The tree is gone. The lights are down. The ornaments are back in storage where they belong until next December. What am I left with, in addition to lovely family memories of this holiday season?

A five-year old who is obsessed with plugging things in.

After the Safety at Home wreath-making party, I told Julian that he could plug in the lights that were wrapped around his wreath as long as an adult is watching him. This seemed simple enough. He loved the new privilege, and each day when we came in the door after school, he raced over to his wreath and said, “Mommy, can you watch me plug this in?!”

Then, when we really started decking our halls, he became enthralled. The simple strand of lights that turn on when plugged into the wall? Now they plug into an extension cord! And the extension cord plugs into the wall! He wanted to plug and unplug both of these connections on a regular basis. “Plugs are not toys.” I have made this motherly statement about 693 times since Christmas.

When we decorated the plum tree in our front yard, the excitement grew to another level. Three! Strings! Of Lights! All plugged into one another in a glorious daisy chain of electricity! He walked back and forth from the tree to the outlet just inside our crawl space where the cords meet up with the juice that powers them. I could see him tracing the logistics of what plugs into what over and over again. He was getting geekier by the minute.

And then? When we visited festive destinations (such as every single retail store during December), he would disappear behind fixtures and underneath curtains, on his knees examining the system by which the holiday lights were being powered. We could not walk by a store window without stopping to discuss where the lights or moving reindeer might be plugged in.

Now that the Grinch has visited our home and removed all of the holiday lights, Julian is acutely aware of how many outlets are in our house. (42, he’ll tell anyone who comes to visit.) For every outlet that’s not being used, he has a suggestion. He’ll dig an extension cord out of a cabinet in the laundry room and bring it over to me in the dining room. “Mommy, can I plug this in?”

And I don’t know where this obsession will end. Just yesterday he realized that many of our appliances have USB outlets and headphone jacks. He walked around with a set of headphones, looking for a place to stick the jack. And, I caught him trying to plug a microphone from our video game console into our home computer.

So if you ever need an electrician with absolutely no experience, but full of unbridled enthusiasm, I’ve got a 5-year old who would very much like the job.

(If you’ve got kids under five in your house or visiting your house, make sure to keep all outlets covered with childproof plug inserts. Even the outlets behind the couch – those are the most compelling to toddlers!)

Yes, spring cleaning is the famous one. But what about the cleaning you do once all the holiday guests are out of your house? And you can go back to sleeping in your own bed without tripping over Uncle Bobby’s suitcase? And you can cook in your own kitchen without having to search for the whisk?

We love our families and we love the holidays, but it is so great when they all go home.

I have a few safety cleaning tips to share in honor of this very happy time of reclaiming your home!

1.  Recycle your Christmas tree. Nothing says “my house is back to normal” like putting the Christmas tree on the curb for recycling pick up. Lovingly pack and wrap your special ornaments for another year and reconfigure your living areas. Did you know they do amazing things with recycled trees?  Watch the video.

2.  Clean your cutting boards and counters thoroughly. Cutting boards are a favorite place for bacteria to hang out. The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends washing in hot, soapy water between uses and even sanitizing with 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Simply pour the bleach solution onto the board and let it sit for several minutes. Rinse with clear water and air or pat dry with clean paper towels. It is also recommended that you use one board for raw meats and a different board for vegetables if possible. {Source: USDA}

3.  Clear the path to your doors. Keep the floors clear between your bedrooms and all exits so that you don’t trip or get stuck if you need to leave in a hurry. Don’t let the remnants of your guests just pile up by the door. Go on and take that air mattress back to the garage. I’ll wait here.

What other clean-up tasks do you tackle to freshen up after your holiday guests?

Stay out past dark and you’ll notice that some commercial areas have started putting little white lights in their trees and along the eaves of their storefronts. I love that about winter!

Photo credit: Asten on Flickr

We don’t usually decorate my house until after Thanksgiving, but because this year my parents gave us some Halloween lights (just like the holiday strands you are used to, but orange, yellow and white, like candy corn) my kids have insisted that when we take them down, we replace them with Christmas lights right away. Are you ready to dig yours out of storage?

Four safety tips about holiday lights:

1. When you unpack your holiday lights, make sure that none are broken. In fact, inspect all of your electric lights and decorations for damage or wear. Cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires and loose connections may pose a fire or shock hazard.
2. The new trend in lights is LED. The bloggers at Blissfully Domestic have a recycling tip for those who are in need of new lights this year.
3. Do not connect more than three miniature light strings together. Also, be sure to check the rating on your extension cords, and do not plug in more than the recommended wattage.
4. Look for the UL Mark on the package of lights before you buy them.  If you already have lights, the mark may be found on the tag located next to the plug. The information on that tag will tell you whether your lights are suitable to use outdoors.

May your holiday decorating be safe and bright!

Did you notice our snazzy new redesign of SafetyAtHome? We hope so. Things are different, but in a good way. Now you can find easier access to community features like our RSS feed, Twitter stream and helpful safety videos on YouTube.

Last week, Whitney and I filmed some new safety videos for the holiday season. We learned a lot while creating the videos … about saving money on energy, safely decorating for the holidays and the proper way to clean gutters …  and we look forward to sharing these with our readers and (now) viewers.

In the meantime, let me formally introduce the new UL YouTube channel for SafetyAtHome. Also, be careful if you decide to deep fry your holiday turkey.

When you’re on a family road trip, the only thing that beats the sight of a baby sleeping is the sight of a baby sleeping at the right time.

Photo credit: Heather Flett

I can’t promise you perfectly timed naps and roads clear of construction and traffic, but I can give you a few pointers as you plan your getaway. Before you pull out of the driveway, consider these tips:

1. Car. Get your car serviced before you get on the road. Increase your peace of mind with a full tank of gas, properly inflated tires and a carwash, too.
2. Maps. Know your best route before you start driving. Bring along maps or a handy dandy GPS unit.
3. Schedule. Plan your driving times to coincide with nap times, if at all possible. Bring along pacifiers, loveys and sleepytime music to encourage the rest.
4. Food. Pack a little cooler for chilled sippy cups of milk and healthy snacks for rest breaks. Please DO NOT give your child baby carrots or any choking hazard while driving.
5. Toys. With two little guys in car seats in the backseat, I keep a tote bag filled with toys and books they can reach themselves. No crayons … nothing with small pieces.
6. Music. Fill your iPod or make a mix CD of favorite kid’s music in addition to your own.
7. Rest. Expect that you’ll need to stop and stretch (or run!!) for about 20 minutes every two hours … at least.

Most importantly, keep your expectations in check. As long as you expect it to be a wild adventure with some tears and much, much slower than you’d travel on your own, you will have a great time!

We write another blog together at RookieMoms.com and just published our first book, The Rookie Mom’s Handbook.

We love hot chocolate, comfortable shoes, and the television show Lost, but that’s where the similarities end. Now we need to stop using “we” and introduce ourselves separately.

About Heather (as told by Whitney)

Heather has curly red hair and a personality to match. She is strong willed and loves to have a challenging goal in front of her. After 28 years of leading an un-athletic life, she set out to do the Chicago Marathon and finished it. She devotes herself projects, lists, and rituals. The number of fun things we’ve done together is probably recorded in her diary somewhere. When Heather became a mother, she requested that I make a list of all the activities I liked to do with my baby (six months older than hers) so that she could check them off of her list.

Now Heather and her husband Alec have two sons, Holden (3 ½) and Milo (1 ½). As a family, they are conscientious about their impact on the environment and use their car minimally, cook lots of locally-grown produce, and avoid buying things they don’t need. She is originally from the Cleveland area of Ohio and went to Northwestern University.
Career-wise, Heather is a seasoned interactive project manager with 13 years of experience that she doesn’t look nearly old enough to have.

About Whitney (as told by Heather)

Whitney is short in stature but huge in creativity. I like to lift her up and carry her around. We met 12 years ago when we were fresh out of college and she was wearing a colorful handknit hat. Since then, we’ve shared many (finished and unfinished) craft projects. Whitney’s great because she knows where her sewing machine is and she remembers how to use it.

Whitney and Ryan have two children, Julian (4) and Scarlett (1 ½). Julian is mellow and Scarlett is proving to be more feisty. Whether from well-timed online shopping, embellishing hand-me-downs with well-placed buttons, or purely handmade creations, the whole family is very well-dressed. Whitney grew up in LA and attended Barnard College in New York City before moving to Berkeley.

Whitney has had several interesting jobs (from teaching children’s gymnastics to risky web startups) but worked most steadily for LeapFrog Toys as a marketing manager so she’s a professional expert in fun stuff.

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