Home Security

The Big Hill
Thanks for the article from Jermaine Haynes
Spending time with friends and family in the Winter time has always been my favorite thing to do since I was a little girl. Today I'm off work, and it is snowing gently outside my window. I call up my two girlfriends, Hannah and Leanne. I ask them if they would like to go sledding down the big hill in my old neighborhood. We all grew up together and did this every winter. Even though we are in our late twenties now, we still love the adventure of going back to a place and time where everything was so simple. They agreed to meet me there. I grab my sled from the garage and load it into my car. I remember I need to set my home security alarm (ADT PULSE), so I run back inside and turn it on. I then jump in my car and go meet the girls on the hill. We have an amazing time taking turns sledding down the hill then running up and doing it again. When we get tired, we all decide to go have a cup of coffee at Hannah's house and watch a movie. I'd have to say this was a wonderful winter day with great friends and memories.

Kids Go Back To School

Kids Going Back to School: It's All About Preparation and Patience

Post contributed by Leonard Phelps

Usually I'm quite happy to send the kids back to school after a school break, but I enjoyed the winter break this year quite a bit. We went to the mountains for Christmas, enjoyed playing games and sleeping in, and just generally had a good time.

But all good things must come to an end, and today they returned (blurry eyed and sleepy) to school. I find that being prepared and having patience go far in making the return uneventful and calm.

First, we make sure the kids have their backpacks out and that they are filled with all the essentials. While we aren't this organized on a day-to-day basis, I find that preparing the night before when returning after a break is essential.

Second, I wake the kids up just a bit earlier than normal. They can be cranky and it can require some patience to stand there and wait until they realize they have to head to school.

Third, we prepare the house. It might be empty for the first time in weeks during the day, so I set the Adt home security alarm before we leave the house, make sure the dog is settled at home and put a meal in the slow cooker for dinner. Making sure the home is settled before leaving ensures that we all return to a happy home at night.

Volunteering at Your Child's School

Post contributed by Leonard Phelps

It's vital for every parent to get involved in their child's life. However, when they spend the majority of the day at school and you at work, it's difficult for you to have the energy and time to get actively involved in your child's life. One of the best ways to do so is to volunteer at your child's school during special events. One such event is career day.

I volunteered my services and visited my child's school to explain my job as a customer service representative. Since many high school dropouts end up in the service industry, I felt it was my duty to scare the kids straight about getting their education. So I related to them many soul crushing stories of waking up in the morning and be forced to listen to the whiny complaints of customers for nine hours a day. I told them how I failed to study in high school and how struggle to keep afloat our family and the college dreams of my child. While I'm sure this was a highly embarrassing speech for my kid, it was very fun and I encourage everyone to volunteer their services on career day. The fear in the eyes of the children was priceless, as I'm sure they all did their homework that night.

Before I leave to volunteer, I always make sure to turn on my Total Alarm Systems alarm. The last thing I need is to be robbed of my possessions as I rob my son of his popularity.

Cabin by the Lake

Thanks for the article from Isaiah Gaines

My family and I are heading up to our beautiful cabin in Minocqua Wisconsin in just a few short weeks. We have gone every year since I was eleven years old so it's kind of a family tradition. At first it was just me, my Mom, my Nana, and my two sisters. As time went on we started to allow boys up to the cabin as my sisters and I got boyfriends and my Nana and Mom missed their husbands for the week.
With the boys coming up now we are not afraid of the dark. We do however make them set the home securitysystem back home before they leave so we don't have to be afraid to come home. They usually stay for a couple extra day to fish and do the wonderful bodning tasks that men do.
This year all my cousins on my mothers side of the family will be coming up to the cabin. There are only three bedrooms with four beds. There will be nine adults including myself now that I'm 21, and five children. It's going to be fun trying to find room for us all. As you get older though you see how important family is. The cabin was a beautiful place to just get away and relax when it was just us few girls, but it was so great we decided we loved our family enough to share

Enlist Help of Family and Friends

Guest blog post from Jessica Mosberg

When leaving to go on vacation, we tend to ask our friends and family for help in watching our house and property. We do notify the police that we are leaving and give them our contacts numbers just in case. We also stop the mail and the newspaper. It looks kind of suspicious when a house has a bunch of newspaper thrown all over the yard or the mail is piling up!
My parents have a key to the house and they come over on a daily basis to check the house out and to feed the dog and let him outside for a while. We like to do this because it looks like there is activity going on around the house and will hopefully keep lurkers away. Maybe once during the week my father will mow the grass for us and do yard work. If it is winter, we usually hire someone to plow the driveway and shovel snow if my father doesn’t feel up to it.
My parents are also given numbers for contacting us, the authorities, our dog’s vet, and any other pertinent numbers we feel they may need. We also have wired alarm systems that we set before we leave and my parents have the contact numbers for them also.

Independent But Secure

Thanks to guest blogger Jesse Murphy for the post.

For a woman to live alone is common now. Living alone is the ultimate sign of female freedom from male domination and many other societal norms that may have held us back thus far. This is supreme freedom for the ladies and every moment should be savored accordingly.
Security should however be a top priority for any woman living alone. The choice of security is left to the lady of the house but I find that having a security system installed is a good place to begin. It is simple, cost effective and easy to use all the while giving you peace of mind in the home.
I have been living alone for quite a while now and this has proven its worth over time. I sleepin peace and come and go as I please without any fear that there may be a burglar waiting to pounce on me the minute I open the door. For all the women living alone, this is a fear most of us grapple with and if you have been a victim at any point in time then the fear is real. All the somberness aside, it is quite commendable for a woman to be independent and live on her own but, security should always be a top priority for this most fair of sexes. I looked for first alert home security system around Clevelandin order to feel safe at home, and I’m glad I did so that I can maintain my independence and solitude.