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Candle Safety

Candle Safety

Calling all candle lovers! The holidays have passed and most likely you’ve received an abundance of your favorite candles. Before lighting a candle, be sure to follow these 4 important safety tips:

Don’t touch your candle while hot! Never touch or move while lit; wait until the wax has hardened.

Keep an eye on your candles. Always burn candles where you can see them (no longer than 3-4 hours at a time) and never near anything that can catch fire. Candles will burn slower and more evenly when kept in draft-free areas. Extinguish the flames before you leave a room. Never extinguish the flame with water.

Keep your candles clean. Trim wicks to ¼ inch before you light them (every time).

Keep candles out of reach. If you have pets, or young children, be sure to keep your candles in an area where they cannot reach them.

Enjoy your candles safely!

 

Breaking Bad Habits in the New Year

Breaking Bad Habits in the New Year

With the New Year right around the corner, many people will be setting their New Year Resolutions. Is kicking bad habits to the curb on your list for 2017? If so, here are some helpful tips and strategies to help you stay on track of your goals.

Make the commitment – making a commitment to your goal is number one. Whether your goal is to lose weight, start eating heathy or quit smoking; make sure you are 100% committed.

Create a roadmap – create reasonable monthly goals. Not only will these goals help you stay motivated and on track, but you will feel accomplished after reaching them.

Identify your triggers – we are all humans. We all have urges and weaknesses. Be sure to identify them before the start on your goals. Avoiding temptations will help you stay on track.

Evaluate When You Fall off Track – we all make mistakes. Maybe you just had to have that double bacon cheeseburger or just one cigarette while you were out with some friends. Evaluate when you come off track and be sure to get back on track.

Use these four strategies when achieving your goals this New Year. We wish you the best of luck for a prosperous new year.

 

Winterizing Your Vehicle

Winterizing Your Vehicle

Winter is almost here, and it’s time to endure the cold, snowy weather that New York brings. Before we know it, we will be digging our cars out of the snow. That’s why it is important to get a head start today on winterizing your car.

Taking these steps to prepare your car will ensure a safe winter for all.

  1. Get an oil change. If you are approaching the time for an oil change, do not procrastinate. Get it done now. Make sure your oil’s viscosity is right. Oil tends to thicken as it gets colder. If it is too thick it won’t do the best job of keeping your engine lubricated.
  2. Make sure you can see. Be sure to replace your old wiper blades with fresh new ones. Along with changing your blades, be sure to refill your windshield washer fluid and make sure that the defrost setting in your car is working properly.
  3. Give your battery a little TLC. Check your battery and make sure there is no corrosion and that it can hold a charge. You don’t want to be stuck on the side of the road with a dead battery in the dead of winter.
  4. Check your tire pressure. Make sure your tires are properly inflated to ensure you will have the best traction.
  5. If you have a four wheel drive, be sure to check that your system is working properly. Especially if you do not use your four wheel drive during the summer months.
  6. Last but not least, be sure to prepare an emergency kit. Store supplies in your trunk in case you are ever stuck. Emergency items such as:
    1. Blankets
    2. Extra boots and gloves
    3. Ice scraper
    4. Small shovel
    5. Flashlight
    6. Flares
    7. Tool kit
    8. First aid kit
    9. Paper towels
    10. Canned food
    11. Bottled water

Travel safely this winter and don’t get caught in the cold!

 

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month

October is National Cyber Security Awareness month. We live in a world that is more connected than ever before. The Internet touches almost all aspects of everybody’s lives. In fact, most of us depend on it for everyday living.

Whether it is online shopping, paying bills, or even just browsing the web, your personal information is out there. That’s why every year NCSAM strives to educate the public and raise awareness about cybersecurity.

Here are some helpful tips to follow when it comes to protecting yourself online:

• Don’t ever say “It won’t happen to me”. Every time you log into the internet you are an attractive target for hackers.

• When setting up passwords, make sure to use a strong mix of characters, numbers and symbols.

• Never share your passwords with others.

• Never leave your devices unattended. If you need to leave your computer, phone or tablet, be sure to set up a lock for the device until you return.

• Be careful when clicking on attachments or links in email. These links can be spam.

• Sensitive browsing, such as banking or shopping, should only be done on a device that belongs to you, on a network that you trust. If you are doing any of these on a friend’s computer, public computer or a restaurants free WiFi, your data could be copied and stolen.

• Be sure that your devices are protected with anti-virus software.

• Watch what you share on social networks. Criminals can befriend you and easily gain access to a shocking amount of personal information.

• Always monitor your accounts for any suspicious activity. As soon as you see something strange, it could be a sign that you may have been hacked.

Stay safe while surfing the web. You never know when you could be the next target for a hacker.

 

Hurricane Season Preparedness

Hurricane Season Preparedness

Although hurricane season officially began on June 1st, we are now entering the peak for this year’s season. From mid-August through mid-October, the Atlantic coast is at a higher risk for hurricanes and tropical storms.

With that said, here are some hurricane safety tips to help you prepare for this year’s peak season.

1. Know if you are in a high risk area. Find out if you live in an area where you are exposed to flood risks and high winds. Speak to your local emergency management agency.

2. Make an emergency plan. Sit down with the members of your household and come up with an evacuation and safety procedure in the event of a severe storm.

3. Put together a basic survival kit. Fill a water safe bin with items such as water, non-perishable foods, a first aid kit, flashlights, cash, chargers, and batteries. Store this bin in an easy to reach, safe place in case of an emergency.

4. Be sure to stay tuned with local emergency alerts, TV, radio, and weather updates. Knowing if there is a storm headed your way will help you to prepare properly.

5. Consider buying flood insurance. Flood can happen anywhere at any time. Even if you do not live in a flood area! Keep in mind that Flood insurance must be in force a minimum of 30 days before a claim can be made.  Flood is NOT covered on a typical homeowners policy.

Don’t get caught unprepared this flood season. For more information on flood insurance and whether it is right for you, please give our office a call at (516) 249-5200 or visit our website at www.chedwards.net.  Act now.  Don’t wait for a disaster to strike!

by Denise Visco

 

What Happened to the Spare Tire?

What Happened to the Spare Tire?

When you purchase a new vehicle, you expect the car to be equipped with all of the basic features a new car would have. Features such as adaptive headlights, air bags, seat belts, backup cameras, and brake assistance. How about the spare tire? A decade ago, the spare tire was an important feature when purchasing a new car.

According to a study conducted by AAA, automakers are ditching the spare tire in favor of tire inflator kits. Over a third of new vehicles sold in 2015 alone were driven without a spare tire.

Stringent fuel economy standards have forced automakers to shed weight from their vehicles; these changes have generally benefited drivers by lowering pollution and consumer gas budgets. Substituting a tire inflator for a spare tire only saves about 30 pounds from the vehicle. The 30 pounds saved is equivalent to saving less than a penny per gallon of gas.

Meanwhile, tire inflator kits can cost up to $300 to repair after a single use. Not only are the tire inflators more expensive to repair than changing a tire, but they also have limited utility. When a puncture occurs in the center of the tire’s tread, on the side wall, or in case of a blowout, the tire inflator is not effective.

Flat tires aren’t disappearing anytime soon, so why should spare tires?

If you are shopping for a new car this season, do not hesitate to ask your dealer if your vehicle comes with a spare tire. If your vehicle is equipped with a tire inflator, learn how to use the kit. It’s better to find out now, than to be surprised on the side of the road.