Are You Ready L.A.? Be Prepared For Disaster Year Round

Momma Told Me: There's no such thing as too prepared.

At 4:31 AM on January 17, 1994, a seven year old me was awoken from her slumber by a very intense and disorientating rumble that lasted exactly 16 seconds. A blip on the map of my life, but the original Northridge Earthquake and the aftershocks that followed were forever ingrained in the back of my mind. The 6.7 earthquake would soon go down in history as one of the fastest accelerating tremors in an urban area, and just 18 miles from the quake's epicenter, our little condominium community was more than shook up. Clutching Momma's nightgown, and my favorite stuffed porpoise, I wandered outside. Our neighbors were in various states of panic, many without proper footwear, or even a flashlight; but my father had his emergency preparedness kit on hand. As we waited out future aftershocks and structural clearance through that morning several of the elements inside proved invaluable for comfort and peace of mind.

Living in Southern California our biggest natural disaster concerns are wildfires, earthquakes, and flash floods/tsunamis (living near the beach we are in a marked tsunami evacuation zone.) Unfortunately Hollywood would have us in the mindset that a Zombie outbreak is more imminent than a REAL natural disaster. Us Southern Californians are pretty laid back and, as nice as that is to live here, that kind of mentality could lead to being unprepared during a real natural disaster. It doesn't matter how nice the climate is where you live, every family must be prepared for a variety of natural and unexpected disasters. As I type this it is 85F outside, at the beginning of February- the sun is shining, and I am just a 10 minute walk from the beach. It's hard to get into the mindset of natural disaster preparedness when the climate is so ideal and the terrain so mild. But is is crucial.

As the Santa Ana winds kick up here in the Los Angeles area it truly is important that local residents take note of their emergency plans and also consider other natural disasters natives may encounter. We must ask ourselves; Am I prepared if a wayward brush-fire cinder lands on the roof after lights out? Do my kids know how to exit the house from the second floor? What would I do if a power grid outage meant lights out for days? What's the safest evacuation route in case of a tsunami? There are many details to consider when preparing for emergencies in Southern California; communication should always be your biggest tool. Go over your family's evacuation plan and outline any first aid kits or fire extinguishers on a map of your house. Be sure to go over the escape route a minimum of twice a year, and verify that marked exit routes are unobstructed and prepared.

Piecing together an emergency kit can seem overwhelming, but having one is necessary in any size home. Two story homes should have a minimum of two fully stocked emergency kits containing everything from survival essentials to first aid staples.  You can buy pre-made emergency kits from your local hardware or big box store. All of the necessities inside are often bundled in an easy to see orange backpack with or red carrier with a reflective ID and emergency contact tag.

I highly encourage LA County residents to store their emergency kits in a hard shelled container, such as a bucket, which will keep supplies clean and undamaged in the case of property damage or debris. You will likely also want to ad some of your own essentials (batteries and power banks, candles, a crank radio, personal hygiene items, activities for the kids) or even a refill kit of first aid supplies. Having all of your emergency supplies in an easy to grab, and spot is essential come the panic of an unforeseen natural disaster or emergency. For more tips on what to stock your emergency kit with refer to this Emergency Kit worksheet.

Part of being prepared is following up on your safety kits and plans yearly to ensure all supplies and documents meet current needs. In the case that some of your supplies expire you can always pick up a refill kit from the kit's manufacturer or supplement with your own supplies. Choose a central location near multiple exits in your home to store your main emergency kit, and be sure to pick up a few smaller, basic first aid kits to have in alternate locations around your home should you or a family member be cut off from the primary one's location.

 When considering natural disasters it's also important to stock up your vehicle with a condensed version of your emergency kit, in addition to flares, emergency blankets, and water.Especially here in Southern California, natural disasters may strike without warning at any location. Should you find yourself on the road when one does you should not rely solely on modern technology to get you by. While power banks could help, smartphones may be compromised and cell service may even be shut off- Always keep a current map book or road guide on hand. In the event you are caught on foot, or need to divert your route, in an emergency knowing the terrain for alternate routes, as well as local emergency meeting points (schools, government buildings, etc) can prove life saving.

As a pet mother I'd be remiss if I didn't wrap up this reminder with a note to prepare for furry family members too. Most emergency shelters do not accept pets for sanitary reasons, be sure to locate and identify safe places to bring pets in advance of a disaster. Often veterinary offices and animal shelters will open during an emergency to house pets. Be sure to have backup food and water for them, because supplies may be limited at such temporary shelters, and ensure all crates and kennels are well marked and identified with hard shell frames or exteriors.

You can never be truly prepared for an unexpected natural disaster, but the difference between no preparation and some could be a life. For Los Angeles locals the ReadyLA online emergency resource hub has a wealth of free natural disaster preparedness resources, please stop by and learn more today. Sign up for local L.A. County emergency and disaster updates via text at www.nofiyla.org. You may also text NOTIFYLA to 888-777 (one word) for updates if you don't wish to to sign up through the website.

What Daughter Says: Awareness is the first step to preparedness.

Little Tikes RC Tire Twister- Ready To Hit The Road, No License Required

We received an RC Tire Twister from Little Tikes in hopes we would share our experiences here on the blog. Regardless all insight is genuine and all photos are copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2016.

Momma Told Me: Driving takes a lot of responsibility!

I don't know about you but one of the first marks of adulthood I idolized was the car. I was a bit of a tomboy, sure most of my friends were young boys my age, but I think what really did it was those darn Hot Wheels action cars and their crazy yellow tracks you could link up infinitely. After all, Momma's white Windstar (minivan) wasn't exactly the most alluring example of a motorized vehicle- though it did have that red stripe down the side. Whatever it was, I had the urge to be in control and to go fast and remote controlled vehicles only made that thirst even more exciting. The funny thing is, those RC toys always seemed to frustrate me more than anything as I desperately worked on my cognition and dexterity skills to react fast and operate the dual joysticks.

The Little Tikes™ RC Tire Twister™ immediately caught my eye as a big kid at heart and was an instant crowd-pleaser at our Thursday play group. I was extremely skeptical that this remote controlled toy was age appropriate for 3 and up, as indicated on the packaging, but the over-sized tire track and easy to grip large racer seemed as if engineered for such an age bracket. Needless to say this was one 'little kids' toy even the older kids were waiting their turn in line to play with! And who wouldn't want to play with a dual sided race car that can ride inside a giant tire track doing flips OR hit the carpet for some off track navigation?

We let our 3 year-old experiment with this toy first- though she seemed a bit more overwhelmed than excited. The wheel was too much for her to handle- and even too heavy for her to lift up after topping, and too awkward to set up on her own. However the car, outside the wheel track was much more forgiving. It had a wide turn radius and, even though there were two control pad buttons to operate, she was fairly happy to watch it go forward or back, or in circles without a real plan of action. It's definitely a toy I could see her growing into.

Of course, if you have siblings around, this is a wonderful toy for everyone to play with. Lynnsey, our 5 year old was much quicker to train her brain to the dual pad button operation, but also had trouble with the tire turning too sharp and toppling. This is where I, as an adult, sort of wished there was some sort of rubberized coating on the giant wheel track- the sound of that plastic toppling over is fairly jarring, especially if that car comes popping out. In truth, it took the 7 and 8 year-olds to master the finer mechanics of balancing the speed and turns within the wheel. They were able to get the car to 'flip' inside the wheel generating a series of applause and cheers each time.

In the end the Little Tikes™ RC Tire Twister™ is probably going to get more use outside it's tire track than inside. The tire is a cook way to store and present the RC car, and neat for those old enough to manage the tricks but not quite something most toddlers can master intuitively on their own. I think this would be a great toy for a dad and son or daughter to bond over in the kindergarten range. Since it's Little Tikes™ it's also built really durable, to withstand a lot of play, and the battery life is extremely impressive for an RC toy of it's size.

Despite my slight disappointment with the difficulty level of the tricks and tire operation, the RC Tire Twister remains one of those toys the children wait all week to play with and a great tool for growing patience and dexterity. Of course, as far as RC toys go, it doesn't get much more entry level than a Little Tikes™ submission to the category. So, in conclusion this toy gets ample 'cool points' for being one of those head turning toys with great growing potentiality and should not be overlooked by any age bracket (we suggest 5-10.) Now, tell me, did you or your kids ever have an obsession with car toys as a child?

What Daughter Says: Race cars aren't all cool tricks and flashy wheels, the Little Tikes RC Tire Twister helps build dexterity and persistence through fun.

#SayMore With Hershey's Kisses Deluxe + D.I.Y. Checkers Board Tray

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Hershey’s KISSES Deluxe. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Momma Told Me: That's nice to hear.

Growing up my father was always there, even when he was not, which was quite often in the scheme of my childhood years. Pop worked Monday- Friday, as a traveling technician servicing his company's equipment everywhere from our home town to 100's of miles away. He was almost always 'on the road' before I'd even risen for school, and he'd often return home just in time to tuck me into bed. Because all we really had were the weekends, we made our moments count during the week.

My father was notorious for finding reason to 'extend' my bedtime just a little longer. He'd make ridiculous bets, call me downstairs for a 'forgotten' dessert, and offer just one round of our favorite game, Checkers. For my 6th birthday my grandparents sent fun twist on the classic game, Chockers, and a bag of Hershey's Kisses. The game was identical to the classic one, with the exception that the pieces were actually plastic Hershey's KISSES and the 'Kings' were delicious chocolates the winner actually got to eat. Momma was never too keen on that version- especially since my father so often let me win so he could share his favorite chocolates.

Delicious Hershey's KISSES have been a symbol of love in our family ever since those childhood memories first blossomed. Every holiday we'd send a bag of KISSES out to my grandmother, and every holiday she'd send some right back. And, let's not forget, they're KISSES- sharing a Hershey's KISSES is just like sharing a melty chocolate hug. And, I don't know about your family, but ours holds chocolate in high regard when it comes to expressions of love through gifting! So, when I discovered new Hershey's KISSES Deluxe chocolates, the delicious new Hershey's KISSES with twice the chocolate and a premium Hazelnut center, I immediately wanted to share them with my father.

In fact, Hershey's KISSES has an exciting campaign currently going on right now to encourage their fans to #SayMore this holiday season with more meaningful conversations and deliberate interactions. The Say More campaign is precisely the type of message we here, on Momma Told Me, like to preach with our retrospective stories. Every year I gift my father something handmade, and this year's gift is inspired by those Hershey KISSES memories, and bed times stretched by chocolate Kings and crinkled wrappers. This year I'll be gifting my father a home made Checkers board and a box of Hershey's KISSES Deluxe.

Making this project was a time for me to not only reflect on warm, fuzzy, memories, but to inspire a dialogue with my father about how much those memories truly meant to me, within the scope of my childhood and even still to this day. I began by finding a square serving tray I could easily re=purpose for a board game. Since I already had 1.5" round wood discs from the craft store, I knew I needed a board at least 12" x 12," so I picked up a 14" square bamboo serving tray that was affordable, and lightweight enough to be carried from room to room, or stashed under the coffee table when not in play.

Your color scheme will vary, depending on your tastes and the finish of your chosen tray- I decided to go with a classic red and black grid. Using odor-free rub on wood stain I applied 2 coats of red to one side of 32 discs (the board base), and both sides of 18 discs (my playing pieces,) then repeated the process with the remaining discs for the black. Once dry I measured an even distance from the walls of my tray and cut cardboard spacers to lay inside as a guide for a centered grid. Using wood glue I daubed a spot of glue for each marker until all 64 spots were placed. I then placed a heady box atop the grid for several hours while the glue set.

To allow for the 'Kinging' of pieces I used a gold paint marker to draw crowns on one side of 4 pieces, for each color- though, players can also double collected pieces to signify a 'King' as is traditional. My preference? Gift your Checkers board with a 35 count box of Hershey's KISSES Deluxe for use as the 'Kings.' In any case, I sealed all of my pieces, and the board, with 2 coats of clear acrylic paint spray- in a well ventilated outdoor area wearing proper face protection.

This was a very affordable and simple product with a wonderfully clean finish and final look. The tray has handles so it can be taken from room to room, or even outdoors, without the game being disturbed, and all pieces can be contained inside so pieces are never lost. In an age where family members poke one another and send emojis from the next room over, couldn't we all use a little more time to reconnect over a classic board game like this? When was the last time you spent some time getting to know your house guests over a little good matured competition and delicious chocolates?

New Hershey's KISSES Deluxe are all about taking a moment to savor life with the friends and family that mean so very much. Share the rich chocolate flavor, and delicious hazelnut center, with someone this season and see what conversation you can strike. We're all so busy running to and fro this time of the year, why not relax and reconnect? Need a little more inspiration? Check out this heartwarming video of how one family was encouraged to Say More to their mother. Follow Hershey's on Facebook for more #SayMore inspiration. Do you know someone in your life you'd like to take some time to reconnect with? Who might enjoy a chance to say more over delicious Hershey's KISSES Deluxe?


What Daughter Says: No matter how much those around you know how you feel about them, take the time to share and #SayMore this holiday season.

I-C is hosting a contest for the new Hershey KISSES Deluxe where our readers can enter to win one of 50 Hershey’s KISSES Deluxe 75 – piece gift box valued at $35! *I-C will randomly select fifty winners from all program entries and will handle fulfillment of the winning prizes.

Sending Smiles With A Minions Care Package + Paying It Forward With $.49 Cards

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SendSmiles #CollectiveBias All photos contained below are copyright Momma Told Me 2015.

Grandma Told Me: Say it with a Hallmark.

Here on the blog we've talked often about the special place Hallmark Greeting Cards hold in my heart. While I grew up in a technological boom, where home PCs were just beginning to become the norm, and 'cell phones' were a thing of Sci-Fi fiction, the size of briefcases, paper sentiments always especially stood out. My German immigrant grandmother believed not any greeting card would do, and that only the gold crown seal of a Hallmark greeting card could properly define milestones and occasions. As young as 5, she taught me to flip a card over, in search of that famous crown trademark.

This is something I took to heart when I later began making my own handmade line of cards 'Jenmark,' for friends and family, as a tween. But it wasn't the brand that made Hallmark special, it was the commitment to offering originally unique sentiments and cards for just about any occasion. There really isn't much of anything you can't say with a Hallmark card, and chances are there are things you should be saying with one, you don't even know there's a card for. In today's digital and instant age, I find it important to continue to connect with family and loved ones through physical mementos of greeting cards. One of my preferred ways to do this is with a care package.

As most of you know Sabrina, 12, is spending the Summer with her grandmother in Oregon, as she typically does. I knew back in May I'd be sending her a care package, but the U.S. post office prohibits sending live animals Priority Mail, so I also knew I'd have to get a little creative. While we had a lot of wonderful adventures on our road trip up North, there is one Summer 2015 event we won't be able to celebrate together- the Minions film release. So, when I came across the new range of Hallmark Minions cards at my local Walmart I knew I had the perfect box in mind.

While you'll find several hilarious sound enhanced greeting cards with the Minions on them, I was especially attracted to the range of kids birthday and everyday greetings with clip on plush characters. These greeting cards were gifts in themselves with collectible Minions clips perfect for backpack pulls or Summer luggage tags. Naturally, I wanted to collect and send them all, but I had to save a few designs for Sabrina's birthday this Fall. Momma, however, will be getting one for her birthday in August.

Inspired by the unique Minions Hallmark cards I set out to make something Minions of my own. After all, no care package is complete without something handmade. And, because I see Minions everywhere (I might be a little obsessed) I had spotted some perfectly oval lip balms I knew would transition into the most adorable Minions!

By inter-mixing the caps for the Lemon Drop lip balms and Blueberry lip balms I immediately had the perfect canvas for all of my favorite Minions, Stuart, Dave, and Bob. With a few Sharpies, and a steady hand, I went to work drawing faces on these round balms. My first few were more of experiments than anything, they were cute, but not a graphical as the finished trio (seen above.) I also made sure to include a movie theater gift card inside Sabrina's Minions Hallmark card, so she could see the film up in Oregon while she's with her grandmother.

I've got to say, I'm a bit sad we can't Skype and watch the movie together (theaters tend to frown on using cell phones during movies, ya know?) but I know the Minion spirit will continue on through the Summer with the amazing assortment of Minion themed goods I packed away. You don't have to spend an arm and a leg on licensed merchandise to get Minion-fied, just think like a Minion! Anything banana is fair game when it comes to Minion gifting so why not attach a bag of banana candies, a banana coin purse, or petty much anything banana to your Hallmark Minions greeting card! My personal favorite find? A Banana peel smart phone holder by Fred!

Of course, while you're at Walmart, you'll want to stock up on some of the fun and colorful designs in the everyday value collection of Hallmark cards. Just look for the 'Value' card callers to find quality greeting cards as low as $.49 everyday! We always have a box of these on hand, as I like to pull them out at the most unexpected situations. There are few days a greeting card can't immediately brighten one's day!

In fact, if you're the sort who loves to 'Pay it Forward' by buying the car behind you a coffee at Starbucks, you'll love the idea of improving someone's mood with an affordable $.49 Hallmark greeting card. Want to take it a little further? Use some simple dollar bill origami to fold a single or five dollar bill into a fun shape and stash it in the card with a message of encouragement like, 'Go ahead, get the Large,' 'Spring for something special on a stranger,' or 'Sharing a smile with a stranger.' Don't know what to say? Let the fun and funny Hallmark Value cards say it for you then place one on a stranger's windshield, in a random book at the book store, or on the purse of an unsuspecting stranger at the checkout line.

Life goes too fast not to stop and connect with your fellow humans- let Hallmark help you connect with unique greeting cards and inspired sentiments. Whether you have a fellow Minion fanatic in need of the perfect birthday card, or are simply looking to say hello to an old friend, Hallmark at Walmart can help you connect. Emails, text messages, and phone calls all fade away, but (take it from the girl with every greeting card ever given to her in a cardboard box) physical sentiments will never fade. Like the ideas featured in this post? Follow Hallmark on Facebook for more creative ways to connect! What occasions do you have coming up that could be amplified with a Hallmark card?

What Daughter Says: Generations of our family have trusted the gold crown to capture and celebrate countless occasions. Long live the art of the greeting card.

Bello! Something exciting is happening in the greeting card aisle of your local Walmart- #Minions #Hallmark greeting cards have arrived! Some even feature collectible plush clips! Hurry now before the minions mistake them for #bananas and they all disappear! #ad #minionbob #minionstuart #MinionDave #SendSmiles #minionsmovie #flipagram made with @flipagram See full video at flipagram.com/askandilltell86

A video posted by Jenna Marie's (@mommatoldme) on Jun 26, 2015 at 4:17pm PDT