It being less than three days until Christmas, I feel it is my duty to give you all some practical advice to keep your Christmas as safe as possible.
1. Avoid Papercuts. Wrap gifts carefully, avoiding the edges of the wrapping paper. Better yet, wrap gifts by using gift boxes or gift bags. These are reusable and more environmentally friendly (did you know that standard wrapping paper can't be recycled?). Or you can try what we have been doing in our family which is making various gift bags out of fabric (Kind of like pillowcases of various sizes, tied closed with a ribbon). We reuse these every year, and it really cuts down on the mess and again...environmentally friendly.
In the event that you do get a papercut, follow these basic principles of first aid.
a. Stay calm and move as little as possible
b. Lie down if you begin to feel faint
c. If the papercut is on your finger, keep your finger straight
d. Inspect the cut for foreign objects
e. Clean the cut with warm water and soap.
f. Disinfect (not with lysol)
g. Apply pressure (unless there is no actual blood) Discontinue pressure when the bleeding stops.
h. Apply a sterile bandage. (According to the Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Holidays, you should also avoid getting lemon juice and salt in your wound...as these will cause extreme pain.)
i. This is just a bit of personal advice from me, but taking deep breaths and eating some chocolate is even better than having your Mom kiss your owie. If you are not a chocolate eater, then feel free to substitute with some other confectionery delight...or a carrot stick if that is what floats your boat.
2. Lift with your knees, not your back. Santa may be a portly fellow, but even he knows to lift heavy packages and gifts in the correct manner. You can find out more about correct lifting techniques here.
3. Read the directions. When putting together bikes or other toys for the kids at Christmas time. Just swallow your pride and read the directions. No one wants to take little Charlie to the emergency room because he got hurt playing with an unsafe toy. Reading the directions also applies to driving to unfamiliar destinations.
4. Get enough sleep. Try to get your wrapping done before Christmas Eve. We all know the kiddies are going to wake us up early on Christmas morning, begging to start opening gifts. While it may not make Christmas significantly unsafe to not get enough sleep, it certainly makes for a happier Christmas morning if you have had more than four hours of sleep. Trust me on this one.
5. Watch out for ice...if you live somewhere where it gets cold enough to cause slick sidewalks, driveways and etc please be aware of conditions. Wear shoes with good traction even if you have to sacrifice a little bit of fashion...and wear plenty of layers so that if you do slip and fall, you have extra padding.
6. Don't overeat. You have all day to graze...you don't have to eat everything at once. Christmas is just once a year, but truly, the food will keep if you don't eat it all on that one day. Pace yourself...drink plenty of water, and visit the veggie tray and not just the goody plate. Also eat slowly and chew your food well so that your body has time to tell you when its getting full.
7. Don't overstress. Too many people make Christmas into this huge stress fest, when really it should be about enjoying family and friends. Let go of some things and just enjoy the company.
8. When opening your stocking, be careful when reaching in. What if Santa thought you would like a new pet rat? You could get bit. Feel free to dump the contents of the stocking out carefully so that you don't have to reach into anything unknown. And if you did put a rat on your Christmas list...watch the stocking for movement before you dump it out.
9. Don't eat fruitcake. Just don't. Fruitcake is not really about eating now is it? No...its about it being the thought that counts, and possibly also about giving a gift that will last forever. If you enjoy eating fruitcake...then you are one of the bravest people I have ever met. Also don't fall for the fruitcake having a different name. If it looks like fruitcake, then it probably is.
10. Make your list and check it twice...Nothing is more dangerous at Christmas time than having to rush out to get a last minute gift your forgot about. Along with this safety tip goes the one that says...Don't shop on Christmas Eve.
I will probably not have time to blog again until after Christmas. So here is hoping that you have a wonderful (and safe) celebration!
1. Avoid Papercuts. Wrap gifts carefully, avoiding the edges of the wrapping paper. Better yet, wrap gifts by using gift boxes or gift bags. These are reusable and more environmentally friendly (did you know that standard wrapping paper can't be recycled?). Or you can try what we have been doing in our family which is making various gift bags out of fabric (Kind of like pillowcases of various sizes, tied closed with a ribbon). We reuse these every year, and it really cuts down on the mess and again...environmentally friendly.
In the event that you do get a papercut, follow these basic principles of first aid.
a. Stay calm and move as little as possible
b. Lie down if you begin to feel faint
c. If the papercut is on your finger, keep your finger straight
d. Inspect the cut for foreign objects
e. Clean the cut with warm water and soap.
f. Disinfect (not with lysol)
g. Apply pressure (unless there is no actual blood) Discontinue pressure when the bleeding stops.
h. Apply a sterile bandage. (According to the Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Holidays, you should also avoid getting lemon juice and salt in your wound...as these will cause extreme pain.)
i. This is just a bit of personal advice from me, but taking deep breaths and eating some chocolate is even better than having your Mom kiss your owie. If you are not a chocolate eater, then feel free to substitute with some other confectionery delight...or a carrot stick if that is what floats your boat.
2. Lift with your knees, not your back. Santa may be a portly fellow, but even he knows to lift heavy packages and gifts in the correct manner. You can find out more about correct lifting techniques here.
3. Read the directions. When putting together bikes or other toys for the kids at Christmas time. Just swallow your pride and read the directions. No one wants to take little Charlie to the emergency room because he got hurt playing with an unsafe toy. Reading the directions also applies to driving to unfamiliar destinations.
4. Get enough sleep. Try to get your wrapping done before Christmas Eve. We all know the kiddies are going to wake us up early on Christmas morning, begging to start opening gifts. While it may not make Christmas significantly unsafe to not get enough sleep, it certainly makes for a happier Christmas morning if you have had more than four hours of sleep. Trust me on this one.
5. Watch out for ice...if you live somewhere where it gets cold enough to cause slick sidewalks, driveways and etc please be aware of conditions. Wear shoes with good traction even if you have to sacrifice a little bit of fashion...and wear plenty of layers so that if you do slip and fall, you have extra padding.
6. Don't overeat. You have all day to graze...you don't have to eat everything at once. Christmas is just once a year, but truly, the food will keep if you don't eat it all on that one day. Pace yourself...drink plenty of water, and visit the veggie tray and not just the goody plate. Also eat slowly and chew your food well so that your body has time to tell you when its getting full.
7. Don't overstress. Too many people make Christmas into this huge stress fest, when really it should be about enjoying family and friends. Let go of some things and just enjoy the company.
8. When opening your stocking, be careful when reaching in. What if Santa thought you would like a new pet rat? You could get bit. Feel free to dump the contents of the stocking out carefully so that you don't have to reach into anything unknown. And if you did put a rat on your Christmas list...watch the stocking for movement before you dump it out.
9. Don't eat fruitcake. Just don't. Fruitcake is not really about eating now is it? No...its about it being the thought that counts, and possibly also about giving a gift that will last forever. If you enjoy eating fruitcake...then you are one of the bravest people I have ever met. Also don't fall for the fruitcake having a different name. If it looks like fruitcake, then it probably is.
10. Make your list and check it twice...Nothing is more dangerous at Christmas time than having to rush out to get a last minute gift your forgot about. Along with this safety tip goes the one that says...Don't shop on Christmas Eve.
I will probably not have time to blog again until after Christmas. So here is hoping that you have a wonderful (and safe) celebration!
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