Many of us are aware of child proofing our home when there is a baby running around. This is to prevent accidents, spills and poisoning. However, it is still necessary to prevent poisoning accidents, even with older children. Here are some ways you can prevent and be prepared in case of emergency.

Most importantly, you need to be prepared. Have the poison control number, 1-800-222-1222 on or next to every telephone in your home. Also, be sure to program it into your cell phone. You will have the number ready to go should you ever need it. Poison control is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. You should keep any household cleaning products and all medicines in cabinets out of reach and away from children.

When using your household products or taking or dispensing medicine there are some guidelines you should use to prevent any accidents.

• Keep your dose out of reach and do not simply place it on the counter. Children can easily swipe it in seconds.
• If you get called away while taking your medicine, take your young children with you.
• Always secure your medicine bottles with the child proof cap and make sure it is completely on.
• Once you have finished with your household products or finished taking your medicine, place them back where they belong. Do not leave them out and place them out of sight where children cannot reach them.
• Be cautious of any guests who bring medicine into your home. Ask them to place them where your children will not find them as they can easily access purses, backpacks or pillboxes.

For more information on poison prevention visit www.cdc.gov. Practice the above tips when storing your household products and medicines. You can rest assured that you are doing all you can as a New Jersey woman to keep your family safe from danger.

As the weather heats up and the kids get out of school for the summer, one of the best family fun activities, which the kids especially love, is swimming. Many of us take precaution from the sun by putting on sunscreen and wearing a hat. What about the precautions in and around the pool though? The following are some things to keep in mind when you head out for a day in the water.

• The most important rule to remember when swimming is to never leave your children unattended in or around the pool. It only takes a split second for something to happen.
• Whether swimming in your own pool or in a friend’s, it’s best if the pool has a gate around it. This will prevent children form wandering out of the house and towards the pool, with the danger of falling in. Gates should cover the entire perimeter of the pool, be at least four feet in height and be self-latching. The latch should be high enough that it is out of reach of small children.
• Be sure that all drain covers are compliant. It is also important to keep children away from drains, suction outlets, pipes and other pool openings, especially in shallow pools.
• Have your pool equipped with life preservers and/or reaching poles in case of emergency. It is also a good idea to have a phone by the pool whenever you are enjoying it.
• And lastly, it is a good idea to make sure all swimmers in and around the pool know how to swim. If they do not, be sure that they have some sort of coast guard approved flotation device on. Learn and know how to perform CPR on children as well as adults. If you understand and know the basics of life saving, you will be better prepared and know how to assist in an emergency situation.

The next time you are enjoying a day at the pool follow the above recommendations for a safe and fun filled day at the pool. Happy swimming!

Part of our job as a New Jersey mother and women, is making sure that our families get their teeth cleaned and visit the dentist on a regular basis. But we also need to make sure our mouths stay healthy in between those regular visits. Here are some ways that you can ensure your teeth and your family’s will stay healthy.

1. Omit the soda – Soda is fun to drink, especially for our kids, because of its fizz. This however, is not good for your teeth. The two ingredients that cause the fizz, phosphoric acid and citric acid, eat away the enamel on your teeth. Make soda a treat, because one or more cans a day will make cavities a welcome visitor.

2. Keep the sugar at bay – Most of us have a sweet-tooth, especially our children. Sugar can be very bad for your teeth though. It helps acidity and bacteria to brew in your mouth causing decay through plaque and loss of enamel. Your mouth will produce acid for up to 20 minutes after indulging in a sugary treat. Cut back on the sugar and try brushing after every meal to avoid further damage.

3. Make sure you use the correct toothbrush – The toothbrush you choose should be soft bristled and if used properly should last two to three months. Your toothbrush should be replaced when the bristles begin to bend.

4. Practice proper brushing – Many of us are happy knowing we brush the recommended twice a day. However, do you know if you are doing it right? To brush correctly, hold your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle towards the gum line. Brush in short, gentle, circular motions focusing on each tooth 10-15 times.

5. Flossing – Aiming to floss once a day will help to keep decay at bay. To floss correctly, take approximately a foot long piece of floss and wrap it around both index fingers leaving a two-inch piece between them. Use a fresh section with each tooth and keep the floss tight to break up the plaque.

For more information on keeping your family’s teeth and gums clean and healthy, visit www.webmd.com. Happy brushing New Jersey!

It’s a common problem in many households, how to de-clutter. Many New Jersey women and moms have this same dilemma. Not only do we have to worry about organizing our household, but also kids bring in a great deal more that need to be organized. Thankfully, there are ways you can help keep your clutter at bay.

Have your children help

You can enlist your kids to help out when it comes to de-cluttering. Instead of instructing them to “clean their room,” it’s better to give them more detailed instructions such as “pick up all your books and put them back on the shelf.” They will have an easier time with this. Also, be sure that you have enough storage for all of their toys, games and supplies. If you do not, it may be time to give some things away, which brings us to our next suggestion.

Go through toys regularly

Be sure to clean out your children’s toys on a regular basis, or you will have a mounting pile. If your child is older, you can do this together. For younger children it may be easier to put the toys away so they can forget them and you can then give them away. As the saying goes, “out of site, out of mind.”

Streamline your kid’s artwork

Aside from toys, artwork is another item that will pile up when children are in your home. As soon as they start school it seems that they are brining a new piece of artwork home every day. To keep these organized try being creative with your display. You can mount clips on a wall that your children can reach, place a magnetic board somewhere to switch out different pictures, or hang a long piece of ribbon or string on the wall and attach safety pins for hanging your pictures. Any of these will help organize that school artwork.

These are just some of the ways you can help keep your home organized with your children’s items. Don’t worry about tackling everything in one day though, and remember that keeping your home free of clutter is something that you have to work at regularly.

The perception of car buying is that men drive a hard bargain and women tend to be pushovers. According to many studies, men are four times more likely to star negotiating proceedings than women when it comes to buying cars. Women also may pay up to $1,300 more than men when buying a car to avoid having to negotiate. However, according to Time magazine and a survey conducted by LeaseTrader, a car lease swapping site, this may not be so true.

Their survey showed that women are more thorough and will ask more difficult questions than their male counterpart when it comes to buying a car. Based on LeaseTrader’s findings, two-thirds or 67% of women ordered a vehicle inspection prior to the transfer of a lease. However, only 54.5% of men asked the same. When age becomes a factor, a women’s thoroughness is even more evident. For women and men ages 21 to 30, only 42% of men compared to 78% of women will request a vehicle inspection prior to buying.

Another aspect that differs between men and women when buying a car is the way they approach the buying process. Women and men both seem to ask very different questions. Women will focus their questions on the vehicle’s accident history, safety performance and overall functions. The questions men ask however are geared more towards the vehicle’s styling, technology and performance.

The reasons for these differences during the car buying process between the two genders, has to do with our personalities. Women are more careful and like to avoid confrontation or haggling. In the end though they are able to avoid getting stuck with a bad car. Men however, are more confident in their ability to choose a car without having to inspect it very carefully. They tend to think they don’t need as much help and information.

So the next time you go to your local New Jersey dealer for a car, as a New Jersey woman, know that you may be better at purchasing a vehicle than you think!

As a New Jersey woman and mom, it’s tough to find the time to fit in a workout with everything else that goes into my day. When I do get the chance to work up a sweat, I want to get the most out of it that I can. There are some ways you can increase the impact you get from each workout, as the next one may not be as soon as you hope.

Practice Sprinting Intervals: Rather than exercising at the same speed throughout your workout, it is better to vary your moderate speed with short bursts of intensity. This will burn more calories, build your endurance and reduce belly fat.

Pump Your Arms: Many times we tend to focus only on our legs, but moving your arms is just as important. Swing them when running, walking or using a machine and when taking a class.

Add On An Extra 5 Minutes: The majority of cardio workouts last 30 to 45 minutes. By pushing your limits and adding an extra 5 minutes to your workout you can burn anywhere from 14-56 extra calories depending on your workout.

Add Strength Training: Although the main purpose of a cardio workout is to burn calories, you should also try to strengthen your muscles. You can achieve this by adding inclines when you bike, hike or run. This is a great way to add strength to your legs.

Vary Your Cardio Workouts: The more types of cardio you add to your workout routine, the more body strength and endurance you will achieve. Try to include at least three different kinds of cardio each week and this will also help to prevent any repetitive stress injuries.

Challenge Yourself: Besides adding inclines to your workout, try to push yourself and make your workout more difficult. Try running with high knees, or doing the more advanced footwork in your cardio class. It’s a short time compared to the rest of your day, so try to get the most out of your workout.

Try incorporating these ideas into your next workout and you will become one fit New Jersey woman. And for more information visit www.shape.com

One of the things on our list of taking care of our family is making sure that they are well. We take them to the doctor when they are sick and for routine checkups. Parts of those routine checkups include vaccinations. Vaccinations can be rather intimidating; words you may not understand, many possible side effects and lots to take in. Here is some information that may help make them a little easier to handle.

Whenever children come into the equation it become that much harder to stay on top of everything and that includes everyone’s vaccinations. It’s not only your young children that need to be vaccinated. You as a parent need boosters as well as pregnant women and senior citizens. The types of vaccines that you and your family need depends on many factors including age, lifestyle, medical conditions and history and places you may visit. It is also a good idea to get a vaccine against a disease or virus that has an occurrence of an outbreak. Although vaccines protect the person who received it, it also helps to protect those that do not receive one, especially the very young and those with weakened immune systems.

Vaccines are not only available in your doctor’s office. You can receive vaccines in hospitals, pharmacies, churches and even colleges and schools. Your health insurance may even cover the cost of you and your family’s vaccines. If you do not have health insurance there are often community or government clinics with low cost vaccinations.

If you need any help with vaccines visit vaccines.gov, a website offered by the federal government. There you will find information regarding vaccination calendars, how vaccines work, learn about their effectiveness and find out which diseases are prevented by vaccines. As a New Jersey woman and mother, this is some very helpful information to have.

As the weather continues to get warmer, you can’t help but want to be outside. Well, the President’s Council on Fitness has made that even easier for you and your family. May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, to promote physical activity, proper nutrition and leading a healthy lifestyle. This campaign has been in observance since May 1983, and you can participate across the country through an organization or as an individual. As part of Physical Fitness month, you can sign up for the PALA (Presidential Active Lifestyle Award) which is a six-week program allowing any one to receive presidential recognition for their physical activity.

Also, during National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, each week will have a different associated observance. One of these is National Women’s Health Week, which, will be observed May 13-19, 2012. The theme for this year is “It’s Your Time.” As New Jersey women, we tend to ignore our own health and well being and focus only on our families. However, it’s important to take time to focus on your own health so you can stay healthy to focus on your families.

National Women’s Health Week offers a great deal of information and encourages women about their physical and mental health. There are several ways to take care of yourself and take preventative measures regarding your health. Visit your doctor regularly for checkups and screenings. Become and stay active and eat healthy. Mental health is just as important as your physical health and it is important to get enough sleep and manage your stress. Also, avoid unhealthy habits or ones that put you in danger. These include smoking, wearing your seat belt, and wearing a helmet when appropriate. For more information on National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and National Women’s Health Week, visit www.fitness.gov and www.womenshealth.gov.

Men and women may agree on some things, but there is still one that they differ on, cars. According to Truecar.com and their third gender and car buying survey, the top three brands with the highest percentage of sales to women in 2011 included, Mini at 46.2 percent, Nissan at 45.7 percent and Kia at 45.6 percent. For men on the other hand, 13 of the 20 car brands that they opted for in 2011 were luxury or exotic.

The results of Truecar.com’s survey also showed that women tended to prefer more practical cars, which were smaller and more fuel-efficient. Men however, chose either a fast, sporty vehicle or a heavy-duty vehicle such as a large truck or SUV (sport utility vehicle). Their choice was based more on the look of the vehicle rather than it’s features.

As mentioned above, Nissan has almost half of their sales going to women. And three of the vehicles on Truecar.com’s top 10 list of vehicles purchased by women are also Nissan. They include the Nissan Rogue, the Nissan Juke and the Nissan Versa. The Nissan Rogue has 56. 9% of its sales being to women and the Juke and Versa have 52.7% and 52.2%, respectively.

The Nissan Rogue a crossover SUV stars at $23,915 and offers room for up to five passengers. The Rogue is a fuel-efficient vehicle getting 23 miles per gallon in the city and 28 milers per gallon on the highway. The Nissan Juke, the second Nissan to make the list starts at $19,990. The Juke is a mini crossover also offering room for up to five passengers. The Juke gets 27 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway. And the final Nissan on the list, the Nissan Versa has a starting price of $14,480. This is the smallest car Nissan offers and comes either as hatchback or sedan. The Versa gets 28 miles per gallon in the city and 34 on the highway.

So, if you are a New Jersey woman in the market for a new car, come by Sansone Jr’s 66 Automall for our “Women Selling Cars to Women” program and check out the Nissans listed on Truecar.com’s list.

As school is winding down and summer is fast approaching, it’s that time of year again for road trips. Whether long or short, there is nothing quite like hearing “Are we there yet?” and “I’m hungry!” over and over. Well, here are some tips and advice on how to survive your journey and some ways to keep your kids occupied.

Especially if you are traveling with younger children, you may want to arrange your departure and travel time around your child’s sleep schedule. This will not only keep you sane, but help your child travel better too. One option is to leave at lunchtime and have your kids eat in the car. They will get a kick out this if it’s not what they are used to, and it will keep them occupied. After lunch they can take a nap and then you can clock some mileage. If possible, keep the car moving while your children are sleeping. The other option is to leave at your children’s bedtime. If you can drive this late, you can just plop them in their seats with their pajamas on and go.

When it comes to eating, be sure and stock up on snacks for the ride. Some snacks that keep well for the road include pretzels, cookies, raisins, bananas, apple slices and granola bars. Try to avoid juice boxes as one squeeze and you could have juice all over! For lunch and dinner rest stops and parks are the ideal place for kids. There’s room to roam so your kids can get out all their energy and get some fresh air before having to hit the road again.

To keep your kids occupied while on the road, pack books on tape, CD’s, sticker books, and drawing supplies. Bring along a 9 x 13 baking pan so your children can use it as a playing surface. For older kids travel versions of popular games are also a good idea. Of course the most popular choice for entertainment is a DVD player. Whether your vehicle comes equipped with one or you have one installed, this is a great way to keep your kids entertained.

Keep the above tips in mind when you embark on your next road trip adventure and for more ideas and information visit www.babycenter.com. I don’t know about you but as a New Jersey woman and mom I am always glad to get more ideas.