The high gas prices are also linked to rising gas thefts. More and more people are driving without paying after filling up or are resorting to siphoning and punching holes in gas tanks to get to gas.

So what can you do? Some suggested tips:

1. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge.

2. Filling up at the pump? Stay with your car while you fill up. Have to run inside to grab something? Lock up your car and close and lock your gas tank flap.

3. Park your car in your garage (if you have one) and be sure to lock the entry doors and windows.

4. Can’t park in a garage? Park in a well-lit area and park with the gas flap facing the curb.

5. Gas thieves target more than cars - keep an eye on your lawnmower and extra gas cans.

6. If you do suspect a gas theft, be sure to call the police immediately. Be safe, be smart!

Our local CBS TV station WCCO has been busy covering the aftermath of this weekend’s tornadoes in Hugo, MN, and for last night’s Good Question feature segment, reporter Jason DeRusha asked the tough question: Are You Ready for a Disaster?

Our publisher, Susan Evans, was interviewed for the segment and she offered some great home inventory tips: see the video here.

Thanks to Jason DeRusha and all of the team at WCCO!

By Steven W., our family blogger

Cruising can be an ideal way to travel with young children due to the many onship activities and programs for your children, and due to the convenience of your cabin and the dining room when returning from a day long excursion.

We enjoyed a 15 day Hawaiian cruise aboard the Diamond Princess last November with our 1 year old and 4 year old. Here are some unique travel tips we learned that other families may find useful:

1) Get online early

On the first day that online access is available for your cruise, sign up for the children’s program (”Princess Pelicans” for our cruiseline), Reserve shore excursions, and make spa appointments. If you wait just a day or two later, the prime times will be booked already.

2) Create a master calendar

Write down dinner reservations, shore arrival/departure times, spa appointments, excursion info, and any special event times you don’t want to miss. There is so much to see and do during the cruise, that a master calendar really helps you get the most out of your vacation.

3) Pack a wristwatch for each adult

You may think that you won’t need to know what time it is during your cruise, but you will. There are few if any clocks on board, not even in your cabin. We had to turn on the television to see the time. Cell phones could be useful, but they should be off. A waterproof watch is useful both for the spa and the beach.

4) Pose for pictures every night before or after dinner

Unlike most professional photographers, there is no sitting fee charged for the photographers aboard the ship (depends on the ship). So, gather up your family and pose for pictures every night before or after dinner. You won’t have to pay or buy anything, and who knows, one of the photos may turn out great!

Bring your own USB memory key to get digital copies of your photos. And wait until the end of the cruise then buy several photos in a package deal.

5) Eat dinner at the same table every night

This may sound boring, but if you want to enjoy your dinner, it is best to find a good waitstaff, and then stick with them for the duration of the cruise. Your child’s needs (highchair, milk before you order, extra alphabet soup) will be met quickly as the waitstaff gets to know your family, leaving you with more time to relax and enjoy your meal.

One more tip: pack a goodie bag of inexpensive little toys for each child for each night in the dining room. This will keep the kids entertained while waiting for the adults to order and the food to arrive.

6) Rent a mini-van (with a carseat) for excursions

On most, if not all, of the Hawaiian islands, I would recommend renting a minivan.
We did this at Hilo and Kauai, and it worked out great. You can go at your own pace, see the sights you want to, and stop whenever the kids need a meal break or potty stop.

Every island stop had rental car shuttles to take you to the airport to get your vehicle. Plan on spending an hour to get the car and an hour to return the car, reducing your time by two hours. But it is well worth it for the flexibility it gives your family, and much less expensive than the organized excursions.

7) Use the porter

When traveling with kids, a porter is a necessity, not a luxury. Don’t try to save $20 by unloading and loading your luggage yourself. They help with luggage during arrival and departure. Tip generously upon arrival and you may find your luggage gets to your room before you do.

Happy cruising, and let us know if any of these tips helped you! Email us your tips!!

Related Articles:

• Plan and Book Your Cruise
• Day of Launch
• What to Do About Motion Sickness, Theft and Other Aboard Mishaps

It’s National Hurricane Preparedness Week and we’ve pulled together the best of the best advice from experts and readers to help you get ready (it’s helpful for all disasters not just hurricanes)!

The most amazing pieces of advice came from Dean Trevelino, who survived Hurricane Ivan and Jeanne. Here’s his story:

My wife, son (who was four at the time) and I were in our home in Atlanta, a mid-century modern, one-level classic modern ranch, written up in Atlanta in the 50s as the first all plywood home in the city … sensible modern they called it. Hurricane Ivan was the fourth in a series of hurricanes that year that ultimately raised the levels of the creeks so high that the neighboring creek rose and consumed our entire property.

We were in the home when the water rose around us. Within minutes our pool was lost to muddy, sewage-ridden black water; then it was in the home and rising quickly. I can still see my son on the bed as the water rose around him. I grabbed my son, wife and laptops, opened the front door to what appeared to be a rush of the nastiest water we had ever seen, making its way into our perfectly white modern home.

We left two cars in the garage including a 57 Speedster. I took my family to a nearby hotel and came back to try to salvage the cars. By that time, the home was completely engulfed by three feet and eventually four feet of water. The fire department would not let us in to retrieve anything.

Keep reading and learned how Dean recovered from the storm…

Related Articles 

• Hurricane Hazards
• Creating a Safe Room
• Hurricane - Get Prepared

I spend most of my week at work so chances are I’d be more likely to experience a disaster or emergency here than anywhere else!From severe storms to power outages, a number of things could happen while on the job. Here’s how you can get ready:

1. Review your company’s evacuation policies and emergency exit routes.

2. Find a backpack or something small to keep under your desk that you can grab in a hurry.

3. Add top survival items to the kit - flashlight, food, water, etc. (for a recommended list click here).

Want more? Top work preparedness advice from experts…

Already have a work “to-go” kit? What do you have in it? Share in the Comments section below!

Lifelock CEO, Todd Davis, after two years of encouraging people to steal his identity in anyway shape or form got exactly what he asked for: a man used Davis’ SSN to receive money from an online payday loan service.

He claims his service, LifeLock, still works - after all, there were 87 previous attempts by others trying to use Davis’ SSN. Others disagree and are suing Davis for false advertising and practices.

The lesson learned here? No one’s identity is safe from theft, not even the identity of a CEO of an identity theft prevention service. So is there still hope for the rest of us? I’d like to think so!

Learn how to spot and prevent identity theft with these top articles and tips from safety experts:

• Passwords: Make’em Hacker Safe
• Watch Out for Online Scams: What to Look For
• Kids Can Become ID Theft Victims, Too!!
• Credit Reports: How to Order One and What You’ll Get…
• Detecting ID Theft
• Prevent ID Theft

Experienced identity theft? Share your story below! 

Memorial Day weekend is unofficially the “kick-off” weekend for summer. Summer means hot weather, cool nights, barbeques, baseball, road trips, poolside vacations and summer camp.

What’s your favorite summer activity? Get ready for the summer ahead with these top articles and tips:

• On the Road: Top 6 Biking Tips
• The Long, Hot Summer: Resources for Camp, Child Care and Family Travel
• Top Ten Summer Travel Tips

Speaking of fun summer activities, we’re looking to launch our new section on Motorcycles sometime next week!

Have a motorcycle tip or story? We’d love to hear it! Post it in the Comments section below or email us!

Grilling is certainly up there with baseball and apple pie as one of America’s favorite pastimes. Here at WhatHappensNow, we’re (hopefully) doing our first inaugural grilling session this Friday. Can’t wait!!

Along with high gas prices, Memorial Day bbq-ers might also be met with sticker-shock as they head for supplies - news outlets are claiming that food prices are the highest they’ve been in over two decades [CNN]. Hopefully that won’t break the tradition!

So if you’re joining in the fun and breaking out the grill this weekend, first read through these safety tips from the Home Safety Council:

· Designate the grilling area a “No Play Zone” keeping kids and pets well away until grill equipment is completely cool.

· Before using, position your grill at least 3 feet away from other objects, including the house and any shrubs or bushes.

· Only use starter fluid made for barbecue grills when starting a fire in a charcoal grill.

· Before using a gas grill, check the connection between the propane tank and the fuel line to be sure it is working properly and not leaking.

· Never use a match to check for leaks. If you detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas and don’t attempt to light the grill again until the leak is fixed.

· Never bring a barbecue grill indoors, or into any unventilated space. This is both a fire and carbon monoxide poisoning hazard.

Want more? Top Ten Cooking Safety Tips from experts and firefighters…

Happy Grilling!!

By Steven W., our guest blogger and busy father of two

Your child has mastered the tricycle, and now you are wondering how to teach him or her how to ride a bike — safely! Here are six tips that worked for my son.

1) Buy the helmet first

Make sure your son or daughter is comfortable wearing the helmet first, well before the first bicycle ride. For maximum protection, get a new helmet, not a used one. Make sure it fits right, adjusting the straps for a comfortable fit days (or weeks) in advance.

2) Get the smallest bike you can find

Bigger is not better when it comes to a first bicycle. Your child must be able to reach the ground with both feet on the ground (not tippy toes) while sitting on the seat.

Get a little children’s bike with 12 inch wheels. It will be the easiest to balance and maneuver while starting out.

3) Make sure she wears her helmet the very first time she rides a bike

It is important to link these two events, so that it becomes an automatic habit for him or her to always put on a helmet before riding a bike.

4) Start in “tricycle mode”

To start out with, the training wheels should be the same height as the back tire, so that the bike is completely stable and doesn’t tip or lean. Let your child ride like this for a week or two, but not much longer.

5) Get the balance right

Learning to ride a bike is all about balance. The only way you child is going to learn balance is by raising the training wheels so that the bike can lean. Raise the training wheels a little bit every two weeks or so. Don’t tell them you are doing this!

After two or three months, the training wheels should be at their maximum height, so that your child is doing all of the balancing.

6) Get out in front on the big day

After a few months, your child will confidently master the bicycle steering, pedaling, balancing, and braking. When you and your child are ready for the big day, find a secluded open area, take off the training wheels, get in front of the bike and hold the handlebars as your child gets on.

Now, take a deep breath and let go of the handlebars as your child starts to pedal. Quickly walk/trot backwards as he pedals towards you, maintaining a distance of about 6 feet. Trot backwards like this for a distance ten to twenty feet, then let him stop. This is a better approach than running behind the bike, trying to hold the seat, which throws off their balance.

Do this short ride four or five times, then call it a day. A few crashes are inevitable, so try to stop after a successful ride. After a few sessions like this, he will be able to ride all on his own.

If he falls or becomes frightened, he may want the training wheels put back on. Don’t stress out, just put them back on. It may take a few weeks, but he will want to try it again, believe me.

Let them go at their own pace, and don’t forget to relax and enjoy the moment as your child rides right past this milestone!

Hospitals can be pretty confusing and overwhelming places, especially for patients and their families.

Designed to make the visiting process run a little smoother for everyone involved, we asked doctors, nurses, staff and patients for their top pieces of hospital visiting advice:

1. Call the hospital.
   Check with the nursing staff. Make sure the patient is available for a visit. Sometimes tests or treatments are ordered and require the patient to leave his or her room.
   – Priscilla Cutler, Community Care Coordinator, Monadnock Community Hospital, Peterborough, NH
2. Call the “gatekeeper”.
   Often, patients have an advocate or family member to manage visitors. Check with the ‘gatekeeper’ to determine the best time to visit.
3. Tired out.
   Patients get tired, even when there is not a lot of activity. So do family members who have to answer questions over and over again. - Jari Holland Buck, author of the Hospital Stay Handbook
4. Keep reading…

Related Articles:

• Patient Advocates
• Prepare For a Hospital Stay