GETTING ACCUWEATHER READY THIS WINTER!

Disclosure: AccuWeather sponsored this post. Opinions are mine 100%.
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I grew up in St Louis, Missouri with horrible winters. If you grew up in a home that was cold a lot of the time, due to a damaged roof and needed the assistance of someone like a hail damage roofing company to come and fix this during the winter months, you might not be the biggesst fan of the winter either! Also, I had a mother who had a fear of driving in the snow, so basically her winter worries and fears trickled down to me, since you do hear a lot of car accidents happening a lot in winter weather with many spending their weather with a lawyer and court dates.
Here in the North East and across America the winter season is approaching at a rapid speed. Thankfully AccuWeather, the global leader in weather information and digital media, has extended its continued mission to save lives, protect property and help people prosper with its new severe weather preparedness program, AccuWeather Ready, that focuses on keeping consumers safe and informed.

With a shared goal to help educate and protect people, especially throughout the cold winter season, AccuWeather has partnered with the FDNY Foundation to educate local students on how to be ready for winter weather – with preparedness plans and fire safety.

We were invited to the FDNY Fire Zone, in New York City to get a first hand look at the simulation room, and learn more on how to educate our children on the steps to take in case of an emergency. My children who are 14, 11 and 7 know many of the basics but this experience and new information will have us even more prepared.

The firefighters spoke with the children about knowing their home addresses, and being prepared to provide it when calling 911, which many younger ones shockingly did not know.

The FDNY listed Space Heaters as their main concern as fire starters during the winter months. They encourage everyone to ensure it is safe for use within their home, and also to make sure it is 3 feet clear of furniture, drapes or anything else that can catch fire.

The firefighters also spoke about the importance of fire alarms and how Fire Alarm Installers can fit properties with alarms to help make homes and businesses safer.

Additionally, the children were taken through a simulated smoke room where they demonstrated how to stay low and go in case of an emergency.

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For a list of the top leading causes of fires in the home and ongoing weather preparedness tips and tools including in-app push notifications when bad weather is coming, personalized weather preparedness plans, and tailored emergency kits with detailed shopping lists are all available on the 24/7 AccuWeather Network, AccuWeather.com/Ready and the AccuWeather app.

Advanced Screening of Moana!

The MOMS partnered up with Subway this week for a very special Subway Kids event at Dolby 88 Screening Room for an advanced screening of the new Disney film Moana that hits theaters this Wednesday, November 23rd!

Take a look at some shots from the pre-reception party with Subway where our guests had the chance to indulge in nutritious Fresh Fit for Kids meals and receive island treasures.

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DO YOU LIKE TO BE ALONE?

Alone time is something I rarely desire. I am a people person. I always say the more the merrier and you will usually find me with my family or friends. I don’t like to be alone.

But for the first time in my life, I went to an island out of the country, alone for 24 hours. I was nervous. I was excited. I was apprehensive. I almost didn’t go. My friends do this all the time, I thought to myself. Why shouldn’t I be able to do it too? Granted, they do use cannabis sativa to help ease any travel anxiety and loneliness they may feel, which I hear works wonders, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being separated from my family. I think sometimes as moms, we are so used to having our children around and we are so protective of them that we can feel fearful leaving them. I have left them many times for business trips with my business partner and I have left them for a week to travel with my husband. Yet, I never left them to be alone. The thought of being alone scared me more than actually leaving them.

I knew that I was also going to meet up with my husband the following day after being alone, so that added some comfort, and we were going to be together even if it was only for 24 hours too.

When you are married for over 17 years and you have 3 children, you jump at the opportunity to be together minus the kids. Anyone who is a parent can relate to this. Any parent also knows the coordination prior to departure is anything but easy too. I am thankful that my parents were able to fly in and watch our kids, as that adds an extra layer of mental relaxation, knowing that the kids are happy and well taken care of back home. If not, I too would have had to rely on cannabis-related products like edibles, cbd vape, and oils, just as my friends do to reduce stress and anxiety. Maybe, I can save it for the next holiday when my parents are unavailable!

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I arrived at The Waldorf El Conquistador and settled in. The minute I arrived on the property this exhale happened. I could feel my breathing shift. I could feel a sense of peace and relaxation instantaneously kick in. I had 24 hours to myself. It was solo mom time. It was time that I could spend by myself without the worry of others having to depend on me. I actually didn’t know what to do with myself. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have some alone time, so I think I’d be stupid not to take full advantage of this, especially when the opportunity was right in front of me. There were so many things that I could do, but I really just found myself wanting to relax. I wanted to be relieved of all the stress and emotions that I feel on a daily basis back home. The one thing that came to mind to help me achieve this goal was the idea of smoking marijuana that my friend has been trying to make me do for ages now. I never considered it before, but now that I want to relax, it felt like the perfect option. I had one problem, however, and that was I didn’t have any with me.

That’s a shame, but at least I’ll remember it next time if this is something that I want to pursue. So, instead, I decided to read by the pool, have a walk around, and then went for dinner. The Sushi Bar seemed to be a comforting idea that evening. At least I could talk to the Sushi Chef. I even had my phone so I could work and connect with others, but I’m not yet sure if I will follow through with this.

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I took the opportunity to explore this spectacular property. I had never seen such a majestic setting. The hotel is situated on top of a mountain and you take a funicular up and down to the waterfront and beach. It has many pools, the Coqui Water Park that our children would love with water slides and a lazy river. There is the Waldorf Astoria Spa that features the Ki’ Spa for the little ones and then there is the unforgettable Palomino Island. This is the resorts private 100 acre tropical island paradise.

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I took the ferry from the hotel over to this island, and you feel like you are in some James Bond movie. It is gorgeous. It is tropical and it is breathtaking. However, if you want action they have all the jet skis and activities one would desire, however if you want privacy, it is there for you too. I enjoyed my day on the island, I actually read a book, which we know is a difficult feat now with kids in tow and I started to realize that it is really nice to be alone. In fact, I think I could have handled a few more days alone, but I was also so excited to see my husband and celebrate our anniversary together.

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The next day, he arrived and I could not wait to take him to Palomino Island. We felt like we were on the island alone. It was romantic, just what we needed. Later that day we had the Nirvana Spa Package, which included scrubs and a couples’ massage.

The hotel has many delicious restaurants too. Some can be found in the main hotel and others are down at the Marina where you catch the ferry to the island. There was so much that we didn’t have the chance to do since it was a quick visit, which is why we will have to return as soon as possible. The El Conquistador has a Championship Golf Course, Camp Coqui for the kids, which allows them some extra playtime and the parents some alone time, shopping, several pools, game rooms, and more!

The simplicity of being alone is something I have taken for granted. This recent getaway showed me that it is necessary and hopefully something I can do on a more regular basis. But the best part of going away was with my husband and the most memorable was our day together on Palomino Island.

HOW I’M SURVIVING CANCER — AND LIFE AFTER THE ELECTION

Denise GH November

When people are diagnosed with something that threatens their life, most fight it. Last December, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I immediately called myself a #FutureCancerSurvivor.

I have spent the past year fighting cancer. I have spent the past year writing about my journey in the hopes it would help others. I have connected with other survivors and future cancer survivors all over the country. I have also connected with some who unfortunately were diagnosed too far along and lost their battle. To read the full article please visit Good Housekeeping.

Kristin Chenoweth and Warriors In Pink

October 2016

Most meaningful Mamarazzi ever. It still feels surreal that we are spreading the messages of @WarriorsInPink #MoreGoodDays because of Denise’s Breast Cancer and she was clearly inspired to rock the real look.

It was so special to do it with Kristin Chenoweth, Ford’s Models of Courage, all of the guests and YOU, who have supported US and joined our emotional day. Go to themoms.com to see all of our tips on #moregooddays! #warriorsinpinkmoms #sp