Introducing our guest blogger series!!

We’ve enlisted the help of some of the most talented (and busy!) people we know to give us their expert advice on several topics including travel, child care, health and college.

Check back often - we’ll post their info and advice as soon as it arrives in our inboxes!

Click here for the first article from our guest bloggers!!

An FDA panel has voted to ban over-the-counter cough medicines intended for children under the age of 6, stating that they don’t work any better than placebos. This decision comes after manufacturers agreed to pull the medicines of the shelves due to consumer complaints (NYT).

It’s important to remember that even if items are sold over-the-counter, they are still medications and can present side effects. Also, you should mention these products to your doctor - things such as aspirin or cough meds could potentially interact with prescribed meds.

Need to keep track of your meds? Here’s an easy article and checklist:

• Prescriptions and Nonprescription Drugs

**We’re also working on a story on what to do if a product is recalled (i.e. spinach, beef, medications, tires, toys). Have a story to share? Post it below or email me! 

Here at WhatHappensNow.com, we’ll tell you - and tell you more than once - that one of the best things you can do for yourself, and your family, is to keep a written record of your past medical appointments and your own medical history. I didn’t really appreciate (or perhaps listen to) our own words of wisdom as much as I have recently.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time visiting different doctors and at different locations. Just trying to coordinate the communication between all of my doctors, schedule appointments, fill prescriptions and remind them of my medical history is like another job! It takes up A LOT of time.

That’s why many hospitals, clinics and practices are now going paperless - while it doesn’t really help with communicating to different agencies yet, it does keep things better organized and stored in one key location - the computer.

We’re working on a story on “paperless” hospitals and advanced information technologies in health care. If you’ve come across new technologies at your most recent medical appointment, we’d love to hear what you thought of them! Feel free to post your comments below or email me.

So to keep track of your records while you wait for hospitals to catch up with technology, here’s a quick link to easy forms for you to print out and keep for your own use. It’ll save you a lot of time and make things simpler when you need to run down a list of symptoms, allergies or past surgeries.

Look for our story within the week!

As the weather gets colder, you’re probably using the last of these warmer weekends to get your house in order. Our fall weather traditions included taking out all the screens from the windows, unclogging the gutters (all those leaves!) and bringing in all the lawn furniture, hoses, bbq and other outdoor items.

To help your preparations go a little faster (and to make sure you don’t forget something!), here are our most popular articles on home maintenance and winter preparations:

Travel columnist, James Wysong, has a great list of his favorite creepy-crawly stories (maybe I should save this post for Halloween!) over at MSNBC. He’s collected 10 of his favorites from his from 20 years of flying as a flight attendant. I’ve reposted the first two here - click on the link below to read the rest!

1. Roach coach. I loved flying for Pan Am, but toward the end, maintenance began to slip and the cockroaches started to take over (no, I don’t mean the senior management). On one flight from Paris to New York, the crew couldn’t open a single container without several cockroaches falling out. We had to cancel the meal service and one crew member did a tap dance in the rear galley, killing 22 cockroaches — an in-flight record.

2. Honey, take cover. A flight from South America was canceled when the air vents were found to house hundreds of stowaway bumblebees. The problem only became evident when the pilots turned on the air and the flight attendants had to flee to the terminal building.

3. Keep reading…

Additional Resources:

• Be Prepared - Air Travel
• Sleeping on a Plane

Not only is losing your wallet a stressful, and time-consuming event, it could also put you at risk for identity theft. Read these top tips on what to do if you’ve lost your wallet or purse - just in case it happens to you!

1. If your wallet was stolen: Be sure you are in safe surroundings. If you have a cell phone, call the police. Listen to the directions from the dispatch operator. Keep reading for additional police tips…

2. Make an inventory list of the items in your purse, clutch, briefcase or wallet including credit cards, cell phone, PDA, etc. For a starter list of what to consider click here.

3. Call your credit card companies, alert them to your stolen credit cards and cancel each card.

4. Keep reading for more tips on dealing with identity theft…

According to a recent MSNBC article, cell phone companies “hold subscribers responsible for calls made with stolen phones. The bill for such calls can be thousands of dollars, and many carriers hold firm on the policy. That means you must report a stolen or lost phone quickly. Err on the side of caution. A phone can re-enabled if you find it later.” (Full article)

Another tip: Knowing your cell phone’s serial number can really help. How? When reporting your cell phone as stolen, also give your service provider this number. They will be able to block your phone so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless - no calls, no downloads.

How to find your cell phone’s serial number:

1. Type in the following on your phone: star-pound-zero-six-pound (* # 0 6 #).
2. A fifteen digit code will appear on the screen — this is your phone’s serial number.
3. Write it down and keep it safe.

Additional purse/wallet theft prevention tips…

Here at WhatHappensNow.com, we’re really on top on helping you get prepared physically (emergency kits, escape plans, home safety preparations), but we tend to shy away from helping you financially.

So today’s focus is a little more geared towards personal finance and helping you save a little extra green. I found an older CNNMoney.com article called “35 Outrageous Fees (And How to Avoid Them)“. While most of these tips are banking-related, the first 12 fees have to do with avoiding excess travel costs so I thought it’d also be useful for you travelers out there. Read the tips now…

Last week, we spoke with Lauren Fix, The Car Coach. She’s an experienced automotive expert (you’ve probably seen her on NBC’s TODAY show) and she has some of the best maintenance advice for the cold season ahead:

1. Replace your air filter. Don’t know how to do this? Purchase one for your car (they are easy to find at a car care store). Bring it to your mechanic - they may even do it for free, says Lauren.
2. Replace your wiper blades with winter-weather blades. “80 per cent of driving decisions are based on visibility,” says Lauren. Winter-weather wiper blades are especially designed for colder weather and to help ease that heavy snow off your windshield. (Your mechanic might put these on for you as well.) Also be sure to buy a gallon or two of de-icer windshield washer fluid.
3. Switch out your all-season tires for your snow tires.
   • Wondering if you need snow tires? “If you see snow more than three times a year - and I mean SNOW - you’ll need them,” says Lauren. Here’s a key tip from Lauren: “All-season tires are only designed for temperatures above 30 degrees.”
   • Don’t change your tires too early!! According to Lauren, some areas have laws (like New York) as to when residents are allowed to use their snow tires (due to the studs and special treads). Not sure what the laws are in your area? Contact your city.
4. Add winter items to your car’s emergency kit. Lauren suggests:
   • blankets (have one for each member who rides in the car)
   • extra hats, mittens, scarfs, coats, boots (Especially if you wear a light coat or dress shoes to work - you don’t want to be stuck in the ditch with high heels!)
   • protein bars, raisins, sunflower seeds - just in case you’re stranded (Not candy bars - items high in sugar tend to freeze!)
   • hand warmers - the magic number? Four. You’ll need 4 per person (2 for your feet, 2 for your hands!)
   • More emergency kit tips…

Thanks to Lauren Fix!!