Car Accident Tips

I was in a really bad car accident in 2005. I can tell you that it was August 1, 2005. I can tell you everything about that day still almost ten years later. I can tell you where I was, where I was going what I was wearing and every detail including my shoes. We were going to take my friend’s daughter to her mom’s house because her son had a dentist’s appointment. We turned in to their neighborhood as I had done thousands and thousands of times before and we were t-boned on my door. The car was spinning around many times. I didn’t count but it felt like thirty times. It was probably about three. We almost crashed in to a brick sign. Thankfully there was a smaller sign in the ground that stopped that from happening. It was very scary and it really changed my life. I can’t tell you that I knew what to do after the impact. I thought I was going to die.  Everyone was OK, no one broke any bones which was amazing. I was sitting differently that day. I used to sit “criss cross applesauce” in the car, I no longer do that. Since I took the impact on my door I would have shattered my knee cap. I was bruised and the kids were fine. We were whisked off to the hospital after I was pulled out of the car on a trauma board. There are specific steps you need to know and do when you are in an accident if it’s a fender bender or a serious accident. You need to protect yourself after any accident.  Do you know what to do?

Check out my post and see if you know what to do in an accident. You could even print it out and keep it in your car.

Should You Buy your Teen a Car?

Buying a teen their first car can be fun or very stressful. I watch a lot of court shows and quite often there are parents on the show that purchased their child a car or helped them. Of course the deal didn’t work out the way they hoped so they were in court. I know that this is a common thing for parents and children to experience when they buy from a private person, even more now with sites like Craigslist. Before you would sometimes see cars parked in parking lots with a for sale sign on them. You would call them and check out the car. Now it is easier to be scammed or to get a car for your teen that is unsafe because there is so much easier to find cars. My sister’s first car was a Sterling. Let me tell you that before she owned one I had never heard of Sterling cars. I knew it was British and I knew that it was really hard to find parts for. I am not sure why my dad bought her this car, but it ended up meeting a tragic end shortly after my sister received it. My sister was quite accident prone. They were never really serious accidents.  There was something about a lake but those details are still unknown to me. I think it rolled in to a lake? My sister is the perfect example why you shouldn’t buy a teen a brand new car.  A good used one is your best bet. How can you protect yourself though? Buying a car is a huge purchase. You really need to do your due diligence and make sure you get a good deal and a safe car for your child to drive.  

Check out my post about what to consider when buying your teen a used car.

Do you Know any Backseat Drivers?

I used to hang out with a group of friends and we would go places together. We would go out to eat all the time and even went on vacation once. It was a lot of fun most of the time, however one of my friends was a horrible back seat driver. He always would say he knew the best way to get somewhere. I sometimes wondered if he was listening to a police scanner or if he was tapped in to the traffic report around town. This was before apps and most smart phones. Sometimes he was right, but other times we would end up in construction or stuck in traffic. He really thought he was always right. It was pretty annoying to go places when he would start driving from the backseat. Sometimes we would have him drive because it was just plain easier. It was his fault if the traffic was heavy since he picked the route. He wasn’t really that bad, and he was a great guy so we put up with it. If he wasn’t driving he was in charge of the directions. However that wasn’t a perfect plan either, as we got lost a few times. Honestly it was fun though. I miss hanging out with them and even hearing the backseat driver chime in with his opinions about the best way there. I remember being excited once when I knew there was only one way to get somewhere.  

Through this experience I learned ways to deal with backseatdrivers and I can’t wait for you to check out my post.

YourGymGF App Provides Support for Working Out

Working out takes a village, you need a cheer squad. Before there was social media, you had to call your friends and cheer them on or all work out together. Some people are new to their area and they don’t have work out buddies. They can feel pretty isolated when it comes to working out. When you feel isolated you can give up pretty easily. Thankfully, we can virtually work out with our friends and family all over the world through social media and apps. There is a brand new fitness/lifestyle app for iPhone and Android called YourGymGF, which is ultimately a social network for women that are looking for new ideas on diets, workout plans and ultimately lifestyle changes, as well as motivation/support. The app allows users to stay involved with other users within the community. It sounds amazing especially if you share healthy recipes with your friends. The app is totally free. It is like your very own support system and brainstorming app for all things fitness and being healthy.  It’s also a great Kickstarter campaign you can consider donating to. Every little bit helps. They are trying to add a really cool feature and they need a little help reaching their goal. The new feature would help you by notifying you of new things and lets you notify others of things you want to share with them. 

We all are pretty busy, so we don’t always check in on our apps as much as we would like. Some of us juggle work and parenthood and everything in between.   

If you would like to donate you can do so on the YourGymGF Kickstarter Page. 

You should also follow YourGymGF on Facebook!

Remember that the app is totally free and fun too!

You can find the app in both iTunes and Android.

YourGymGF in the Apple Store

 YourGymGF in Android

Now you have no excuse not to become healthier and support your rockin’ friends along the way.

Headphones and Hearing Loss in Teens

Blaring music is a standard teenage behavior, but chances are, your son or daughter doesn’t realize the potential damage they’re doing to their hearing. 81% of teens listen to music with earphones, but only 8% of adolescents believe that hearing loss is a major health concern.

And in fact, rates of hearing loss among teens today are about 30% higher than in the 1980s and 1990s. Also, 46% of teens show potential signs of hearing loss with occasional ringing, roaring, buzzing, or pain in their ears, and one in six teens report that they experience hearing loss symptoms some or all of the time.

Often, teens don’t realize the dangers of hearing loss because they fail to realize we only have a set number of hair cells in our ears. When sound travels into our ear and vibrates through various passageways, it ripples hair-like cells in our inner ear. Excessive noise kills the hair cells, and when enough of these hair cells die, we experience hearing loss.

Remind your teen that at full volume, digital music devices can make as much noise as a live rock concert, and it only takes eight minutes of listening to music at a very high volume to cause hearing loss. You should be able to hear someone speak to you at a conversational level from about three feet away; if you can’t, your headphones are too loud. You can also recommend the 60/60 rule to your teenager: listen to music for no more than 60 minutes at a time and at no more than 60% volume. Finally, caution your teenager against buying ear buds, which are closer to the ear drum and can cause more hearing loss when used.

As a parent, it’s your job to make sure that your teenager isn’t hurting himself. Make sure that your teenager is well-aware of the dangers of headphones so that they don’t run the risk of hearing loss, and who knows? Maybe hearing loss is the reason they haven’t been listening to you!

It's Sew Emma Books

 My friends at Fat Quart Shop are releasing two new quilting books. They are both available on pre-order! I am really excited about the books because quilting is such a fun and beautiful hobby. You can make things that can be passed down through generations.

The first book is Winter Wonderland by Sherri Falls of This & That Pattern Company

This book has instructions for 12 cozy Christmas projects including 9 quilts, 2 table runners, and a tree skirt. If you pre-order today, you’ll receive an exclusive Mini Nordic noel Sampler pattern for free!

 

Pre-order the Winter Wonderland book 

Here is a great  blog post about Winter Wonderland. 

 

The second book that  Fat Quarter Shop has available for pre-order is Farm Girl Vintage by Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet. This book includes complete instructions for 45 sampler blocks in two sizes (6” and 12”), 10 quilts, 2 table runners, a table topper, and a potholder. If you pre-order, you’ll receive the Canning Season pattern!

 

 Pre-order Farm Girl Vintage

Be sure to also check out the blog post about Farm Girl Vintage

Which one are you going to pre-order first? 

Windham Fabrics Sale at Fat Quarter Shop

Fat Quarter Shop is having  a sale. They are offering 20% OFF ALL WINDHAM FABRICS!

This offer starts FRIDAY, January 23^rd until FRIDAY January 30^th at 11:59 PM CST. 

Windham Fabrics are gorgeous and great quality. Act fast though because this sale is only good for one week! You don't want to miss out!

Be sure to shop at Fat Quarter Shop to get your savings.