Author: Jess

When I was a little kid I can remember my mom warning me not to swim too close to the drains in pools and not to put my head under the water in hot tubs. She was concerned that my ponytail would get caught and I would drown.

I always thought that was a little morbid. I was just a kid and wanted to have fun.

But my mom had reason to be concerned. The Consumer Product Safety Commission launched the Pool Safely campaign earlier this week in response to the number of injuries and deaths from submersions and entrapments in pools and spas.

The commission released some scary statistics:

From 2005-2007, for children younger than 15, there was an average of 385 drownings in pools and spas each year.

74 percent of those fatalities happened at a home and not in a public pool.

The new campaign will help educate people about the simple steps they can take to make sure their kids stay safe around the water.

Tips include:

• Make sure drain covers meet compliance standards
• Install fences with self-latching gates around pools to keep children from falling in
• Don’t let kids swim unsupervised.
• Learn CPR to be prepared

What tips do you have for keeping you and your kids safe in the pool?

May is the perfect month to hold National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. The weather is getting warmer, the days are nice and long and kids are antsy to be done with school. What time could be better to promote physical activity and encourage kids to step away from their video games and computers.

There’s nothing wrong with playing those games from time to time, but with summer practically here, we should be encouraging kids to run around outside, stretch out their legs and get some fresh air.

So what can you do to encourage your kids to be more active this month?

Fitness.gov has some great tips and ideas for getting started.

Take the reins and organize an event that promotes physical activity. Set up a walk or a bike ride. You can work with your community if you want to host a large event and invite your neighbors to attend, or you can host family events. Maybe every Saturday morning you will go for a family bike ride.

You can also make family time more active in other ways. Go outside and play tag or capture the flag. Collect lightening bugs. Go hiking in a state park.

There are lots of things you can do if you’re a little bit creative.

What will you and your family do this summer to stay active?

As we inch closer to summer, all I can think about is the awesome vacations I want to take. I picture myself spending weeks at the beach, lounging in the sun, listening to the waves roll in.

And then I’m yanked back to reality. I can’t actually spend weeks and weeks relaxing at the beach. Hotels are expensive!

So instead, I’m going to make the best use of my weekends, and with some budget-minded travel tips, I won’t break the bank.

I’ve been itching to get out to Great Falls National Park to hike the trails and enjoy the views of the waterfalls. National Parks are an extremely budget-friendly form of entertainment and can be a great way to get your family outside enjoying the weather. Check the National Parks website to look for different parks and activities in your area.

In my research for budget-friendly things to do this summer, I hadn’t expected to add amusement parks to my list of possibilities, but because of the economy, some parks are offering really cheap tickets or other special deals. It’s been way too long since a roller coaster has flipped me upside down, so that might be on the agenda too.

If you’re looking to travel this summer, make sure to check out Fueleconomy.gov for a list of the cheapest gas prices in your area. With gas nearing $3 per gallon around here, I know it’s something I’m going to pay extra attention to this summer.

What’s your best tip for summer vacations on a budget?

Hi everyone! This is Jess filling in for Ginger today!

You might remember several weeks ago when I introduced you to a video contest we were running at USA.gov.

Well, I’m really excited to announce that we have a winning video.

Peter Sullivan from Nashville, TN put together this great video that tells the fictional story of a man who moved into a new neighborhood and wanted to get in touch with his representative.

Peter worked on this video around his family’s schedule and even made sure to include his kids.

I encourage you to check out the video and if you want to learn more about how Peter made the video, check out his interview with Federal News Radio.

It’s Tax Day!

Accountants everywhere are rejoicing that they can see the light at the end of the tunnel of their busy season.

But if you’re one of the people who still hasn’t finished their taxes, you’re probably scrambling to make sure everything is done and filed by today’s deadline.

If you don’t get your taxes paid on time, you could be fined or get hit with failure-to-pay penalties. The IRS offers some great tips on how to avoid that, including electronic and installment payment options.

You can also request an extension to file through the IRS e-file system. That extension will give you until October 15 to file your tax return. The catch is that if you owe money, your payment is due today.

I put my tax stuff in the mail a few weeks ago, but I have some friends who are still tying up the loose ends on their returns.

Are you an early tax filer or do you wait until the last minute?

Needles are hands down one of the things I’m scared of most in the world. Anytime I need to get a shot or have blood drawn there’s a 50-50 chance I’ll pass out. I get all lightheaded and start to hyperventilate. It’s really not a pretty picture.

So needless to say, the news that scientists figured out a way to give vaccinations without needles made me smile.

It’s a little bit early to get my hopes up, but the idea that my doctor could just stick a patch on my arm to make sure I get all the vaccine I need sounds wonderful.

The way the patch is supposed to work is that the vaccine will permeate the skin carried through a protein that will deliver the vaccine. That sounds way less painful to me than having a needle jabbed in my arm.

With all the vaccines we need to get as little kids, this would have been such a great option. My parents would have had to deal with a lot fewer tears and probably a lot less stress.

Would you prefer having a needle-free option to get your shots or can you handle the needles better than me?

After more than two and half years of sharing all sorts of government information with you, I’m sorry to say that this will be GovGab’s last post.

We’re all going to be sad to see GovGab go, but we hope you’ll continue to find all the government information you need through our websites, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds.

Thank you to all our wonderful readers for sticking with us through these last two and a half years. We have appreciated your support.

How did that sound?

Good?

Believable?

Did I trick a few of you?

It is after all April Fool’s Day, a time for pranks and jokes, and I just couldn’t help myself.

You didn’t really believe we were going to leave you hanging and stop providing you with great government information, did you?

Well just to clarify, we’re not going anywhere and this definitely isn’t our last post.

Do you play jokes on your friends on April Fool’s Day? Have any good ones planned for this year? 

There has been a lot in the news in the last several months about food recalls and the resulting illnesses from eating those foods. By paying attention to the news or signing up for recall alerts, we can make sure we’re all aware of what products we should avoid.

But food borne illnesses can also result from eating foods that haven’t necessarily been recalled. The FDA released a great video full of tips on how to prevent food borne illness during your trip to the grocery store.

Did you know that cans that are cracked, bulging or have dents in them could be a sign that food has been contaminated? I had no clue and I usually don’t pay that close attention to the can’s condition. I just usually grab one in the front and throw it in my shopping cart.

The video also recommends shopping for meats, eggs and frozen items last. I remember my mom doing that when I was a little kid because she didn’t want those products to go bad while she was still shopping.

Some of the other tips include placing raw meat in plastic bags, inspecting fruit for spots or bruises and bagging fresh produce separately from meats and fish at checkout to avoid cross contamination.

I know just out of habit that I follow some of these guidelines, but I could definitely be better about others.

Do you follow these guidelines when you’re shopping? Which of these suggestions do you think would be the easiest for you to incorporate as part of your shopping routine?

The start of spring means the start of Spring Training. The major leaguers start warming up for the season, and it’s not long before little leaguers follow suit. Tons of kids play on youth baseball and softball teams every year and right about now they are in their spring training.

It’s unfortunate then that arm injuries seem to be on the rise in kids who play baseball and softball. And it’s not just some minor muscle soreness researchers are worried about. In one study, they found 68 percent of kids in the study had limited range of motion in their elbow, while almost 85 percent had a tear in the cartilage just above the elbow.

Doctors do have some tips for avoiding the common injuries.

Number one on the list is stretching after a game to loosen up the muscles and prevent soreness.

Doctors also stressed the importance of resting a sore arm to prevent a more serious injury and to make sure kids are playing in a variety of sports. Even if baseball is their passion, mixing it up builds muscle in other parts of the body and can help avoid overuse injuries.

By taking just a couple simple steps, you can avoid sports injuries and keep your child in the game and having fun.

I’m looking forward to 2 a.m. Sunday morning like a little kid looks forward to Christmas.

Why you ask?

Because that is when we spring the clocks forward and Daylight Saving Time begins! Yes, it means we lose an hour of sleep, which I’m not a fan of, but the longer days totally make up for it.

No more leaving work as the sun is setting and getting home when it’s pitch black.

Longer days mean the arrival of spring and then summer, the end of the winter blahs,
and hopefully warmer temperatures. Overall, longer days make me a
happier person because I can spend more time in the sunshine soaking up
the Vitaman D when I get off work.

Are you looking forward to the time change as much as I am? Or are you a winter person sad to see your favorite season ending?

Every day at GovGab we show you all kinds of ways we use the information we find on USA.gov.

But now we’re turning the tables and we want to hear from you. We’re running a video contest, asking you to make a 30- to 90-second video showing us how you use USA.gov to make your life better. The winner will receive a $2,500 prize. If that’s not an incentive, I don’t know what is.

Did you find passport information so you could go on a wonderful vacation?

Did you find loan or grant information to go to college or start your own business?

What has USA.gov done for you?

The contest starts on Monday, February 22 and runs until Friday, April 2. You can find the complete rules at USA.gov/contest.

So get those creative wheels turning. Create a video, upload it to our contest group on YouTube and fill out the entry form and you could win $2,500.

And pass the word on to friends and family. We can’t wait to see the videos you submit!

Because I’m a government employee, I’ve gotten emails from time to time from friends of mine who are trying to figure out something government-related and assume I have all the answers. And because I work in the office that runs USA.gov, I can usually point my friends in the right direction.

Last week a friend of my emailed me to ask how to get a new Social Security card because he had lost his.

I searched for the answer on USA.gov and passed the information along to him. And I thought I’d share it with you too.

If your Social Security card was lost or stolen, you’ll need to find a few things:

1. Proof of U.S. citizenship

2. Proof of identity

3. A filled out application for a new card.

You can then take (or mail) all of these things to your local Social Security office.

Remember all of your identifying documents must be the originals.

And even if you’re issued a new card, you’ll have to be on the watch for identity theft. So make sure to read up on ways to prevent it.

What do you do to prevent your Social Security card from being lost or stolen?

I got my W2 in the mail the other day, which meant only one thing: A quick phone call to my mom the accountant to ask her to help me with my taxes.

But mom, being the smart person that she is, decided I should probably try to do my taxes myself, so she told me about www.irs.gov/freefile, a website that helps people file their taxes for free if they meet certain income requirements.

There’s a little quiz that asks you some questions such as age, estimated gross annual income, whether or not you’re married, and then it suggests a list of possible free software tools that will help you fill out your federal taxes forms.

For someone like me, fairly new to the work world and a complete newbie at filing taxes, an option like this is really helpful.

For more information about filing your taxes, including information on the new rules that will let you claim Haiti donations on your 2009 returns, you can check the IRS website.

How do you prepare your taxes? Do you use a software program, an accountant, or file by hand?

Do you remember hearing about the FDA granting approval to Alli, the weight loss drug? I remember seeing tons and tons of commercials and so many people were excited because there was finally a weight loss drug that had federal approval.

But earlier this week the FDA warned people that a counterfeit version of Alli was out there and that it could be really dangerous.

There are a couple key differences that you can look for in the products to spot if you may have a fake:
If your expiration date has a month, day and year, it’s fake. Real Alli only uses month and year.
If your bottle has a plain foil safety seal it’s a fake. Real Alli has the words "SEALED for YOUR PROTECTION" printed on it.

The fake bottle is also taller and wider than the authentic one.

So far it looks like the fake Alli has only been sold online, not in retail stores, but if you use Alli, you want to make sure to check your bottle closely.

Have you ever used weight loss products to help you slim down? Were they ever recalled?

I feel like every day I read something that tells me watching TV or being on a computer is going to rot my brain, but this morning was the first time I heard a positive study that said spending lots of time on social networking sites didn’t have any negative effect on students’ grades. So all that time I spent finely tuning my Facebook skills in college was apparently not making me any dumber.

Plus the study found that many students who used social networking sites used them for educational reasons or to hunt down job opportunities. It’s all about who you know in the job market these days and students might be able to expand those networks through sites like Facebook and Twitter.

If you’re looking to build your social network to include more educational and informative sources, I’d recommend following USA.gov and Pueblo.gsa.gov on Twitter (twitter.com/usagov and twitter.com/pueblo81009) or become our fans on Facebook (facebook.com/USAgov and facebook.com/pueblo81009). We post updates several times a week on topics that are both newsworthy and interesting. You’ll get information on the latest recalls, how to apply for student loans or grants and important health advisories.

If you find the information helpful, make sure you share it with your friends on your own social networks.

Welcome to former GovGab blogger Nicole Vincent who now works at the Federal Trade Commission. In today’s guest post, she’ll introduce you to a brand new consumer protection blog definitely worth checking out!

Longtime Gov Gab readers might remember me as the Friday blogger. It’s great to come back and visit my old friends. As I mentioned in my final Gov Gab post, I’m still active in consumer education, now with the Federal Trade Commission. And I’m happy to announce that the FTC has launched its very own consumer education blog.

We plan to use the new blog to get folks jazzed up about National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) 2010. NCPW is an annual consumer protection event that encourages individuals across the country to take full advantage of their consumer rights. NCPW 2010 is March 7-13. This year’s theme – Dollars & Sense: Rated “A” for All Ages – highlights the importance of using good consumer sense at every stage of life – from grade school to retirement.

The NCPW site features resources that you can use to protect your privacy, manage money and debt, avoid identity theft, understand credit and mortgages, and steer clear of frauds and scams.

On the blog, consumers and consumer advocates can connect with one another and share resources, tips and outreach ideas. You can check out our recent post on weight loss programs or read about our consumer resources for kids. Come visit, and let us know how you plan to participate in NCPW 2010!   

Happy New Year’s Eve!

Are you thinking about what resolution you will make this year? I know I am.

One of the most popular resolutions Americans make every year is that they will get in shape/lose weight/eat healthier. It’s why gyms tend to offer really great deals around this time of year and why if you’re a regular gym goer you know you’ll experience a packed gym for the first couple weeks of the year.

But then most people tend to slack off and the gym goes back to its normal level of activity again.

Why is it that most people lose steam on their fitness resolutions? New research suggests people who are overweight or obese, especially women, feel uncomfortable struggling through workouts in front of thinner, younger exercisers. So it’s not a lack of determination that causes people to fall off the wagon.

I understand that. The guys with biceps bigger than my thighs scare me too.

Maybe the solution to that problem is to work out in your own home with hand weights or workout DVDs, or you could take a walk with friends. There are lots of ways to get in exercise that don’t involve a gym.

You want to make sure you pick a resolution that you can stick with and keep it focused. For example, "I will exercise three times each week," rather than something more vague like, "I will lose weight."

My resolution is to cook at least one meal each week that uses fresh and organic (if affordable) ingredients.

What’s your resolution?

Tracking Santa just got easier.

The people at NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, known for bringing us the ability to track Santa on his Christmas Eve trek around the world, have added tons more ways to stay up to the minute on Santa’s whereabouts.

You can follow Santa’s action on Facebook and Twitter. Plus there are pictures of Santa and his elves at NORAD briefings and other activities available on Flickr. And videos of Santa cruising the globe will be on YouTube.

All of the new methods of Santa tracking are in addition to the ability to track him on your phone or by calling (1-877-Hi-NORAD) or e-mailing (noradtracksanta-AT-gmail-DOT-com) the official Santa trackers.

Santa tracking begins at midnight MST (2 a.m. on the East Coast) on Christmas Eve. You can track Santa all through the day and when you see him getting close to you, it’s time to leave some milk and cookies (and maybe a carrot for Rudolph) and tuck the kids in to bed.

From the GovGab team, we wish you and yours a happy and safe holiday season.

Are you a morning person? The kind of person who springs out of bed at the crack of dawn and doesn’t need a shot of caffeine to get going? Or are you the opposite? Clinging to your last precious minutes of sleep and then downing three cups of coffee before you can be fully functional?

I’m the former and I always tease my friends who rely on coffee to get them going in the morning.

But it turns out those coffee drinkers may be getting a health benefit that I’m not.

Recent research shows that drinking coffee or tea (decaf or not) may reduce the risk of diabetes.

Now before you stop reading and run off to get a refill, you should know that the researchers aren’t sure what causes the link between coffee and tea drinkers and decreased diabetes. They’ve ruled out caffeine since the effect was noticeable in decaf as well. But there are many other things that could play a part, such as the diets of the people in the study.

Before they say that anything is conclusive, the researchers said clinical trials are necessary.

So don’t start guzzling that cup of joe just yet, but stay tuned for the latest results.

Are you a coffee or tea drinker? And do you prefer decaf?