Master Lock “Safety Through Every Life Season” #MasterLockProtects

*This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine.*

As a health professional and athletic trainer, I get certified by the American Red Cross in CPR as a Professional Rescuer every two years or so. They always provide a great information class that helps me stay up to date on the latest CPR guidelines and I always leave feeling ready to help anyone who is having heart problems or may need CPR.

Twice a week, I play recreational volleyball. A couple months ago a situation occurred with another volleyball player where they went into cardiac arrest and I was the first one on the scene! At that life or death moment, I was so glad to have my CPR training from the American Red Cross.

Now I never head to another volleyball game without the safety of my fellow volleyball players on my mind. I always want to be ready for any emergency that happens while I am there!

Master Lock is also around to help consumers stay safe! They recently announced their continued focus on helping consumers stay safe with a yearlong campaign dedicated to safety through every life stage and season.

To kick off the campaign, Master Lock will ask consumers via Twitter to share the time in their life when safety and security has been most top of mind. The campaign will continue throughout the year with a series of safety tips and advice for every life stage and season.

Sweepstakes and Donation

When in your life has safety and security been most top of mind? 

Starting today through January 31, participants who tweet their reply to this question using #MasterLockProtects will generate a $1 donation to the American Red Cross and will be entered for the chance to win one of 20 prize bundles. Each winner will receive a $100 Visa gift card and various Master Lock products to help keep consumers safe through different life stages and seasons.

Master Lock will donate an initial $10,000 to the American Red Cross and will donate up to an additional $10,000 based on consumer participation in the sweepstakes for a total of $20,000 in donations – just one way the company hopes to keep consumers safe and secure through all life stages and seasons. Master Lock’s donation will support the urgent needs of the American Red Cross mission, whether it is responding to a disaster, collecting lifesaving blood, teaching skills to save a life, or assisting military members and their families during emergencies. This marks the second Twitter sweepstakes that Master Lock has hosted to benefit the American Red Cross. In 2014, Master Lock donated more than $15,000 to the organization.

Yearlong Education

Throughout the year, Master Lock will continue to provide educational information to consumers on remaining safe and secure through various life stages and seasons. These tips will be available on www.masterlock.com, and will address the following topics:

* Senior Safety

* Tax Tips for All Life Stages

* Safe Moving / New Home Safety

* Marriage / Newlyweds

* Back to School

* First Job / New Job

* Fall Family / Home Safety

Join the Party!

Make sure to join the #MasterLockCares Twitter Party on Tuesday, January 27 at 8 PM ET with @Resourcefulmom.

You can RSVP here: http://resourcefulmommy.com/14562/master-lock-cares-twitter-party-2/

Master Lock’s Live Secure Safety Squad blog panel will join the conversation and provide personal tips, stories, advice and product recommendations for remaining safe and secure through various life stages and seasons. 

Join the conversation now using the hashtag #MasterLockProtects, and visit www.masterlock.com for more information.

*This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine.*

I LOVE and Want to Protect My Family! #MasterLockProtects

This post is brought to you by Master Lock. All opinions are mine!

The American Red Cross has become a a very important organization in my professional Athletic Training life. It used to be that I got certified as a Professional Rescuer in CPR, AED and First Aid every year by the American Red Cross - now it has become a certification every two years. However, with the skills they have taught me and refreshed in my mind over the years, I have been able to learn one of the most important lessons in my life: how to save someone's life!

And I actually got to put my skills to use last week at a recreational volleyball game I was playing in when a man went down with Sudden Cardiac Arrest. With the skills I learned in CPR from the American Red Cross, I was able to do my best to help him! I have never been so thankful for the American Red Cross than I was after that experience!

And after that life-changing experience last week, it really emphasized how precious life is and it gave me a new appreciation for life and the precious lives of my family and friends - especially my husband and two children (plus the one on the way!). I would do anything for them to protect them and that is one reason I always get certified in CPR from the American Red Cross - I want to be able to help them in an emergency, if need be!

Thankfully, Master Lock wants to help me and YOU protect all that we love and care about in 2014, whether a precious pet, certain someone or prized possession with their year-long initiative: “Protecting All That You Love and Care About” Twitter sweepstakes/donation opportunity. Master Lock wants to help keep the places and people consumers care about safe, which is why they chose the American Red Cross to donate to!

Master Lock’s donation will support the urgent needs of the American Red Cross mission, whether it is responding to a disaster, collecting lifesaving blood, teaching skills to save a life, or assisting military members and their families during emergencies.

All you have to do is tweet what you most want to protect using the hashtag #MasterLockProtects in exchange for a $1 donation to the American Red Cross and entry into a sweepstakes for a chance to win one of 28 prize packs.

Master Lock will make an initial $10,000 donation to the American Red Cross and will donate up to $10,000 in additional funds based on consumer participation in the sweepstakes.

Check out these details about the Sweepstakes:

Sweepstakes period: February 17 – February 28

Sweepstakes prizes include:

o Grand Prize Winners: 3

• $100 Visa Gift Card
• Master Lock 5422D Portable Key Safe
• 1547DCM Backpack Lock
• 5900D SafeSpace
• Red Cross Emergency Preparedness Kit

o First Prize Winners: 25

• $50 Visa Gift Card
• Master Lock 5422D Portable Key Safe
• 1547DCM Backpack Lock
• 5900D SafeSpace
• Red Cross Emergency Preparedness Kit

Check out the Rules and Regulations for Sweepstakes here: http://www.masterlock.com/pdfs/ML-PATYLCA-Sweepstakes-Rules.pdf

And make sure to join the Twitter party, kicking off the campaign on 2/18! 

* This post is brought to you by Master Lock. All opinions are mine!*

Holiday Safety Tips from Master Lock & Giveaway

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Tis the season for online shopping, and with online sales expected to increase 13-15% this holiday season, it’s important to ensure online holiday experiences are safe ones. The holiday season should be fun and festive, and the joy of the season can be lost quickly if people interact with an un-safe website, lose important receipts or blow their budgets .

Master Lock and Mario Armstrong, Digital Lifestyle Expert™ have provided tips and tools to help navigate the holiday safety, securely and with as little stress as possible.

1. Make smart online purchases. The convenience of online holiday shopping can quickly be derailed if you become a victim of identity theft due to sharing your credit card and shipping data with a non-secure site. Before providing any personal or financial information, make sure that you are interacting with a reputable, established company. Check to make sure the website is secure by verifying the address has an “s” in “https://” at the beginning of the URL, that a closed padlock is located in the URL bar, and that if you are entering any personal information, there is a checkmark or padlock image indicating the website is protected by a trusted source. If you’re still worried about using your personal financial accounts for transactions, a pre-paid debit card may be the way to go – just be sure to read the fine print for any fees and terms.

2. Click with caution. Consumers may be bombarded with link-heavy holiday emails this season sending well wishes or advertising hot gift items and sales. However, with more than 9,500 malicious websites detected by Google every day2, consumers are advised to click links with caution to avoid a malware-spreading site. Before clicking, hover over the link first to review the complete URL. Beware of small errors in website addresses such as missing letters, misspellings, a different .com extension or other tweaks to a company’s name. For extra protection, type the address into the web browser directly to ensure you are not being redirected to a fraudulent site from a link.

3. Set and track your budget. Avoid post-holiday regret or debt by setting a realistic budget and tracking your purchases to ensure you adhere to it. A variety of apps and websites can help you with your budget tracking goals, such as Mint.com. For easy access to your private information on the go, store online passwords in the Master Lock Vault smart phone app or website for easy recall. Vault users can store and organize URLs, usernames and passwords in one protected place in a 256-bit SSL data encrypted, firewall protected, 24/7 monitored “safe deposit box.” Simply click on the stored URL for your popular sites for easy access directly from your Vault.
Master Lock Vault users can also use the Vault to access virtual holiday shopping lists, schedule reminders for bill due dates and holiday social events and even store newly received gift cards for easy access for post-holiday shopping.

4. Keep digital receipts. Easily file away receipts from your holiday shopping in one place to cross-reference purchase dates and totals with your bank and credit card billing statements to check for any unfamiliar charges, or to facilitate easy returns after the holidays. A quick and easy way to do this is to take a photo of the receipt immediately and store it in the Master Lock Vault. You can also use the Vault to store photos of gift receipts. If they accidentally get thrown out with the wrapping paper, you can easily re-print them. Check with your local store for specific policies and information.

5. Don’t leave a digital trail to your gift purchases. If you are using a computer that other family members use and don’t want them to see what sites you’ve visited, enable your browser’s private browsing feature when researching and buying gifts. Private browsing (also known as the incognito setting on Google Chrome) allows you to surf the internet without saving any information about which sites you visited or searches you’ve conducted. In some browsers this may be found under the Tools menu; check your browser’s specific settings to learn how to set up private browsing.

Some other great products that can help keep you safe and protected this Holiday season are the Master Lock 1500eDBX dialSpeed and 2120DWD Laptop Lock

COMBINATION PADLOCKS - NO. 1500EDBX

Organize and protect your personal and valuable information with secure, convenient, digital storage at the Master Lock Vault! This electronic directional interface offers speed, ease of use, & multiple personalized codes.

It is also Vault enabled which means permanent Backup Master Code at masterlockvault.com. Never Forget Your Combination Again!

Check out these other great features:

• Comes with resettable Primary Code & option for 3 additional Guest Codes
• Ready to use – includes installed, replaceable CR2032 battery for 5 years of life
• 2-1/16" (51mm) wide metal body can be opened one-handed without looking
• Maximum security with anti-shim technology
• Boron carbide shackle for increased cut resistance
• For INDOOR USE only. Do not allow lock to get wet
• Each package contains one lock

STORAGE SECURITY - NO. 2120DWD Laptop Lock

To get Security on the Go™, get this laptop lock! It is ideal for campus, office, travel or home use and secures any laptop, netbook, monitor or projector with a built-in lock slot!

It features durable metal construction for security and a strong ultra portable self coiling cable extends from 3 inches (76.2mm) to 6 feet (1.83m). The ergonomic dial spacing with trusted locking mechanism allows for quick, easy dial movement and easy to use configuration.

The high contrast numbers are easy to read with red viewing window for easy viewing & resetting. And it is super easy to Set Your Own Combination - there are 10,000 combination possibilities for ultimate personalization!

Win It: Master Lock is generously offering (1) Laptop Lock to a lucky winner!

Enter here for a chance to win:

(1) Master Lock Laptop Lock

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* Thank you to Master Lock for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*