https://marilynlawhead.com The Lawhead Team, Because Two Lawheads are Better than one! Tue, 17 Dec 2013 21:48:01 +0000 en hourly 1 https://marilynlawhead.com/prepare-home-quickly-company/ Tue, 17 Dec 2013 21:48:01 +0000 http://www.marilynlawhead.com/?p=2959 Expecting company for Christmas?

The Holidays are a time for friends and family to gather. Are you planning on company? Even if you aren’t sometimes unexpected company arrives and The Lawhead Team would like to share some tips to quickly prepare your home for company.

• Act like a first time visitor at your home. Walk through your home as if you are a guest visiting to help see through the eyes of your guests. The first impressions your company will have is your front door. Is your entry-way clean? Is there room to place coats and purses? Most of us don’t use our front door often if we enter through the garage. Make sure the formal entrance of your home is pleasing.
• De-clutter your home quickly. Pick up junk you don’t need laying around such as mail, shoes, jackets, etc. Stash these things in a pile hidden away to be sorted later. Walk around with a laundry basket, filling it with “clutter” and stash it away in a room your company won’t be seeing such as an office or closet.
• Do a quick scrub and dusting. Wipe down kitchen counters with some wet wipes and do a quick dusting of the rooms your company will primarily be in. Make sure your guest bathroom is stocked with paper products and the shower curtain is pulled closed. Do a quick sweeping of your entry-way a once over vacuuming of your living room.
• Use proper lighting. Candles are a great way to create ambiance plus you get to avoid turning on bright lights so your company doesn’t see any dust or dirt you may have missed! Table lamps with low wattage bulbs are a good idea as well. And now that it is Christmas, the twinkle lights you have in your home should create enough light for everyone to see!
• Add your finishing touches. Set your table with decorative place-mats, put some music on enjoy your home and company!

]]> https://marilynlawhead.com/christmas-safety-home/ Wed, 11 Dec 2013 01:19:57 +0000 http://www.marilynlawhead.com/?p=2952 Stay safe this Christmas.

Many accidents can happen during the Christmas season in and around your home. Make sure you stay safe with these Christmas safety tips:

• Double Check Lights: Before using Christmas lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use. Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect the lights from wind damage. Use insulated staples to hold strings in place, not nails or tacks. Or run strings of lights through hooks.
• Lights Out: Always turn off Christmas lights when you leave the house unattended or when going to bed.
• Use Only One Extension Cord: Never connect more than one extension cord together; instead use a single cord that is long enough to reach the outlet without stretching, but not so long that it can get easily tangled.
• Outdoor Lights: When hanging outdoor Christmas lights, keep electrical connectors off the ground and away from metal rain gutters. Use insulated tape or plastic clips instead of metal nails or tacks to hold them in place.
• Smoke Alarms: Test your smoke alarms monthly to make sure they work, and be sure to install smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms on every level of your home — especially near sleeping areas.
• Live Tree: When purchasing a live Christmas tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles. You should also make sure your Christmas tree is away from fireplaces and radiators.
• Fireplace Safety: Do not burn Christmas wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result, as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely. Before lighting any fire, remove all greens, boughs, papers, and other decorations from fireplace area. Check to see that the flue is open.

]]>