Follow these five tips for holiday safety: 1) Inspect those lights! A frayed wire is a recipe for disaster, especially if it's wound around a drying up tree. Carefully inspect all holiday lights before you hang them to ensure they aren't going to pose a fire hazard. There is nothing less jolly than a Christmas tree set ablaze. 2) Keep lights and wires away from young children and pets. Holiday lights can often contain PVC coatings and be tainted with lead. You wouldn't want your little ones to be handling them and then sticking their hands in their mouth. This is an unexpected source of lead exposure that is easy to avoid. After you are done with your decorating, wash your hands thoroughly. 3) Replace lights with safer alternatives. The thing to look for when purchasing lights is a label that says RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) which means that no lead is used in making the lights. Some companies don't have this label but will confirm their lead status if you ask. EnvironmentalLights.com carries a variety of LED holiday lights that are free of lead. 4) Be aware of toy recalls. It's easy to pile the toys into your cart without a thought. But what happens if the scooter you bought for Billy has been recalled for a laceration hazard and you don't know it? Investigating toy recalls is a worthy time investment when buying new or used toys for kids. You can subscribe to the Consumer Product Safety Commissions email list and you'll get a digest that includes the weekly recalls of current toys. This way you’ll be alerted if something you bought pops up. You can also search SaferProducts.gov for toys and other items to see if anything you already have has been recalled in the past. It might just be a simple repair kit or it could be something more dangerous like lead paint. It’s worth it to check! 5) Check and replace smoke and carbon monoxide detection device batteries. This is the perfect time to test and check all your safety devices in your home. Replace batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors during the holidays. It will keep you and your family safer and it will be easy to remember when you last replaced them. Now that you have those holiday safety tips out of the way, you can refill your cider and put your feet up for a relaxing Holiday Season!

Katherine Scoleri is a guest blogger from SafeMama.com. In exchange for sharing this content, the Allstate Community has compensated her via cash payment.

Though it is great fun to celebrate, you also need to take the proper safety precautions to prevent fires and injuries. When you’re decorating your home this holiday season, be sure to keep a watchful eye on all the potential hazards that come along with extra decorations. Candles Whether you use them on a menorah or just for festive lighting around the house, candles can be a bright ornament, but also a serious fire hazard if not used safely. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), candles cause an estimated 15,600 fires in residential structures, 150 deaths, 1,270 injuries and $539 million in estimated direct property damage each year. To keep your home safe, never leave burning candles unattended, and always place them out of reach of children. Make it a part of your routine to check that all candles are extinguished before you go to bed each night. Also, as an added precaution, have a fire extinguisher readily available in the home. Christmas Trees This holiday staple also can be a serious fire hazard. According to the USFA, Christmas trees account for 200 fires each year, resulting in six deaths, 25 injuries and more than $6 million in property damage. To avoid this, make sure you place your tree on a sturdy stand, keep the tree away from any heating sources and assign a family member to water the tree each day so that it doesn’t dry out. Again, it also is important to have a fire extinguisher and smoke alarm in case a fire does spark. Lights Holiday lights also add festive cheer inside and outside the home. But you need to be very careful when adorning your home with lights, especially if they are older, the wrong type, or damaged, as this can cause an electrical problem. Every year more than 50,000 home fires are caused by electrical problems, according to the Home Safety Council. Before use, read the package label to be sure you are using the appropriate indoor or outdoor lights that have been tested and approved by an independent testing laboratory. If you have an older home, I think it’s a smart idea to have an electrician perform a professional check-up before loading up your outlets. The holidays are a time for joy and celebration, so make sure you are taking the proper safety precautions to keep what matters most – your family and friends – safe from fire hazards this season. Debbie Hanson is a safety expert with First Alert.

1. Secure, hide or cover all electrical cords and electronics. Holiday lights and decorations usually lead to many new cords being scattered around the house. Be sure all cords are taped down or completely out of reach for your pets as they can trip on them, chew them up, or even experience an electric shock. 2. Keep all holiday foods out of a pet’s reach. The holidays always inspire delicious food, drinks and desserts. Remember, dogs can’t eat chocolate so make sure this is out of reach. Also, animals that ingest alcoholic beverages can experience nausea or upset stomach. 3. Keep your pet’s daily routine as consistent as possible. The holidays are filled with tons of parties and activities that often change up our daily routines. Try to keep your pet on their regular daily routine because they don’t adapt to change very well. 4. Keep your pets out of any rooms with a holiday tree. Although this may be difficult, the fact is that decorated trees pose too many dangers. Cats and dogs enjoy playing with dangling decorations and could knock over a tree or a glass ornament. Dogs may use a tree the same way they would outside, as an area to relieve themselves. If a pet accidentally eats a hook, ornament or tinsel, they could experience intestinal problems. Animals may also drink out of the water bowl which the tree sits in, so avoid adding chemicals to make the tree last longer. 5. Avoid using long strings, lights or décor in areas accessible to pets. Pets always want to play and could easily mistake a string of lights as a toy. Unfortunately, this could lead to choking or other accidents. 6. Carefully watch all candles and turn off unmonitored candles. Lighting scented candles are a great way to get in the holiday spirit. However, be sure to keep all flames and fires away from pets. They may get curious around a lit flame, which could lead to accidentally knocking the candle over. 7. Be careful with holiday plants. There are many holiday plants that are dangerous for your pets. Common items such as mistletoe, holly, poinsettias and lilies can be poisonous to your dog or cat. Certain plants affect different animals and breeds in unique ways. Be sure to research how your specific pet(s) is affected by different plant species. 8. Update vaccinations and ID tags. Make sure ID tags include your current address and contact information. This should be done year-round, but is important during the holidays as we usually have many guests in our home. Guests aren’t always familiar with the day-to-day pet rules and could present opportunities where your pet could escape the house. 9. Create a safe haven for your pets. Many pets have an area or room where they feel safe. This is especially important for your pet’s security during the holidays when there are many strangers around, as well as lots of loud noises (i.e. firecrackers on New Years). Pets need an area where they can retreat to if they are scared or overwhelmed. 10. Keep a list of emergency phone numbers for your pet. You should always have the contact information for your veterinarian, a 24-hour pet hospital, and the Animal Poison Control Center easily accessible. Follow these safety tips and help your pets enjoy the holidays, too! Story courtesy of ADT Security Services.

Sadly, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), home holiday decorations also cause over 400 holiday fires each year, resulting in $15 million in property loss and damage. Don't let your holidays go up in flames! Protect your home and family with these decoration safety tips:

1. Choose non-flammable and flame retardant decorations

Be smart about decorations. Vintage holiday decorations made from paper, lace or fabric may look beautiful, but they are often highly flammable. Display your vintage decorations away from any heat source, including holiday lights and the fireplace.

2. Never leave a candle burning

From Menorahs to Advent wreaths, candlelight makes the holidays special. Unfortunately, according to CPSC, there are also 11,000 candle-related fires each year, resulting in 150 deaths and 1,200 injuries annually. Never leave a room with a candle burning, and never go near a Christmas tree with a lit candle, lighter or match.

3. Don't overload your outlets

When stringing lights, it's easy to overload electrical outlets. Never link more than three light strings, unless the light directions specifically indicate that it is safe to do so. Periodically check the light strings -- warm strands indicate that the cords are overheating and need to be unplugged. Always unplug lights when you are not home.

4. Keep your Christmas tree fresh

Dry Christmas trees can go up in flames in a matter of seconds. When selecting your tree, make sure it passes the shake test. Your tree should be sticky to the touch and when shaken, minimal needles will fall. This ensures that your tree is fresh and that with proper care, it will last for at least two weeks. When setting up your tree, place it as far as possible from a heat source to prevent your tree from drying out too fast. Keep your tree fresh with plenty of water, and never toss branches into the fireplace.

5. Don't block the exit

In your excitement to squeeze as many special decorations as possible into our homes, it's all too easy to block a doorway or exit. Remember, in the event of a fire, every minute matters. Ensure that your holiday decorations for the home don't block doors or otherwise hinder your ability to quickly and safely exit.

It’s not just the turkey fryer that home cooks need to worry about. If you’re like me, cooking for the big day involves juggling pots boiling over on the stove, pans of food baking a little too quickly in the oven and a microwave that’s constantly beeping. In our attempt to “do it all”, it’s all too easy to turn around and find a pot on fire. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the first time this year, a little safety preparation before the big day can reduce your risk for accidental kitchen fires. Leave smoke alarms connected while cooking. If your smoke alarm is highly sensitive, it’s especially tempting to turn it off while you’re cooking. Who wants to deal with that annoying beeping every time you open the oven? But the smoke alarm is just doing its job. It can save your life—and those of your guests—if it’s installed and properly working. Clean your stove prior to cooking. Grease naturally builds up on burners and cooktop surfaces. Scrub the stove down prior to cooking to prevent grease fires. Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. The extinguisher should be rated for both grease and electrical fires. To use it, remember the acronym P.A.S.S.: Pull the pin; Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire; Squeeze the nozzle to spray; Sweep back and forth at the base of the fire as you spray. Know what to do in the event of a fire. If a fire starts in the oven or microwave, turn off or unplug the appliance, and keep the door closed until the fire burns out. If a fire starts on the stove, turn off the burner and slide a lid on the pan. Less is more. Too much multi-tasking is a recipe for disaster. Declare the kitchen a no-child, no-pet zone. Keep the range free of clutter, only cook with as many pots and pans as there are burners, and never hold a child in one arm while cooking. Beware the turkey fryer. The taste of crisp fried turkey is a delicious and traditional part of many family celebrations. However, splattered hot oil causes burns and house fires. If you want fried turkey, consider buying yours pre-cooked from the store or using an infrared turkey fryer to safely cook your bird. Infrared heat locks in flavor and moisture without the risk of hot oil burns, splatters and spills. Even better, there’s no messy clean up.

If you’re hitting the road for the holidays, the ‘fun’ part can wait. All you want to do is get there—safe, sound and, especially if you have young kids, reasonably sane. So here’s another saying you might want to think about: Getting there is half the battle. That includes knowing the dos and don’ts about packing your car. You might be thinking that packing a car is simple, but doing so correctly can be a lifesaver if you get in an accident or find yourself stranded in a storm. For example, did you know that you need to secure objects, even something as small as a snack can (or fruitcake!), which can become dangerous projectiles in a crash? According to Safety Research and Strategies, ordinary objects in cars and trucks are responsible for 13,000 injuries each year. Packing is a safety practice that’s often overlooked, especially during the holidays when starting a road trip is like a cattle drive. Everyone with kids knows the drill (cue opening theme song for ‘Rawhide’): Round ‘em up, pack ‘em in, move ‘em out! But as the Duke might have said, “Whoa there, pardner.” Before you and your brood hop along to visit Grandma, take a little time to make sure you’ve packed your wagon to be trail-ready. Clean Out the Car and Trunk. Unload the junk and leave it at home. The more space in your trunk or cargo area, the less you’ll need to store luggage in the passenger area where it can cause injuries. Keep Loose Items Out of the Passenger Compartment. There are three options: Strap it down, put it away or toss it. Use the glove compartment and consoles to store personal items, such as cell phones, sunglasses, games, etc. Booster seats should be placed in the trunk when not in use. Have a Packing Strategy. Start by packing as much as you can in the truck or cargo area where items are less likely to become projectiles in the event of an accident. If you have a cargo area, use nets, anchors and tethers to secure your items. Pack larger and heavier items centered on the bottom and placed forward against fixed components. This position will prevent them from building forward momentum in a crash. Take Only What You Need. Again, less luggage means more space to put it where it belongs—in the trunk or cargo area. If you have a lot of stuff, check your owner's manual to make sure you’re not overloading the vehicle. Consumer Reports says that the weight limit in a small SUV can range from under 700 pounds to over 1,100 pounds, so don’t try to guess. Get a Tight Fit. Think of your trunk or cargo area as a jigsaw puzzle. Put the biggest item in first, and place smaller items around it. Take your time and work the angles. Avoid Loading Up Your Roof. This can make your vehicle top-heavy and unstable. Plus, it will hurt your gas mileage! Don’t Forget Emergency Gear. Your emergency winter kit can include blankets; warm clothing; sand, cat litter or traction mats; a small shovel; a flashlight with fresh batteries; warning flares or triangles; drinking water; and anything else you might need in case you get stranded. Packing isn’t much fun. But when you do it right, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you’re helping to protect your car’s passengers—a good feeling at any time of the year!

Teach your kids three simple letters: D.I.Y. Now is the perfect time for getting your kids involved with doing things for themselves, and along the way, showing them that Mom isn't always going to be there to wipe their...noses. Even a very young child can help with picking out items for a homemade costume, cutting simple shapes and gluing. Older kids can sew and even use hot glue guns (under adult supervision, of course). Children take pride in their own creations, even if one sleeve ends up shorter than the other, or if their idea of "ghost" looks more like "marshmallow" to you. Keep moderation in mind when keeping up with the Joneses. Okay, so your kids aren't into crafts and they won't stop whining about the name-brand Hannah Montana or Spiderman costumes they see everywhere from the local grocery store to the home improvement center (seriously, can't a woman get a break?) They also want the plastic pumpkin buckets, the light-up laser swords, the oversized spiders with eyes that glow in the dark and everything else they lay their eyes on. Because of course, "Emily's parents bought her one!" You don't necessarily have to subject your kids to a lecture about saving for that good ol' college fund, but it is a good idea to start some gentle discussions about budgeting, if you haven't already. Explain how the amount of money you have to spend on "holiday" things is finite. Spending more on Halloween now will mean spending less on Christmas. Metaphors with candy work really well here. Look to tradition. Another way to help kids enjoy the holiday without breaking the bank is by looking back to older, more wallet-friendly times. I love watching movies such as The Worst Witch (can you believe this is considered old now?!) They're full of spooky goodness without all of the expensive, glitzy slickness of modern productions. My twins love it, too; so much so that they want to dress up like Flora and Fauna Amor (the Siamese twins from The Addams Family) this year. If you haven't already established inexpensive, simple traditions, such as picking and carving your own pumpkins or serving a special, homemade Halloween meal complete with pumpkin muffins, pumpkin stew, and "worms in mud" for dessert, do so ASAP. Choose your commitments wisely. Choosing to commit to a holiday project is very much like choosing to commit to a husband: you're taking on responsibility for a relationship with a living someone/something that will grow and change in ways you could never imagine over time. Now, I love my husband dearly, but I am very glad that I only have to deal with one. Halloween has become such a big deal (you know because Martha Stewart has gotten herself involved) that people can't help but get perfectionist about it. That's fine if you truly love whatever projects you get yourself into, but if you're just doing them to be "the perfect mom" and it's stressing you out, you need to let something go. Your kids won't remember with misery the fact that you didn't finish stitching the cape onto your dog's Superman costume, or that you didn't hand-carve individual pumpkins for every step of your outside staircase. Trust me. The terrors of rationing candy. Many of my friends look with fear on this holiday, not because of the goblins and ghouls, but because of the thought of having to wrest the hard-earned, sugary bounty out of their children's chocolaty paws. Some parents prevent the problem altogether by not allowing trick-or-treating; others try and use the trick of "eat all you can tonight, then it goes away" to teach their kids about candy making you sick. I'll admit I'm really not a big fan of giving my kids straight sugar and I try to limit their intake of candy bars to once a week. But I still remember my own trick-or-treating with fondness, so for this one time a year, I let them make their own sugar-intake decisions. One last thing to mention: if you have pets, be very careful about letting kids store candy in their rooms. Ending the Halloween season with a dog in the emergency room is not at all fun.

Have your own tips for keeping Halloween in perspective? Share them with us in the comments below!

• Drivers under the influence
• Kids darting out into the street when cars are approaching
• Costumes that are too dark to be seen by drivers, drunk, sober, or otherwise