3 Holiday Safety Tips
Disclosure: I am an ambassador for KYOTCs. All thoughts and opinions are purely my own. It is December. What a year, eh?! Have you been hanging around all year long or are you new here? No matter. We are in reflection mode as we prepare to celebrate Christmas around these parts.
I'm in the middle of a renovation so, I get a chance to clean up, clear out and take stock. I think one of my most important roles this year has been bringing awareness to things that we tend to not thing about: the things in your medicine cabinet and around your home. Those things that are meant to keep you healthy. I've learned so much as an ambassador for Know Your OTC's.
As we take stock and get ready for the new year, I thought I'd remind us of some important tips to stay safe while we travel, visit and host our loved ones.
Clean out your medicine cabinet:
If you didn't spring clean your medicine cabinet, now is a good time to do so. You know folks are going to be checking out what you got in there! Auntie is sure to go running to the medicine cabinet when she eats a little too much at dinner. You don't want her taking expired antacids, do you? Wait, don't answer that.
Make sure you check dates on all your meds and when you're disposing of them, keep these tips in mind.
Y'all, I never realized that I was disposing of my prescription meds without giving it a second thought. Nowadays, I'm extra careful and make sure I mix up meds with coffee grounds, seal them up in a bag and put them out with the rest of my trash.
Keep kids away from medicines:
It's about to be mayhem in this house. There will be a minimum of 26 people here, kids included. I'm always thinking about what the kids can get into. Earlier in the year, I shared about what I got into when I was a child.
Approximately 60,000 kids go to the ER every single year due to accidental medicine ingestion and 1 million of the calls made to poison control centers across the U.S. in 2011 were ingestions among kids 5 and under.
Do a once-over of your house, especially if you have guests staying in your room where you might have medications that you normally take. Nightstands are an easy way to store meds we take at night but might be easily accesible if you have a little one using your space during the holidays.
If you’re having a party, let your guests know to please dump their drinks and not leave them where little hands can grab. And keep the poison control center’s information in a visible place (like the fridge). Here it is: www.poisonhelp.hrsa.gov (800) 222-1222.
And if you're traveling, don't be afraid to do a once over where you're staying. I'm sure your hosts will understand.
Stock up on your over-the-counter medicines:
You don't want to get stuck needing something in the middle of your get together or late at night without items that you really need. As I shop for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas breakfast, I add a few extra items: ibuprofen, acetaminophen, antacids, stool softeners. 
Yes, I said stool softeners! Don't act like you don't know what that is. If you've been hanging around the 'hood long enough, you know I told y'all about snakes in the lake.
Those are my 3 tips for a safe holiday. I hope and pray you all have an amazing time with your loved ones. Stay safe, keep the kiddos safe and I'll see you in 2017!