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Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2468 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 To Give Your House Panache...Paint It Tips For Staying Safe During Severe Weather (NAPSA)—While 58 percent of moms feel their families are prepared for a severe weather emergency, only 30 percent have created and discussed an emergency communication plan, according to a recent survey by the Home Safety Council (HSC). When the weather turns severe, safety is no accident. That’s why many experts say a detailed communications plan plays a pivotal role in helping families and emergency contacts stay connected to each other during a natural disaster. To help families prepare for emergency situations, E MBARQ Corporation and the nonprofit Home Safety Council are educating families about the importance of creating an emergency communication plan. List Phone Numbers The groups created wallet-sized emergency communication cards that include space to list important phone numbers and medical information. The cards can be downloaded at www.embarq.com/ severeweather. “First, families should discuss how they will communicate during an emergency and then record important plan information on their emergency communication cards,” said Home Safety Council President Meri-K Appy. Communication, simple preparation and proper supplies are keys to staying safe and keeping in contact during severe weather threats. “When an emergency occurs, often the first thing people reach for is a phone to call their loved ones,” said Dan Alcazar, consumer marketing officer at E M B A R Q . “This is why E M B A R Q and the Home Safety Council have devel- Doing The Body Good Communication, preparation and proper supplies are the keys to staying safe. oped these free, wallet-sized cards.” The HSC strongly recommends having a corded landline phone, which is a phone that has a handset connected to the base of the phone by a cord. “Corded landline phones will continue to operate if the power goes out at your home,” said Appy. “It is often the most reliable source of communication in the case of an emergency.” Additional Safety Tips • Compile a “ready-to-go kit” for when your family needs to leave your home and a “ready-tostay kit” when your family needs to stay inside your home for extended periods of time. Kits should contain water, canned food, can opener, flashlight, batterypowered radio, extra batteries, change of clothes and first-aid supplies. • Designate a safe meeting location outside your home and out of harm’s way. • Designate a safe place to stay in your home (away from windows) in case of severe weather. For more information and tips, visit embarq.com/severeweather. (NAPSA)—For people who are watching their waistlines, it’s important to get off to a good start. Here are a few helpful weight-loss tips: •Read ingredient labels. Ingredients are listed in amount order, so if you are looking to cut sugar, make sure it is not high on the list. •Keep a food diary. It will help you recognize trouble spots, like the time s o f d ay whe n Tantalizing flavors and classic pudding taste team with onethird fewer calories than Kozy Shack’s traditional puddings to help make smart lifestyle choices easier. hunger pangs strike. Accounting for your food can also help prevent cheating. •Don’t deprive yourself. Instead, eat smaller portions or find “lighter” versions of favorite snacks with less fat, calories and sugar. Dessert lovers can satisfy their sweet tooth with Kozy Shack’s No Sugar Added line. Made with real milk, these ready-to-eat snacks have that slow-cooked taste, with one-third fewer calories and half the carbohydrates than Kozy Shack’s traditional puddings. With flavors ranging from Chocolate and Tapioca to Cherries Jubilee and Apple Pie la Mode, these portion-controlled pudding cups are great for people on the go. To learn more, visit www.kozyshack.com. (NAPSA)—Nothing transforms the exterior look of a house more effectively than a new coat of paint. It’s a worthwhile investment of time and money that can pay back big returns in home value while protecting your house from costly repairs. And with the warm weather months ahead, now is the perfect time to tackle an exterior painting project. “Most houses get their color, and much of their character from paint,” said Carl Minchew, director of color technology for Benjamin Moore, the 125-year-old paint manufacturer. “Depending on your color choices, it can convince that a small house looks larger, a squat house has height, a plain house possesses panache. But beyond simple aesthetics,” he continued, “the right exterior paint can actually protect the structure of your home. It can help prevent the damage caused by moisture and block ultraviolet radiation that weakens the finish on materials such as vinyl and aluminum and that destroys wood fibers.” According to Minchew, how long a new paint job will last depends principally on four factors: the quality and type of the paint or stain; the quality of the preparation; the quality of the application; and, of course, how punishing Mother Nature might be. He also advised that new technology has yielded a new generation of exterior paint, such as the eco-friendly low-VOC formulation Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior. Compared to other paints, this new breed performs better while withstanding the test of time. For instance, one coat of Aura goes on like two coats of traditional paint. It dries faster and delivers a smooth and durable fin- The right color can make a small house look larger and a squat house look taller. ish that lasts year after year, even in the most rigorous outdoor environments. This, of course, translates to time and cost savings, often eliminating the need for a primer or a second coat. It also means the paint helps to fill in minor cracks, crevices and other substrate imperfections, which adds to the smooth finish you can both see and feel. “Obviously, structural issues, such as cracked or rotting siding must be dealt with before painting begins,” counseled Minchew. “A thorough inspection of the exterior of the house for damage must be made and any necessary repairs completed—that’s a given.” Drying relatively faster than other paints, Aura enables seamless touch-ups and recoats that can begin within just a few hours of application. And, because it can be applied in temperatures as low as 40 F, the typical season for exterior painting is now extended beyond what has been the norm. “For most of us, our houses are our single largest investment, and for many of us, it’s where our savings are,” said Minchew. “So a coat of the highest quality paint is a modest sum for protecting this important asset.”