The holidays are a time full of joy, togetherness, and giving, but that doesn’t mean that nothing bad can happen during the celebratory time. Between package theft, fires, drinking and driving, and illness, there are still negative things that can happen during the most wonderful time of the year. If you want to try to prevent these negative things from ruining your holidays, try to implement some of the tips below for staying safe during the holidays.
Check Your Fire Systems
On average, there is a house fire every 86 seconds in the United States. That means that there is a new house fire more often than every minute and a half, so you should ensure that if you do experience a house fire this holiday season that you have a fully functional fire system. Regularly check on your fire alarms to make sure that they are in proper working order. Take note of websites like https://www.sellingahousewithfiredamage.com for their informative articles about fire insurance.
Watch Your Decorative Lights
One of the main fire hazards during the holiday season is all of the beautiful lights that you hang up inside and outside of your home. Although these lights make your house feel cozy and set the scene for the holiday spirit, you have to make sure that you are paying attention to them. If you have strings of lights on your Christmas tree, make sure that you are turning the lights off at night and any other time that you aren’t keeping an eye on the tree.
Inspect the Chimney and Furnace
In many states, Christmastime means dropping temperatures and the start of using your gas fireplace and furnace. Before you light your fire or start your furnace for the first time during the winter, you should get it inspected for any possible issues. Make sure to get your chimney cleaned out as well before you start a fire, since you never know what could have ended up in the chimney over the past year. Trust the expertise of professionals from a good service like furnace repair milwaukee wi for a thorough inspection and maintenance to ensure a safe and warm season.
Watch the Fire Place
If you decorate your mantel for the holidays, make sure that you’re keeping fire safety in mind when you do so. Your stockings may be hung by the fire with care, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t catch fire if they are too close to an open flame. Make sure that any decor near your fireplace will not melt or catch fire, and if there is anything that shouldn’t be near the fire, move it before starting your fire up.
Get a Designated Driver
Many holiday traditions include drinking, so make sure that any time you’re going anywhere where you’ll drink, you have a designated driver or a plan to get home that doesn’t involve getting behind the wheel while you’re intoxicated. For example, if you go to a “Brunch With Santa” event where you’ll be drinking festive drinks like holiday-themed Mimosas and Bellinis, you should have a plan to get home. Having a plan means that you can enjoy your time at brunch and enjoy all of the fun that a Christmas themed meal has to offer. During the holidays the roads can be even more treacherous between winter weather and increased traffic, so make sure that you make it home for Christmas with proper planning.
Install a Security System
During the last two weeks of the year, when Christmas and New Years’ occur, there are more break-ins than any other two week period during the year. A security system can keep you, your family, and your possessions safe from possible intruders and thieves. There are many different security systems available on the market, so you can get one that meets your exact needs.
For example, if you’re ordering a lot of gifts online, installing a security camera that looks at your front porch or front door can be a great way to deter and catch any possible thieves.
Carefully Track Packages
Most online retailers will have a way for you to track your package on its delivery route. Sites like Amazon will even tell you how many stops away the delivery driver is from your home. If you know that you will be receiving a package, you can check that you actually received the package and possibly be home to get it as soon as it comes.
If you’re worried about packages being stolen off of your porch, make sure to check the company policy for stolen or lost packages. Most will replace the products at little to no cost to you, which can be comforting to know. Make sure that you check their policies before you order so that you know.
Always Lock Your Doors
This may seem like an obvious way to deter theft, but many people who have not experienced any issues with theft or break-ins in the past may not think of it. Even if you live in a safe neighborhood, you should always lock your door at night and any time that you leave the house, even if you’re just running out for a few minutes. Oftentimes intruders are looking for the easiest possible target, and something as simple as a locked door can keep them from targeting you. Most importantly, if your doors are malfunctioning, make sure to replace them immediately and choose durable doors with passcodes which you can get from door suppliers and Entry Doors Installation Services.
Install Motion Activated Outdoor Lights
Another way to deter break-ins is to have motion-activated lights outside of your home. If someone is depending on stealth to approach you home, they will not be happy when their movements suddenly trigger a floodlight to shine on your entire yard. In addition, it may alert you that someone is in your yard. So it’s wise to install permanent lighting solutions for homes and businesses.
Stay Home if You’re Sick
Even if you’re looking forward to a cookie exchange or your company’s annual holiday party, you should stay home if you are feeling under the weather. Going to events that will have you exerting energy and not resting will keep you sick for longer since you need rest and relaxation to help cure most common winter ailments. In addition, you could spread whatever it is that you have to other people at these events. If you get someone else sick, it could ruin their holidays as well, so make sure that you are only spreading cheer and not disease.
The holidays can be a great time of year, but make sure that you are taking steps to stay safe and healthy. These tips are a great place to start, but make sure that you are also using your best judgment when it comes to being safe this holiday season.
