Holidays
Posted on December 6, 2011
Holiday Safety Tips
I wish you all all a fun and safe holiday season. Here are a few tips to keep you help keep you safe. Enjoy!
TRAVEL- Holiday traveling and winter can be a dangerous combination. Allow extra time when traveling. Monitor weather conditions carefully and adhere to travel advisories.
- Keep a winter storm survival kit in your car. This should include blankets, food, flares, chains, ice scraper, gloves and first aid supplies.
- Designate a driver. When attending a party, always designate a non-drinking driver. If you are the host of a holiday gathering, be sure there are non-alcoholic beverages available for guests.
- Buckle up. During the holiday months, people travel more than ever. Wearing a seat belt is the easiest way to prevent injury in a motor vehicle collision
- Never use lighted candles near trees, boughs, curtains/drapes, or with any potentially flammable item.
- Use only non-combustible or flame resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or non-leaded metals.
- Indoors or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory.
- Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections, and throw out damaged sets.
- Remember to turn off all holiday lights when you go to bed or leave the house.
- When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles to not break. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin and when tapped on the ground. Because heated rooms dry live trees out rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water.
- When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "fire resistant". Although this label does not mean the tree won't catch fire, it does indicate the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.
- When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces and radiators. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.
- Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills and interest level of the intended child. Toys too advance may pose safety hazards for younger children.
- Before allowing your child to play with a toy that was received as a gift, read the instructions carefully.
- Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace, flash fires may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.
Posted on December 1, 2011
Giving Back to Your Community
The holiday season is a great time to volunteer and help others in their time of need. Giving back to the community can be a highly rewarding experience and is a wonderful way to share the joy of the season. To make the experience even better, here are a few holiday volunteering tips from The Volunteer Center of United Way:
- Plan ahead since holiday volunteer opportunities fill up quickly.
- Invite friends and family to join you. It may become a healthy habit!
- Be flexible. Non-profits are very busy during the holidays. The interests you have might not match their needs. Venture outside your comfort zone if you really want to help.
- Agencies need volunteers year-round. Consider starting a volunteer project during the holidays but continuing it monthly or quarterly.
- Think "outside the box." When it comes to the holidays, we usually think of either food or gifts, but every activity we do for others is an act of kindness that will enhance the holidays for everyone. Clean the environment, visit a senior, tutor a child. It all helps.
- Above all, have fun in the spirit of the season and know that you are making a difference.
