Lifesaving giveaway (almost as good as cupcakes)

We have a certain method in our house for replacing batteries in our smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors. It goes something like this:

1. Smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector starts beeping.
2. We ignore it. Perhaps just a temporary glitch? Perhaps batteries will miraculously recharge themselves? Perhaps beeping not so annoying?
3. Smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector keeps beeping.
4. Me: "Honey, can you please change the battery on that thing?" Honey: "Yes!"
5. Smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector continues to beep.
6. Max starts to stare at the beeping smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector. Sabrina: "What's that sound?" Me: "DADDY needs to change the battery on the smoke alarm/carbon monoxide detector. RIGHT, DADDY?!" Daddy: "Yes!"
7. Smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector keeps right on beeping until I grab the stepladder, change the damn battery myself and grumble about it to Honey Daddy for the next day or so.

That long-running campaign, Change Your Clock Change Your Battery, is a whole lot better than our method: It encourages people to change the batteries on their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors every fall, when daylight savings time ends (that's tomorrow, in case you've been living in a cave and/or are a mom with way too much info cluttering up your brain).

Want a sexy replacement for your dowdy smoke alarm, one that will give it a shot at making People magazine's annual list of Best Dressed Smoke Alarms? The Energizer people gave me two of these extremely glam First Alert ones (plus a two-pack of 9-volt batteries) to give away.

To enter, leave a comment about what you're going to do with the extra hour of time you'll be getting. I'm thinking sit on the couch and stare vacantly into space.

Word, Energizer donates 200,000 batteries to local fire departments nationwide. They'll donate up to 400,000 if you visit the Energizer Bunny Facebook page, click on the CYCCYB tab and pledge to change your smoke alarm batteries. Sadly, there is no pledge that might encourage husbands to change batteries.

This giveaway ends Saturday 10/13 at 11:59 EST, and is for U.S. and Canadian residents who don't live in caves, where it would be very tricky to install a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector. I'll randomly choose two winners, announce them here, email you and alert People magazine.

Oh, and you can still enter to win those cupcakes until Nov 10.

Oh, and be sure to leave your email if it's not visible on your blog.

Coming up next: I'll be giving away a husband who replaces smoke alarm and carbon detector batteries without pestering. First, though, I need to fine one.

And the winners are... The Henrys and Homemaker. As my mom likes to say, use the alarm in good health.