Keep Cozy (and Safe) in a Winter Wonderland

The holiday season is upon us. This brings us cheer and well-being, but unfortunately, sets us off our guard. It may sound morbid but it’s important to think about the potential dangers that may happen during this time of cheer.

Accidents happen and malicious types are still out there. The holiday times may place you in a cozy lull that makes you forget not everything is rosy. Protecting yourself and home should be just as much a priority as it were in the previous months of the year.

I want to take you through two areas of potential danger:

The first is keeping safe & sound if you’re traveling while the other is if you’re staying at home. Each has a chance to be less-than-cheerful. It’s best we take them into consideration rather than reaching a panic if they were to happen while being off-guard.

While Traveling

Many of us plan to visit friends and family during around the holiday times; it’s one of the busiest times of transit throughout the year. This time away from home can create small hazards, you should be aware of if you decide to make the trip:

• Dangers of the road
• Dangers of uninhabited households

Your chance of experiencing an accident increases the longer you’re on the road (it’s simple math). Hope for the best but prepare for the worst in this case. It would be wise to take the vehicle to the shop to verify your engine, tires, brakes, and other components are working in full order. Likewise, don’t trade a few minutes on the road by driving at higher speeds; keep to the speed limit, watch your blind spots, keep ample amount of space, and take your time.

Your home/apartment should also be a consideration while you’re traveling for the holidays. Being away from the location makes it a prime target for theft. A base of setting automatic timers for lights and having a neighbor check the place while you’re away is a good start but a security system would give you better piece of mind (on this point, I’d recommend taking a look at the options through authorized ADT Security installers). A security system with the right services will keep your place on lock down; one less thing to worry about.

While at Home

Celebrating at home is wonderful especially when you’re surrounded by loved ones. But with it comes a few instances where something bad may happen, so remember these holiday safety tips:

• Be aware of open flames (candles and fireplaces) along with the items that are close-by; you have very little time to react to a fire so it would be good to have a fire blanket and extinguisher on hand along with explaining the dangers to younger individuals
• Baubles and other ornaments can be sharp (especially so since many are glass) so stay sharp around children and pets getting close to the decorations.
• Know the food allergies and cooking best practices so you don’t accidentally harm someone from holiday snacking or as a gift.
• Understand the toxic items around your home especially if there are children wandering the premises during their holiday vacation.

Much of this is common sense but it can often be overlooked when you’re settled in and getting cozy during the holidays — stay on guard.

There are other instances of danger that you may not readily consider:

• Will your pet(s) react well to visitors?
• Could a local event disrupt recovery service?
• Would certain interactions destabilize a troubled individual?

We like to think that everything is fine and dandy but it’s often the little things that go overlooked. Your pet, for example, may not be used to coping with strangers which could lead to confrontation or an incident. The same can be said about the local activity; a large street party could create a major hassle for those that need to regularly visit the hospital. You also never know if by being overly cheerful to a person that’s on their last strings will send them over the edge; for some, during the holidays, it’s rough so it’s good to have a read on people.

My recommendation would be as follows: Separate the pets from others (especially children) if they are skittish (it’s best not to chance it), know alternative routes to avoid traffic jams, and be joyful but wait to see how people interact with you before accidentally becoming too overbearing socially.

Final Thoughts

I’m sure you’re going to have a great holiday season; this post wasn’t to scare you but to remind you that accidents and bad things still happen even when others are cheerful and joyous. It’s better to be aware and prepared than wondering why it’s happening to you.

Keep safe on the roads by being aware of the situations, be proactive in protecting your property, understand the dangers of decorations, and make plans if/when these things happen.

At the end of it all: Happy Holidays and be safe out there!