As you enter the spring of 2010, you have likely already started working on your New Years resolutions.
We hope it's not to late to add one more to the list: home protection.  We always do everything we can to keep our homes safe and keep intruders out, and we're sure you do the same. Here at C & E, we have learned you can never do too much. Here are some simple tips we have picked up that you can employ to help make your house an uninviting target for thieves this year:

• Iluminate your home's entry points (doors and windows)  and make sure the lights shine ON the house, and not in the eyes of any "observers."
• Don't give burglars hiding places.  Trim bushes away from doors and windows, and at least two feet up from the ground.
• Participate in or organize a neighborhood watch program.  A decal placed on a window near the entry points of your home will convey to burglars that htey possibly are being watched.

These are just a few of the many ways you can help protect your home from intruders.  They are simple steps that can make a big difference in protecting your home and your possessions.  We don't want you to ever come home and find your house has been broken into and valuable possessions stolen.

C & E Insurance and Financial Services

Here are safety tips, courtesy of IWIF:

Walking to and from parking lots or between buildings at work during the winter requires special attention to avoid slipping and falling. Slips and falls are some of the most frequent types of injuries that IWIF sees – especially during the winter months.

No matter how well the snow and ice is removed from parking lots or sidewalks, your employees will still encounter some slippery surfaces when walking outdoors in the winter. It is important for everyone to be constantly aware of these dangers and to learn to walk safely on ice and slippery surfaces. 

IWIF recommends keeping these important safety tips in mind:

• In cold temperatures, approach with caution and assume that all wet, dark areas on pavements are slippery and icy.
• During bad weather, avoid boots or shoes with smooth soles and heels.  Instead, wear shoes or boots that provide traction on snow and ice; boots made of non-slip rubber or neoprene with grooved soles are best.
• Use special care when entering and existing vehicles; use the vehicle for support.
• Walk in designated walkways as much as possible.  Taking shortcuts over snow piles and other frozen areas can be hazardous.  Look ahead when you walk; a snow- or -ice-covered sidewalk or driveway (especially if on a hill) may require travel along its grassy edge for traction.
• Point your feet out slightly like a penguin!  Spreading your feet out slightly while walking on ice increases your center of gravity.
• Bend slightly and walk flat-footed with your center of gravity directly over the feet as much as possible.
• Extend your arms out to your sides to maintain balance.
• Keep your hands out of your pockets.  Hands in your pockets while walking decreases your center of gravity and balance.  You can help break your fall with your hands free if you do start to slip.
• Watch where you are stepping and ... GO S-L-O-W-LY !!!
• Take short steps or shuffle for stability.
• Wear a heavy, bulky, coat that will cushion you if you should fall.
• Try to avoid landing on your knees, wrists, or spine.  Try to fall on a fleshy part of your side.
• Try to relax your muscles if you fall.  You'll injure yourself less of you are relaxed.

Stay safe in this historic winter the Mid-Atlantic is receiving!  As a reminder, if you need to report a claim, here's the link to the Claims Hotlines of the insurance companies we carry.