Consumer Reports

I am very excited about this Fourth of July . I will be spending it in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with my whole family. It has been a long time since we were all together for a fun celebration. The “foodie” in me is already contemplating what culinary delight I can make to wow the family at our get-together. Of course, fireworks are a “must have” for a great July 4 th celebration, but each year there are an estimated 10,000 people treated for injuries related to fireworks , and many of these injuries involve children under the age of 15. Even something as seemingly innocent as a sparkler requires safe handling. Did you know a sparkler burns at 1200° F? Here are some basic safety tips to follow while handling fireworks. Also, know the laws in your state regarding the purchase and use of fireworks. While Iowa limits the use of individual fireworks, Cedar Rapids, like many communities, has an Independence Day celebration that will have a great fireworks display. To locate local 4 th of July celebration websites you can use the USA.gov search and type in your city or county to find out what activities are in your area. I wish you all a safe holiday with good times and great food. During your festivities this Sunday, take a moment to reflect and be grateful that we live in such a great country. Remember those who came before us, those who created, fought for, and secured our freedoms.

This is a reminder to turn your clocks forward one hour on Sunday, March 14. The transition officially happens at 2:00am local standard time, which becomes 3:00am local daylight time.

Visit the IRS’s 1040 Central for tax help.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour this weekend. Daylight saving time begins Sunday, March 14, at 2:00 a.m. (which becomes 3:00 a.m.). For more information, including the areas of the U.S. that don’t observe the time change, visit the FAQ at USA.gov.

Space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to lift off at 4:39 a.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 7. Visit the FAQ at USA.gov for a link to the complete schedule of missions.

Sunday, Feb. 7 is the 44th annual Super Bowl game. Visit the FAQ at USA.gov for some history of the Super Bowl, plus a list of past Super Bowl winners.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour on Sunday, November 1! The majority of the United States observes daylight time, but there are some exceptions, including Hawaii and most of Arizona.

This past weekend my sleep schedule got all messed up. Friday night I was at the beach with friends and got to bed late. Saturday my friend had a potluck and I got to bed late. To make up for it, I napped for a long time on Sunday afternoon and then couldn’t fall asleep Sunday night. I’ve spent the rest of the week trying to get my sleep schedule to look something a little closer to normal. I’m pretty sure no expert would say my inability to sleep on Sunday night was actually insomnia (or any other sleep disorder for that matter), but I still figured it couldn’t hurt to look into ways to get my sleep schedule back on track. I found some great tips for getting better sleep in this article on sleeping well . I also learned I violate two of them on a regular basis. As you can see from my example above, I hardly keep a regular sleep-wake cycle, especially on the weekends. I also routinely go for my runs around 8 p.m., which is about two hours before I hit the hay on a work night. I can’t be the only one who violates the “rules of sleep.” If you’ve got a minute, check out the list and share in the comments which tip you have the hardest time following.

Every kid who grew up in the Philadelphia area from 1967-1994 has the Sunday morning jingle, ” send your pictures to dear ol’ Captain Noah ” permanently etched in their brains. Dear ol’ Captain Noah gathered quite a collection of paintings and drawings over the years, which he share with the whole Delaware Valley during his much anticipated weekly segment. It is in that same spirit that GovGab is anxious to announce our own form of picture-share, but with a more modern twist. With the Independence Day holiday approaching, USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov want to know, “How do you celebrate the Fourth of July?” Submit photos from your backyard BBQ, fireworks displays, baseball games, picnics, parades…whatever it is you to to celebrate Independence Day, we encourage you to share it.

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10. Mother’s Day began as a church service in Philadelphia in 1908, and a letter-writing campaign to declare a national Mother’s Day led to a presidential proclamation in May 1914. Visit USA.gov for more on how Mother’s Day got started, and read some statistics on mothers in the U.S. today.