(ARA) - Do your kids know what to do in the event of a fire? Do they know who to call or what to say? How much have you taught them about fire safety? According to the United States Fire Administration, more than 80 percent of fire deaths occur in residences and cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and fire injuries! To keep your family protected, it is the responsibility of every member of the family to know what to do in the event of a fire.

By teaching children a few essential safety guidelines, parents can help protect the whole family. Here are a few simple tips to keep you out of danger:

* Install smoke detectors on all floors of your home (see manufacturers’ directions for proper placement) and remember to change the batteries twice a year.

* Practice a family fire drill monthly. Explain the importance of getting out of a burning house safely. Instruct children to take nothing with them - no toys, etc. Plan two escape routes to the outside from each room.

* Practice dialing 911 with young children. Rehearse what they should say in an emergency. Remember if there is a big fire going out of control, leave the house immediately, dial 911 and do not go back into the house for anything.

* If hair or clothing catch fire Stop, Drop and Roll! to put out the flames.

* Have help in the kitchen. A great aid in the initial handling of small kitchen and electrical fires is probably already in your cabinet -- Arm & Hammer Baking Soda.

For initial handling of small kitchen or electrical fires, quickly turn off gas or electricity while standing back and tossing handfuls of the baking soda at base of flames. If the fire continues to burn, leave the house immediately and dial 911. Designate a box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda specifically as the family’s “Fire Safety Soda” and always keep it handy in the kitchen.

For treating minor burns: Apply cold water and ice immediately. Apply a soothing baking soda paste (3 parts Baking Soda to 1 part cold water) to the burned area and cover with a cool damp cloth. If the burn is serious (more than a superficial skin burn), call your doctor or 911.

It is never too soon to teach your family how to be safe. Taking a few small preventative measures now is certainly a lot easier than dealing with the damaging effects of a fire in your home.

Courtesy of ARA Content

(ARA) - Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love the outdoor decorations and I enjoy seeing the creative and clever costumes our neighbors dream up for their children -- everything from superheroes and pop divas to cartoon and fairy tale characters, animals and even insects. One thing I’ve noticed is you don’t have to be a magician or an artist to make an imaginative costume, even at the last minute. Here are some ideas that are sure to put a smile on your child’s face!

These are some supplies you will need to get started:

* Scissors; needle and thread; ruler or tape measure; pins; newspapers for pattern-making; cardboard for construction; colored markers; fabric paint; stickers; construction paper for ears and noses; glitter for space creatures, princesses, fairies; pipe cleaners for whiskers; yarn for hair, and feather boas.

* Felt -- it’s colorful, inexpensive, and doesn’t unravel. Netting, tulle and fake fur also come in handy and little girls’ just love to play dress-up with these.

* Assorted items from around the house such as plastic funnels, buckets, paper towel rolls, gallon milk containers, paper plates, aluminum foil and bubble wrap.

* Glues to avoid sewing including white craft or fabric glue, hot-melt glues used with a gun, fusible webbing when the adhesive is activated with the heat of an iron, a roll of basting tape, a temporary two-sided tape and spray adhesives.

Having assembled your supplies, now you’re ready for some creative costume fun:

* Start by dressing your child in a leotard and tights, a sweat suit, or a T-shirt, turtleneck and jeans. These become the base to build on and are ideal for creating insect and animal costumes like a bumblebee, lion or alligator. Black is a perfect color for pirates, devils, witches, magicians, vampires, mummies, and skeletons. Use reflective white tape for skeleton bones and wrap white gauze or felt strips around the entire body. A spider is easy to make using all black. You’ll need several pairs of black gloves and long black socks. Stuff the socks and gloves with fiberfill and attach one glove to each sock; attach each spider leg to the base costume. Add a black baseball cap with black pipe-cleaner antenna glued to it.

* A plain white sheet is the perfect base for ghosts, angels, saltshakers, toga-clad Romans and pandas.

* A box with large arm and head holes cut out is versatile. Square shapes work well for dice, a gift package, a hedgehog, porcupine, TV or Jack-in-the-box; rectangular boxes are perfect for longer-shaped costumes like a pencil/crayon, a tree, a domino, a thermometer, a carton of milk accompanied by a box of cereal or cookies, to make two costumes, a favorite candy bar, or a rocket.

* Old-fashioned cardboard is good for many costumes. Cut out a front and back and attach both sides over the shoulders with strong cording or Venetian blind tape and decorate. You can design a playing card like the king and queen of hearts, a chocolate chip cookie using a beige-felt circular cutout with chocolate-brown chips, a magazine or newspaper called “The Halloween Daily Planet” with amusing headlines on the front and back.

Masks and other accents add the finishing touches:

* Make sure they have smooth edges and generous eye and nose holes for safety.

* Face paints and theater-style make-up will come off easily if you coat your child’s face first with a thin under-layer of cold cream. Test for sensitivity and color fastness on a small patch of skin. Lightly powder the finished face to set it. Colored or glittery washout hair sprays are always fun.

* Add-ons can be hats, scarves, veils, wigs and hairpieces; jewelry like large gold-toned curtain rings can be used as earrings; fake eyeglasses, and false eyelashes.

* Props to buy: Stick-on noses, theatrical warts, scars, fangs, eyeballs, quirky ears, long nails, fake beards and mustaches. Voice-altering masks are devilish too! For safety, buy glow-in-the-dark face and costume accents or a reflective strip to run down the back of a costume or on the arms.

The best thing about Halloween costumes is that after the merriment, your make-believe fantasy figure is transformed back into a little angel!

For more costume ideas, log on to www.lillianvernonproducts.com or call (800) 901-8758.

Courtesy of ARA Content