It’s the holiday season once again which means lots of gatherings and parties to go to and a great time to spend with friends, families, and loved ones. By now you must be bombarded already with all the Christmas carols, holiday shopping rush, and bright colorful lights lining up the city. Those of us who may want to spend the joy and cheer of the holidays in some other place can celebrate out of town and take the opportunity for a relaxing vacation as well. However, before you leave your home, you also want to ensure that your pets are safe. Here are some tips on how to take care of your pets even when you are away for vacation:

1. If you will be out of the house for 2-3 days only, you can leave our pets at home; ask a trusted friend or neighbor to check on them and maybe spend a little time with them. Cats can be left alone for longer periods of time compared to dogs. You can also get an automatic feeder to make sure that that they have enough food until you get home.

2. Leave your pet’s medications and food, and veterinarian’s contact details to the person whom you will ask to take of pets in case of emergency.

3. When going on vacation for a longer period of time, you can leave your pets to your relatives to make sure that they are well taken care of. You can also leave them with pet care providers that allow pet boarding or kennels that offer obedience training for a month. Check the yellow pages for reference.

4.  When you get home and pick up your pets, give them their favorite treats. This way, they will not associate your leaving as an unpleasant experience.

5. Check their coats for fleas, ticks, or allergy signs and also if their coats are matted to know if you need to bring them to the groomer.

Now that the season of merriment is in the air, many people become busy because of the excitement, holiday rush, parties, and a lot of events taking place in this holiday season. At the same time, this could lead some people to  become vulnerable and careless to holiday crimes like burglary, or potential accidents like fire. It is always best to be prepared and keep your home and property safe even when you are away. Here are some tips and precautions to safeguard your valuables especially in the holiday season:

1. Check your passageways. Make sure that all your doors and windows cannot be easily opened. Invest in good quality doors and check that your doorknobs do not have any defective locks. You could opt for steel grills for your windows to prevent unwanted elements from accessing your house.

2. Secure your valuables. Keep your valuable items like jewelry and important documents safe in cabinets or drawers that are locked securely. You could also have these valuables kept in a safe.

3. Keep a household fire extinguisher. Fires spread quickly so it is best that it is extinguished as fast as possible. Make sure that you know how to operate your fire extinguisher so you know what to do when an emergency suddenly strikes.

4. Unplug appliances properly especially if you will leave your house unoccupied to go on vacation. Turn off the main switch. Do not plug too many electrical appliances in a single outlet, do not also use appliances with damaged cords or plugs. Check also stove and make sure that the gas is turned off when leaving the home for a vacation.

5. Utilize an alarm system. Invest in a good quality alarm system to capture a culprit or simply make your home safer.  There are many types of alarm systems that you can use depending on your budget and preference. Smoke signals can spot rising temperatures from a fire, security cameras for your rooms, passageways, or any other space that you want to secure, window watchers to keep burglars away from your house, and many others.

6. Advise your trusted family or friend that you will be away especially if leaving for a couple of days. Leave your contact details so that any irregular activity in your premises could be reported to you. Advise also your friend or relative if you are not expecting anyone to drop by your house and give details as to when you will be back.

Indeed being alert and prepared for any untoward incident that may take place in your home and family is a must for every home owner. The holidays should be a time for celebration so it is also sensible to keep it safer and more enjoyable.

The nightmares of the deluge from the giant earthquake and tsunami in Japan still walk in many among us especially the victims that are still ruing on the loss of thousands of lives and properties. Weeks after the tsunami, its victims are still suffering from yet another issue on health safety including threats on radioactive leaks. How do we prepare ourselves and our households for climate change and natural calamities? How do we adapt and survive? Here are some helpful tips to keep us watchful and prepared:

- If you are planning to buy a new house, have a geologist take a good look of the topography around the house you plan to buy.

- Buy cars with more basic technology that you can fix yourself without the need for high-tech chips, computers, or sensors. Preferably choose one with a manual transmission.

- Make it a habit to keep your tank more than half-full. You never know when the gas stations will get their fuel contaminated.

- Know where the high ground is in your area. This is helpful in case you need to park away if there is a flood.

- Keep a survival kit. Stock up on water, energy bars, first-aid items, and life vests.

- Bring extra clothes in the car. This is a good way to be prepared as you never know when you won’t able to go home and may probably   have to sleep in the office, or at an inn or hotel.