Untitled

Investing in a home security system is a significant decision for homeowners, and understanding the costs and benefits associated with it is crucial. Let's delve into the cost and benefit analysis of installing a home security system:

Costs:

Initial Installation: The upfront cost of installing a home security system typically includes the purchase of equipment such as cameras, sensors, control panels, and alarms. Depending on the system's complexity and features, installation costs can vary.

Monthly Monitoring Fees: Many home security companies offer monitoring services for an additional monthly fee. These fees cover 24/7 monitoring by a professional monitoring center, which can alert authorities in case of a security breach.

Maintenance and Upkeep: Home security systems require regular maintenance to ensure they function correctly. This may involve battery replacements, software updates, and occasional repairs, which can incur additional costs over time.

False Alarm Fees: In some areas, false alarms triggered by home security systems may result in fines or fees imposed by local authorities. Homeowners should be aware of these potential costs and take measures to minimize false alarms.

Benefits:

Crime Deterrence: One of the most significant benefits of a home security system is its ability to deter burglars and intruders. Visible security cameras, alarm systems, and yard signs indicating the presence of a security system can discourage potential criminals from targeting your home.

Remote Monitoring and Control: Many modern home security systems offer remote monitoring and control capabilities, allowing homeowners to access live video feeds, arm/disarm alarms, and receive alerts on their smartphones or other devices. This provides peace of mind and allows homeowners to keep an eye on their property even when they're away.

Emergency Response: In the event of a security breach or emergency situation such as a break-in, fire, or medical emergency, a home security system can quickly alert authorities and emergency services, potentially reducing response times and minimizing property damage or harm to occupants.

Insurance Discounts: Installing a home security system may qualify homeowners for discounts on their homeowner's insurance premiums. Insurance companies often offer reduced rates to homeowners with security systems in place, as these systems decrease the likelihood of theft or property damage.

Property Protection: Beyond deterring burglaries, home security systems can also safeguard your property from environmental hazards such as fires, floods, and carbon monoxide leaks. Smoke detectors, water sensors, and carbon monoxide detectors integrated into a security system can provide early warnings and help prevent property damage and personal injury.

Firework displays can distress pets, but precautions can ensure their safety:

1. Indoors and Comfort

Keep pets indoors during fireworks displays, providing a safe and familiar environment to minimize stress.

2. Secured Environment

Close windows and curtains, creating a cozy space to dampen noise and prevent pets from escaping due to fear.

3. Identification

Ensure pets have identification tags or microchips with updated contact details in case they do escape.

4. Comforting Space

Create a calming area with familiar toys or bedding to offer reassurance and comfort to anxious dogs.

5. Distraction Techniques

Distract pets with soothing music, toys, or treats to divert their attention from the loud noises outside.

6. Exercise and Bathroom Breaks

Take dogs for walks and allow bathroom breaks before fireworks begin to reduce anxiety during the displays.

7. Stay Calm

Remain calm and reassuring around pets; displaying anxiety can amplify their distress.

8. Consult a Vet

For severely anxious pets, consult a vet for possible medication or advice to ease their stress during firework events.

Your home is your sanctuary, and it's essential to keep it safe and secure. In this concise article, we'll explore some Cove tips to help you protect your loved ones and your property.

Lock It Up: Always lock your doors and windows when you leave, even if it's just for a few minutes. Deadbolt locks and sturdy doors can make unauthorized entry more challenging.

Exterior Lighting: Well-lit exteriors deter potential intruders. Install motion-activated lights around entry points and pathways to enhance visibility.

Security Cameras: Security cameras are a valuable tool for deterring and identifying intruders. Place them strategically around your property, focusing on entry points and vulnerable entry points.

Alarm Systems: Consider installing a home security alarm system. Modern systems often come with smart features, such as remote monitoring and alerts to your phone.

Neighborhood Watch: Join or establish a neighborhood watch program. Keeping an eye out for each other can enhance overall security in your community.

Hide Valuables: Keep valuables out of sight from windows and prying eyes. Don't advertise your possessions to potential thieves.

Digital Security: Protect your digital life with strong, unique passwords, and update your devices regularly. Secure your Wi-Fi network to prevent unauthorized access.

Emergency Plan: Create a family emergency plan that covers what to do in case of a break-in, fire, or natural disaster. Regularly practice emergency drills.

Smart security cameras can help you control access to your home, receive important updates, zero in on the moments that matter, and then share those moments at the push of a button. In addition to indoor and outdoor camera options, smart panels actually have built-in cameras that open up even more possibilities.

Check Out Who's at the Door A small security camera may enable you to answer the door confidently when someone knocks, whether you don't have the type of entrance door that is appropriate for a peephole or you simply want to be absolutely certain before opening your home to someone. Use a motion-activated camera to reduce data storage so that it only records when there is activity on your front step. You should also maintain a tiny CCTV monitor nearby in the kitchen or your home office so that you can quickly check who is there.

Maintain an Eye on Your Yard Home garages typically lack protection despite the fact that they are frequently more easier to break into than many other structures and frequently store valuable automobiles and equipment. High-end power tools, bikes, ATVs, cars, and trucks may all become quite alluring to would-be thieves, so safeguard them with measures beyond the standard rolling garage door or lock and key.

Keep an eye on Entry Points to Prevent Theft Don't discount potential access points like windows, French doors, and basement doors since bad guys don't usually try to enter your home through the front door. While installing a surveillance camera near every single access point is not absolutely necessary, it is a good idea to have an extra set of eyes looking out for windows and doors that are hidden from view by tall hedges, trees, or other visual obstructions, can't be seen by neighbors, or can't be seen from the street.

Keep Your Home Office Safe It is likely that you have inventory, money, and work tools on site if you operate a business out of your house. A security camera can monitor visitors to your house throughout the workday, including clients, vendors, and staff, in addition to preventing the theft of goods used for business purposes.

Emerald engagement rings have been prized for ages due to its beauty and scarcity. The emerald is the most alluring gemstone, but it requires specific maintenance if you want it to endure a lifetime as a wedding ring. The details provided below will tell you about the properties, upgrades, cost, settings, and shopping advice for emerald engagement rings, allowing you to decide if they are the ideal gemstone for you.

1. Why Emeralds Are Important Green gemstones have been presented as priceless presents to Venus, the Romans' goddess of love, as a symbol of faith and love. Emerald is thought to calm troubled spirits, soothe the mind, and gives whoever wears it the gift of foresight. It is also the classic birthstone for June and the modern birthstone for May.

2. Enhancements in Emerald Wax, resins, or oil are frequently used to coat emerald gemstones to brighten their color and repair any cracks. It improves the stone's clarity and overall beauty. Contrary to colored oils and colored dyes with extremely low ratings for stability, these treatments are quite stable and have no impact on the quality of an emerald. Keep in mind that Emeralds with superior improvements are typically marked with an O or E. While emeralds that have been dyed are marked with a D and ought to be avoided.

3. Guide to Emerald Prices Couples wishing to purchase a stunning emerald engagement ring and complementary wedding rings should budget this much. The average cost of an emerald carat is $1,000. However, the gem with a respectable degree of  clarity and larger carat goes for $5,000 to $20,000 per carat. The carat, clarity, cut, and color influences the price of an emerald gemstone.

4. Best Settings and Cuts for Wedding Rings With Emeralds Any cut, although the traditional emerald-cut is the most popular, makes emeralds look stunning. Additionally, emerald wedding rings frequently include the round spectacular cut, which raises the gemstone's flash and fire and improves the bling quotient of the ring.

5. Shopping Advice for Emerald Wedding Bands and Engagement Rings When looking for emerald engagement rings as part of your wedding preparations, try not to allow the pressure get to you. It's important to remember that you receive precisely what you pay for. Emerald wedding bands and engagement rings can be purchased for as little as $80 per carat, but these stones are of inferior color.

Are there any frustrations greater than house repairs There is a problem in your house that is not your fault. It's possible that this was brought on by unfavorable weather or that your home's age is to blame. You actually couldn't have avoided it either way, but you now have to spend a lot of money. Although they can be misunderstood, house repairs and improvements are not the same.

1. Home Insurance

For peace of mind in case something goes wrong, everyone should get home insurance. What a shocker—home repairs typically occur after something goes wrong! Your property has been harmed by a strange storm, and the repairs will set you back thousands of dollars. Using the right home insurance policies, your provider will cover most of these costs for you. It means you pay less, and your house gets protected. 

2. Financing

As you pay for various services, some businesses will provide financing options. Now, depending on the tasks being completed. Roofing firms typically provide financing alternatives for roof repairs and installations, as you can see on the Avidus Roofing website.

3. DIY

You might be able to save money by doing the repairs yourself. This cannot possibly apply to every circumstance in the house. You obviously cannot do roof installations on your own, as I said in the preceding paragraph. Leave it to the pros; you lack the abilities and understanding to handle it.

One of the most coveted elements in gardens all around the world is a lovely lawn. Here are five practical suggestions to aid you in your search for the ideal lawn

It's time to take advantage of your lovely lawn now that the outside season has officially started. A lawn that, if properly maintained, will be the pride and pleasure of the neighborhood and remain lush and green. In order to assist you, we've put up a list of crucial considerations:

1. Cutting

Because it thickens the grass, regular lawn mowing is crucial. Little and often is preferable to all at once when it comes to the cutting method.

2. Fertilising

Cutting the grass depletes the grass of nutrients, which must be supplied for the grass to grow as much as possible. Therefore, starting in the spring, fertilize the lawn every four to five weeks. The essential nutrients nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are found in blends of specialized lawn fertilizers, which are easily found at your neighborhood garden center.

3. Watering 

Watering your grass is crucial if you want it to stay lush and green throughout summer. The amount of humidity and temperature determine how frequently you should water your lawn. The elder leaf blades on the plant start to curl or wilt, and the grass starts to take on a blue-gray hue when it requires water. If a fresh tree was planted

4. Weed management

The struggle against weeds in your lawn may be won with perseverance and the appropriate method. Mechanical methods can get rid of a lot of weeds.

5. Aerification and scarification

For the grass roots to breathe and develop, they require air. A lawn's soil is frequently too sandy, preventing the roots from receiving adequate air, which stunts growth.

One of the things you should do before buying a property is to have it inspected by a qualified home inspector. Yes, we can hear what you're saying: "Purchasing a home is already very expensive! If I'm not compelled to spend hundreds extra, why would I decide to?"

This article will examine what a house inspection can discover and whether it is worthwhile for a home buyer to hire an inspector.

The Home Inspection Backup

Before closing, a buyer has the chance to discover any significant concerns with a home through a home inspection. The fact that a house inspection can be utilized as a contingency in your agreement with the seller is your first indication that it is crucial. According to this condition, you have a set amount of time to cancel your purchase offer, free of charge, if a home inspection turns up serious flaws.

What is Covered by a Home Inspection

While there are differences in experience, skill, and thoroughness among inspectors, a qualified inspector should investigate specific aspects of a home before writing a report outlining their findings. You should be there for the inspection so that you may hear the inspector explain their findings in person. The average inspection lasts two to three hours.

Stay connected with the Cove app. All of our outdoor camera conveniently connect to the Cove app, so you can relax knowing that you have access to your home security system from wherever you are. Here are additional features you get when you use the app.

External Examination

The exterior of the building will get a thorough inspection by the inspector. This entails utilizing a ladder to reach the roof and other items for inspection, as well as crawling into any crawlspaces beneath the house.

Carport or garage

The inspector will check the garage door to make sure it opens and closes properly, look at any visible garage framing, and see if it is adequately vented (to prevent accidental carbon monoxide poisoning).

Roof

A new research by Stanford and Arizona State University alumnus Christos Makridis explores certain aspects of religious liberty as a foundational element of a free society. The paper goes into great detail to illustrate why religious freedom is essential for greater economic freedom and prosperity.

The study also examines the connections between economic freedom and religious freedom, demonstrating how each promotes the other and how religious freedom ultimately promotes social progress.

According to Christos, "Religious liberty is a prerequisite to economic freedom, therefore changes in economic freedom may reflect earlier changes in political strategies that successfully widened religious freedoms."

Religious Liberty Across the Globe

Even though the study notes that religious freedom benefits society, Makridis points out that since 2010, religious freedom has declined worldwide. The study points to three different factors that impact religious freedom:

1. Whether a country explicitly protects religious freedom in its laws

2. Whether a country supports economic freedom, specifically personal property rights

3. Whether a country’s culture prioritizes religious activities in daily life

Are Religious Freedom and Discrimination Compatible?

Some contend that less freedoms of religion are advantageous. They fail to see how this freedom safeguards everyone. However, there are other reasons why religious freedom should be promoted, even by individuals who do not practice any faith.

We all lose freedom when religious freedom is restricted. It is crucial that everyone has the freedom to practice their beliefs without worrying about facing repercussions from the government. The First Amendment in the United States guarantees our freedom to practice any religion peacefully, or none at all. Additionally, it guarantees that even if someone else disagrees with a person's personal beliefs, the government cannot penalize them for just adhering to a particular faith.

Due to the freedom of religion, people have the right to their beliefs. Everyone has opinions about what best advances human development, and they all have the right to express those opinions to others. People's fundamental beliefs are linked to these concepts and convictions.

Everyone benefits from religious freedom, not just those who practice a particular religion. According to research, societies in nations with less religious freedom are more rigid. When we try to force someone to act in a way that goes against their moral principles, we are also limiting freedom for ourselves and everyone else. The fact that we have safeguarded religious freedom along with many other freedoms is one of the reasons why America is known as the "country of the free."

A lousy employer has tormented almost all of us at some point. A change in management over a pay increase is what over 65 percent of American workers would choose if they had a choice! Consider that for a moment. The thing we all believe is uppermost on employees' minds is getting a new management, not money.

Poor managers are responsible for decreased productivity, increased staff turnover, and ill mental and physical health. In the worst scenarios, poor leadership can result in staff suicides and physical assault.

1. Consider Your Culture First Depending on how long it's lasted, you may have lost some excellent workers. Existing employees may have developed negative coping techniques. The water in a river doesn't become instantly pure just because a contaminant is removed from it. There could be new interpersonal conflicts. Existing staff members could be unkind to new hires or treat them harshly simply because they are new.

2. Restore Faith The staff will be especially irate if the manager has been in charge for a while. Maybe they felt there was no purpose in addressing their worries and grievances, right or wrong. Employee complaints must be heard in your HR department without fear of retaliation. People must feel that their input is valued. Let staff members complain and inquire and discuss moving forward. Remember to be more flexible, communicative and patient during this time.

3. Review Your Promotional Guidelines Some times, inept managers deceive their superiors into believing they are extremely capable. Some people are better at getting promoted than they are at performing the job they were hired to do. I see bosses that are over their heads much more frequently. They might not have received the instruction, wisdom, and assistance necessary for them to be productive. They strike out as their ship begins to sink, taking passengers down with them.

4. Develop Real Leadership Being an effective manager involves much more than just delegation, reading reports, and finding a decent parking spot. People require leaders who can both confront and inspire them. Employees want bosses that set a good example by expecting them to invest more time and effort than they are willing to.

5. Reward Program Maintaining a low profile and not upsetting the apple cart is one coping mechanism used. Poorly managed employees are unlikely to offer up an original fresh concept. Additionally, in the past, their success might have been appropriated. A new manager must be proactive, promote creativity and independent thought, and look for chances to publicly recognize and commend workers for their initiative and hard work.

When two people begin a new life together and bring children from prior relationships, that situation is known as a blended family. Everyone concerned may find this shift difficult, as is to be anticipated. Your approach to this difficult circumstance will have a big impact on how happy everyone is. Here are the top five suggestions for blended families who are co-parenting.

1. Reduce the variety of modifiable changes

If you keep the number of other changeable aspects to a minimum, your family's blending will have the best chance of success. The degree to which your children adapt to this shift can be greatly hampered if you make too many significant changes all at once. Putting your child in a new home too soon, for instance, can cause issues because they won't have had the time to acclimatize and adapt.

2. Establish mutual agreement

No matter how much you may love your spouse, you will occasionally disagree with her parenting beliefs. It is preferable to resolve these issues prior to uniting your two households. Additionally, you must align yourself with your co-parent. Make certain you are all in agreement with major parenting decisions. It will likely require that each of you make compromises so that everyone is satisfied with the arrangement. Having all this in place before moving in together will make for a smoother transition.

3. Build trust and respect with your co-parent

Dealing with the previous spouse can often be more complicated than incorporating new children into your life. You need to recognize that your co-parent will likely only care about how the kids are doing. They will not care about the new marriage or any other family dynamics unless it negatively impacts your child. Proving that you are always putting the kids’ best interest first will go a long way in smoothing out any potential conflicts. Once you build trust, it will be easier to cultivate this co-parenting partnership.

4. Experience everyday life together

It may be tempting to try and create good memories for your children with your new partner. However, this approach can backfire when it comes time to get back to a real routine. For example, taking the children on vacations and other fun activities is making good memories, but it’s not reflective of everyday life as a new family. Instead, you want to ease into this transition by incorporating plenty of real-life situations. The more that you incorporate these regular activities into your schedule, the easier it will be to jump into them on a full-time basis.

5. Set reasonable goals

It's simple to get caught up in the illusion that your new blended family will function flawlessly. Very rarely does everyone mesh without any problems. Setting reasonable expectations will prevent disappointment. A better relationship between the two parties will result from accepting that there will be disagreements and having a strategy for resolving them.

When it comes to combining two families, there is always a learning curve. But by adhering to these five guidelines, you can make the move to this new stage of life effective.

Faulty things, including bad thinking, abound in today's culture. In other words, thieves, hackers, scammers, and burglars are all over the world right now. One of the possible causes of our society's downward spiral could be poverty. Whatever the cause, it ultimately comes down to common homeowners (and even businesses like stores and offices) exercising the appropriate vigilance to safeguard their property. You can take the following actions.

1. Keep your front entrance secure. Purchase high-security locks. There are numerous choices available. Purchase a better strike plate that strengthens the door jam to fortify the actual frame. The installation takes between 30 and 45 minutes. Which will give you peace of mind from someone trying to kick the door (that will give the person the hardest time ever).

2. Watch over your home. The most popular security measure is the deployment of the well-known CCTV camera, but you can also install a specialized doorbell that has a camera built in and can alert you via your mobile phone when someone tries to enter your home. These specialty doorbells also offer HD video, motion sensors, and night vision capabilities.

3. Keep an eye on your yard as well. You can also watch what's going on in your backyard with a completely wireless device, similar to the customized doorbell. CCTV cameras can accomplish the same thing, but they are expensive. However, if you are extremely concerned about the security of your house while you are gone, then these gadgets are a necessity.

4. Put a security film over your windows. This innovative method of window installation is fantastic since it not only guards against forced entry but also shields your family from potential flying glass shards in the event of a natural disaster like an earthquake or other calamity. The film really binds the broken glasses together so that those inside or close by can take safety precautions or simply phone the police in the event of forced entry.

5. Store all of your valuables in a sturdy safe. High-quality safes are waterproof, fireproof, and tamper-proof in addition to being difficult to unlock. Therefore, you can safely store your valuable (tiny items), such as crucial documents that are challenging to get when it gets lost for no reason at all.

Nearly 444,000 people pass away annually as a result of preventable healthcare mistakes. Fortunately, coordinated action by consumers, support personnel, and healthcare professionals can enhance patient safety outcomes. Organizations can enhance team performance by implementing team initiatives that are safety-focused. Patient safety entails making plans that promote communication, lower infection rates, and decrease errors in order to prevent errors, minimize injury, and reduce the likelihood of mistakes.

The best treatment outcome is the common goal shared by healthcare professionals, patients, and support personnel. The seven guidelines that follow provide advice that some health organizations use to accomplish this goal.

Tip 1: Establish a safety and health management system as your first step.

Care providers are advised to develop standards that gauge the effectiveness of company safety and health management systems in The Assessment Tool for Hospitals, a publication of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). [1] It is crucial that managers involve all managers and staff in appropriate decision-making processes and conduct routine organizational performance reviews in order to promote adherence to safety measures. A dynamic measure of whether an organization has achieved its goals is provided by regular reviews. Administrators can also use this data to change organizational policies as necessary.

Tip: 2 Build a Rapid Response System The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has created TeamSTEPPSTM, or Team Strategies & Tools to Enhance Performance & Patient Safety, to assist companies in building rapid response systems (RRSs). [2] One essential component of an RRS is a rapid reaction team (RRT).

Tip 3: Ensure that Staff Members Are Aware of and Comply With Safety Rules Understanding each party's responsibilities for organizational safety is essential. [1] Administrators should inform staff members on a regular basis about changes to pertinent policy in addition to providing new hires with hospital safety training. Employees must also be aware of their responsibilities in maintaining patient safety. Every medical institution should also explicitly define its safety policies and practices.

Employees must feel comfortable raising issues. Therefore, successful safety training includes confidence that administrators would treat information with objectivity coupled with a clearly defined method for handling and reporting hazards.

Tip 4: Create a safety compliance plan Hospital administrators continuously observe and assess how staff members adhere to set policies. Boards of directors and institutional governing bodies use this data to modify organizational policies as necessary.

Tip 5: Use patient-centered care techniques In discussions concerning service quality, patient-centered care frequently comes up. The phrase is frequently used by hospital managers, politicians, and hospital media communication. In reality, long before the Affordable Care Act was put into effect, insurers tied payouts in part to how much care facilities implemented patient-centered care. You can add a security systems from Cove Smart for patient safety.

An intrusion detection system (IDS) can be one of the most important elements of your organization’s overall commercial security strategy. It’s next to impossible to conduct a manual inspection of all your organizational data for potential vulnerabilities and intrusion threats. This is where the need for an intrusion detection system comes into the picture. With around-the-clock monitoring and real-time feedback, intrusion detection systems ensure your access control system are not violated.

Intrusion detection systems fall into either of these three types: 

Physical Surveillance: monitor the areas around your commercial property and ensure their security. These systems can be paired with video monitoring solutions to track user activity.

Host Monitoring Systems: can be used to monitor devices and machines used by organizations. These systems locate suspicious behavior arising from internal factors and from devices and machines attacked by malware. Check this: Cove Smart

Network Oversight. Network intrusion detection systems can be used to track inbound and outbound traffic on a network or server. Signature-Based Detection. Signature-based intrusion detection systems can be used to identify patterns and signatures of attack behaviors as noted in the past. Anomaly Detection.

Anomaly detection systems can be used to track attacks from multiple sources at once. Unusual behavior is often the key to such attacks.

How to Find the Right Intrusion Detection System 

It's that time of year again. The 2022 hurricane season begins on Tuesday, June 1st. This season, the Weather Company anticipates 19 named storms, eight hurricanes, including four major hurricanes. Some residents have already seen utility companies cutting trees away from power wires as part of their usual preparations. That serves as a reminder to take a look around our own property and see what kind of cleanup and other preparation work we can perform. What about the interior of your house? Are there any sensitive areas that need to be addressed? When it comes to disaster preparedness, your home security system is crucial.

A home security system like Cove Smart comes in helpful when it comes to securing your home, especially during a hurricane. In the event of a severe storm, for example, you may need to move the family to a safer location. When this occurs, security cameras installed both inside and outside your home allow you to check in on the property remotely. Nothing is more frightening than not knowing what is happening to your home during a disaster. Additional sensors, such as smoke detectors and flood sensors, alert you to whether the house is safe or in danger.

1. Obtain a professionally monitored home security system

  Your first line of defense against burglary is a home security system that includes a window and alarm system like a cove alarm system. Some programs permit you to self-monitor, but particularly if you're heading from the country or somewhere with unreliable data network coverage, alarms on your phone will not do you much good.   With a monitored home security system, the alarm company calls for the authorities for you when there's a breach also.

2. Make sure that system includes environmental sensors

Most contemporary home security methods have the choice to track not just when someone enters your home but against damaging environmental variables too.   Flood sensors detect changes in moisture levels in the atmosphere, which may indicate broken appliances or pipes.   Many safety systems now also contain or sync with smoke sensors  and carbon dioxide sensors  to increase the alarm whenever there's a fire or poisonous fumes.

3. Buy a programmable or smart thermostat  

When you're gone, there is no use heating or cooling a vacant home into a comfortable temperature, but you do not wish to switch off your system completely, either.   A fantastic guideline is to set your thermostat into four degrees under or over your regular setting when you are off.   In summer time, this should never be under 50 °F so that your pipes don't freeze.   Employing a toaster, you may decide on a schedule beforehand so that your house will be back to a comfortable temperature from the moment you come home.

Even better, get a wise thermostat so it is possible to check in on your home's temperature from afar and make adjustments if needed.   We advocate the Nest Learning Thermostat since it learns your temperature preferences, uses geofencing, and is compatible with Amazon Echo and Google Home.   Have a look at the table below to see some of our preferred smart thermostats and smart house brands you are in a position to set them with.

4. Don't indicate publicly that you'll be away from home

Do not place anything on your voicemail, answering, machine, email auto answer, or societal media indicating you'll be gone.   It is tempting to post your holiday photos at the moment, however, your safest bet would be to wait until after you return home.   If you can't resist it, make certain your posts are readable only to friends and do not mention the specific dates you are going to be gone. 

5. Install outside security lights