It’s that time of year again, the holidays are upon us and I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to every minute of it! As we head into Thanksgiving I just wanted to share some safety tips and statistics that will help keep you and your family safe.

First a few fun facts about the upcoming feast:

• According to CNN about 46 million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving Day!
• Unfortunately, the average number of calories consumed on Thanksgiving is about 4,500. (yes, two days’ worth of calories in one). I hope you get your tennis shoes on and run to those Black Friday (Thursday) sales.
• Thanksgiving was declared a national holiday on October 3, 1863 by Abraham Lincoln.

Now for the safety facts:

• According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the #1 day for house fires caused by cooking followed by Christmas.
• The #1 reason for a house fire on Thanksgiving is unattended cooking.
• Food poisoning outbreaks occur most often in November and December according to the CDC.

The ways to prevent all of these from happening on Thanksgiving, except the calorie one:

• Stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food.
• Stay in the home when cooking your turkey.
• If you are frying a turkey, make sure it is on level ground, outside and at least 10 feet away from your home and your turkey is thawed and dry.
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy and make sure your smoke alarms are working.
• Thaw your turkey in the refrigerator, which takes about 5-6 days, or in cold water switching it out every 30 minutes to prevent bacteria growth.
• Don’t wash your turkey, it can cause bacteria to spread up to 3 feet away!
• Use a meat thermometer, your turkey should reach 165 degrees in the innermost part of the thigh, wing and the turkey breast.
• Make sure you don’t have lit candles near any tablecloths, napkins or drapes and be sure to blow them out before going to bed.

Lastly, it is always a good idea to take a look at you current policy limits, coverages and deductibles. Make sure your policy is a “Replacement Cost” policy including the personal property at replacement cost, this will help you to replace your belongings rather than receiving the depreciated value. I hope these tips help you to have a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family and friends. If you are up for some Black Friday shopping, check out my blog from last year, "Black Friday The Wren Way"!