Today's article is not meant to scare you, but to give you things to think about  as you prepare for the Holidays. The natural tendency is to go "over the top" with everything, i.e., food and drinks, decorating, entertaining, gifting.   How important is it to follow traditions that leave you feeling anxious and tired?  Why not start new traditions that reduce your "have-to's" to "want-to's"?

For years, Martha Stewart has driven me crazy, not because I follow her advice, but because others try to, without remembering that she has a staff of hundreds to help her achieve the impossible.  It's really okay if everything isn't perfect, as long as you think about safety first.  The purpose is for everyone to have a good time.

Statistics provided by the U.S. Fire Association are sobering.  Most fires occurring during holiday season (Thanksgiving until New Year's Day) can be prevented.  Here are hints and tips to help you:

• Candles are used more during this season than any other time of the year.  Do not burn candles without constant supervision.  Keep them out of guest rooms and bathrooms, away from flammable objects, and away from access by children.
• Keep matches and lighters in a locked drawer or cabinet, inaccessible to children.
• Fireplaces provide warmth and a glowing ambience. If you have a wood-burning fireplace that hasn't been used since last year and hasn't been checked or cleaned by a professional, don't use it.  
• Do not use space heaters for guest rooms and bathrooms if they have exposed heating coils and if they do not have a safety switch to turn them off if they're tipped over.  They should be kept away from all flammable material, turned off at night and when the area is unoccupied.  
• Charcoal-burning barbecues should never be used inside the home (even a fireplace with an open flue), for cooking or heating an area.  
• Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors  every six months, and replace the batteries even if they test okay.
• Smoking indoors should be prohibited, especially in bedrooms.
• Provide emergency egress for all guests, and night lights to help them navigate in the dark.  No one should sleep in an area that doesn't have an emergency exit* in the room.

• Cords from occasional lamps and decorations should not create a tripping hazard, and they should never be placed under area rugs or carpeting.  Avoid extension cords, plug strips and outlet expanders, to prevent circuit overload.  
• Keep light fixtures with incandescent or halogen lamps away from flammable objects such as draperies.  Never use fabric over them or around them "for special effects".
• Water live Christmas trees daily; keep them away from a heat source (especially a fireplace or stove), and away from traffic patterns.  Do not use lights with frayed cords.  Verify the wattage rating for each string, and keep a count as you place the strings on the tree, to avoid overloading the outlet -- especially if it's on a circuit with other outlets being used for AV equipment,  decorations, and lighting.  Never burn an old Christmas tree in your fireplace.
• "Faux" Christmas trees are sold pre-lit, but after several years of use, i.e., folding and unfolding the branches, cords can become frayed or broken.  Thoroughly check each branch and replace defective strings (I discovered that it's almost impossible to remove just one string, and ended up replacing all of the lights).
• Install Outdoor lighting on plastic clips, never with nails or screws that can damage the cords.  Avoid using extension cords and plug the lights into a GFCI outlet.  Use the appropriate ladder, preferably wood (because it's non-conductive unlike aluminum), and never climb higher or reach further than you can comfortably reach. 

Food safety is also a major consideration for this time of year, when you might be trying new recipes, you may become distracted by what's going on around you and lose track of time.  

• Prepare uncooked meat in a separate area, away from spice containers, utensils, other food, and wipe-up cloths, to avoid cross-contamination that can make everyone sick.  While watching the Food Network last weekend, I was shocked to see a famous chef grab the salt and pepper shakers without washing her hands while she was preparing "turducken".   Oops!
• Potholders and trivets should be available for all of your helpers to use. Remind people to use potholders when removing hot dishes from the microwave as well as the oven.
• Limit the amount of time that buffet food is on the table.  Serve cold food cold and hot food hot, never at room temperature, even if it means smaller portions in serving dishes, completely exchanged regularly for fresh servings.  
• Chafing dishes give a false sense of security, because they do not keep the food at a consistent temperature, and they are a potential fire hazard .  Electric chafing dishes are better, but the cord can be a hazard.
• Deep-fried turkey is very popular, but also very dangerous.  
  • Get the right equipment (including thermometers for oil and meat), a reliable recipe, and follow all of the instructions; do not try to "make do" with what equipment you may have.
  • Set the equipment up outside, on a level concrete pad large enough for you and one other responsible adult to move around easily.  Think about what you'll do with the turkey when it's removed from the pot, and have a large platter with barbecue forks and potholders available. 
  • Do not overheat the oil before lowering the turkey in; even if the turkey is room temperature, a difference of 250-300 degrees can cause the oil to explode.  There should be a fully-charged fire extinguisher close by.
  • Stay with the pot until the turkey is removed and the oil cools down. No children or pets allowed within ten feet of the pot, and there should be no alcoholic drinks consumed until everything is safe.
• Leftovers are wonderful, but if they're stored improperly, they will cause health repercussions.  My mother, who didn't like turkey as much as I do, froze complete "TV dinners" from the leftovers, which tasted great in January and February.
  •  Stuffing should reach 165-171 degrees, the same temperature as the turkey.  It should be packed loosely into the cavities immediately before putting the turkey in the oven, and removed from the bird immediately after the bird is done. Place the stuffing in an oven-safe container, and returned to the hot oven to finish baking, until ready to serve.  As soon as the main course is finished, the stuffing (and other side dishes) should be stored in  air-tight containers in the refrigerator (or freezer). 
  • Turkey meat should be removed from the bones ASAP, and stored in the refrigerator (or freezer) in an air-tight container. 
  • Turkey bones can be placed in a ziplock bag for freezing or refrigerating until you're ready to make soup (no more than two days later), or you can discard them.  We freeze all bones in ziplock bags and put them in the garbage on the morning of trash pickup, to prevent animals from scavenging.
  • Gravy should be reheated only as it's needed, and kept in the refrigerator for only a couple of days. 

Remember to pause before you begin to prepare the Thanksgiving meal, get ready to host a party, or decorate your home.  Ask yourself (and your family), "Is this really necessary?"  If no one can reply with a good reason (other than "We always do it this way"), follow the advice of a famous newspaper publisher, "When in doubt, leave it out."  This advice also pertains to building and remodeling!

Have a wonderful, safe Thanksgiving!

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PLESSET'S PRINCIPLES FOR TOMORROW'S DESIGNERS

We'll be back next week, with more hints and tips to help you plan for your career.  

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