Metro-Atlanta Events for December 2014

December 6th: So You Think You Can Dance Live at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center

December 6th: An Evening With Weezer at The Tabernacle

December 11th: The Black Keys - Turn Blue World at Phillips Arena

December 11th - 13th: Atlanta International Documentary Film Festival (DocuFest) shows independent documentary films at dooGallery

December 15th: Crack Barrel Old Country Store Presents Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith at the Fox Theatre Atlanta

December 17th: Fleetwood Mac: On With the Show at Phillips Arena

Winter Tips With Everyday Household Items

Keep your headlights clear with car wax! Just wipe ordinary car wax on your headlights. It contains special water repellents that will prevent that messy mixture from accumulating on your lights - lasts 6 weeks.

Squeak-proof your wipers with rubbing alcohol! Wipe the wipers with a cloth saturated with rubbing alcohol or ammonia. This one trick can make badly streaking & squeaking wipers change to near perfect silence & clarity

Ice-proof your windows with vinegar! Frost on it's way? Just fill a spray bottle with three parts vinegar to one part water & spritz it on all your windows at night. In the morning, they'll be clear of icy mess. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which raises the melting point of water-preventing water from freezing!

Prevent car doors from freezing shut with cooking spray! Spritz cooking oil spray - PAM- on the rubber seals around car doors & rub it in with a Paper towel . The cooking spray prevents water from melting into the rubber.

Fog-proof your windshield with shaving cream! Spray some shaving cream on the inside of your windshield & wipe if off with paper towels. Shaving cream has many of the same ingredients found in commercial defoggers.

De-ice your lock in seconds with hand sanitizer! Just put some hand sanitizer gel on the key & the lock & the problems solved! 

How to Winterize Your Home

How can you keep you home safe this winter? Here are a few tips:

• Install weather stripping, insulation, and storm windows.
• Reverse ceiling fans.
• Insulate water lines that run along exterior walls.
• Wrap your pipes.
• Clean out gutters and repair roof leaks.
• Check your insulation. Simply adding more fiberglass insulation in your attic can boost the energy efficiency in your home. You need a minimum of 12 inches of insulation in your attic.

How to Protect Your Family From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon Monoxide is a dangerous problem since it is a gas that you cannot see, taste or smell. In 2009, poison control centers reported more than 3,500 cases of carbon monoxide exposure in children 19 and under. How can you keep your family safe from this silent killer? Here are some great tips from safekids.org...

Make sure your home has a carbon monoxide alarm. As with smoke alarms, install a carbon monoxide alarm on every level of your home, especially near sleeping areas, and keep them at least 15 feet away from fuel-burning appliances.

Carbon monoxide alarms are not substitutes for smoke alarms, and vice versa. Combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are available.

Don’t use a grill, generator or camping stove inside your home, garage or near a window.

If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Don’t leave a car, SUV or motorcycle engine running inside a garage.

READ MORE TIPS AT SAFEKIDS.ORG

Make a Vehicle Ready Kit

Many people will be traveling this Thanksgiving Holiday. Bad weather and snow has already been predicted in many areas of the country. How can you keep your family safe as you travel this year? One way is to make a vehicle ready kit to keep in your trunk.

Here are a few items that it should contain:

• First aid kit
• Blankets
• Flashlight
• Jumper Cables
• Non-perishable food
• Water
• Cat litter
• Basic Tools

READ MORE CAR SAFETY TIPS AT READY.GOV

Atlanta Area Events for November 2014

November 7th - 9th: HemlockFest in Dahlonega

November 8th: Whiskies of the World at the Fox Theatre

November 8th: Atlanta Veg Fest at Atlanta Metropolitan State College

November 8th: Atlanta Pet Expo at Gwinnett Center in Duluth

November 8th - 16th: The Atlanta Opera Presents Madame Butterfly at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center

November 14th: Sips Under the Sea at Georgia Acquarium

November 22nd: Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life at Phillips Arena

November 25th - 30th: Dirty Dancing at the Fox Theatre

Through November 30th: Cirque Du Soleil: Amaluna at Atlantic Station

Cold, Wet Winter Predicted This Year

Georgia is predicted to have a cold, wet winter this year...even colder than last year. Preparing ahead of time will help ease some of the stress. Here are some tips from Ready.gov...

• Before winter approaches, add the following supplies to your emergency kit:
  • Rock salt or more environmentally safe products to melt ice on walkways. Visit the Environmental Protection Agency for a complete list of recommended products.
  • Sand to improve traction.
  • Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment.
  • Sufficient heating fuel. You may become isolated in your home and regular fuel sources may be cut off. Store a good supply of dry, seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove.
  • Adequate clothing and blankets to keep you warm.
• Make a Family Communications Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency.
• A NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts alerts and warnings directly from the NWS for all hazards. You may also sign up in advance to receive notifications from your local emergency services.
  Download FEMA’s Be Smart. Know Your Alerts and Warnings for a summary of notifications at: www.ready.gov/prepare. Free smart phone apps, such as those available from FEMA and the American Red Cross, provide information about finding shelters, providing first aid, and seeking assistance for recovery.
• Minimize travel. If travel is necessary, keep a disaster supplies kit in your vehicle.
• Bring pets/companion animals inside during winter weather. Move other animals or livestock to sheltered areas with non-frozen drinking water.

READ MORE TIPS FROM READY.GOV

Connecticut fire marshal highlights performance of home fire sprinklers

Keith Flood, fire marshal of the West Haven Fire Department and chair of the Connecticut Fire Sprinkler Coalition, narrates a demonstration underscoring just how quickly home fire sprinklers douse fires.

Fire Safety Video From FEMA

Plan and practice home fire drills at least twice a year. Make sure you know two ways out of each room. More fire safety information at http://www.usfa.fema.gov.

Fall Preparedness Tips

Here are some great fall preparedness tips from ReadyGA...

As the leaves begin to fall, take a fresh look at your emergency preparations. This season is loved for its crisp breezes and colorful leaves, but it is also notorious for strong winds, heavy rain and even tornadoes. Since severe weather can occur quickly with little to no warning, it is important to take time now to prepare.

• Trim away dead or weak tree branches from around your home
• Be weather-aware; be alert to changing conditions so you can take proper action
• Know where you will take cover in an emergency

READ MORE PREPAREDNESS TIPS