Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays of the year. Families get together to celebrate with each other and bountiful feasts adorn the dining table.

Thanksgiving is also a time to keep safety in mind both in and out of your home. Whether you are traveling to see family and friends or will be hosting the Thanksgiving festivities in your home, there are a few things to keep in mind to help ensure you all have a safe Thanksgiving holiday.

If traveling outside of your home for Thanksgiving and the holidays, you may want to take the following precautions.

Make sure to install a home security system

Your best bet against burglary or vandalism while away from home is to have a monitored home security system from a monitoring company in case of any emergency. You can also use a home automation system like MyHome from My Alarm Center that will allow you to completely monitor and control your home while away.

Do not post your travel plans on social media.

Criminals often use sites like Facebook to find who will be where. If they see you are traveling out of town for the weekend, they will know that your home is vulnerable to a break-in.

Make sure the telephone ringer is turned all the way down.

This way no one outside of your home will hear repeated unanswered phone calls. You might also consider reviewing your answering machine messages to make sure your messages do not let callers know you are away.

Other Thanksgiving travel tips include:

Have the post office stop mail delivery while you are away or have a neighbor that you trust collect the mail for you until you return.
Do not leave an extra key hidden outside of your home. Seasoned burglars know where to look and chances are they can and will find it.
Set up timers on interior lights to turn them on and off during the evening to give the appearance of activity within the home
This last tip should go without saying, but be sure to lock and secure all windows and door locks throughout your home. Second story windows are commonly overlooked and the bad guys know this. Be sure to lock all of them.

If you are the host for the Thanksgiving festivities, then there are a totally different set of precautions you should keep in mind to make sure the event is a safe and joyous occasion for everyone. Most of the safety tips we offer are meant for the heart of the home during Thanksgiving: the kitchen.

How to best prepare your kitchen for Thanksgiving:

Accidents can happen so we first suggest keeping a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and make sure everyone involved knows where it is and how to use it.
You should also have a smoke and fire alarm already installed in your kitchen since that is where the majority of home fires originate.
Cooking attire is also important for the chef and any kitchen assistants for the day. Do not wear loose-fitting clothes that could catch fire from an open flame. You should wear short sleeves or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.
It is a good idea to always have an adult in the kitchen while the stove or oven is on. Not only can you keep an important dish from burning, but you can also keep an eye out for anyone getting too close to hot surfaces or other dangers in the kitchen.
Have a short talk with the kids. Make sure they know they should stay at least 3 feet away from the stove. They should also be kept clear of any hot liquids and food. Hot gravy or the steam from the vegetables can cause serious burns.
With children in mind again, be sure that all sharp knives are kept out of their reach. You should also keep all electric cords out of their reach as well. Coffee makers, plate warmers, mixers, and electric knives can be dangerous if pulled off the counter by little ones.
Keep anything that can catch fire away from open flames or the stovetop. This includes items such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, pot holders, paper or plastic bags or food packaging that could catch fire.
Regularly clean cooking surfaces to avoid unnecessary grease build-up. Grease fires are some of the most common kitchen fires.
After you have finished cooking the Thanksgiving feast, be sure that the stove and other cooking appliances have been turned off. With home automation, you can do this with the push of a button.

We hope that these simple safety tips will keep you, your family members and friends safe for the upcoming holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at My Alarm Center! Make sure to Contact Us today if you’re interested in securing your home for the holidays!