Create a Tick Removal Kit to Help Protect Your Family

Living in the Northeast, ticks have just been awful the last few years and it seems as though you can't enjoy the outdoors anymore without finding one.  It's so important to protect yourself and family from getting a tick in the first place (if you want to read more on my tips to keep ticks at bay, check out my previous post "Safeguarding Against TICKS").  But in the event you unfortunately get one on you, you need to be prepared so you can remove that awful thing ASAP.  By having a Tick Kit handy, you'll be able to remove the tick quickly and safely and hopefully lessen your chances of catching a tick-borne illness. 
| This post contains affiliate links and personal tips - Disclaimer: I am not a medical expert, always check with your doctor for advice |

I recommend putting together several tick removal kits and keeping them handy at all times - keep one at home, one in the car, and one in your hiking bag for outdoor trips or diaper bag for playground excursions.  That way if you're out and about and find one on you or your family you can safely remove it and document it, ready for testing purposes.  

What to Include in your TICK REMOVAL KIT:  

• tick spoon
• alcohol wipes
• index cards
• tape
• pen or sharpie
• ziplock bags

If you unfortunately get a tick attached to you, safely remove it immediately to help reduce your exposure to tick borne illnesses.  Use the alcohol wipes to cleanse the area where the tick was removed as well as wipe down the tick spoon after removal. 

It's important to keep the tick itself - as well as note when and where it was located and any other information about the situation (if the tick was engorged, your best guess at how long it could have been attached, etc).  Tape the tick to an index card and use your pen to record all of this information, then place in an empty ziplock bag - feel free to double bag it if you want.  Then call your doctor right away for advice on any precautions you may need to take, or if he wants to order to get the tick tested.   

Whether or not you get the tick tested (either by your doctor or privately), you can also report your tick bite to TickEncounters. TickEncounters is a program run by the University of Rhode Island, recording and monitoring trends and information regarding tick bites and your information helps aid in their research. They can also help advise you about how to get the tick tested for your peace of mind in the event your doctor's office doesn't do it.

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DISCLAIMER:  I am NOT an expert or medical professional.  These are tips and information I've learned over the years living in a tick-prone area.  Always check with your own doctor and local experts for the best prevention and treatment plans for yourself and your family.  Discuss with your doctor ahead of time what to do in the event of a tick bite (and I hope you never need to use that information).  

Protecting Your Children's Identity Online

Two of my favorite blogs, WillowCrowns and Olive & Tate, recently posted their views on how they work to protect their kids online and it opened my eyes to some of the new weird stuff that's going on out there (like baby role-playing, so creepy).  Everybody has their own opinion of what's okay or safe to share or not to share and I have to warn I take a much more overly-cautious approach than most.  I encourage you to read Megan and Stephanie's posts to see their tips, which I think would be of help for most bloggers who still want to share a lot of personal photos with the world.  

For me, I try very hard to keep public photos of our little one to an extreme minimum.  I don't have her in my profile pictures or cover photos and all my personal accounts are locked down to "friends only."  Even still, I try not to post too many photos of her even on my private accounts.  Instead I do share a lot of photos with family and close friends in texts or e-mails (sorry for filling up your inboxes, guys!).  I feel like I have a lot more control over who has access to the pictures I share this way.  

I know as a blogger the best way to make a personal connection with your audience is to share personal photos and stories of your life, and while many of the blogs I enjoy reading most do just that I'm not willing to risk putting all that out there.  

I'm certainly not an internet privacy expert, and my tips aren't 100% fool-proof, but I encourage you to read on for some basic tips I feel are very important for everyone.    

Basic Internet Safety Tips

1. If you have a blog or a business, create separate accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) for personal use and for public use.  Make sure all your personal accounts are locked down to "private."  
2. Never use photos of your children or your home in your profile or cover photos.  
3. Go through your friends list and make sure you're okay sharing information with everyone on it.  If not, consider un-friending people or moving them to a "Restricted/Limited Profile" List (this feature is available on Facebook).  
4. Turn off Geotagging on photos which could be used to pinpoint the exact places your photos are taken, even right down to your living room.  A quick explanation and how-to video on how to turn it off can be found here.  
5. Never publicly check-in or add locations to photos - and don't use the "Name this Location" feature on Instagram (at least not publicly), even to put in witty headlines.  I don't know how many times I've seen a fellow blogger use the Name this Location field on Instagram to put in a plug for their website or a sale.  However, if you're not careful, it records exactly where you posted that picture from.  If someone clicks on that field it then brings up a map and you can zoom right down to the street view of wherever the picture is posted from (in other words, you just showed everyone on the internet exactly where you live).  
6. If you have a blog or business, get a PO Box and don't use your home address.  Make sure to use the PO Box for all business correspondence, return addresses on product you're shipping out, and to receive products for collabs or to review.  

Am I a little over-protective?  Probably.  But watermarks can be photoshopped out, photos can be stolen, locations can be pinpointed.. unfortunately it's the age we live in and I think everyone - blogger or not - needs to be aware and a little more wary.  

Do you have any other basic internet privacy tips to add?  Please share them below.