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Just
to be on the SAFE side...
personal safety newsletter  |
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Last minute shopping tips! Dear Friends of Fearless and Female, Thanksgiving is finally here! It's a time for family, friends, football, travel and power shopping! I wanted to share a few last minute SAFETY tips that will help make Thanksgiving 2008 the safest, most memorable Thanksgiving ever. Have fun, eat your turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes and pie, take a brisk walk around the block then start it all over again. Give thanks for all the blessings you have and we will chat again in December! Cindy Cushing Coughenour BLACK FRIDAY The day after Thanksgiving, known as "Black Friday", has served as the unofficial beginning of the Christmas shopping season since the 1960's. I love shopping the day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas. Loving to shop and being a Smart Savvy Shopper are two different things. I have put together a few short tips to make this a happy "Shop Till You Drop" day for you too! 1. Copy front and backs of all important cards in your wallet then keep this list in a safe place. If your purse or wallet is ever stolen you will the know the exact contents and canceling these cards will be quick and simple. 2. Use ONE credit/debit card for your holiday shopping and keep every receipt. This way you only have one statement to check and double check for accuracy. 3. Get a purse with a strap that crosses your body diagonally from shoulder to hip. You now have both hands free to shop and chances of setting your purse down are cut drastically. Travel Safety Thanksgiving is the busiest travel time of the year. Here are a couple of SAFE travel tips to follow this Thanksgiving and heck, EVERY TIME YOU TRAVEL! 1. 15 minutes before you leave on your trip, take digital pictures of your children, print these pictures and carry them with you in your purse or backpack. You now have a CURRENT picture of your child and you know exactly what they are wearing. If your child becomes lost or separated from your family you can assist authorities in helping you find your child with this simple digital image. This is also a great precaution if you have an elderly family member that tends to wander off. Traveling to a packed amusement park or busy airport? Being able to find your family in a sea of other families can be a scary "Where's Waldo" scenario. (You know, the creepy little guy that wears the red and white stripped shirt in the "Where's Waldo" children's puzzle books.) 2. Let's think like Waldo! Dress your family in bright colored t-shirts, hats or come up with your own identifiers so spotting your clan is simple. 3. Tell children exactly what to do if they become separated from you. Stay where they are, go to a policeman or go to a mother with children are good general ideas but also talk specifics for your travel situation. This way they know EXACTLY what to do and where to go in their time of need. 4. Make sure young children know their full name as well as your complete full name. Have a wonderful SAFE holiday. See you in December! Peace, Love, Safety, Cindy Cushing Coughenour Keep scrolling down for the Oct/Nov newsletter! October/November 2008 Hello from Kansas! For the past four years my family and I have been living in southern CA and now that I am back in Kansas, I had forgotten how much I love the season of FALL. The trees have turned the most beautiful red, orange and yellow and it has been a magnificent dessert for the eyes. But, as soon as you get used to the gorgeous trees, the leaves start falling and you know winter is just around the corner. So, take a minute today to do some "leaf peeping" and enjoy the all natural beauty around us.
Fearless and Female program in Wichita (This program has already happened but keep checking back for future "Open To The Public" programs. Or better yet, book a Fearless and Female program to come to your school, business or organization!) Tuesday, November 11th from 5:30pm to 7:00pm, I will be holding an "Open to the Public" program in Wichita, Ks. Most of my Fearless and Female programs are sponsored by a college, business or organization, for their students or employees only. But next Tuesday (those of you in Kansas) can catch an open program! Click here to REGISTER and to get more information! Space is limited so please register soon. If you have been to a Fearless and Female hands-on program before this will be a great refresher. And if it is your first time, dress comfortably and I can't wait to meet you!
Creepy car stalking me! So, I am out jogging last night and it was almost dusk (with the time change you need to modify your safety precautions during evening outdoor activities.) When I am out and about I like to be aware of what is going on around me, so every few minutes I turn and look over my shoulder to see if any cars, animals or people are getting close behind me. I had finally hit a good pace when I noticed a car in the distance, coming from behind, so I was aware that soon it would be passing me. Now, I am a relaxed jogger(some might say it is more of a fast walk but it makes me feel better to say "jog") but the car approaching was going even slower than my jogging pace. My SAFETY antenna went into overdrive. I kept looking over my shoulder, letting them know I was AWARE and tuned-in to my surroundings. My intuition was strongly urging me to DO SOMETHING! So I jumped into the grass, spun around and hit my most fierce STOP, GET BACK, I DON'T WANT ANY TROUBLE position. I'm not sure who was more surprised, scared or ready to rumble, me or the two elderly women in the car! After a few awkward moments and much laughter I found out why they had been trailing me.
They had seen the new SAFETY LIGHT on my arm and being walkers themselves they wanted to find out where they could buy one too! A few weeks ago I found this great safety light made by Life Gear at Dick's Sporting Goods and last night I decided to try it out. This new gadget is a 4 in 1 security light. It can be used as a flashlight, glow stick, flashing glow stick and a whistle. All that and it was less than $6.00!
So, the next time you hit the streets late in the day to run, jog or walk the dog, SEE AND BE SEEN! Be aware of your surroundings, grab a flashlight, glow stick or attach some reflective tape to your jacket and watch out for those two little ladies with their new SAFETY LIGHTS!
TIPS FROM YOU! In October I spoke to some fun groups of women from JP Weigand, Equity Bank and Cargill. As women, we have to get creative when it comes to our safety and last month I got some great tips from the women(and man, hello Mark!) that attended those programs. Whenever I hear a great SAFETY idea, I want to make sure I share it with my newsletter readers, and my new friend Christina shared some great ideas that she and her friends followed when they were in college.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, no matter what age you are... THE BUDDY SYSTEM ROCKS!
Young Boy Causes a SCENE and STOPS Abduction! So many of you wrote to me last month about the video of the attempted abduction of a little girl in CA, that I wanted to include it again. Watch this video and then share it with someone you love! Causing a SCENE! (article from September newsletter) What is an attackers worst fear? Getting caught! Mr. Bad Guy doesn't want anyone to see or hear what he is getting ready to do. You, on the other hand, want everyone looking your direction to see and hear what is going down. The best way to achieve this is by getting LOUD and causing a scene. You want to become way too much trouble for Mr. Bad Guy to continue with his plan. Getting loud, yelling and causing a scene is one of my FAVE techniques to teach during a Fearless and Female program. If you have ever had any doubt that this technique works, PLEASE, PLEASE watch this video. This is actual footage of an attempted abduction of a little girl in CA. You can see in the video how a quick thinking 4 yr old boy chased the man, caused a scene and stopped this abduction. Hero's come in all sizes!
Well my dear friends, that's it for this month. Enjoy the beauty around you, have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I will be talking to you again in December! Until next
month...
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