Survive Christmas

So now we have come this far. Congratulations people! You survived 2016. But we are not out of the woods yet. It maybe 20 odd days to the end of the year, but from what I’ve seen, 20 days is an awful long time for something to go wrong. I mean, lives have been known to change in a split second, as you may have seen in the news.  There are really no guarantees in life. Anything could happen, and because we can’t be 100 percent sure, why not play it safe? Better safe than sorry right. Anything to increase our chances of crossing the threshold into next year unscathed, yes?

So, let’s get into this, shall we?

Wash your hands before you eat. Christmas is about food. I don’t know about you, but I give myself a free pass over this period to eat anything and everything I can. I mean, it’s a once a year thing. I like to maximize my indulgence and not waste my opportunities to eat the good food we know likes to make an appearance on the table during this time. But we also know that holiday seasons, arguably most notorious one being Christmas, are a time rife with stomach problems. Either you eat too much, or you eat something that doesn’t agree with you, toilets worldwide know the folly of this. With so much going on already, why not try and curb the painful moments in the bathroom by washing your hand before meals and prevent the spread of germs.

Avoid stress as much as possible. This could be traffic. Annoying friends and even family. Last minute engagements. All the things we know come with the holidays. When you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, take five and breathe. Plan ahead so you don’t have to deal with things last minute. Who needs a slap from Murphy’s Law? Get what you need early so it’s done before its time. That is things like shopping mostly, bookings and the like. And as for company surround yourself with people you love if you can and even when there is that annoying relative, you can just choose to be grateful that you even have family drama to complain about.

DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE OR LET OTHERS DRINK AND DRIVE. Remember that when someone’s self-control is compromised on the road, it doesn’t matter how careful others are being. It’s why accidents are called accidents. Please, please don’t put yourself or others at risk.

Fasten your seatbelts. Whether you are driving or not. Make sure children are strapped in as well. No matter how short the trip. Remember you don’t have to be the one that was being careless. Heck, nobody needs have to have been careless at all. Remember no guarantees in life. It could be unpredictable weather or faulty breaks or even a broken chain in that truck in front of you in traffic.

Monitor children. Who knows what’s going on in a child’s head when they try to stick things in every bodily orifice that catches their fancy?  Choking, ingesting bad food (i.e. check not washing hands or just food that’s going bad), allergies, chemicals (ingested or otherwise), drowning, falling, burning… there is no end to the kinds of woes that could befall an unmonitored child.  Figure out what rabbit holes the kids could fit in that you couldn’t possibly and seal them off if possible. Sharp things, hot things, tall things…Hawk eyes people.

Food safety. Again, wash your hands… especially when handling food for others. Wash the food. Be sure about its origins if possible. Cook properly at adequate temperatures and MURDA those germs. Refrigerate perishables and take steps to control rotting and decay.

Know your neighbors. This is NOT spying. How are you going to know suspicious behavior if you don’t know what normal is? (Disclaimer: I’m not saying dust off your binoculars, but if you’re seeing faces you have never seen before, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious both with your property and yourself.) And you never know, you might even end up saving a neighbor instead.

Parking lot safety. All kind of things happen in parking lots. I’m sure you’ve seen the horror movies. So, lock your car, hide your valuables, hide the children( hehe, kidding), walk in well-lit areas if possible, keys ready in hand, look around for suspicious activity,(people, actions, cars, situations). Look in your car before getting in.

Go out with friends and company. There is safety in numbers. Even in a crowd all kinds of things can happen. (Thieves, muggers, gropers…) Also, company also has the added advantage of extra muscle for all that luggage. J (PS, if you are going with the kids watch them. No abductions please.

Hehe, I know this was a long one, but would you believe me if I told you this isn’t even it..? Yes there’s more. But before you get tired, I’ll save the rest for a later article. Stay safe this holiday so we can keep growing together next year.