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How to Stay Safe When Enjoying Summer Activities
With Memorial Day weekend approaching, many people are going to start heading to the beaches, strolling the boardwalks, and firing up their barbecues. There are countless things you can do during the summer while enjoying the comfortable warmth of the weather, but it’s important to know how to keep you and your children safe while doing these activities, so here are some tips on how to do so.
During the summer, I love to eat barbecued food as much as possible, and I’m sure you do as well. If you decide to have a big get-together and want to barbecue, you have to be especially careful if young children are present. When the grill is heating up and then cooking the food, always make sure that all children are a safe distance away. Also, keep any sharp grilling tools out of their reach.
If you’re going to be outside during the day and the heat is fairly strong, supply yourself with a sufficient coating of sunscreen as protection against sunburn and any illnesses caused by overexposure to the sun. If you plan on being outside at night, use some bug spray in order to fend off any pesky mosquitoes.
Some of the bigger safety measures you have to take during the summer is when you go swimming. If you’re a parent and take a young child to a pool or the beach, make sure you keep an eye on them so you know they don’t go into a deeper section of the water. In the event that your child is feeling daring and wants to venture into deep water, provide them with a set of water wings. As far as going in the water right after eating is concerned, recreational swimming shouldn’t cause a problem, but if you’re swimming as a form of exercise, you should wait an hour after you eat before going in.
If there is an occurrence of a heat wave, don’t go outside if you don’t have to; just stay inside and turn up the air conditioner. If you do have to go outside, remember to stay hydrated, use plenty of sunscreen, and don’t overexert yourself.
Going on a hike is another activity that you should consider when you have a beautiful day to enjoy. Before you go on a hike, make sure you have the right materials, such as enough water, some food, a first-aid kit, a cell phone, sunscreen, bug spray, and if you’re not familiar with the path you’re taking, make sure to bring a map with you. If you encounter a bear or any other sizable animal while on a hike, make sure you have an escape route.
This is the season where trying to avoid bicyclists on the road becomes something of a sport, but it’s important not to get frustrated with them. If you decide to go out for a relaxing summer drive on a sunny day, odds are that you’re going to encounter some bicyclists. Be careful that you don’t drive too close to them, and don’t try to speed past them; just wait for a chance to pass the bikers so everyone evades danger.
If you happen to be a biker, try to stay as much to the side of the road as possible in order to avoid vehicles, and if there’s a bike lane, stay in it. Although it’s better and safer to bike during the day, people sometimes might want to do it at night. If that’s the case, make sure you have a reflector on the front and back of your bike so the headlights of any vehicle coming towards you will spot you and know to be extra careful. Also, whenever you bike, whether it be by yourself or in a group, it’s very important to be familiar with the different hand signals. Lastly, always wear a helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads.
You want to have a much fun as possible during the summer, but that doesn’t mean you should disregard any safety precautions. If you ignore these and get injured, that’s going to prevent you from taking part in other recreational activities during the season. Remember, it’s okay to be adventurous, but you also have to be careful.
To learn more about Rand Realty, visit their website and Facebook page, and make sure to “Like” their page. You can also follow them on Twitter.
How to Keep Your Home Safe While on Vacation
As we all know, May will be here on Friday, marking the unofficial start to the summer season. The cold weather is finally gone, pool covers will soon be taken off, and the barbecues will begin to fire up. While there are plenty of summer activities to do at home between May and August, there is still the strong desire to go on vacation. Whether you’re going to another country or just a few hours away, you should always make sure your home is properly protected from any dangers. Here are some tips on how to prepare your home against safety hazards while you’re away.
The very first thing you should do to protect your home is to have a security system installed to hinder any possible intruders. It’s only the end of April, so odds are you’re not going on vacation just yet, meaning if you still don’t have an alarm system, now might be a good time to purchase one before we get further into the summer. You don’t want to be without a security system while on vacation, and then receive a call to find out that your home has been broken into. Also, make sure that all of the doors and windows of your home are firmly shut and locked. With all of this in place, you won’t have to worry about constructing any traps styled after those of Kevin McCallister’s in “Home Alone.”
Always make sure to check that everything is turned off, be they lighting fixtures or faucets, and also unplug or turn off any appliances that shouldn’t be left on while you’re away. You don’t want to be one of those people who are on vacation and constantly ponder over whether or not they remembered to turn off the oven. With that being said, it won’t hurt to double check to make sure everything is turned off, or maybe even triple check. Although that can be a bit of a pain, it beats worrying during your time away from home.
If you have any pets that require a lot of care, you can’t have them running loose throughout your home while you’re away, and you can’t just keep them in a cage the whole time without anyone at home to watch them. So, ask a trustworthy friend or relative to take care of your pet while you’re away. You can supply this individual with an extra key to your home so they can go inside to feed your pet, take care of it, and let it get some exercise; or, if this person is really good with animals, they might even volunteer to take your pet into their own home to watch over it.
I know whenever you’re about to go on vacation, you feel overjoyed about getting away, and odds are you’ll end up telling a few of your friends where you’ll be going. That’s okay to do, but prevent yourself and the rest of your family from revealing too much information and broadcasting it all over social media for hundreds of other people to see. If you want to give a few details to some close friends and family, that’s okay, but it isn’t everyone else’s business as to where you are going and for how long you will be gone for. Instead, wait until you return home, and then you can share stories and photos with however many people you want.
While you’re away, it will also help if you stop the delivery of your newspaper and have the post office hold your mail; or, you can have a neighbor collect it all from day to day if you decide to still have it delivered. If the wrong person sees that your newspapers and mail have been piling up, they’ll know that’s a sign that you’re not home and might consider breaking in. If you have a mail slot, the pileup of mail won’t be seen, and you can just ask your neighbor to take your newspapers from the front door and put them through the slot. If you have a mailbox, the mail and newspapers will be seen if it all keeps accumulating within, so in this case, you’ll want to ask a neighbor to take in whatever comes. When you get rid of the pileup of mail, this will all help in keeping up appearances that someone is at home.
You’ll surely enjoy your getaway a lot more if you know your home is safe from any harm. Once you have an idea of when you’ll be going away, use that time to make sure that your home is thoroughly protected from any risks. When you’re done with these precautionary measures, it will be time to pack your bags because your summer travels await!
To learn more about Rand Realty, visit their website and Facebook page, and make sure to “Like” their page. You can also follow them on Twitter.
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