Safety

These temperatures are brutal, and it's only May! But here's something to always keep in mind: even a cool spring or fall day isn’t safe for leaving a child inside a car. 

In 2016, Texas led the nation in the number of hot car infant deaths. 

This alarming trend has gone surprisingly unabated. Since 1990, over 600 children have died from overheating in a car. Yet it took Congress until June 2017 to introduce the Hot Cars Act that would require all cars to have back seat child detection technology. 

Until the bill is passed, the best we can do is to educate ourselves so our children don’t become one of the statistics. Here are some things to keep in mind as the temperature climbs toward the sweltering heat of summer.

Are you affected by the current formula shortages? The Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture shares some steps you can take to ensure the safety of your infant’s formula.

STOP! Before you throw out that car seat, please read the below. 

If your child has just outgrown his or her car seat or if you have a car seat collecting dust in your garage or attic, consider the following options before filling our already jam-packed landfills.

1. Reuse - only an option if the car seat is not damaged and has not expired.
2. Sell, trade, or give away - only an option if the car seat is not damaged and has not expired.
3. Recycle - an option if the car seat is damaged or has expired.

Before we show you ways to recycle your car seat, here are some car seat guidelines. Read on.

Keeping your children safe is every parent's number one goal. According to the Centers For Disease Control, every year there are 200,000 playground-related injuries for children under the age of 14. In order to prevent these accidents, it's important to be aware of some safety measures that can be taken.

Here are 4 things you can do to prevent injuries on the playground.

Have you ever wondered whether your 9-year old still has to sit in a booster seat or whether your 11-year old can sit in the front? Or what you need to do when your child's car or booster seat was recalled?

Booster seats are utilized to secure young children and those under certain weight thresholds to secure them in place in motor vehicles. When booster seats meet the necessary safety measures and testing, they can serve as great tools in assisting in children’s safety. 

However, there are instances when individuals fail to use booster seats properly. In other instances booster seats are not used at all or are defective. Faulty booster seats and failure to adhere to state safety guidelines can lead to serious injuries for children and penalties for adults. 

Broken Hearts and Calloused Hands, a non-profit organization located in Lago Vista, TX, with the mission to combat abuse and domestic violence is hosting a fundraiser to raise awareness and funds to help and bring hope to domestic violence victims transitioning out of dangerous situations through providing resources, temporary shelter and counseling for individuals and families.

Prizes include gift cards to local business, incl. Painting with a Twist, Amy's Ice Cream, The Melting Pot, Flat Creek Winery and many more. Read on for details and to get your raffle tickets.

Shield Pals, a Maryland-based personal protective equipment (PPE) retailer, creates unique reusable face shields for adults, children, and medical professionals, to help relieve the anxiety of kids visiting medical professionals during these unusual times. 

In partnership with Shield Pals, we're donating 25 shield pals and face coverings to B.I.G. Love Cancer Care to bring a smile on seven brave fighters' faces. Plus, we're giving away 3 Shield Pals to 3 lucky readers. Read on for details.

With the statewide mask mandate currently in place and – although not required – many parents voluntarily and out of precaution wanting their kids under the age of 10 to wear a mask, the demand for kids face masks is high.

Marianne, a stay-at-home mom of three kids (4, 3 and 15 months) from Cedar Park, sews for fun all the time (costumes, linens, alterations, etc). Here's how she started her face mask business The Grateful Thread. Plus, see our beautiful masks she made for us.

In the last 2 years, Austin police have investigated several attacks on women who were running on or near popular Austin hike-and-bike trails close to downtown. Unfortunately, those types of attacks can happen to anyone, anywhere, and at any time.

The University of Texas at Austin Police Department is offering a free 12-hour basic physical defense class to provide women with the knowledge to make an educated decision about resistance. Read on for details.

Do you buy and sell items online on Facebook groups or sites like Craigslist, OfferUp or letgo? If so, have you ever heard or made use of "Safety Exchange Zones" many police stations have created to keep you safe during your transaction?

The idea of the "Safe Exchange Zone" is to provide a place where people can safely complete internet purchases and to cut down on potential fraud, theft, robberies, or violence that can be associated with these types of transactions.

Here's a list of Safety Exchange Zones in and around Austin.

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