Savvy Consumer Tip: Car Seat Safety

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Chris Bjorklund

Do you have small children? Watch this video for some helpful tips on making sure they’re safe in their car seats. Read more

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Savvy Consumer Tip: Be Aware of Supermarket Marketing

Posted on July 09, 2013 by Chris Bjorklund

You can shop smarter at the supermarket by having a basic understanding of marketing techniques. Read more

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How to Spot a Bed Bug Infestation

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Guest Blogger

While they may be best known for their allusion in the famous bedtime children’s rhyme, bed bugs are a real and rising concern in American households. Primarily nocturnal and parasitic, bed bugs are so named because of their preferred habitat: warm houses, particularly around and inside bedding. What the name doesn’t signify is the fact that bed bugs feed exclusively on blood, usually from a sleeping human host.

Although nearly wiped out in America by the early 1940s, bed bugs reemerged in the mid 1990s as a legitimate concern. While it remains unknown why and how they made a comeback, the subsequent rise in home infestations has led to exponential increases in bed bug bites and related health conditions. Read more

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Managing Your Kids’ Internet Use

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Chris Bjorklund

Chris B high res crop copyMany parents want help teaching their children about using technology safely, so Google has created a Family Safety Center to address that need. One section explains Google’s safety tools, including “Safe Search,” which allows you to eliminate sexually explicit content from search results. You’ll also find a detailed explanation about sharing controls and privacy settings for YouTube, Google Talk and Picasa Web Albums.

My favorite part of the site is “Tips From Parents at Google,” where engineers, executives and other employees talk about their own challenges managing their kids’ Internet use. Here are two suggestions: Keep your home computer in a central place so you can monitor your children’s online activity, Read more

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The Risks of Radon

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Chris Bjorklund

Major health organizations agree that radon causes many preventable lung cancer deaths every year. Radon is an odorless radioactive gas that comes from the uranium in rock, water and soil, and it’s especially dangerous for people who smoke. It can be found in every part of the United States and in any type of building, but elevated radon levels in your home are the greatest concern.

Radon levels can vary from home to home. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the best way to tell if your home has a radon problem is to perform a short-term test. Low-cost, do-it-yourself radon test kits are available at hardware stores or through mail order. Read more

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San Francisco Prepares for Mandatory Seismic Retrofit Program

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Chris Bjorklund

As of June 18, 2013, if you own a residential building of a certain size in San Francisco, you’ll be required to seismically retrofit it. The law specifically applies to wood frame buildings with “soft stories,” which means buildings with three or more stories, or two stories above a basement or underfloor area that has any portion extending above grade. The buildings must contain five or more units to comply with the new rules.

The reason soft story buildings are being singled out is due to the increased level of risk posed by their structural design. During an earthquake, large openings on the ground floor (like garage doors or commercial spaces with large window and door openings) are especially vulnerable. Read more

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Savvy Consumer Tip: Hiring a Limo Service

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Chris Bjorklund

Having a basic knowledge of limo services will help ensure you have the best possible experience. Read more

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