CELEBRITIES, CONGRESSMAN AND PHYSICIANS COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT THE FAAN WALK FOR FOOD ALLERGY SEPT. 11

Over 1,500 Walkers Expected to Stroll the Long Branch Boardwalk

LONG BRANCH, N.J. – As any parent knows, life with children is a balancing act between worrying for their safety and setting them free to grow and meet new challenges. For parents of children who have food allergies that balancing act is even more pronounced. And that’s one reason why journalist and author Janice Lieberman says she’s honored to be the honorary chairperson of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward A Cure in Long Branch on Sept. 11, 2010. Lieberman has also recently been named an Ambassador who Cares by FAAN.

When Lieberman’s young cousin was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy more than seven years ago, it made an immediate impact. Lieberman, who is known for her consumer reporting on The Today Show and her column in Reader’s Digest, was concerned for her cousin and his family. She is now well-versed on the issue of food allergies and well-prepared for family gatherings involving her 8-year-old cousin Zachary, or anyone with food allergies.
Lieberman, author of How To Shop For A Husband: A Consumer Guide To Get A Great Buy On A Guy, has appeared as a contributor on Oprah and written for Redbook, and is used to giving people advice on all kinds of things. She also has advice for people managing food allergies. “You must never leave home without your epinephrine auto-injector and emergency treatment kit,” she said. “I highly recommend joining FAAN. It’s a wonderful resource for all of those with food allergies. I also advise children and parents affected by food allergies to take an active role in educating others in their community about food allergies.”
Frank Dicopoulos, best known for his 22 years on the long-running soap opera “Guiding Light” and currently host of the cable TV show “NJ Discover,” will emcee the event. “Educating the public and our own children about food allergy safety is key, and gives us peace of mind when they are away from us,” said Dicopoulos. Both Dicopoulos and his teenage daughter have food allergies. Dicopoulos has been a spokesperson for the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy in Long Branch since 2008 and has recently been named an Ambassador Who Cares by FAAN.
More than 60,000 New Jersey school children who have food allergies, which have no known cure. An estimated 150 people die every year from fatal reactions nationwide, and another estimated 50,000 people seek treatment in emergency rooms for food-induced anaphylaxis. This is why Congressman Pallone has agreed to be a guest speaker at this event. He is sympathetic to the needs of the food-allergic and has offered his support.
Dr. Hugh Sampson, a Professor of Pediatrics and Immunobiology at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, NY, is Honorary Medical Chair for this event. Sampson is Chief of the Division of Allergy & Immunology in the Department of Pediatrics, Director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, and Dean of Translational Biomedical Science at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. Sampson’s research interests have focused on food allergic disorders. Additionally, Dr. Sampson is the Medical Director of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) and serves on the Medical Advisory Board for the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI).
The Walk begins at 10:00 a.m. at the Great Lawn, north of Pier Village, with check-in at 9:00 a.m. Following the Walk, New Jersey rocker Ray Andersen, who has played with Bruce Springsteen, Matchbox 20, and Meat Loaf, and who is now known to thousands of kids as the children’s singer/songwriter mr. RAY, will be headlining a free concert following the Walk. mr. RAY’s bookings manager’s son, the daughter of a band member, as well as two children who sing with the mr. RAY band, have food allergies.
Post-walk activities also include appearances by Star Wars costumed characters, world-renowned magician Josh Beckerman, and the Lakewood BlueClaws mascot, Buster.
Millennium Radio New Jersey is a presenting sponsor for the FAAN Walk of Long Branch. 94.3 the Point and NJ 101.5 will be present at the event.
To register for the Long Branch Walk, visit http://www.foodallergywalk.org/longbranch_nj10

ABOUT FAAN
Founded in 1991, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) is the world leader in information about food allergy, a potentially fatal condition that afflicts approximately 12 million Americans, or one out of every 25, and is rapidly increasing in prevalence. A nonprofit organization based in Fairfax, Va., FAAN has 30,000 members in the U.S., Canada, and 62 other countries. It is dedicated to increasing public awareness of food allergy and its consequences, to educating people about the condition, and to advancing research on behalf of all those affected by it. FAAN provides information and educational resources about food allergy to patients, their families, schools, health professionals, pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, and government officials. For more information, please visit FAAN at www.foodallergy.org.

There’s nothing worse than anticipating a much-needed getaway, traveling all day to get there, and discovering it’s a dump—for $300 a night. It’s why the whole vacation-planning process makes me nervous: With so many sites and so many choices, how do I know I’m getting the best deal? (I happily turned the job over to my husband, Steve, who doesn’t mind trolling online for days.) So what do the experts recommend to make the process easier and rewarding? Here’s how to get the best prices with the fewest clicks, plus backup sites to help you feel better about your decision.

1. Become an expert well in advance. George Hobica of airfarewatchdog.com suggests signing up for e-mail alerts and online news-letters. It’s the best way to familiarize yourself with destinations and prices. “All the travel sites do things a little differently,” Hobica says, “so sign up for several, and check them daily.” (A dedicated Gmail or Yahoo e-mail address will cut down on the spam in your main e-mail account.) In other words, for now, keep your mind open and your wallet closed. Yapta.com and bing.com are the best, Hobica says, but also try orbitz.com, kayak.com, shermanstravel.com, smartertravel.com, travel-ticker.com, and travelzoo.com. And don’t forget to ask friends on Twitter and Facebook for their tips.

2. Decide on a few destinations. Now that you have a better sense of what’s out there, you want to work backward. Barbara Messing of travel-ticker.com explains, “Don’t fixate on one place. Let the deal be your inspiration.” Her team combs the Internet for deals that offer reductions of 40 to 60 percent. One recent example: the four-star Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa Valley wine country for as low as $109 a night (a 45 percent savings), with a wine tasting for two and 20 percent off spa treatments. “Dealhounds” on airfarewatchdog.com scour the Web all day for the latest and best deals.

3. Reassure yourself. Before committing, play detective. For videos of hotels, restaurants, activities, and attractions, go to tripfilms.com and insiderperks.com. Tripfilms depends on travelers for their observations, while the videos on InsiderPerks are created by the site’s staff. Watch both to get a good overview of your destination. Browse through other families’ vacation photos on flickr.com (it’s okay—really), and read candid reviews by travelers on tripadvisor.com.

4. Search for the lowest airfare. Experts consider kayak.com the best first step in searching for low-cost airline deals (it doesn’t include Southwest, so you’ll have to check the airline separately). To find out if the fare is likely to rise or fall over the next seven days, check bing.com Price Predictor. You’ll almost always get a better deal if you’re flexible—you can fly out on one carrier and return on another, for example, or fly to an offbeat airport like Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California (15 miles outside L.A.), or Midway in Chicago. Voyij.com searches the Web for the best sales, promotions, and package deals from your departure city. If you care where you sit, check seatexpert.com for a guide to the best, and worst, seats. Lock in your rate, but don’t pull the trigger yet. (Depending on the airline, you may have ten minutes to 24 hours to commit, so do the next steps—fees and hotels—quickly.)

5. Find the hidden fees. If you want to know the real price of the ticket, check Airline Fees: The Ultimate Guide at smartertravel.com. Will you have to pay for that blanket, the soda, and the pretzels? Some airlines charge up to $100 extra for a seat with more legroom. Most charge $15 to $25 to check a bag; anyone traveling after July 31 on Spirit will pay up to $45 for a carry-on bag. To find out what your airline charges, go to its website or check the Guide. Then compare with FedEx, UPS, and U.S. Postal Service rates. “Depending on the route and method,” says Hobica, “the cost savings from shipping versus schlepping can range from little or nothing to dramatic.”

6. Get a room, then book your flight. Hotels.com features over 70,000 properties, from small bed-and-breakfasts to all-inclusive luxury resorts. The site flagged a special deal recently at Wyndham Glenview Suites in Chicago: Stay four nights and pay $69 a night, a 40 percent savings. For unbiased shots of lobbies, rooms, and neighborhoods, go to tvtrip.com. At oyster.com, you get photos, plus the pros and cons.

If you always end up with the room next to the ice machine or elevator shaft, click on tripkick.com for the good, the bad, and the ugly about hotels in more than 20 U.S. cities and some international destinations. If you prefer to rent a house, go to otalo.com. It’s to vacation house rentals what kayak.com is to airfares. Refine your search by cost, number of bedrooms, and must-haves like a pool and a welcome mat for your poodle; photos are included. Once you’ve booked your room, book your flight.

7. Rent a car before you leave. If you don’t care which car-rental company you use, head to hotwire.com for deep discounts on rentals, says Anne Banas of smartertravel.com. Check rates for both airport and off-site pickup. Sometimes you can save on airport fees and taxes by picking up your car just outside the airport. (If there’s no free shuttle service, factor in the cost of a cab. Off-site hours may be limited.)

8. Avoid getting lost, hungry, and annoyed. For terminal maps, on- and off-site parking, ground transportation, handicapped accessibility, estimates on how long the security check will take, and where to eat or drink, go to ifly.com.

9. Follow that plane. What do you do when there’s been a delay and the gate agent doesn’t have any more info than you do? Check on your flight, either online or with a free iPhone or iPod Touch app, with FlightAware Flight Tracker. It tracks by airline and flight number, or route, within five minutes of real time (flightaware.com).

10. Once you’ve landed … “Check in” at Foursquare, a free app for iPhones, BlackBerrys, Palms, and Android phones. Tell your friends where you are, and get their recommendations on the hot spots in town. If they’re in the area, they just might join you.

1. Spot on your upholstery? Here’s an inside trick: Buy a product used to remove pet stains called “Nature’s Miracle.” Jeff says to dab it on the spot with a wet cloth, rub it until it goes away, and then evenly dry it with a hair dryer.

2. Wooden chairs got nicks? Use black shoe polish. Just apply the polish using the foam brush type bottle evenly and blow dry. Voila! The dents disappear. You also can use a coating of wax to seal the color.

3. Sticky drawers? Wade says a stick of soap and a good rub down on the problem area will make your drawer slide like new (you may have to reapply the soap if the drawer starts to stick with time). The moisturizing agents in the soap allow the wood to move freely again.

4. Crayons or scuff marks on your painted walls? No need to repaint. Use a product called Magic Eraser to remove the marks. With my 2-year-old thinking he is a Picasso on my walls, I found it amazing to see the color the walls are supposed to be!

5. Wooden floors all scratched? Jeff says use his shoe polish trick above, and the scuffs and scratches will be gone!

We are all busy these days. Redecorating our homes may be a priority, but it’s not all that easy to get to the stores and find the furniture you need. Now there are services from decorators that will advise you for a fee on how to decorate a room in your home. But before you purchase furniture online, check out my 6 tips you need to know.

1. Ask for a swatch of fabric.

See if it looks like it does in the picture. Do you like the feel? Does it seem durable.

2. Ask for a sample of the finish.

Is it real wood? Is the color correct? Is it shiny or matte?

3. Does it look better online?

If possible, visit a store that sells the pieces you’re interested in so you can sit on and feel the furniture before you buy.

4. Check out assembly requirements.

How many hours will it take to put together? If you need to hire someone to do it for you figure out how much that will cost.

5. Ask about return policies.

Do you have to pay for shipping? Furniture weighs a lot and will be expensive to return.

6. Check out the site you are shopping on with the Better Business Bureau.

Read reviews to make sure it is a reputable site.

If you are traveling for Valentine’s Day or President’s Day and want to pack lighter to avoid tight security and hefty fees at the airport…you’re not alone. Suitcase.com just released the results of their survey and found 57.4% of travelers are packing lighter and 56.5% plan to check fewer bags. I asked Suitcase.com for 10 ways to beat the baggage game. Read on.

1. Choose smaller luggage: Whenever possible, use a smaller suitcase or duffel bag. The bigger the bag, the more things you tend to pack to fill it. Remember, just because you purchase a lighter bag doesn’t mean you should buy a bigger suitcase than you will need.

2. Plan for each event: When planning your attire for the trip, create a packing storyboard that outlines each event, meeting and activity on your trip. Then research temperatures at your destination. That way, you can plan exactly what you’ll need to wear and can eliminate over packing.

3. Make a list and check it twice: Make a list of all the items you plan to take on your trip. Then, review the list and narrow it down to the necessities.

4. Substitute Lighter Options: Jeans can weigh more than khakis and dress pants, and tennis shoes can weigh more than your favorite clogs.

5. Choose basic color palates: Pack a basic color palette for pants and tops, especially for business travel. Then use colorful accessories, such as scarves, ties, jewelry, belts etc., to change up and mix and match your outfits every day.

6. Don’t over pack: Easier said than done, but it’s important to leave your just-in-case clothes home. Just because your hotel has a gym, don’t pack your workout clothes if you don’t even exercise at home.

7. Slim down the toiletry case: Invest in smaller bottles and use the bathroom supplies, such as shampoo, soap, mouthwash, hair dryer etc., provided by the hotel to keep your toiletry case light. Also, keep a separate toiletry case just for traveling that includes travel-sized bottles, and make sure it’s easily accessible when going through airport security.

8. Do the laundry: If you can, do the laundry at your destination to wear clothes multiple times, instead of bringing an outfit for each day.

9. Pack Outside Your Bag First: Pack outside your suitcase first. That way, when you see the pile of clothes, you may pare down the items. But, if the clothes are in the suitcase and there’s additional room, you’ll throw more supplies in there.

10. Weigh It: Invest in a luggage scale or calculate your bathroom scale and weigh your luggage before you leave home. No need for surprises and add on fees when you get to the airport.

Be careful of extra leg-room charges
Some airlines are now offering extra leg-room seats. Here’s the catch: they will charge you upwards of $59 for that premium. Don’t fall for it. If it is the only seat available on that flight, consider booking on a different airline.

Pack your own food
Flights across the country don’t even offer free peanuts or pretzels. A cookie can run you almost $4. Pack sandwiches, snacks and fruit to save money.

Beware of hidden hotel charges
Some hotels charge for WiFi connections—as much as $30 a day. Ask the hotel to deduct it from your bill if you are not using the service. Check with other hotels in the area to see if they charge for the Internet. You may get it for free.

Your extra baggage could cost you
Check out how much baggage fees cost before you book your flight. Some airlines offer free check-in luggage. That can save a family almost $100.

Don’t get rental car insurance if you don’t need it
Check your car insurance to see if you need to take out extra insurance while renting a car. You may already be covered.

Ask for freebies
In this economy you should ask hotels for a free upgrade, one night free, free parking or free kids’ meals. You don’t ask, you don’t get!