Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Copy Link
Holiday Safety Tips
It’s the time of year when our calendars can become crazy with parties, shopping, travel, cultural events, and long to-do lists. Our normal routines are stretched and attention to our safety can suffer. We may be gone from home more in the upcoming weeks, so burglary prevention becomes important. Shipped packages and money/gift cards in the mail are popular targets for thieves. Crowds in shopping malls, downtown streets, the train station or airport provide pickpockets a target-rich environment.
Door-to-door solicitors may pick this time of year to collect for charities, and yet we wonder if they are legitimate. In addition, too much holiday “cheer” can lead to unwise decisions and–in some cases–DUI arrests.
Travel light: take only what you need when you are out. Leave the heavy purse behind and clean out your wallet of unneeded credit cards, medical cards, etc.
Dress the part: It’s darker now without our sunny Seattle skies, so make sure you can be seen by motorists. Are your shoes comfortable enough to allow you to move, kick, run if you had to? Long billowing scarves, umbrellas, certain kinds of hats can reduce the ability to see around you, or might give a mugger something by which to grab you. Leave the bling behind or under layers of clothing if you’ll be out walking around much.
Cell phones: “apple picking” is what some are calling the grabbing of iphones and other electronic devices. You may be asked by a stranger for the time, or if they can borrow your phone. Then boom, in a blink of an eye, they’re off and away with your device. While cell phones are a helpful safety device, street robbers love them, so don’t flash them around. Be mindful when using them in public places.
“What’s your location?” means being able to relay your location such as house number, business or street names, hundred block, intersections, landmarks, or mile markers. Make it a habit to know your location! This is key when making calls to 9-1-1. Seconds matter in emergencies. Help us get to you or the incident quicker. Stay on the line with the call taker until instructed to hang up.
If you will be out of town, please let your trusted neighbors know. Encourage them to keep an extra watch out for your home and let them know you want them to call 9-1-1 if something is suspicious. Enlist their help with picking up newspapers, checking for oversized mail, packages, and those pesky flyers left on doorknobs. On our block, we pick up each others’ parcels that have been left on a porch for safekeeping. You want to make your home look occupied (lights and radio on timers; have someone park in your driveway, bring in your garbage can/recycling bins, etc.) Getting a house sitter can be helpful. Watchful neighbors truly are your best alarm!
Car prowls: Thieves target all makes and models of vehicles looking for GPS devices, cellular phones, cameras, purses, garbage remotes, jackets. I know some parents who keep their kids’ holiday gifts in the trunk. Not good! Also, I’ve read a few police reports where people pack up their car the night before heading out on a trip, only to find the car was prowled over night. Leave your car empty; disable internal trunk releases and be consistent with any theft-deterrent device like the “club” or audible alarm.
Warming up the car: Vehicles left running and unattended while the heater and defroster kick in may be just the opportunity the auto thief needed.
We wish you a safe and happy holiday season!
?-Steve and Sandra
Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate/FN
Seattle-Northwest
122502 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle WA 98133
call/text: 206-769-9577
email: stevehill@windermere.com
Check out these useful Home Search Apps:
Windermere for iPad
Windermere for Android
Check out these useful links:
BrennerHill.com
Best In Client Satisfaction
Seattle Real Estate Statistics
Windermere Housing Trends Newsletter
Our Preferred Lenders
George Runnels
Washington First Mortgage
WaFirstMortgage.com
call/text: 206-604-4545
Jackie Murphy
Cobalt Mortgage
CobaltMortgage.com
call/text: 425-260-6834
Windermere, Real Estate, Northwest, Seattle, Mill Creek, Greenwood, Ballard, Ballard, Broadview, Home, Purchase, Sell
Santa Claus & Santa Paws :: A Special Photo Event
Please join us for Santa Paws this year, it is fun, fast and most of all, free!
Saturday, December 7th from 10-2 pm
WHERE: The Windermere Northwest office, 12250 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA
R.S.V.P Call 206-367-4720 to make your reservation
Come and get your professional holiday photos taken in a more relaxed atmosphere.
We know the holidays can be some busy times with lots of long lines so back by popular demand we’ve arranged for Santa to come to the Windermere Northwest office to take holiday pictures. All you need to do is call our office to make an appointment, dress your kids & pooch in holiday attire (not required) and we will do the rest! No kids? o pets? No problem! Everyone one is invited and welcome to this event.
Please call to make your reservation today!
FOOD DRIVE: FOR PEOPLE AND PETS IN NEED
Also, in the spirit of the holiday season, we will be collecting people and pet food for the local shelters. If you would like to participate, please bring canned or dry food and we’ll add it to the donation box!
Happy Holiday Season Wishes!
-Steve and Sandra
Enjoy the Holiday!
The housing recovery is creating jobs and helping bring the economy back.
Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Best in Client Satisfaction
Windermere Real Estate/FN
call/text 206-769-9577
BrennerHill.com
From Festivals to Concerts: 11 Ways to Celebrate Memorial Day
Memorial Day weekend is just around the corner which means many families will be hittin’ the mountain passes in cramped cars packed full of camping gear, bikes, scooters, lawn chairs, blue tarps, and the family dog. But for those families sticking close to home this Memorial Day (you know who you are… been there, done that, never again with little ones), we’ve rounded up 11 family-friendly activities that will keep everyone happy and entertained over the 3-day weekend.
Northwest Folklife Festival
There’s no shortage of fun things to see, do and eat at the 42ndAnnual Northwest Folklife Festival. One of the largest free folk festivals in the country, this annual festival features over 7,000 diverse performers, participatory dances, workshops, arts and crafts, and food booths galore! For younger visitors, Folklife offers tons of hands-on activities including a family dance/story/music tent, toy boat building and knot tying, make-and-take mosaic art and pop-up puppets, global crafts like Chinese calligraphy and piñata building, and fun language lessons. Friday, May 24 through Sunday, May 26 from 11:00 am – 10:00 pm; Monday, May 27 from 11:00 am – 9:00 pm. Seattle. Free. All ages. Event details.
Family Science Weekend
After you hit the Northwest Folklife Festival, take the fam to Pier 59 to learn about the cool science and research projects taking place at the Seattle Aquarium. In addition to lots of hands-on activities, enjoy special talks and demonstrations that will help the whole fam discover science in a fun way! Friday, May 24 through Monday, May 27 from 9:30 am – 5:00 pm. Seattle. Free with admission or membership. All ages. Event details.
Memorial Day Weekend Train Rides
If you and the kiddos are itching to get out of the city for the day, head east to North Bend and celebrate Memorial Day weekend with a scenic 75-minute round-trip excursion through the Cascade Foothills and to Snoqualmie Falls. Insider Tip: Be sure to explore the North Bend train depot and the fab bookstore open from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm as well as the cute town of North Bend. Saturday, May 25 through Monday, May 27 from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm. North Bend. $10 to $15 (under 2 free). Tickets required. All ages. Event details.
Memorial Day Weekend Circus Fun!
There won’t be any regularly scheduled spring classes going on at the School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts (SANCA) over Memorial Day weekend, but SANCA will be open on Saturday and Sunday for lots of high-flying circus fun. Kiddos can take a Circus Bonus or Flying Trapeze class or try an Intro to Circus class with the whole fam. After a couple of hours of swinging, bouncing, and balancing, your lil’ monkeys will be ready for a long nap. Saturday, May 25 & Sunday, May 27 from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Seattle. $30 and up. Ages 6 and older.Event details.
Cascade Warbirds Fly-In
Every Memorial Day weekend, the Museum of Flight hosts this annual fly-in featuring a wide variety of beautifully restored vintage military aircraft representing several nations’ armed forces from World War II through the Vietnam conflict. In addition to watching the planes take off and land, you and the kiddos can talk with the pilots and owners of these planes. Saturday, May 25 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. Seattle. Free. All ages. Event details.
Memorial Day Weekend Run
If a run around the park is what your kiddos need to get the ya-ya’s out, lace up your tennis and participate in this fun Memorial Day run! Participants can choose a 5k, 10k or 15k run/walk as well as a fun kid’s dash. The 400-meter kid’s dash (for ages 2-10) will start 15-minutes before race time—giving you the perfect chance to run with your kiddo and get warmed up before your race. Insider Tip: When everyone’s done, let Fido run free in the off-leash dog park, just around the corner from the starting line. Saturday, May 25 at 9:45 am. Seattle. $3 to $28. Registration required. Ages 2 and older. Event details.
Kitsap Harbor Festival
If you are looking for a fun day trip that also involves a ferry ride, this annual Memorial Day weekend waterfront festival, held at both the Bremerton and Port Orchard downtown waterfronts, is sure to be a big hit. Get a close-up look at the tall ships, grab some local eats at the farmer’s market, catch a classic car show, and enjoy more than 50 food and craft booths and a fab KidZone. Saturday, May 25 & Sunday, May 26 from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. Bremerton/Port Orchard. Free. All ages. Event details.
Family Low Tide Beach Walk
The tide will be super-duper low over Memorial Day weekend which means it’s the perfect time to put on your rubber boots and join a Seattle volunteer naturalist to search for anemones, moon snails, and clams along the beaches of Puget Sound. Saturday, May 25 from 10:45 am to 12:15 pm; Sunday, May 26 from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm. Seattle. Free. All ages. Event details.
The Whizpops! at Zoomazium
If a trip to Woodland Park Zoo is a guaranteed hit for your fam, consider going on Sunday and hittin’ a home run! From 11:30 am – 12:15 pm, The Whizpops! will be playing a rockin’ concert inside Zoomazium. Kiddos (and parents) will love singing and dancing to kid-friendly, nature-themed tunes from these two elementary teachers turned rock stars. Sunday, May 26 from 11:30 am – 12:15 pm. Seattle. Free with zoo admission or membership. All ages.Event details.
Memorial Day at Seattle Children’s Museum
Join the folks at the Seattle Children’s Museum on Memorial Day to remember the great citizens who protected our freedom. Kiddos and families can honor those who have served our country by creating Memorial Day paper poppies and participating in other hands-on projects. Monday, May 27 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Seattle. Free with admission or membership. Ages 10 months to 10 years. Event details.
Memorial Day Ceremony
Teach your kiddos the importance of Memorial Day by taking them to this annual ceremony held at the Museum of Flight. Starting at 1:00 pm, the Museum president and CEO will preside over the ceremony along with the City of Tukwila Mayor. The Museum will also honor military service with patriotic music by the Boeing Employees Concert Band. Bonus: All veterans and active U.S. Military personnel will receive FREE admission to the Museum with identification. Monday, May 27 from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Seattle. Free. All ages. Event details.
Are you sticking around town for Memorial Day weekend? What do you have planned? Let us know in a comment below.
–Kristina Moy
Photo credit: Northwest Folklife Festival/Bernard-Mann
