By Steven W., a busy dad of two and our Family blogger

A long commute to work or school can be one of the most dangerous activities many people do. And yet, travelling the same route over and over tends to make people less alert, especially early in the morning or in the evening after a long day at work. Here are some tips to help you have a safe commute every day you are on the road.

Be informed

Listen to the AM radio traffic reports in the morning. Check the traffic websites before leaving work. Program the local traffic conditions number into your cell phone. Find out which lane is blocked with a stray ladder or blown truck tire. The more information you have about your commute, the more you can stay alert and anticipate the changes in traffic.

Eliminate your blind spots

Most people (myself included) were taught to adjust the side mirrors so that the side of the car was just visible.  However, as Curt Rich point out in his book, Drive to Survive, your side mirrors should be adjusted outward, eliminating your blind spots. You will know they are adjusted properly when a car passing on your left or right is first visible in your center rear view mirror, then seamlessly passes into your side mirror, and then into your peripheral vision out your side window.

Stay alert

In busy traffic, or on lonely highways, a safe driving situation can rapidly change into a dangerous driving situation.  Keep both hands on the wheel, ready to react in a split second to avoid a crash. At 65 mph, saving 0.1 seconds of reaction time means adding 10 feet of distance to help avoid an accident. Road debris, a tire blowout, or a collision in front of you can all happen in a split second. Expect something dangerous to happen on every commute you drive.

Identify the danger zones

As you are driving the same route every day, start keeping mental notes of the danger zones. Where do the close calls happen?  What intersections have the most skid marks in them? Where does the radio traffic report most often report a crash?  Once you have identified the top several danger zones along your route, make a daily conscious effort to be extra alert in these zones. Turn off the radio. Check your speed. Be aware of what is happening all around your car. Anticipate the slow-merging garbage truck, the high-speed sports car, and the sudden lane changer.

Drive smoothly

Don’t make sudden lane changes, sudden stops, or sudden accelerations. If other drivers can not anticipate your movements in traffic, then your safety margin is reduced. Drive smoothly and predictably. During your commute, think of yourself as a limousine driver taking your CEO to work, not a race car driver trying to beat his Ferrari to work.

Avoid the rage

Don’t ever use your car to block another motorist. Don’t speed up or slow down to “teach that idiot a lesson”. Don’t provoke road rage. Just let the crazy drivers go past you, without giving them a glaring look (or worse). Focus instead on getting safely home to your family every night on time.

During one commute I witnessed one motorist block another motorist from passing on the left shoulder. However, at the next traffic bottleneck, I watched the blocked motorist get out of his car and slash the front tire of the other driver before taking off.

Luckily no one was hurt, and I was able to give a license plate number and description to the highway patrol, and he was later arrested. But needless to say, the first motorist was quite shaken up, and did not get home on time.

Keep your motor running

A break down can leave you stranded in the worst possible place on your commute. Have your car regularly maintained. Replace your wiper blades every fall. Keep your windshield clean and your gas tank more than a quarter full.

There are many more tips for a safe commute, but these are the ones that have helped me the most.

Thanks Steven! Have a great commuting tip? Post it in the Comments below!!

Psychologists at Colorado State University say drivers who personalize their cars with stickers, decals, antenna-toppers and the like are more prone to road rage than those who don’t, according to a recent editorial in the Chicago Tribune.

The main reason? The editorial explains:

Humans are a territorial species, the researchers explain. We’re hard-wired to mark (or decorate) our personal spaces, and to defend them from intruders. Drivers who customize their cars are marking them as personal territory. Problems arise when they confuse the boundaries between personal space (the car) and public (the road). Territorial types are more likely to think in terms of “my” lane or “my” street, or to jealously guard the right-of-way.

Also, the more stickers a car has, no matter what the political or ethical message, the more likely the person is to be aggressive.

So the next time you attempt to cut in front of a car with bumper stickers, think twice!

Despite a well-fought victory on Monday, golf great Tiger Woods is out for the rest of the 2008 golf season - he’ll be undergoing reconstructive surgery on his left knee.

Surgeries can certainly put a dent in your plans. Planning a hospital stay? Here are some top tips from doctors, patients and nurses - read them before you head to the hospital:

1. Before you go to the hospital, you need to think about what happens after your stay.

• For example, coordinate a ride home from the hospital (even if it is a short stay!).

2. You may want to consider having someone stay with you for a few days since you may be in some pain or even slightly immobile.

• Be sure to arrange the extra help well in advance so a family member or friend can take time off work, if needed.

3. You may need extended medical care services after a surgery or other procedure, which requires some planning.

• “If you’re having hip surgery and you know you have to stay in a rehab facility for a few weeks after your hospital stay, you may want to go visit those rehab centers (before your surgery) to make a good, informed choice about what your care is going to look like after you’ve had your acute care stay in a hospital,” Judy Pechacek, R.N., M.S., and vice president of Patient Care at Fairview Southdale Hospital in MN.

4. Keep reading…
Have a hospital stay tip? Post it in the Comments section below!!

Every summer brings a heat wave and high temperatures to areas across the nation. This year, the East Coast has already seen record high temps in the 100s.

Seniors are especially vulnerable to high temperatures and severe weather. Here are some steps you can take today to help an elderly loved one in your life:

1. Establish a strong network of contacts. Make sure your loved one has the contact numbers for family members, doctors, nurses, transportation, geriatric care managers, etc. Keep a list of these contact number for yourself as well.

2. Get to know a few of your loved one’s neighbors. Ask them to check on your loved one when severe weather strikes or when high/low temperatures hit.

3. Next time you visit, bring along a few emergency preparedness items as gifts (flashlights, weather radios, emergency kits). Check to see if their air conditioner and fans are working well before the hot weather strikes. Place all the items in an accessible location.

• Seniors and Disaster Preparedness
• Long-Distance Caregiving

TIME just named the top 50 best websites for 2008. Here we’ve pulled the sites from their list that we found to be the most useful and inventive:

1. TripKick…tells you which hotel floors are best and which rooms to avoid. “When we searched for the Hilton Las Vegas, for example, TripKick told us not only which rooms had the best view, but also which were too close to the elevators and noisy vending machines.”

2. Nymbler: “Choosing a baby name just got more inspired, thanks to an ingenious calculator that uses phonetics to give you fresh ideas. Type in up to six names you like, and Nymbler will suggest dozens of similar-sounding suggestions.”

3. Gasbuddy: “Where’s the cheapest gas? GasBuddy can tell you. The site collects real-time prices from some 750,000 volunteer price “spotters,” who send in daily updates from their local stations.”

4. WikiTravel: “The best travel guides have one thing in common: they’re up to date. That’s why WikiTravel has become the most invaluable travel resource on the Web.”

• TIME’s 50 Best Websites 2008

Have a site you just can’t live without? Post it in the Comments below!

By Lauren W., our College blogger

The ever-rising cost of college and the lack of something to do during the summer leaves many college students scrambling for jobs and internships during the summer.

Upon returning home from college, more than a couple of my friends are going through the frantic search to make money and fill their time. I talked to them to see how their searches are going and if they had any tips for our WHN readers.

1. Put Yourself Out There!

Demand for hired summer help has declined with the worsening economy, so being job picky is not an option for many. Take a day to go around your neighborhood and go nuts filling out applications and introducing yourself to managers and current staff. Look for jobs that will be easily accessible, flexible with hours, and offer a reasonable hourly wage.

If you really want to be on top of it, start looking for your summer moneymaker before school even gets out. This way you have an edge up on your fellow college students who have only look as far into the future as their weekend plans.

2. Volunteer.

Summer does not always mean money has to be made. Many students enjoy lending their time through volunteer organizations. Volunteering can be a great way to gain experience dealing with different people than are found in a retail job.

WHN offers great ideas and tips for volunteering in a hospital and disaster settings, which can be found here. This summer, help others to gain a fulfilling and unique summer experience.

3. Be an intern.

Many companies hire college-aged students for summer intern work. Lots of people get internships through networking and connections of people they know, but there are also many options online. For example, state government positions offer lots of opportunities for college students to gain experience in their future career path, and get paid as well! If prepared ahead of time, colleges will even give class credit for certain internships.

Bonus: when looking into graduate school, internships look amazing on résumés!

4. Do Something Fun!

Summer jobs do not always have to be working at restaurants or retail stores. Hundreds of college students find themselves being active and spending time outside through camp counseling, working at park and recreation centers, or even being a nanny for a family.

Pay many not be as much as a typical college summer job, but the chance to work outside, be active, and interact with many different people is one that should seriously be considered while looking for the perfect summer job.

Thanks Lauren for these great job search tips! Have a summer job tip of your own? Post in the Comments section below.

Last year it was spinach, before that it was beef, now tomatoes are in the hot zone as reports of salmonella have been recorded across the country.

As a result, many restaurants and grocery stores are pulling tomatoes off the menus and the shelves. Learn more about the outbreak from the FDA.

Product problems aren’t just restricted to food - tires, medications, cars, toys - many products have been recalled or pulled from the shelves. Top tips on what to do if a product has a problem or has been recalled, or if a food item is cause of illness…

By Steven W., busy dad and our family blogger

Bringing your first newborn home from the hospital can be a daunting task for new parents. In particular, dealing with car seat installation can be frustrating, at best. Here are some tips to help get you and your car seat prepared.

Before the Big Day

1) Get the car seat, now

You will need a rear-facing infant car seat to take your newborn home from the hospital.
Don’t wait until the last minute to buy it and install it. Get one somewhere around week 30, or sooner.

Steven’s Tip: I recommend getting the type that detaches from the base. That way you can get a sleeping baby out of the car easily, without waking him or her up.

2) Do a dry run of the car seat installation

• First, read through the installation guide to give you an idea on how to install the car seat, but don’t expect everything to be crystal clear. You may want to visit the car seat manufacturer’s website, in hopes that they have a helpful installation video. If your car has LATCH anchor points (and most newer cars do), plan on using them. Otherwise, use the seatbelt method.
• Next, give yourself an unrushed hour to try to install the car seat the first time. After connecting all of the connectors, buckles, and tethers, pull the belts until snug, but do not tighten them. Take a step back and make sure the installation is right, none of the belts or straps are twisted, and give them all a good wiggle and tug.
• After you are convinced everything is right, then start tightening each of the straps. Put a knee on the car seat and lean your weight into it as you tighten the straps. You want it to be snug-fitting installation.

3) Do the final car seat installation

Now evaluate the installation. Does it look right? Do you have any questions? Take a break, and consult the installation guide and website over the next week.

The next weekend you may need to take it completely out, make some adjustments, and install it again. Don’t worry about it, this is why you are starting early! Again, give yourself an hour. (After installing car seats dozens of times, it still takes me 15-20 minutes to put one in!)

TOP TIP: Get an expert opinion.
If you want an expert’s opinion, many states offer car seat evaluation appointments with the highway patrol or at local seat inspection stations.

Eventually your car seat will be all set for the big day, and even if that day arrives a little sooner than planned, you will be ready.

4) Make an Emergency Information card

Make and put an emergency information card on the side of the car seat. A simple 3×5 card with the child’s name and some emergency contact phone numbers will give you peace of mind.

5) Fill out the warranty card

This is the one and only warranty card that I fill out. You want to be the first to be notified if there is a safety recall on the car seat. This happens more often than you would expect.

On the Big Day

6) Bring the car seat into your room, early

Early in the morning on the big day that you will be taking your newborn home from the hospital, take the car seat out of your car and bring it into the hospital room. This shows the nurses that you have the required car seat, but more importantly, the car seat will adjust to room temperature and also give you an opportunity to test fit your newborn.

7) Test fit your newborn

A few hours before you will be checking out of the hospital, put your newborn in the car seat for a test fit. Adjust the straps as necessary for a snug fit, then take your newborn back out.

Now when the big moment arrives to leave the hospital, you will easily be able to put your newborn into the car seat with a minimum of hassle or delay. Congratulations!

The information provided here is not meant to be a substitute for professional advice. These tips are from people who have shared their real life advice; always check with appropriate professionals you trust in making your purchasing or life-related decisions. 

I just got off the phone with Samantha Goldberg, wedding planner extraordinaire, and she has seen some amazing wedding emergencies - torn dresses, security issues, fallen cakes, ruined tuxedos, torrential downpours - you name it and she’s seen it.

The icing on the cake is that she still loves to plan weddings no matter what mishaps occur. After all, no wedding is perfect!

Still we’d all love for your wedding to go on without a hitch so print out our most popular and most downloaded form our on site:

• Bride’s Wedding Day Emergency Kit

Look for our wedding emergencies story on the site next week, just in time for the wedding season!

Have a wedding catastrophe story that you would love to share? Email us! We just might put your tip and story on the site!