Author: Emily

June is home safety month, which is fitting because summer is rife with opportunities for kids to hurt themselves.

Looking back on several of the “exciting” things that have happened to us, it seems to fit:
– Sam stuck a pretzel up his nose, landing himself in the emergency room – August 2010
– Sam busted his head running around with friends, ditto on the emergency room – May 2011
– Sam sprayed himself in the eye with spray paint, called poison control – July 2014

I’m sure there are more examples that I’m forgetting. See also: boys.

Of course, summer is when we tend to spend more time away from home as well. But even when we’re not there, we want to keep an eye on our house, kids and pets – enter the RemoteLync from Kidde.

The RemoteLync listens for a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm and then uses wifi to alert the homeowner on iOS and Android-compatible devices.

It works with existing alarms, doesn’t require a monthly fee, and is easy to set up. I plugged ours in, downloaded the app, and got connected all within 10 minutes.

When an alarm is detected, the RemoteLync sends an email and/or text message to designated people, who can then directly call 911, temporarily silence the warning, or call a friend or neighbor to check things out.

Here’s the test text message I received.

A few things I like about the RemoteLync:
– It’s reasonably priced. The RemoteLync can be purchased at Home Depot for $99.
– There are no hidden costs. It doesn’t require a subscription or monthly fee.
– It’s easy to set up. Just plug it in, download the app, and go through a brief set up. Like I said, the whole thing took me less than 10 minutes.
– One device monitors an entire home. It’s designed to cover the average-sized US home, approximately 2200 square feet.
– It provides peace of mind. You’ll be the first to know if something goes wrong at your house.

We all know how important fire safety is in our homes. The RemoteLync from Kidde adds another layer of protection so we can act quickly even when we’re away from home.

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This post was sponsored by Kidde. All opinions are my own.

I’ve talked about BrainChase.com a couple times lately, and I wanted to give those of you who may be on the fence about it a couple more pieces of information.

First of all, the key to summer is flexibility, right? Brain Chase is right there with you on that, and no matter if your kids are going to camp or participating in sports or if you’re traveling the country, Brain Chase is designed to fit in to you schedule. Kids spend about five hours a week for five weeks participating in the challenge, on their own schedule, and it’s web-based, so they can do it from wherever they are. And, if they fall behind, Brain Chase allows them to catch up on past weeks (although they can’t work ahead!).

Brain Chase is a great way to supplement experiential, outdoor fun with screen time that is meaningful and educational. It’s not too late to register! In addition to the regular pricing package ($199 for the first registration, and then $100 for each sibling), Brain Chase has now begun offering their premium pricing package ($249 for the first registration, and then $149 for each sibling). The premium package includes Brain Chase registration plus a Brain Chase-branded adventure backpack, a Brain Chase t-shirt and Sunstone of Cortés patch. Later in the summer, these items will be available for a la carte purchase.

Check out what the New York Times has to say about Brain Chase here or this short video.

I’m excited for Kate and Sam to get started on Brain Chase!

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This post was written in partnership with Brain Chase and TheMotherhood.com.