Everyone needs a little help getting started. So here are a few resources
categorized into helpful websites, useful products, and informative blogs
and videos, that we think you might find interesting.
Websites
American Red Cross: The dedicated team at the American Red Cross Bay Area chapter and its volunteers have been helping families for years now, prepare for and respond to emergencies. We are proud to be partnered with the Bay Area chapter that also conducts a variety of training courses in first aid, CPR and even babysitting! Want to put together a Family Emergency Kit? Check out ‘Be Red Cross Ready’ or ‘Masters of Disaster Family Kit’. You can even search for your local Red Cross chapter here.
Safe Kids USA: Whether you have an infant, toddler or pre-teen this site has several important tips ranging from toy safety to bike & wheels safety. They even have an online community i.e. an open forum where you can connect with other parents including health and safety professionals looking to share information about unintentional injury prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Looking for credible health information? We recommend checking out CDC’s official site where, apart from a detailed A-Z index of medical conditions, you can also learn about which foods are safe and which ones to avoid. They even post tips on healthy living.
Products & Services
The Neat Company: We are all about digitizing your vital documents for easy access in case of an emergency. To help you get started we recommend the NeatDesk Scanner offered by our partner, The Neat Company. You should also check out the Neat Fleet, an online community of experts from various fields brought together by the Neat Company to help reduce your paper clutter and get organized. While you're there, don’t forget to check out informative articles on preparedness written by our very own ME911 team member Goldie Aranha.
SentrySafe: In addition to digitizing your documents we also recommend keeping the originals like birth and marriage certificates, passports, etc. safe. Even better would be keeping them literally in a safe such as a fire-resistant and waterproof one by SentrySafe. They offer a variety of safes that you could purchase at your local Costco or Walmart depending on your needs and budget. Love pink? Check out their Pink Fire-Safe especially since $1 from the sale of each one is donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Securita: If you're looking for an easy-to-use, transportable filing system for your vital records then take a look at PortaVault. In addition to being able to store and organize all your paperwork in one place, it also comes with seven custom forms including household inventory and an emergency planning guide to help you get started.
PrepareUS: If there's one thing we all know about preparing for an emergency or a natural disaster - it's having an emergency kit. But have you heard of one with astronaut food? We have and it's by our partner PrepareUS. With comfy blankets, a guide and refill system, PrepareUS describes its kit as the ultimate package. Oh and don't forget to use promo code 'ME911' to get $50 off!
Blogs
Babble’s Parenting Blogs: Babble’s bloggers could help you keep pace with the modern, ever-changing world of parenting. Depending on your parenting stage you could read through posts from Baby’s First Year or Being Pregnant. We also recommend checking out Babble’s shortlist of the Top 50 Mom Blogs of 2010 that you might be interested in following!
The iPhone Mom: Love your iPhone but noticed your kids love the apps more? Then we surely recommend reading the app reviews posted by the iPhone Mom before you take the plunge. Here you will find practical reviews for moms by a real life mom whose kids vouch for her. In fact, check out her review of our ME911 safety app!
Travel Savvy Mom: Are you a mom looking for some good family travel advice by moms? Then you ought to check out Travel Savvy Mom that publishes a great mix of reviews, tips, and travel experiences.
Videos
How to install an Infant Car Seat: Learn how to select the right car seat for your newborn, how to install and adjust it to fit. By BabyCenter.
How to put together an Emergency Kit: Jamie Lee Curtis walks you through the essentials of your kit as part of the American Red Cross "Do More Than Cross Your Fingers" campaign. She even builds one of her own by personalizing it.
Family Preparedness 101 for the digital age: Our very own team member Goldie Aranha covers a list of vital documents to digitize, how to create an emergency plan, provides an emergency kit checklist and also shares a few travel tips.
International Travel - What Documents to Take: Learn about the important documents you need to carry and keep copies of as you plan a trip outside the U.S. Created by AAA.