How to Prepare for Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is coming up this weekend and, at least in our area, it will probably be a zoo around here.  It's estimated about 330,000 visitors will descend on the city so...I'll probably just stay home.  If you decide not to stay home (or even if you do), here are some prep tips for the holiday:

• Be patient and leave early.  Everyone else is trying to get somewhere too so all modes of transit (planes, roads, etc) will be very busy.
• Don't drink and drive.  Really.  Best case scenario, you get a $10k DUI, worst case scenario you kill someone.
• Be safe on the roads (Memorial Day weekend is one of the most dangerous weekends of the year for roadway accidents).
• For bonfires and barbecues...DO NOT try to start these sorts of fires with gasoline.  Applicable YouTube video here.
• If you will be doing outdoor activities, focus on safety.  Pool safety.  Outdoor safety.  Swimming safety.  Boating safety.
• Don't forget to take care of your pets over the holiday.
• Finally, take into account weather alerts forecasted for this weekend.

10 Things for November

In no particular order:

1. With the holidays coming up, now is a good time to stock up on a lot of food basics (frozen turkeys, flour, sugar, and other baking items, etc) since many stores will be deeply discounting these items as loss leaders for Thanksgiving.
2. While I haven't heard of much of a problem with the flu so far this season, consider getting a flu shot if your doctor recommends it.  The flu can be fatal and a shot is better than a flat-on-your-back-for-a-week illness.
3. Now is a good time to get your vehicle ready for winter.  Check the fluids and the wiper blades, change the oil, and make sure your snow tires/chains are in good condition.  Also keep some winter emergency supplies in your vehicle in case you end up stranded.
4. People are looking for gifts for the upcoming holidays so consider cleaning out your stuff and listing items for sale on eBay or Craigslist in order to generate a bit of cash which you can then use to buy your own gifts.
5. Get a carbon monoxide detector for your home (and the garage if you tend to hang out in the garage a lot).  This is prime season for carbon monoxide poisoning since people are both using heating and cooking appliances AND keeping the doors and windows closed up to keep the cold out.
6. Speaking of cold, you can simply and relatively cheaply make small improvements to increase your home's ability to keep the heat in and the cold out.  Weather stripping, plastic over the windows if necessary, more insulation in cold areas of the home, wrapping pipes, and other small tasks will lower your heating bill and keep your home warmer.
7. Be sure you take care of your pets as the weather turns cold.  Things like breaking the ice on the water bowl for your outdoor animals, thicker bedding, and washing off your animal's feet if they walk where salt or chemicals are used on frozen walkways are some of the things we haven't had to think about in quite a while.
8. Take a camping trip.  Although this is not prime time for camping it is #1, good for practicing winter survival skills, and #2, you will probably end up with many great camping areas to yourself.
9. Keep up your exercise routine.  Consider other, weather-appropriate activities to stay in shape and change things up as the weather gets colder.
10. Give to others.  I'm into preparedness to take care of me and mine but giving to those in need when I am able to is also important.  You can donate officially (through a reputable service agency like the Red Cross or Toys for Tots, for example), or unofficially (I've got a couple of local homeless guys that I keep in clothes and the occasional bag of food as well as a few single mothers we know who can always use a little extra).

Valentines Day Gift Ideas

Being ever so practical (and admittedly not the best gift giver probably because of my practicality) I offer the following range of ideas for the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday:

• An emergency fund. Nothing says "I care about your future" like having money set aside for an emergency.
• A firearm, and of course, proper training. This is especially useful if one spouse is often at home alone. Having only one spouse who owns and knows how to use the firearms in your home is a mistake. Both halves of the couple should be well trained in the care and handling of firearms since you never know which one of you will be home when the worst happens.
• Life insurance, a Will, and a Living Will. No one ever thinks of these things until someone is dead and by then it is too late to go back and fix the mess that is sure to be created if you die without any of the previously mentioned items.
• A commitment to exercise together EVERY day. With two thirds of the people in the US overweight and verging, if not knee deep into, a host of medical disorders that come along with obesity, taking care of your health and your significant other's health should be right up there at the top of your "to do" list. Exercise is much more enjoyable when you have someone to hold you accountable to show up and keep you entertained while participating in something as simple as taking an after dinner walk.
• An emergency kit (actually three) for your significant other's home, office, and car. Very practical and actually very useful in many circumstances.
• A date to share an activity that your spouse enjoys. Hate poker and wouldn't know a tell from a big blind? Make an effort to learn something about the game then take the spouse to a poker game and actually be supportive (even join in if you are so inclined). Think getting a manicure and pedicure is a girly thing? Men actually do get manicures and pedicures so take your wife out for a date to her favorite nail salon and jump into the chair next to her--the shock value alone will be well worth the expense to your ego...your nails will look nice too.
• Commit to a weekly date night. When we get really busy we tend to take those closest to us for granted. We assume they will always be there and that we will spend more time with them "later" when we aren't as busy. This doesn't usually end up well in the long run, mostly people end up getting divorced or one of the couple dies, either way the end result is that you don't get another chance to spend the time together that you should be spending together each week.
• Do a project together. Working hard together--whether it is a round the world backpacking trip or building a deck together--you become closer when you are working together for a common goal.

Holiday Preps

The holidays are just around the corner and it looks like it will be a lean season for many in our country. Here's some ways to get a jump on the holidays:

• Spread your purchases out over a longer period of time. Need eight bags of candy by Halloween? If you buy two bags a week for the next four weeks, you will have the candy you need without running out at the last minute and spending a whole bunch of money all at once. Putting together a Thanksgiving dinner that would feed an army? Start now adding some of the ingredients for the dinner to your shopping basket and you will be ahead of the game. Need a dozen gifts by Christmas? Buy a couple with each paycheck until Christmas and you will be all set for gifts by the time the end of December rolls around.
• Get the most bang for your buck. Start with Dollar Stores for your basic needs (ie: you can buy a cute serving platter at Macys for $45 or a faux serving platter at the Dollar Store for a buck; the food and camaraderie are what's important, not how much you spent on a plate). Also shop sales as holiday food stuff comes out and head to the thrift stores for things such as holiday decorations and Halloween costumes.
• Be creative. Instead of throwing a huge turkey bash like you always have done (and footing the bill just because you always have done so) why not have a holiday potluck? Instead of shelling out big bucks for plastic Halloween costumes, get creative and make them yourself. Instead of running out at the last minute to the corner Christmas tree stand, why not pay $5 for a permit and take the family out to local forest land and cut your own?
• Scale back on the consumerism. Shopping (even on Thanksgiving Days at some stores) and buying outrageous gifts have pretty much been the norm over the past decade or so, however with tough economic times, maybe people will realize that it is the joy and the people in your life that make the holidays not how much you spend.
• Resolve to skip the pressure and holiday blues that can often occur at this time of year. If you are lonely, invite friends over or volunteer at a local homeless shelter and cheer up other people who need it. Be happy to only do what you can do--many people have unrealistic expectations for the holidays and are depressed when they don't meet these expectations. Do things for others like helping a neighbor hang their Christmas lights or baking cookies for the local fire department staff or nursing home residents--the appreciation you will receive for such small things will truly show you the joy of the season.