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December is simply one of the most dangerous times for homeowners. Celebrations with cooking, candles, Christmas trees, holiday lights and alcohol foster conditions for a plethora of unfortunate events. Even more, burglars are looking to take advantage of easy targets: households that are clearly on vacation, or better yet, decorations that scream “WE HAVE GIFTS INSIDE!” Ensure your joyous holiday memories by recognizing such dangers and preparing accordingly.

December is the deadliest month for home fires. In fact, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve are the top three days for home fires. Although unattended cooking and heating are the primary causes, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that candle fires triple during the holiday season.

The NFPA also warns us about Christmas tree fires as they contribute to over 300 home fires and 14 deaths every year. Christmas tree fires are generally caused by malfunctioning tree lights, and by the tree being too close to a heat source (fireplace, heater, candle, etc.) When decorating your tree, you should never use lights with worn chords or loose bulb connections, and always unplug the lights before going to bed or leaving the house.

During the holiday season, many homeowners unknowingly make their absence obvious to burglars — even failing at the simplest steps of locking doors and windows. Take two minutes to review these simple, yet often overlooked home safety practices that will make your home appear to be lived in, whether you are away for only a weekend or for weeks at a time.

Make Your Home Appear to be Lived-in
Install automatic timers to turn lights and radios on and off at appropriate times. Ask a friend or neighbor to pick up your mail and newspaper, or have it forwarded it to the post office. Lower the sound of your telephone and answering machine so they cannot be heard from outside and make sure your voicemail message does not imply that you are away.

Give a Neighbor a Spare Key
Leave a key with a trusted neighbor in case anything happens to your house while you are away, or in case you get locked out. It's usually not a good idea to leave a key hidden outside your house, especially in more urban areas.

Protect Your House Keys
Don't give repairmen a key, and don't give people fixing your car your entire set of keys. Your house keys can be easily duplicated and your address could be obtained from your license plate number.

Change Your Locks
It is usually a good idea to change the locks on your new home when you move in as you never know who might have keys to your house. If your home does not have deadbolt locks on all ground-level doors, consider installing them. If a sliding glass door is easily accessible, it is a good idea to put a strip of wood in the lower tract.

Consider Installing an Alarm
You may also want to install an alarm if the house doesn't already have one. If you move into a new house with an alarm, make sure you get accurate (written) directions on how to operate it.

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In December, parking lots closely portray scenes from Mel Gibson's “Mad Max.” Ravaged shoppers desperately prowl among crowded parking spaces amid lurking criminals that target those unsuspecting. Before returning to “Thunderdome,” let us be reminded of three things: 1) Don't be a dangerous driver; 2) Protect your car from being broken into; and 3) Be aware of your personal safety.

Don't Be A Dangerous Parking Lot Driver
Parking in holiday parking lots can be stressful. It causes us to lose sight of everything but the task at hand, including pedestrians and other cars looking for spots. It can cause aggressive driving if you and another car duel for a vacant spot.

While this situation is obviously frustrating, challenge yourself to stay calm. Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune is proposing the following holiday parking karma challenge: “From now until New Year's, whenever you encounter a contest for a spot in a crowded lot, where ‘two men enter, and one man leaves,' yield to the other car. You'll manage your stress with the deed, and hopefully rewarded with a bounty of spots.”

Protect Against Theft
The holiday season is very good to parking lot thieves. Many shoppers leave their belongings and purchases visible in their cars, increasing their chances of being victims. A classic holiday parking lot tip is that if you have more shopping to do, and you need to store some of your purchases in your car, move your car to a new location before returning to the store. This will hide your vulnerable behavior from stalking thieves. Also, it's good to lock your purchases in the trunk—out of sight from would-be thieves.

Be Aware and Protect Yourself
Unfortunately, some of the top places that people (women especially) are abducted or attacked are in shopping center parking lots or garages. Predators look for easy victims, so there are several things you can do to prevent yourself from becoming one. Be alert. Keep your head up at all times, and be aware of your surroundings. Always keep your distance when walking past strangers in a dark area. Attackers generally look for someone who is distracted, including women searching through their purses or talking on their cell phones. Before getting into your car, look on both sides, in the back seat, and even under the car. If there is a man sitting alone in a car on either side of you, think about going back into the store and returning later, or asking for an escort to your car such as a security guard or courtesy clerk. Once inside your car, lock the doors and drive away as soon as you get in. In the event you are grabbed (or are about to be), fight back, proceed to yell, scream, hit and kick with everything you have. Again, the attacker is looking for an easy victim, and will probably give up if you put up a fight.

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