Holiday Health and Safety Tips

The holidays are a time to celebrate, give thanks, and reflect. They are also a time to pay special attention to your health. Give the gift of health and safety to yourself and others by following these holiday tips.

Wash your hands often.
Keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

If you don’t have tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands.

Stay warm.
Cold temperatures can cause serious health problems, especially in infants and older adults. Stay dry, and dress warmly in several layers of loose-fitting, tightly woven clothing.

Manage stress.
The holidays don't need to take a toll on your health and pocketbook. Keep a check on overcommitment and overspending. Balance work, home, and play. Get support from family and friends. Keep a relaxed and positive outlook. Make sure to get proper sleep.

Travel safely.
Whether you're traveling across town or around the world, help ensure your trip is safe. Don’t drink and drive, and don’t let someone else drink and drive.


Wear a seat belt every time you drive or ride in a motor vehicle. Always buckle your child in the car using a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt according to his/her height, weight, and age.

Be smoke-free.
Avoid smoking and breathing other people's smoke. If you smoke, quit today! Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or talk to your health care provider for help.

Get check-ups and vaccinations.
Exams and screenings can help find potential problems before they start. They can also help find health issues early, when the chances for treatment and cure are often times better. Vaccinations help prevent diseases and save lives. Schedule a visit with your health care provider for a yearly exam. Ask what vaccinations and tests you should get based on your age, lifestyle, travel plans, medical history, and family health history.

Watch the kids.
Children are at high risk for injuries. Keep a watchful eye on your kids when they’re eating and playing. Keep potentially dangerous toys, food, drinks, household items, choking hazards (like coins and hard candy), and other objects out of kids' reach. Learn how to provide early treatment for children who are choking. Make sure toys are used properly. Develop and reinforce rules about acceptable and safe behaviors, including electronic media.

Prevent injuries.
Injuries can occur anywhere and some often occur around the holidays. Use step stools instead of furniture when hanging decorations.  Leave the fireworks to the professionals.

Wear a bicycle helmet to help prevent head injuries. Wear a helmet when riding a bicycle or skateboarding to help prevent head injuries. Keep vaccinations up-to-date.

Most residential fires occur during the winter months. Keep candles away from children, pets, walkways, trees, and curtains. Never leave fireplaces, stoves, or candles unattended. Don't use generators, grills, or other gasoline- or charcoal-burning devices inside your home or garage. Install a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector in your home. Test them once a month, and replace batteries twice a year.

Handle and prepare food safely.
As you prepare holiday meals, and any meals, keep yourself and your family safe from food-related illness. Wash hands and surfaces often.


Avoid cross-contamination by keeping raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs (including their juices) away from ready-to-eat foods and eating surfaces. Cook foods to the proper temperature. Refrigerate promptly. Do not leave perishable foods out for more than two hours.

Eat healthy, and be active.
With balance and moderation, you can enjoy the holidays the healthy way. Choose fresh fruit as a festive and sweet substitute for candy. Select just one or two of your favorites from the host of tempting foods.

Find fun ways to stay active, such as dancing to your favorite holiday music. Be active for at least 2½ hours a week. Help kids and teens be active for at least 1 hour a day.

Resource:  CDC.gov

Checklist: Preparing Your Home for the Holidays

Nothing brings people together like the holiday season. Start preparing now with some easy home improvement projects to welcome your guests in style. 

Whether your guests are staying just for the day or will be overnight visitors, this holiday checklist will help make your home as inviting and comfortable as possible.

Entrance

• Make sure all walkways and porches are free of ice and snow.  Taking someone to the emergency room because of a fall is not the way you want to start the holidays.
• Make sure all outdoor lighting is functioning properly and is turned on when it is dark.  Another important precaution to ensure your guest's safety.
• Establish a place to collect all warm weather apparel, including boots.  Add extra hangers to your coat closet or designate a room to collect these.  You should also consider adding an extra doormat for those wet boots.  If you plan for this ahead of time your entrance won't become a cluttered mess.

Living Area

• If the carpet isn't looking its best, schedule a professional carpet cleaning.
• Clean the windows so that guests can clearly see your outside decorations.
• Add some color to the walls by freshing up your space with a new coat of paint.
• Bring holiday scents to your living space with candles, potpourri, fresh garland or pine cones.

Bathrooms

• If the tile looks dingy, replacing it or even new grout can give a fresh look to a bathroom.
• Make sure the bathroom fan and window are in operating condition.  Ventilation is an important part of keeping your bathroom clean and mildew-free.
• Make sure you have enough guest bath and/or hand towels.  Consider special towels with holiday themes to keep with the spirit of the season.

Kitchen

• The kitchen has become an essential room for entertaining with the popularity and ease of serving food buffet style.  To provide more space, try installing applicances under countertops or consider investing in a kitchen island.
• Check the condition of the countertops, cabinets, and appliances.  Replacing the applicances can make a huge difference when you're preparing meals for large groups.
• Declutter your counter space by removing unsed appliances and other items and store in a place unseen to your guests.

Guest Rooms

• Make sure the guest beds have fresh linens.  Add a nice holiday decoration or treat to the bed welcoming your guests.
• Clear some closet space or a drawer to make your guests feel more at home.  No one likes to live out of a suitcase.
• Provide your guests with a bedside clock and reading lamp.  Not everyone goes to sleep or wakes up at the same time.

Holiday shopping online? 3 tips to avoid common scams

(BPT) - Sometimes the best way to find that perfect holiday gift is to search and shop online; it's quick, easy and convenient. And more and more people are doing it: It's anticipated that sales for November and December will grow to $54.5 billion in 2012, a 16.8 percent increase over 2011, according to eMarketer.

As you venture into unknown online territory in your quest for that perfect gift, it's important to shop with a heightened sense of security. 

There are undoubtedly countless honest and hardworking sellers who peddle goods over the Internet, but there are also scammers looking to take advantage of unwitting victims.

Help protect yourself from scammers by following three simple rules:

1. Never use a money transfer service to pay for something online.

"Money transfer services are convenient and simple ways to send cash to people you personally know, but you're better off paying by credit card or using an escrow service when you're buying goods online from someone you don't know or you haven't met in-person," says Shelley Bernhardt, director of consumer protection at Western Union.

Western Union is not an escrow service provider and does not guarantee the delivery or suitability of goods or services.  Once you send a money transfer, it can be paid out to the receiver within a short time.  After the money is paid, it's gone and the odds of getting it back if the gift you thought you purchased never finds your doorstep are slim.

If an individual seller or online retail website only accepts money transfers as payment, be wary and look elsewhere. And don't be fooled, even if the seller appears friendly and offers a reasonable explanation as to why he or she only accepts money transfers - fraudsters are well-trained in gaining your trust.

2. Never email any financial information.

It's a red flag if a seller asks you to email a credit card number or checking account number. And remember: Never give out your Social Security number when shopping online; retailers don't need this information to complete a transaction. If you're paying for something online, use a secure money exchange service like Paypal or use the secure payment portal on the seller's website.

3. Read product descriptions carefully, including the fine print, and determine exchange and return policies before you purchase.

If the seller or website you bought from doesn't have an exchange policy and the product you buy ends up being something different than what you expected, you're likely out of luck if you try to return it.

You can shop online safely and securely during the holidays or anytime of the year. But make sure you're a savvy shopper and protect yourself from scammers by approaching your purchases with the required amount of scrutiny.

For more information on avoiding common scams, visit www.westernunion.com/stopfraud or www.ftc.gov/moneymatters and click on "Scam Watch".