Tag Archives: protection

Mar27

Better Protect Your Home With These Tips

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Better Protect Your Home With These Tips

With many people still working from home, we can all become blind to the fact that our home has a number of problems. A very good example is how safe our home is. Our home can be an easy target for burglars, which is why we need to make sure we are not unwittingly displaying red flags as an open invite. Here are a few things to bear in mind and what you can do to better protect your home:

Not changing the locks since you have moved in:

If you’ve been in the home for a number of years but you’ve never changed the locks, you don’t know who has access to that property. Having a local locksmith change the locks is such a simple thing, but they can also advise you on the best ways to reinforce your door. They may recommend that you use keyless entry points, which can provide extra peace of mind if you are going on vacation.

Things to look out for:

Some people’s homes can be watched by burglars over a long period of time. Here are a few things that you may wish to keep an eye out for:

  • Calls from unknown numbers: Look out for unknown callers and never give away any personal information. If you have children, talk to them about phone safety so they can alert you if any odd calls come in.
  • Flyers, stickers, and ads: If you notice marketing and advertising flyers in the door or mailboxes, this could be a sign that burglars are using these as marks. Any stickers on your mailbox should be removed immediately. Additionally, if you find any unusual markings, such as a little bit of paint on your fence, a rope tied around your lamp post, or any other symbol this should be a sign that you need to remove the markings but also step up your security.
  • More door-to-door activity: Burglars will sense their opportunity by casing up the home, as well as the individuals within. They can target properties by pretending to be someone taking a survey, salespeople, or other non-threatening individuals.

What you can do:

If you notice any signs that burglars are targeting your home you need to:

  • Record observations, including dates and times of questionable activity, like a vehicle patrolling the area.
  • Notify neighbors so they can be more vigilant in the community.
  • Find ways to prevent break-ins, which can include installing a security system, but also illuminating dark corners outside of your property by installing a light sensor.
  • Inform the police. Informing the police and ramping up your neighborhood watch initiatives ensure you are informing the people who can best deal with this while also making sure the neighborhood is more vigilant than ever.

It can be incredibly stressful to find out your home is being targeted by burglars. Some of these components can make a massive difference. It is always about making sure you are in a prevention mindset, while also noticing these tell-tale signs.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Sep25

Boosted Up!

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Boosted Up!

Hello! This past Tuesday, I got my updated Moderna booster and flu shot in tandem. While I am SO happy to have received both to continue to do my part in keeping others safe, I will say that it was about a bitch lol. I reacted pretty poorly to both the second vaccine and the first booster so I’m not sure why I expected this one to be any different. I’m also not sure why I scheduled it smack dab in the middle of the work week SMH!

For about three days, I experienced a lot of fatigue, aching joints, and soreness at the injection site. It honestly felt like someone took a hammer to all of my joints, especially around my pelvic area. Not only did I deal with the aches and pains but, come evening time, I had the chills. Then, it would transform into a fever and I would sweat all night in my sleep. I have hair dye all over my pillows and sheets to prove it. Double SMH!!!!

When Johnny and I got our second vaccine, he had to keep reminding me that this was better than having Covid and I had to keep reminding myself of that this time around. While that’s easier said than done, it would do everyone well to think of it this way. After having a rough go of it post vaccine, I could not even comprehend having unvaccinated Covid. In fact, when Johnny and I did finally get it this past Christmas, we experienced no symptoms whatsoever because of our vaccines and boosters.

I have read several articles where the side effects from the boosters and vaccines are a huge deterrent from getting them. And coming from someone who has had such bad reactions, I truly get it. However, I’ll continue on with every additional installment because it’s important to do so. Johnny and I have so many high risk people that we love and we are terrified of getting them or complete strangers sick. This alone makes every two or three days of feeling downright awful worth it every time.

As the weather gets colder and gatherings move indoors, it is so important to get yourself vaccinated and boosted as well as following Covid protocols. If you are worried about it, you can take some comfort in the fact that you more than likely won’t experience as horrible side effects as yours truly. Let’s all continue to do our part to keep ourselves and others safe!

How did you react to your Covid vaccines and boosters? Are you team Moderna or Pfizer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec23

Safe & Sound – Let’s Talk Home Security

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Safe & Sound – Let’s Talk Home Security

The safety and security of your home should always be at the forefront of your mind for yourselves, family, and pets. With so many amazing options out there, it never hurts to shop around for ways to better improve your home security. You can start with some of the following:

Doors & Windows:

The doors and windows of your home are an excellent place to start, especially if they are a bit worse for the wear. A flimsy front door or obviously broken windows are as good as inviting unwanted guests into your home. Steel doors are sturdy and affordable for homeowners. Not to mention that new and improved doors and windows will give an instant makeover to your home’s exterior to boost its curb appeal significantly.

Get To Know Your Neighbors:

Having neighbors is, of course, great for friendship, cookouts, and get togethers. It’s also nice to have an extra set of eyes on your home if you’re not there. Let your neighbors know if you are going on vacation or a weekend getaway so they can check in on your place while you’re gone. And, as always, you will want to post on social media about your adventures but that puts a big neon sign on your house saying that you’re not home.

Lighting/Landscaping:

A poorly lit home exterior as well as lots of shrubbery or trees on your property are all things that potential burglars look for when scouting houses. To remedy this, consider motion activated lights around your property. If you like the privacy that your current landscaping brings, you could think about getting a fence or gate installed for an added layer of protection.

Security Systems:

You can’t talk about boosting your home security without mentioning security systems, of course. From cameras for your doorbell or by the front door to security alarms, they are all worth discussing with a local security company. A lot of these systems can be accessed and controlled by your smartphone too making it much more convenient.

With the holiday season upon us, we will all be out and about more. Consider your home security so you can celebrate with family and friends worry free.

Mar17

How To Protect Your Business

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How To Protect Your Business

If you want your business to be successful, then there are multiple different areas that you need to focus on protecting. Protecting a business is about more than just keeping your numbers out of the red, so where do you start? Consider the following:

Protecting your premises:

When people talk about protecting their business, they’re usually referring to the physical premises of their company. This can be your store or your office, but it might also include your warehouse or even your home depending on your business.

Protecting your business typically means having security cameras and alarm systems. However, there are some cases where a large warehouse may need security guards or even multiple systems to defend against intruders. This is extremely important to protect your staff as well as your stock and ensures that you won’t face any burglaries in the future.

Protecting your employees:

Your employees need as much protection as anything else in your business. This usually starts with looking after their physical and mental well being. It can mean keeping an eye on them to see if they’re healthy, but it can also mean checking on their work progress and seeing if they’re encountering any troubles.

You might also want to look at working with a health insurance broker to offer your employees benefit packages that help them stay healthy. This not only helps to protect your employees, but it can give them peace of mind knowing that their employer is looking out for their health. This adds another form of protection in the form of higher retention rates. It means that your employees will be less likely to seek out other career options because they’re happy in their current position with an employer that cares for their long-term health and well being.

Protecting your digital assets:

Most of us already have some kind of anti-virus software or firewall to help protect our computers from hackers, but that’s really not enough these days. Cybercriminals are becoming a major problem for businesses due to organized online crime and large teams of hackers that share common monetary goals. They won’t hesitate to target smaller businesses if there’s a chance that they can make a profit from breaking into your systems.

It’s a good idea to research and find managed IT support near you to help protect your online systems, but it’s also important to ensure that your cloud-based services and systems are all up to date. You also need to be careful of social engineering; a method of obtaining passwords and important data that can be used to break into a company’s computer systems and online services.

As you can see, there are many different ways to protect your business and they are all equally as important as the other. Spend some time coming up with a protection plan for your company, your staff, and your digital assets if you want your business to last a long time.

Featured Image By: Unsplash

May16

Summer Care For Your Furry Friends

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Summer Care For Your Furry Friends

When the weather gets better, it becomes the perfect time to head out and spend some long lazy days with your furry friend. Walking in the snow and rain is fun, as is anything with your best friend, but the summer sun? Unreal. It opens up so many more opportunities to go out and explore. But the care that you need to provide your four-legged friend changes when the heat cranks up. So what can you do to make sure that your dog is going to live his best summer life? Read on to find out more:

Car:

This should go without saying, but people are still leaving their dogs in hot cars. There have been plenty of videos where people have locked themselves in a hot car to demonstrate the issue… and yet it is still happening. It can take just ten minutes for a dog to get heatstroke and then die. Many people simply don’t know how hot a car gets when left in the sun, even for a few minutes. If you need to run some errands but have your dog with you, take the dog home first. Alternatively, make sure you have enough water and take the dog out of the car when you get out, too.

Protection:

In the summer, you are much more likely to have a dog rubbing noses with new friends and shaking that mane in the grass. It is time to step up protection to include things like heart-worm, Lyme disease, fleas, and tick prevention for dogs. All of which can put a damper on your summer fun!

Cool It:

Asphalt, heck, even earth gets baked and soaks in a lot of heat. If you wouldn’t walk on it barefoot, then don’t make your dog walk on it, either. It will burn their paws, so make sure there are shady spots in the garden and try to head out early in the morning or late in the evening when it isn’t too hot. If you have a cool truck that your furry buddy likes to travel in, remember how hot that metal base is going to be before your pup hops in.

Sunburn:

Dogs get sunburn just like we do. Make sure that you apply a high factor of cream to ears, nose, and any other exposed skin. You’re going to need to check with your vet about the best cream to use, just because it is excellent for us humans, doesn’t mean it is going to work for your pooch.

Water:

In the summer you can never have enough water ready for your dog. They carry around a fur coat all of the time – imagine if that was you! Have a big bowl of fresh water in the house that is topped up all day long. And, when you go for your walks, take a pop-up bowl and a giant bottle of water. Most dog-friendly parks also have taps that have fresh drinking water, too. Dogs can’t simply cool down, they need to pant and drink water. Speaking of water, get a children’s swimming pool and fill it up and let them go wild for a few hours. It really helps them burn energy and relax. But remember that all-important sun cream!

Weight:

Over the winter months, we all have a tendency to put on a little weight – your dog included. The summer is the perfect time to shed those pounds by getting out there and exploring together. Just like humans, it isn’t healthy for dogs to carry too much weight as it puts a lot of strain on their joints. Increasing your levels of activity slowly over the space of a week or two will help you tackle those more adventurous days with ease. On average, you should be looking to walk your pooch for around 30+ minutes per day. If they are a little overweight, then you are going to have to ease them into it.

Fans:

If you know it’s going to be really warm, then get a fan in the room your dog spends the most time in. Leave the fan running for as long as you can during the day. It is better that you have a fan that is safe to use when you aren’t at home, too. But a simple oscillating fan will do wonders to bring down the temperature.

Dogs and humans aren’t too dissimilar when it comes to what they need in the summer. We are both more likely to get bitten by an insect, both need a lot more water, and enjoy splashing around in a pool. Treat your dog the way you treat yourself over the summer months!

Featured Image By: Andrew Pons on Unsplash

Dec17

Bad Weather? Here’s How to Protect Your Home

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Bad Weather? Here’s How to Protect Your Home

If you’ve never experienced the damage bad weather can do to your home, you should consider yourself lucky. Sure, rain may make your living room floor soaked if your windows are leaking and a hard gust of wind may weaken the shingles of your roof – but it’s still nothing at all compared to the floods and hurricanes we’ve experienced over the last decade.

While it’s difficult to prepare your home for that kind of weather unless you live in a bunker, you can still prepare it for cold days and heavy falls of both snow and rain. The spring has yet to arrive for a couple of months and the more you can do for your home now, the better off it will be in case your area should experience a storm anytime soon.

Here is a handful of tips in terms of making sure your home is strong enough to handle the elements. It just makes it a bit easier to put your feet up and relax as the wind howls outside:

First: Seal windows and doors

It’s only logical that the first thing you need to do is to ensure that the storm has no way of entering your home. This means, of course, that you need to make sure that all of your windows and doors are sealed properly. Wind funneling through your home will push upwards and may even lift your roof if it’s strong enough. It’s the kind of water damage your home could definitely do without.

You may want to purchase and install special storm shutters for your windows, for example, or just take a tour around your home to inspects the seals and make sure that there are no cracks to allow the wind in. Have a look here if you’d like to make your own storm shutters, by the way. They will be just as strong as the regular ones you’d buy in the shops as long as you follow the instructions.

Next: Consider steel doors:

You will only need this if you live in an area that often experiences stormy weather, but steel doors can really make a huge difference in terms of safety at home. When you have a steel door as your entry door, you avoid seeing hard winds tearing through those weaker double, French, or sliding doors for your patio. Install special hardware to strengthen the doors where they meet and try bolts that fasten the doors into the framing at the top and the bottom.

Think about the other doors in your house that are connected to the outside world; have a look at garage doors, for example, to avoid seeing the storm damage your vehicle, as well. That being said, your car may still get damaged by severe weather and if that does end up being the case, don’t wait to file your insurance claim for hail damage or any other type of damage that comes from the weather. Your insurance will work with you to make the repairs as cost-effective as possible.

Other points to keep in mind while it’s still quiet before the storm is, of course, to clear out your yard so that no furniture is able to fly off – and have an extra look at your roof. While the damage bad weather can do to your belongings is big enough, it can do even more damage if a roof shingle should hit an animal or a person.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Mar2

8 Ways To Keep Burglars Away From Your Home

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8 Ways To Keep Burglars Away From Your Home

Burglars choose their victims carefully. Certain features can make your home a difficult target and may be more likely to put off potential home invasions. Here are just a few deterrents to consider:

Add exterior lighting:

A burglar can enter your house relatively undetected if you don’t have exterior lighting. Motion sensing lighting is the best option – it will only turn on when there’s activity below, saving you power and offering you protection from someone sneaking around.

Reinforce windows and doors:

Windows and doors with loose hinges or weak frames could be easy to break through. You should make repairing and replacing these a priority, especially if these weaknesses are visible from the outside. Locks on the inside of your windows and doors can also help.

Install a camera:

Security camera installation is an effective way of scaring off burglars. No burglar wants to be caught on camera, and they may immediately move on to the next property. Make sure that the camera is placed in the best possible location – a burglar may try to exploit a blind spot.

Make fencing less climbable:

A small fence that’s easy to scale could be an excellent entry point for a nimble burglar. Adding latticing to the top of your fence can make it harder to climb. You can also consider anti-climb paint. This is a special type of paint designed to stain the clothes of trespassers and make surfaces more slippery. If your current fence isn’t cutting it, you will want to team up with experts in Fence Installation to get the job done right. From there, you can choose from your options like height, material, and aesthetic for the perfect match for your yard.

Prevent burglars from window shopping:

You should be wary of onlookers being able to see through your window, particularly if you live on a busy street. Burglars may try to take a peek inside your home to see what valuables you may have. You can prevent them from being able to do this by using blinds or net curtains. Bushes outside a window or a high hedge aren’t recommended as these can have the adverse effect of being easy to hide behind, making it easy to break in undetected. If you have high hedges or lots of bushes outside your window, consider trimming these back.

Lock away expensive garden items:

Don’t leave out barbecues and lawnmowers where they can be seen by peeking into your garden. Lock these valuables away in a shed so that burglars don’t know you own them. Make sure your shed door is secure, as this can often be another weakness for burglars to exploit.

Use dummy deterrents:

You can often trick burglars into thinking you’re a difficult target. Dummy CCTV cameras can sometimes be enough to scare off thieves. A ‘beware of the dog’ sign, even if you don’t have a dog, could also make burglars think twice about breaking in. Other deterrents include leaving a light or TV on in your home when you’re not there.

Be careful what you put on social media:

Burglars are now using social media to find their victims. Posting up holiday snaps and updates can be risky as it could show that no one is home. If you are going to post photos and updates, you might be better off posting them once you get back.

Nothing is more important than the safety of the people inside of your house. Scaring away thieves before they even think of doing anything is optimum for your home security.

Featured Image By: Pixabay