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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ChangeYourClock #CollectiveBias

Over the summer, we were in Philadelphia exploring the area around our hotel when we stumbled upon a fire station. Of course, the kids wanted to check out the fire truck so we asked the firefighters if it was okay with them.

They were kind enough to let the kids play around for a bit and patient enough to answer my daughter’s many questions about their job. Teaching kids about fire safety can be challenging, so I made a note to talk to her more when we got back home. So far, we’ve talked about the importance of listening for instructions if a smoke alarm sounds.

This weekend, I approached the topic again over crayons and coloring pages. I’ve found this to be an effective way to talk about difficult topics by the suggestion of a Facebook friend. I wanted to go a bit deeper and share my own experience. A fire that started in my neighbors home spread quickly over to my apartment and costed me almost everything that I owned, only a week before Christmas while I was in college.

I thought telling my daughter about this would really give her the insight on the importance of preparedness, but I found myself so overwhelmed with emotion, I couldn’t share my story. Actually, I also planned to share my experience here, but again I got too emotional writing and decided that this isn’t the right time. These deep emotions more than 10 years after that experience makes it clear to me the importance of fire safety. Everything from that day is a blur, but I don’t remember hearing our smoke detector. Luckily, my roommate was at home that day and alerted me. According to National Fire Protection Association, on the average most families have less than 3 minutes from the time the first smoke alarm sounds to escape a fire. That’s why we must be prepared and ensure that our smoke alarm is functioning properly.

Since I have one million things to remember, I like to put a reminder in my phone and on my Google calendar to change my batteries in my smoke detectors when I change my clock. The good thing about talking to The Princess Fairy about this is that she is a great accountability partner and she would make sure to remind me and ask a ton of questions if I fail to change the batteries.

I stocked up on  Energizer® batteries at Walmart, I wanted to use Energizer® batteries because I am a huge fan of their Change Your Clock Change Your Battery™ program.  The goal of the program is to change behavior and save lives. Since the program’s inception 28 years ago, they’ve donated more than 5 million batteries in coordination with local fire departments to ensure more families have working smoke alarms. This is very important because 71% of non-functioning smoke alarms had missing, disconnected or dead batteries.

I wanted to share all of this very personal story to encourage you to join me in spreading “positivenergy™” and adopt this simple life-saving habit: When you change the time on your clocks on Nov. 1, change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. You can download the coloring and activity printables for your kids here. Also, make sure to share it on social media and encourage your friends and family to do so, too. Together, we may save some lives.

Do you have any creative ways that you use to teach your kids about fire safety?

Many thanks to Kleenex brand for sponsoring this post! 

It’s cold and flu season again! I like to call this time of the year “sniffles season” for obvious reasons. We’re only a few weeks in and guess who already caught the sniffles? Yep, me. While I always have a care kit on hand for the kids, I barely stock up on anything for myself. I’m actually really embarrassed to admit this. I am that mom you’ve heard about who takes care of her children’s needs more than her own. I am really trying to do much better because I need to be well to take care of them. I know that I am not alone in this, most of us moms do so much for our children but only very little for ourselves. I had to give myself a little lecture in the mirror and remind myself that I can’t pour from an empty cup. I took advantage of the opportunity to do a kind act for myself and to show my inner being that I still care about her. So earlier this week, I took some time to make myself a self-care stash for the season. I took a solo trip to Walmart’s pharmacy section and loaded up my basket on all the goodies that make me feel comfortable whenever I catch something. Here’s what I got:

Coconut Water

Coconut water is one of my favorite drinks to feel hydrated when I’m not feeling great physically. Besides the hydration, I love the taste and as an island girl it’s always comforting to have something that reminds me of island life when I’m not feeling like myself.

Organic Chia Seeds

Chia Seeds are on the top of my list of favorite superfoods. They’re rich is fatty omega-3 acids and great for building up the immune system. As I’ve shared before, I love having them in my green smoothies and as a pudding.

Teas

I already have a stash of teas at my home, but I made sure to get some ginger and energy boosting teas for my self-care stash.

Vitamin C booster

Of course, I added a vitamin C booster. The more Vitamin C, the better.

Kleenex facial tissues

I stocked up on Kleenex Ultra Soft and Kleenex facial tissues with Lotion. I’ve been using Kleenex facial tissues basically all of life and I completely trust the brand with my sniffles. If you have delicate skin, Kleenex facial tissues with Lotion is great for caring for your sniffles gently. As a mother, it’s important for me to ensure that I don’t spread too many germs so I like to use Kleenex facial tissues for sneezing and then throw them away immediately after use as per CDC recommendations. Besides my basket with my stash, I have boxes throughout my home on my nightstand and in my living room.

Now, I want to challenge you to make yourself a self-care stash if you don’t already have one. Prepare for yourself, the way you prepare for your children. Make sure to take advantage of Walmart’s exclusive offer: receive a $5 VUDU credit when you purchase either a 4-pack of 75-ct Kleenex Ultra Soft Tissues or Kleenex facial tissues with Lotion (some will have stickers that denote coupon and some will not, but all of the Lotion/Ultra Soft 4-packs are eligible). Redeem by purchasing qualifying item and star/check the item(s) and the date of your receipt. Snap a clear photo of the entire receipt with your phone. Text CAREPACKAGE to 811811 for submission instructions. Please allow 48 hours for processing.

If you already have your stash on hand, keep taking great care of yourself and take a moment to visit Kleenex brand Someone Needs One website and share a message of care with someone else.

Do you have a Mommy Sniffles Self-Care Stash?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kleenex Brand.