I love Ireland. I was so fortunate to travel there with my daughter Lisa in 2016. So, I decided a good way to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day Friday is to post some of the photos from our trip. We were fortunate to meet with some of my grandmother Laura Baylee Slingsby’s relatives. Laura was born in 1877 and died in 1939. Read more →

It’s important to reduce the amount of pesticides in food that you and your children are exposed to. One way to do that is to be aware of the amount of pesticides that may be on the fruits and vegetables you buy. Thirty years after warnings of the dangers to children from pesticides, 75 percent of U.S. non-organic produce still contain potentially toxic chemicals, Read more →

In addition to recalling products, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issues warnings about hazardous products. A recent warning from the agency is to immediately stop using black TureClos bicycle helmets. The helmets don’t comply with federal safety standards. They can fail to protect riders if a crash occurs, posing a head injury risk. Read more →

Movies continue to be one of the most popular past times in the United States. Joseph Campbell called them the great American dream machine. However, in my opinion, movies fall short because they focus so much on violence. For many years, I’ve written about how violence in the media is harmful to children. Read more →

Buying a new car is among one the most challenging purchases a consumer needs to make. Every year, Consumer Reports, a research, testing, and advocacy organization, conducts a battery of tests on the vehicles it evaluates, including braking, handling, comfort, convenience, safety, and fuel economy. Read more →

The theme for International Women’s Day this year is “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality,” because 37 percent of women don’t use the internet and 259 million fewer woman have access to the internet than men. If women aren’t able to access the Internet, they’re unable to develop digital skills, which diminishes their opportunities to pursue STEM careers. Read more →

Things are busy, here in my corner of the USA. I’m behind in reporting on what’s happening for National Consumer Protection Week. A lot of my time has been taken up since the first of the year taking part in the Dean Ornish heart health program. It ends Wednesday. I’ll be reporting on its many benefits soon. Read more →

Another big recall made the news recently. Cosori is recalling about 2 million air fryers in the United States, 250,000 in Canada and 21,000 in Mexico. A wire connection in the air fryers can overheat, posing fire and burn risks. The firm has received 205 reports of the air fryers catching fire, burning, melting, overheating, and smoking. Read more →

I’m approaching the 200th issue of my newsletter Helpful Money Tips for You. This week’s newsletter tips are especially valuable, so I’m posting a copy of the newsletter below. You can sign up for my newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/makeyourmoneywork. It’s free, so get it now and tell your friends about it, too. Read more →

Most landlords and property managers use tenant background checks to decide whether to rent to someone. Two federal agencies want to hear about your experiences with background checks used to screen tenants. The CFPB and FTC have received thousands of complaints about the background checks. Read more →