It’s officially the holiday season, and what a year 2015 has been! As we approach the end of this year, it’s important to reflect on and consider how far you’ve come in terms of well-being and safety. To help you in this moment of awareness and reflection, we have some tips that we want to share with you to spend these holidays safely.

First, let’s talk about shopping safety tactics. Try not to carry a lot of shopping bags in public or in a dark parking lot after you’ve finished shopping, as this will make you a target for thieves and criminals. Keep your wallet and purse zipped up and tucked away, perhaps inside your coat or pants pocket, so your money and ID cards are out of harm’s way. When driving with shopping bags in your car, store them in the concealed trunk and not in your back seat, as back seat bags can be seen from the outside and can make your car a target for thieves.

Drive safely through malls as pedestrians and crowds are more common during the busy holiday shopping season. Don’t get distracted or hold your phone while driving, as this will tempt you to text or look down while driving a powerful and potentially dangerous vehicle. Once you get home, be sure to move your shopping bags inside discreetly and without the attention of strangers. This will ensure that the items and gifts you have purchased are not on the radar of potential thieves.

After opening gifts that have been wrapped in beautiful decorations and wrapping paper, it is always a good idea to break up the cardboard boxes and place them in opaque/black bin bags. This will help hide trash and items on the sidewalk so they don’t appear new or possible to passersby. If a potential criminal walks by your house and sees gift boxes on the sidewalk, he may be more inclined to invade your personal space and steal your new possessions. So the lesson here is not to leave your items out in plain sight, as this could put you in danger. Safety is all about being aware of your surroundings, and we hope that this holiday season, as you enjoy the beauty of the season, you will remember to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.