Tot Tutors

I've come back sharing something I spend a lot of time doing and that is keep up with the kids stuff.!

Last Christmas my kids got WAY TOO MANY toys! It is a new season and it is time to revise the play area.

My kids are older now and they are into arts and crafts. They gravitate towards LEGO, story books, and coloring/activity books.

It is time to sort of get my living area back and turn the toy chaos into something multi functional.

We wanted a set up that was not colorfully overpowering, something that would compliment our living room as well as be kid friendly. We aimed to transform the play area into something that can be used as a social area. We have a 4 and a 2 year old. They do not use highchairs therefore, we wanted to incorporate a sitting area that the two of them can share for play time, tea time, or meal time.

After some research we decided to go with Tot Tutors. Their designs are elegant, functional, and affordable.

Here is a before and after:

Here is a list of all the toddler furniture:

1. Tot Tutors Kids' Toy Storage Organizer with 12 Plastic Bins, Espresso/White (Espresso Collection) 

2. Tot Tutors Kids Book Rack Storage Bookshelf, Espresso/White (Espresso Collection)

3. Tot Tutors Kids Plastic Table and 4 Chairs Set, Bright Colors

We will keep some of the toys that were put away because we want to keep the memories made with them but some of the toys will be donated.

They kids love this set up! They had tea time (water), coffee time (chocolate milk), and set down together for their meals all weekend long! I feel as though kids like the change, they too want a new feel once a while.

We try to reorganize at least twice a year.

Let me know if you have questions.

Live well. Be well.!

Run - Hide - Fight

As much as we want to be in denial, it is time to seriously consider learning how to quickly think and act in active shooting situation.

Having the 'it could never happen to me' mentality is plain dumb.

You need to learn how to survive if IT DOES HAPPEN TO YOU!

Get familiar with WHAT TO DO and also TEACH YOUR CHILDREN AND YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS AS WELL!

• America has six times as many firearm homicides as Canada, and nearly 16 times as many as Germany

• America has 4.4 percent of the world’s population, but almost half of the civilian-owned guns around the world

• On average, there is more than one mass shooting for each day in America

Unfortunately, the data doesn't lie. You will have to understand that this is the world that we live in! Accept IT and just educate yourself regarding surviving extreme cases. The more you know, the easier it is to quickly act.!

#1 First and foremost, no matter where you are, BE VIGILANT OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS! Start practicing this. It is seems crazy at first but once you keep doing it, it will become second nature to you.

When Walking  Have your headphones on but keep volume at a medium rate. This way you are able to hear things that see things clearer. If you witness things such as assault or theft, call 911 DO NOT INTERVENE

#2 HAVE A PLAN ALWAYS!
Exp: Movie theater, Public gathering, concerts venues, etc 

While predicting one of these events is almost impossible, there are a number of things you can do that will put the odds in your favor.

Find the Exit Points Wherever you Go

• Part of being aware of your environment means knowing how to get out when things go bad. Upon entering any new area, the first thing you want to do is look for every possible escape route and exit that you can find. If things go bad, this one action could mean the difference between life and death, and is something that should never be overlooked.

• It is not ideal to try to run to the door where you came from. Everyone's instinct is to go back where they came from. It is smart to know your surroundings so that in case of emergencies you have another outlet! Every EXIT sign is there for a purpose! LOCATE IT! & USE IT!

• Try choose seats near exits if possible 

• Listen to your instincts and don’t wait around to find out what happened. Experiencing 97 in Albania taught me something good to the point of being traumatized for life. My survival instincts kick in the second I hear a pop. If you hear a pop don't just brush it off, check your surroundings! It might not be fireworks!

#3 RUN

• Have an escape plan; Evacuate; Leave your belongings, do not move wounded people.

• This is first and foremost on the list of options.  In an active shooter situation, the first thing you want to do is try to escape. This isn’t a movie or a video game; when the bullets start flying the last place you want to be is anywhere near the shooter. Hopefully, you took the time upon entering your location to scope out the exits. If you can safely make your way to an exit, do so without hesitation and without attracting unwanted attention from the shooter. Once you hit the exit, keep going. Distance is one of the keys to surviving the situation. 

#4 HIDE

• Be out from shooters view, lock doors and block them with furniture, keep your options for movement, silence phone, be quiet.

• When running isn’t an option because the shooter is blocking the exit or you can’t jump out of a third-floor window, the next best option is to hide. The goal is to be out of the shooter’s view and behind something that will stop bullets. Glass doors, windows, or flimsy structures will not provide safety from bullets. After finding a spot, position yourself in front of your children so there are multiple barriers between the shooter and your children.

•  When I say take cover, I don’t mean closing your eyes and hiding behind some tiny little object. In the movies, you often see the hero of the story returning fire from behind some ridiculous object like a table, or piece of furniture. In real life, these objects provide little if any actual protection from incoming fire. There’s a big difference between taking cover behind a solid barrier (like a concrete wall), and hiding behind a chair or table.

•  Try to hide behind something solid, if possible. If you can go in a room and lock the door, do that. Mass shooters historically look for easy victims, and will not spend an excess amount of time trying to get in a locked room. If you go into a room and lock the door, immediately barricade the room with whatever you can find. Tables, chairs, dressers, filing cabinets, whatever you can physically move. Turn off the lights, be quiet, and don’t let your cell phone ring don’t answer the door or respond to the shooter. Unless you can confirm it is the authorities, do not open the door. If the shooter passes you by, and you were able to see this from your hiding spot, make a run for it if the coast is clear. Again, getting as far away as possible from the intruder is always the best idea.

#4 FIGHT

•  Act aggressively, incapacitate shooter, throw objects, yell and call for help

• Critics of this option will probably argue that you should never try to attack a shooter. But if you’re in a situation where there’s no place to run, and no place to seek cover, what other option do you have? Most critics fall silent when asked that question.The fact is, in an active shooter situation you often have very few options. Laying there frozen in fear does nothing to add to your chances of coming out alive. If you have no other options, you need to act quickly and decisively to try to take out the shooter. If you have a weapon, then hopefully you have trained for this type of situation. I’m not going to go into tactics and proper response because nothing I can write will properly prepare you for this situation. Only proper training, both physically and mentally, can prepare for this type of encounter. Please don’t underestimate the need to properly train yourself in the ways of self-defense.

Here are instructions when law enforcement arrives.

• Follow the instructions of police officer. 
• Drop anything in your hands
• Keep hands up!! 
• Do not ast questions. You have to remember police officers are people too. Their police mode is on and will not take the time to answer your questions.