Preparing Your Home for Holiday Guests

Preparing Your Home for Holiday Guests

by | Homeowners Insurance Info, Safety | 1 comment

No doubt, one of the best parts about the Holiday Season is gathering and spending time with close family and friends, but when you are the host it can become a bit stressful.

With the holidays coming up soon, here are a few last-minute tips to help you and your home become guest-ready in a matter of hours!

 

Declutter

Or at least declutter public areas. There is no need to go all out and scrub every inch of your house from top to bottom (but if you want to, go for it!). Just make sure public areas, entryways, bathrooms, and guest rooms are clean and ready to be seen by dusting and packing away all unnecessary items.

Pro Tip: consider donating the items you find that you barely use.

 

Make Sure You Have Enough Seating

Your guests probably won’t want to stand all night, so make sure you have seating to accommodate at least the majority of them. If you are low on space, it may be wise to invest in some extra barstools or fold-out chairs that could be used in multiple places, like the living area and the kitchen.

 

Have a Plan for Your Pets

An abundance of guests can make even the calmest pet anxious. Anxiety can trigger the fight or flight response and your pet may feel no choice, but to act aggressive or try to escape.  Before your party starts make sure you have a plan in place for your pet, whether that be putting them up the entire night in a separate room or leaving them gated out in a designated area.

 

Add Light

Christmas Lights are easy décor that can brighten up space and make it look festive and inviting all in one. Just be sure you don’t have cords everywhere that could cause your guests could trip! Another quick and easy light source is a candle. Find a perfect Christmas scent and let it burn all night in a safe space away from flammable objects.

 

Stock Your Fridge

Make sure you have enough items that will please every guest. This doesn’t mean cook for everyone individually, it could be as simple as getting an assorted meat and veggie tray or cooking one entrée and having your guests bring side dishes and desserts. Don’t stress out and feel like you have to feed an army by yourself, as long as there is variety people will be happy.

Pro Tip: stock up on coffee.

 

Make Extra Supplies Easily Accessible

Get out your extra cups and silverware days before guests arrive, that way you aren’t scrambling to make sure you have enough supplies.  Set out extra pillows and blankets in guest rooms and place towels and toiletries out in the open, so they can be found easily by guests. This way there is no confusion at the end of the night when everyone is settling in.

 

Play Background Music

Nothing is worse than an awkward silence, so keep the party going- even when the conversation stops-  with some Holiday-themed Background music. Pull up Spotify on your phone and play it through your TV or any Alexa Device and you are good to go. We even have a Holiday Playlist already created for you! Visit: https://spoti.fi/2r1wIZk

 

Lastly, make sure you have personal liability coverage. Most people assume that their home insurance will provide all the liability coverage they need in case a guest has an accident on their property, but this isn’t always true. Personal liability umbrella insurance gives you an extra layer of insurance protection. This can be critical if someone is injured in your home or on your property.

Hosting can be hectic, so don’t be afraid to ask for help! Holidays should be cherished, not dreaded.

Happy Holidays, from all of us at California Casualty!

 

This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.

 

 

10 Tips if You Have a Parking Lot Accident

10 Tips if You Have a Parking Lot Accident

by | Auto Insurance Info, Safety | 0 comments

It could happen at school, the mall, or even at a nearby restaurant – a parking lot accident.  If it happened to you, do you know what you should and should not do?

Whether it’s not seeing a car as you back out of a parking spot, coming around a corner and hitting another vehicle, or returning to your car or truck to find someone damaged it and drove off, parking lot wrecks happen more often than you might think. There are more than 50,000 parking area accidents every year in the U.S. While most are minor, they can be very unsettling. And determining who is at fault can be a sticky situation.

Here are 10 Important Things to Do if You’re Involved in a Parking Lot or Parking Garage Accident:

    1. Call for medical help if someone is injured
    2. Avoid getting into an argument
    3. Take pictures before moving the vehicles
    4. Write down the time of the crash and diagram where and how it occurred and any other important information (obstructed views, weather conditions, how fast your or the other car was going, arrows or other markers showing the direction of travel, etc.)
    5. Exchange insurance and other important information (License plate and driver’s license numbers, names and phone numbers)
    6. Seek out and get contact information from witnesses
    7. Make a police report
    8. Leave a note under the wiper blade with your name, insurance, and contact information if you hit an unoccupied vehicle and can’t locate the
    9. Don’t negotiate with the other driver to work a deal without notifying insurance because they could still make a claim
    10. Contact your insurance provider

Some critical things you need to know…

    • Never leave the scene without leaving a note; doing so could result in a major violation and penalties
    • Be aware of staged accident schemes
    • You’ll be paying for damage if someone hits you and leaves unless you have collision coverage

And lastly, here are some tips to help avoid an unplanned “bumper-cruncher,”.

    • Be extra cautious when backing out of a space (the cause of 25%or more of parking area crashes) and don’t rely on backup cameras
    • Observe posted signs
    • Slow down
    • Don‘t cut across lots and spaces
    • Don’t speed up or suddenly back up for a vacant space
    • Avoid cell phones and other distractions
    • Park in well-lit areas
    • Choose a parking spot at the end of the row or next to an island or pole to help protect our car
    • Watch for pedestrians, especially children and the elderly

Contact a California Casualty advisor to make sure you’re covered for the unexpected. Call today for a policy review at 1.800.800.9410 or visit www.calcas.com.

 

This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.

 

Porch Pirates – Tips to Prevent Stolen Packages

Porch Pirates – Tips to Prevent Stolen Packages

by | Safety | 0 comments

It’s December and the holiday season is quickly approaching! That means an abundance of packages are going to be arriving at homes across the country from now until Christmas Day. Unfortunately, that also means there is also going to be an abundance of thieves waiting for the perfect moment to snatch those packages up and claim them for their own.

Porch Pirates are the real deal, and if you think you are secure just because you know and trust your neighbors, think again.  Almost 26 million Americans say they have had a package stolen from their home during the holidays. That is about 8% of the population!

It could happen in any neighborhood, in fact, most instances involve strangers following delivery vehicles or driving through neighborhoods, that are not theirs, and stealing packages from porches and doorsteps.

So what can you do to protect the surplus of online gifts that will soon be arriving at your door?

Here are some tips to avoid Porch Pirates.

  1. Schedule deliveries for times you will be home, to your workplace, or an alternative address like a close relative’s home or an Amazon Locker. Some police stations and grocery stores even offer residents the opportunity to send holiday packages to their office for pick up!
  2. Install a security camera, or use a video doorbell, like Ring or Google Nest, so you can monitor your front porch.
  3. Leave the carrier specific instructions on where to drop off your package. Choose an area that is tucked away and cannot be seen from the road, like behind a bush, bench, column, or on a screened-in porch.
  4. Track your shipment closely online.
  5. Require a signature for drop off.
  6. Request a delivery confirmation from the carrier once your package arrives.

Porch Pirates are very sneaky, and often strike in broad daylight. If you witness suspicious activity immediately inform your local police department. If you are a victim, call 9-1-1 and file a claim with your carrier.

Have a happy and safe holiday season, from all of us at CalCas!

 

Related Articles:

10 Must Do’s to Protect Yourself on Cyber Monday

Protect Your Home and Family – Know It. Do it.

Tips to Prevent a Summer Burglary

 

This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.

10 Must Do’s to Protect Yourself on Cyber Monday

10 Must Do’s to Protect Yourself on Cyber Monday

by | Safety | 0 comments

‘Tis the season of joy, shopping, and unfortunately cyber thievery. While millions of Americans will be looking online for Cyber Monday bargains, crooks will be trying to steal their money, personal information, and identity. It’s estimated that a person’s identity is stolen online every three seconds, in the United States.

So, how do you avoid the “bad Santa’s” lurking on the internet? To help keep this the most wonderful time of year, we’ve assembled these 10 tips from the Better Business Bureau and our identity theft prevention partner, CyberScout, to add to your holiday list:

  1. Only shop on secure sites – look for “https” in the URL and a locked padlock symbol and avoid doing so on public WiFi
  2. Install the latest security software to block the crooks
  3. Never give personal information, especially social security numbers or passwords
  4. Use a credit card, not a debit card, for payment (you might consider purchasing a prepaid gift card to use for online shopping)
  5. Click out of suspicious links immediately (AVG has a free LinkScanner that checks sites legitimacy for you)
  6. Beware of Santa scammers who promise to send a letter to your child; often they are collecting personal data for ID theft
  7. Don’t buy used electronics; many are preloaded with malware that can steal personal information and passwords
  8. Avoid downloading online coupons sent to your email or from websites you are not sure of
  9. Use unique passwords for every site
  10. Don’t buy that cute puppy via the Internet – scammers use the holidays to take money for puppies that don’t exist, often using the ruse to get banking and personal information

The quicker you catch a possible breach, the better. Credit experts like CyberScout advise consumers to check their credit card and bank statements weekly, request a receipt for any purchase you make and run a free credit check annually.

California Casualty wants to make sure your identity stays safe from online Grinches; every auto and home/renters insurance policy comes with Free ID theft protection and resolution services from CyberScout. Make sure to protect your property and identity this holiday, call a California Casualty advisor today at 1.800.800.9410, or visit www.calcas.com/identity-theft.

 

For more information visit:

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This article furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.800.800.9410 or www.calcas.com.

 

Steps to Take After Hitting a Deer

by | Auto Insurance Info, Safety | 0 comments

Collisions involving deer and elk spike across the United States from October through December, as the animals are continuously moving to seek new habitats to breed and forage for food. More than 1.5 million accidents involving deer take place every year in the U.S., causing over $1 billion in vehicle damage. hitting a deer

Accidents happen, even to the most vigilant driver, so if a deer jumps out in front of you, here’s what you can do.

Steps to Take After Hitting a Deer

  • Attempt to move your vehicle to the side of the road
  • Use your hazard lights
  • Call local law enforcement or the state patrol
  • Don’t approach or attempt to move an injured animal
  • Take photos of the crash, the damage to your vehicle, and the roadway where it occurred
  • Fill out an accident report
  • Contact your California Casualty agent as soon as possible at 1.800.800.9410

Deer can be found in many different landscapes and are on the move from dusk until dawn. So much so, there is no real way to avoid them. However, you can reduce your chances of hitting a deer by following these steps:

  • Don’t drive distracted
  • Don’t speed, especially in rural/wooded areas
  • Use high beams at night when there is no oncoming traffic
  • Continuously scan the road for movement on the sides
  • Pay attention to wildlife warning signs
  • Honk your horn if you see a deer, to scare them away from the road (they often travel together)
  • If a deer runs out in front of you, hit your breaks immediately, do not swerve

In the event of an accident, make sure you have the correct coverage, call a representative today to review your policy.

This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.

A Safe Halloween is a Happy Halloween

A Safe Halloween is a Happy Halloween

by | Health, Safety | 0 comments

Halloween is almost here and that means little superheroes, princesses, and ghosts will soon be roaming the streets in search of their favorite sugary treats. Halloween safety

As you spend time planning, decorating and carving pumpkins, remember that a safe Halloween is a Happy Halloween. Whether you’re headed out with the trick-or-treaters or manning the door to pass out candy at home, here are some Halloween safety tips to keep in mind:

 

Trick-or-Treating with Children:

  1. Make sure all swords or similar costume accessories are soft, short, and flexible
  2. Never let children trick-or-treat alone
  3. Map out a safe route with your kids
  4. Set a designated time for them to return home or check-in with you
  5. Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see trick-or-treaters
  6. Attach your child’s name, address, and phone number somewhere inside their costume
  7. Try to walk on the sidewalks as much as possible.
  8. Carry a flashlight with you—and give one to each child–to help you and others see
  9. Check to make sure kids are wearing well-fitted masks (or better yet- face paint!), costumes, and shoes to avoid tripping or blocking your vision
  10. Check over treats before letting kids start eating them- check to make sure they are still commercially wrapped and not tampered with and that they do not present a choking hazard
  11. Always test make-up in a small area first to check for allergies before applying it to large areas like the face. Be sure to remove all makeup before bedtime to prevent skin and eye irritation
  12. Remind kids:
    • Walk from house to house, never run
    • Enter homes only if you are with a trusted adult
    • Only visit well-lit homes
    • Look both ways before crossing the street
    • Never accept rides from strangers
    • Never walk near lit candles or luminaries

 

Prepare Your Home for Trick-or-Treaters:

  1. Make sure the outside areas of your home is well-lit and free of obstacles
  2. Be sure to turn on all your exterior lights
  3. Keep candle-lit jack-o-lanterns and luminaries away from doorsteps, walkways, landings, and curtains. Use battery-operated candles in any outdoor or child-accessible decorations
  4. Keep pets away from the door so they don’t scare—or get scared by—trick-or-treaters
  5. Report any suspicious or criminal activity to your local police department or sheriff’s office
  6. Make sure you do not pass out candy that is a choking hazard to younger children

Have a safe and spooky Halloween!

 

This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or visit www.calcas.com.

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