Happy Thursday!  Next week some of us are preparing for the kids to be home from school and  and have planned some much needed family time away from home. Here are some tips to help you leave your home so you can have some peace of mind and fully relax and enjoy your time away.

• Insulate any exposed pipes to prevent them from freezing.  (see our blog from Jan 31 for some preventable pipe freezing tips)
• Talk a walk around your property, look for loose items that can get blown around your yard, such as, garbage cans, patio furniture, grills, kids toys, lawn ornaments, etc.  Secure them tightly or bring them in your garage or shed.
• Don’t forget about your roof.  Clear your gutters to prevent ice build up and remove any dead trees from your property or heavy, low hanging branches from your roof.
• Make sure any storm doors are securely locked.
• If you are leaving a car behind, make sure it’s locked and if you can move it into your garage and if you can’t, maybe leave a key with a trusted neighbor so they can move it in the event of an emergency.
• Remember to stop your mail if you are going to be a way for an extended period of time or again, have a trusted neighbor stop by and pick it up for you daily.
• Check all your smoke alarms.  Make sure they have fresh batteries.
• Clean out your fridge.  Either cook, donate or throw away perishable items.  Last thing you want to come home to is the smell of food rotting in your fridge.
• Consider turning down your heat to 55 degrees before you go.  
• Think about making a small investment in a home monitoring app that will alert you of any movement around your home.  I personally have the Ring app which allows me to not only see who is on or around my property, but also allows me to actually speak to the person at my door from my phone, from where ever I am.

Whether you are planning a trip away or a “stay”cation, the most important thing is to enjoy your family time together.  

Hope everyone is having a fabulous week!!