The busy elves at the Overhead Door Company of Southeast Missouri are finally finishing their Thanksgiving leftovers and beginning to unpack their holiday decorations.  In doing so, we want to take a moment and share with our community of friends and neighbors some helpful reminders of both what to do and what not to do to avoid the naughty list this season.

Movie Guidance

As most of us can attest, the Home Alone series are not only fun and entertaining movies but, for some, a Christmas family watching tradition.  Not only do these movies provide a bellyful of laughs, they clearly demonstrate what not to do when it comes to preventing unwanted injuries or high power bills this holiday season.   

Here are just a few items from the film series worth mentioning to ensure your home remains the warm hearth it is meant to be:

• As cute and creative Kevin demonstrated in his ultimately victorious attempt to prevent a home invasion, breakable ornaments can do some serious damage to unexpecting feet and paws.  Keep those types of ornaments as well as anything that could potentially be a choking hazard near the top of the tree and out of reach of our smallest family members.
• Although Marv the burglar was not deterred from receiving electrical shock from Kevin’s clever booby traps, it would be best to take all precautions to avoid that type of reaction.  One idea that may not be an obvious hazard is placing holiday lights on metallic trees.  The metal from the tree will become a conduit for the electricity which could lead to a potential shock or, possibly, electrocution.
• Home Alone was a blockbuster success and, as such, had a blockbuster budget.  Unless you too have those type of funds to blow during the holidays, refrain from keeping outside and inside holiday lights on when you are not home (alone) or when you head to bed.  To do so would waste a lot of energy, especially when nobody is there to enjoy them.

Cord Safety

As our goal is to keep you and yours safe, we would not being doing our job if we did not strongly recommend that you thoroughly inspect all electrical cords prior to use.  By this, be sure to first check the insulation  of each strand to ensure the wrapping is intact.  If it becomes separated from the wires, you can run the risk of causing a power shortage, starting a fire or creating a serious shock hazard.

Candle Awareness

Although candles add a nice ambiance during this holiday season, December is known as the peak time of year for fires caused by them.  Keep the following simple precautions in mind when displaying this festive feature:

• Never leave a room with lit candle.  Extinguish the flame regardless of how long you think you will be away.
• Keep burning candles out of reach of little fingers and curious pets.
• Candles should never be placed near anything that can easily catch fire to include books, bedding, curtains, carpets, etc.
• Always use a candle-holder designed to resist wear and is sturdy enough to hold any drips from melted wax.
• Keep candles away from any item that can circulate air to include ceiling fans, vents and portable fans.

We at the Overhead Door Company of Southeast Missouri wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah and a Joyous Kwanzaa in which you and yours create memories and traditions that last a lifetime.

(573) 243-3111