's stocking this year for Christmas!